Grain to Water Calculator

Grain

Measured in

Amount

Result

Water, ml400
Cook for, minutes18
Cooked weight, g600
Salt, g4
Dry grain, g200
That is, cups1.11
Grainlong-grain rice

Ratios for fifteen grains

Shows the water, salt and cooking time each grain needs, and how much cooked food your portion will turn into.

Everyone remembers 'one to two', and it is wrong for half the shelf. Basmati wants one and a half, pearl barley wants three, semolina for porridge wants seven. Being a cup out is the difference between a loose side dish and a solid block.

Every grain here carries its own ratio, cooking time and cooked yield. You can measure in grams, in 200 ml cups, or straight in servings at 70 g of dry grain per person.

What this calculator shows

The water volume and cooking time for the grain you picked
How many grams of cooked food it turns into
The salt, and the same quantity expressed in cups

What to keep in mind

Salt is taken at one percent of the water, which is where most people settle.
A serving is 70 g of dry grain — a standard side dish; as the centre of a meal, take more.

FAQs

How much water for a cup of rice?

Long-grain wants 2 ml per gram, so 360 ml for a 180 g cup. Basmati takes 1.6, brown rice 2.5 — it cooks longer and drinks more.

Why does my buckwheat come out sloppy?

Usually too much water and a lid left off. The one-to-two ratio only works with the lid on tight and the heat right down.

How much grain per person?

70 g dry as a side, 100 g if the grain is the meal. Cooked, that is roughly 200 g and 300 g.

Do I need to rinse the grain?

Rice and quinoa, yes: rinsing takes surface starch off rice and the bitter saponin off quinoa. Buckwheat and bulgur only need picking over.

Worked example

Buckwheat for four

Input: Buckwheat, 4 servings

Output: 560 ml water, 18 minutes, 784 g cooked

Note: Buckwheat barely needs attention: pour, bring to the boil, turn it right down and put the lid on. Cooked grain weighs about three times the dry weight, which is a handy rule for any side dish.

Useful links

All tools in Cooking calculators: temperatures, ratios and substitutions How long to cook guides How long to cook chicken breast in the oven How long to cook salmon fillet in the oven How long to cook pork chops in the oven

Grain to Water Calculator

Result

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Useful links