How To Keep Rice From Boiling Over

One of the most common issues with rice is that many people face is the problem of rice boiling over, which can create a big mess and potentially lead to accidents. But why does rice boil over? Is there anything you can do to prevent it from happening?

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at why this happens, and explore some practical tips and tricks to help you make perfect rice every time.

Reasons Rice Boils Over

Excess of Starch From Rice 

Normally, when boiling, the water turns into a vapor and flies out. This phenomenon can be easily observed when boiling water for drinking. You may notice that the water will not overflow.

Rice is a little different. Chemically, the main ingredient in rice is starch, which will be soluble in hot water and easily forms a sticky solution like glue.  

Extra starch will be the catalyst that makes the steam gradually build up and become soapier, foamier. If left for a long time, it will come out due to the combined effects of water and heat, which we will explain below.

Excess Water

Too much water in rice cooker seems to be the most common reason to think of when you see rice spilling out.

Each type of rice can only absorb a certain amount of water. If you exceed this limit, the excess water under the action of heat will form layers of foam, ready to overflow. It is recommended to use the correct water level specified in the rice cooker for its durable and safe operation.

Too High Heat

When boiling, the steam that is going up will be blocked by the starch glue from the rice. At the same time, the boiling steam will push the starch glue-up. The stronger the boiling, the greater the repulsion force is.  Therefore, it can lead to the phenomenon of rice overflowing. 

The high temperature also promotes the oscillation of the water molecules inside the pot. It creates great turbulence as the molecules continuously collide with each other and gradually move out, where the air is still cold.

How To Keep Rice From Boiling Over 

So, how to prevent rice from boiling over?

First, to cook delicious rice-based dishes like risotto with deep-fry shrimp, we need to choose to buy new, seasonal types of rice to keep their natural sweetness and aroma. 

It would be best to pick brown rice or Jasmine rice with even, round and glossy grain. Also, do not select wild rice that is broken or crushed because it is already damaged because it may have been stored for a long time.

Wash Your Rice Before Cooking

After choosing good rice, it’s time to start washing it. This is also an important step to avoid the rice cooker boiling over.

Usually, on the product packaging, the manufacturer specifies whether the rice needs to be washed or not. Follow these guidelines to ensure that cooked rice retains all of its nutrients.

In case you need to wash rice to get rid of pesticides, herbicides, rice husk, or dust, please pour water into the pot of rice that already has rice in it. Gently wash the uncooked rice with your hands and stir well. It would be best to repeat 2-3 times to make the rice cleaner but still retain the outer layer of rice bran. 

Compress Rice With Your Hands

Clearly, the best way to avoid the scenario of the rice cooker bubbling and spilling out is to limit the amount of rice that comes out. By compacting, you have arranged a reasonable order for the rice grains in the rice cooker. Moreover, this method also helps to minimize the air space, and the situation of the rice cooker boils over.

When compressing, you should also leave it for about 10-15 minutes to make the rice more delicious, chewy, and soft.

Add Oil Or Butter

After soaking the rice, you should put in a little butter, coconut oil, peanut oil, or any other substitute for peanut oil, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, turn on the rice cooker and cook normally. 

This will help slow down the water absorption of the rice, so the rice is more delicious. Besides, the rice grains are shiny, chewy, and much more delicious. These are all ways that chefs have used to create attractive and perfect rice bowls.

Adjust The Rice Cooker Correctly

The most important and easiest thing is to adjust the rice cooker to the correct model specified by the manufacturer. You will not be able to cook delicious rice properly if it is in soup or stew mode, right? 

During the cooking process, you also need to minimize pressing the “Cook” button many times to ensure the sensitivity of the thermal relay, avoiding the case that the relay jumps early, causing the rice to become mushy.

In addition, the amount of cooking water is also very important, and you need to use the water level scale in the inner pot. Depending on the type of rice and your preferences, the basic water ratio is equal to the height of the rice plus about 1/2 cup of water. However, home cooks can add extra water to fit your family’s taste.

Get A New Rice Cooker 

How to stop rice from boiling over after you have tried all of these above-mentioned cooking methods? Well, there is one only answer, it’s time to get a new rice cooker.

Rice cookers used for too long can have internal damage that causes the thermostat or pressure cap to fail. In this case, the best way is to replace the inner pot with a new one. The difference will come immediately for all kinds of rice.

And if you do not have the conditions to spend money on shopping, it would be best to contact a genuine warranty center for repairing electric burners. 

And that’s it! How to keep rice from boiling over!

The problem of water spilling out when cooking rice is easy to solve, but it causes many people to struggle. We hope you will successfully implement our tips and have a delicious meal. 

Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you soon.