What this calculator does
Rice gains weight as it cooks because it absorbs water, so a given weight of uncooked rice turns into a noticeably larger weight of cooked rice. That ratio is useful when a recipe gives one figure and you have the other: working out how much uncooked rice to start with for a target cooked serving, or how much a measured amount of uncooked rice will produce once cooked.
The exact ratio depends on the type of rice, how much water is used, and the cooking method, so this is an approximate average rather than an exact figure. White rice typically gains the most weight, around three times its dry weight; brown rice and basmati gain somewhat less, closer to two and a half to three times, because of differences in starch content and grain structure.
The formula
Multiply the uncooked weight by the ratio to get the cooked weight, or divide a cooked weight by the ratio to work back to the uncooked amount. Pick a rice type for a typical published ratio, or enter a custom ratio if you have measured your own cooking process.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ratio | How many times heavier cooked rice is compared with the same rice uncooked, driven mainly by water absorption. |
| Uncooked weight | The weight of dry, unrinsed rice before cooking. |
| Cooked weight | The weight of the rice after cooking, once it has absorbed water and expanded. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Amount (g) | The weight you are converting from, in grams. |
| Convert | Choose whether you are converting uncooked rice to its cooked weight, or cooked rice back to the uncooked amount. |
| Rice type | Pick the rice type for a typical published ratio, or "Custom ratio" to enter your own figure. |
| Custom ratio (used only if "Custom ratio" selected above) | Only used when "Custom ratio" is selected above; enter the multiplier your own cooking produces. |
When to use it
Scaling a recipe by cooked portion size
A recipe that specifies cooked rice per serving can be worked backwards to the uncooked amount needed, which is the figure that actually gets measured out and cooked.
Working out how much rice to buy
If a meal plan is written in cooked weight or cooked cups, converting to uncooked weight shows how much dry rice needs to be on the shopping list.
Comparing rice types for meal prep
Because white, brown and basmati rice cook up to different weights from the same starting amount, this comparison helps when swapping one type for another in a recipe or meal plan.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How much does white rice weigh once cooked?
A range of uncooked white rice amounts and their approximate cooked weight.
How does the cooked weight compare across rice types?
The same 200 g of uncooked rice, cooked using the typical ratio for each type.
Questions
How much does 1 cup of uncooked rice make when cooked?
By weight, roughly three times as much for white rice, so 1 cup of uncooked white rice (about 185 g) produces somewhere around 550 to 600 g of cooked rice, which is commonly cited as about 3 cups cooked. Brown and basmati rice gain somewhat less.
Why does rice gain weight when cooked?
Rice grains absorb water as they cook, and that absorbed water is what adds the weight and volume. The dry starch itself does not change amount, it just takes on water and swells.
Is the cooking ratio exact?
No, it is an approximate average. The actual ratio varies with the type of rice, how much water is used, cooking time, and how much moisture evaporates during cooking, so treat the figures here as a reasonable planning estimate rather than an exact conversion.
How do I convert 500g of cooked rice back to uncooked?
Divide the cooked weight by the ratio for that rice type. For white rice at roughly 3x, 500 g cooked implies about 167 g of uncooked rice was used to start with.
For converting other common cooking ingredients by weight, see the grams to cups calculator.