How to make Korean white rice

Wash Rice (do this for all methods)

1. In a bowl, add rice then water and rinse by swirling the rice with your hands a few times. Drain and discard water. Add fresh water and repeat. Rinse at least 3 times.
2. Soak washed rice in water for 30 minutes. Skip this step if you are cooking rice in pressurized Korean rice cooker or a pressure cooker.
3. Drain.

Cooking rice on Stove Top in Stone Pot

1. Put soaked and drained rice (from above) in your stone pot. Add water. For 1 cup of (before soaking) rice, add 1 cup + 2 Tbs water.
2. Level out the rice a little with your hands. Check my Notes section if you want to learn how Korean moms measure water level with their hands.
3. Cover with the lid and turn on heat to medium-high. Cook for 7 min. DO NOT OPEN the lid until it’s all cooked. If you really need to look, just take a quick peek but close it immediately.
4. Lower heat to Low and simmer for 15 min.
5. Turn off heat and let it sit for 5 min or longer. To enjoy a perfect rice, this part is important in cooking Korean rice so please don't open the rice before the 5 min.

Cooking rice on Stove Top in Pot

1. Add soaked and drained rice in pot. For 1 cup rice (measured when dry), add 1 cup + 1 Tbs water to a stainless pot. Be sure to choose a pot that is deep enough so your water doesn’t boil over easily. Also, a thick-bottomed pot works best for cooking rice.
2. Cover with the lid, turn on heat to medium-high and cook for 3 1/2 min to 4 min. I
3. Simmer for 15 – 17 min on Low heat. Depending on how soon you lowered the heat.
4. Turn off heat and let it sit for 5 min. This will make a perfectly cooked rice with no burnt rice in the bottom.**

How to make Burnt Rice (Nurungji)

1. If you want burnt rice, take out as much of cooked rice from the pot as you can and leave rice at the bottom that’s sticking to the pot. Heat the pot for 8-10 min or so on medium heat until it gets nicely browned.
2. Enjoy it just as it is as a crunchy snack or pour water on the hot pot and boil it until the rice becomes loose from the bottom. You may also have to scrap it a bit.

How to cook rice in Korean pressurized rice cooker or pressure cooker like Instant Pot

1. When using a pressure rice cooker like Cuckoo or the Instant Pot, don't soak the rice but just rinse. Soaking the rice for pressure cooking is not only NOT necessary but actually results in rice that's too soft and mushy in my opinion. So don't do it or use less water if you soaked already.
2. Follow instructions that come with your rice cooker - use their 180ml rice cup to measure rice and then add water to the level that's equal to your number of cups. This is basically following 1:1 rice to water ratio assuming you completely drained the rice before adding to pot.
3. Our family likes Doenbap 된밥 so I usually add water up to just a little below the line. Try adding a little more or less from the cup line and see what your preference is.