The Biggest Reason Your Rice Is Always Burnt

When you've taken the time and effort to cook a meal, the last thing you want to happen is for it to burn. But if you find your rice is consistently getting way too toasty whenever you make it, it might not be a simple case of distraction in the kitchen. No matter if you use a pot to boil rice or a special rice cooker, the grains can burn in either contraption. Fortunately, there are a few solutions to this problem that are easy to implement.

If you are someone who is lucky enough to have a rice cooker or another similar gadget like the Instant Pot, the problem of burnt rice is incredibly easy to fix. In many cases where a dedicated rice cooker produces burned grains, the rice just doesn't have enough water, says Cooking Chops. That's especially true if it's just the bottom layer of rice that keeps burning. When the water has completely evaporated or been absorbed by the grains of rice, the cooker continues to do its thing and heat its contents. Simply try adding more water before turning it on the next time.

An automated rice cooker isn't the only way to cook — or burn — rice. There are a couple of common mistakes people also make when cooking rice in a pot on the stovetop. The first mistake is using a pot that isn't sturdy enough, according to Taste of Home. If the pot itself is too thin, the heat from the stove can easily overcook the rice on the bottom of the pot. Using a thicker, heavier-bottomed cooking vessel could solve your burned stovetop rice issue.

It could also be that you've turned the burner on too high. If that's the case, the heat itself is what begins to directly cook the rice, as opposed to the more indirect method using steam inside the pot. So, try turning down the heat and allowing the evaporating water inside the pot to do its thing over a slightly longer period of time.

Armed with these three tips, you'll hopefully never experience unintentionally burnt rice again.