Reply #40: There are two ways to cook perfect rice

[GoneOffShore]

Easiest - get a Toshiba rice cooker. Not too expensive, but ANOTHER damn appliance in the kitchen.

The other way - Boil water in a kettle. While it boils melt butter or heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add a cup of rice and shake the pan so the rice is covered with the fat and starting to turn opaque - you don't need to do this too long, just until the water boils. Put salt, if you use it in at this point. When it boils, pour gently into the saucepan until it just covers the rice - careful it can splatter up. It will continue to boil. Lower the heat to simmer and put the lid on the pan. Walk away. Come back in 10 minutes and the rice should look moist but the water will have disappeared. Turn off the heat and recover the pan. Let it sit for another 10 minutes and then fluff and serve.

There are variations on things you can add to flavor the rice - cloves, turmeric, etc.