Rice without a rice cooker

[steorra]

I keep encountering people who don't know how to make rice without a rice cooker. I grew up making rice in a pot, and have done it for many years, although I currently use a rice cooker that my roommate contributed to the household. I thought I'd post instructions for how to make rice in a pot, in case they're useful to anyone. It's really pretty easy. Here's a recipe for 1 cup of white rice (dry); it can be doubled or tripled or more if you need to make lots.

Put in pot:
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 t. salt (optional)

Don't put the lid on. Turn on high and bring to a boil.
When it boils, turn the heat down to low and put the lid on. (You might need to wait a minute or so before you can put the lid on without it trying to boil over.)
Set a timer for 20 minutes and leave it alone. Don't lift the lid.
When the timer rings, it should be done.

To make brown rice, cook for 40 minutes rather than 20 minutes. The amount of water may need to be adjusted slightly; I don't make brown rice as much as white rice so I can't give precise instructions.