How to Cook Rice in a Microwave Steamer


How to Cook Perfect Fluffy Rice in a Microwave SteamerIt is really quick and easy to cook fluffy rice in your microwave with a microwave steamer.

You can cook all kinds of rice and other grains in your steamer.  You can also cook vegetables as well.

Simply measure out the amount of rice that you need.

Add the correct amount of water to the rice.
The times below are based on the use of a 950 Watt microwave oven and the use of the Sistema Steamer.  They may vary if you are using a different steamer or one of the other smaller Sistema bowls without the double steam system.

If you want to find out more about how the steamer works I have written another post about it.  More on the microwave steamer. 

How to Cook Perfect Fluffy Rice in a Microwave Steamer

How to cook rice in microwave steamer – Brown Rice

brown riceFor Brown Rice, you will need

  • 200g of brown rice (this should be enough for 4 people)
  • 506.25ml cold water

Pop on the lid and make certain you have locked it and that if you have a vent it is open.

Put into the microwave for 18 minutes.  And then let your rice stand for about 2 minutes.

Please note that your times will vary according to your microwave and heat settings,  These are for a 960 Watt microwave.  Mine is a 900 watt so would take slightly longer.

Note: Check you are not running out of water if you leave the rice in longer.

Once done check that your rice is cooked and stir it.

Video of Steaming Rice

The video shows a quick review of the use of a rice steamer in action and how easy it is to cook basic rice.

As you can see it is easy to steam your rice and fairly quick as well.

White Rice

fluffy white riceWhite rice is the same as for brown rice except that it is cooked for a shorter time.

About 12 minutes should do it.  And needs less water.  For 200g of rice, you will only need 450ml of cold water.

What if I want to use less rice?

If you use less rice you will need a bigger ratio of water as even with a steamer the water will evaporate more quickly.

More than Just Plain Rice

You can use your steamers for more than just rice.  You can also cook veg and other recipes as well.  This site has Some recipes to get you started.

Also, some people recommend a knob of butter.  And there is no reason why you cannot add some herbs as well.

Safety Notice:

  • Please make sure you remove all sticky tags before use to prevent burning.
  • Make sure you have any combi’s set to microwave only as the steamers will melt in a combi or conventional oven setting.
  • Make certain that the rice does not dry out during cooking by using the correct heats and quantities of water.
  • Make sure that you open the lid carefully to prevent any steam/heat from burning you.
  • Check your steamers maximum watt usage if you have a powerful microwave.
  • Always check your manufactures instructions as this is for guidelines only.  If in doubt use more rather than less water and check your rice does not go dry and damage your steamer.


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