Uncooked to Cooked Rice Calculator

Enter how much dry rice you're starting with and the type of rice to see the cooked yield — volume, weight, and how many servings it makes.

Quick Facts

Rule of thumb
1 cup dry white rice → ~3 cups cooked
Rice absorbs water and roughly triples in volume; brown and wild rice expand a bit more.

Your Results

Calculated
Cooked volume
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Approximate cups cooked
Cooked weight
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Approximate grams cooked
Servings
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Side dishes (~1/2 cup each)
Water to add
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Typical cooking-water volume

Ready

Enter your dry rice amount and type, then press Calculate.

How dry rice turns into cooked rice

Rice is dry, hard starch when it comes out of the bag. As it simmers, each grain absorbs water, swells, and softens. The result is that a small amount of dry rice becomes a much larger amount of cooked rice — a change that trips up nearly everyone the first time they cook it. The single most useful number to remember is that 1 cup of dry white rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice. This calculator applies that expansion ratio to whatever amount and rice type you enter.

The conversion formula

The core relationship is a simple multiplier:

  • Cooked volume = dry volume × expansion ratio. For white, jasmine, and basmati rice the ratio is about 3.0. Brown rice is closer to 3.25 and wild rice about 3.5, because they need more water and cook longer.
  • Cooked weight ≈ dry weight × 3. The grains take on roughly twice their own weight in water; a little evaporates, so cooked rice ends up around three times its dry weight.
  • Servings = cooked cups ÷ 0.5. A standard side-dish portion is about half a cup of cooked rice (~90 g).

If you measure your rice by weight instead of by volume, this tool converts using about 185 g per cup of dry white rice (basmati is a touch lighter, wild rice lighter still), then applies the same ratios.

Why it matters

Getting the expansion ratio wrong is the difference between one portion and a family-sized batch. Cook 2 cups of dry rice thinking it will "make 2 cups," and you will end up with roughly 6 cups cooked — enough for a dozen side servings. Working backward is just as common: if a recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice, you only need about 1 cup dry. Knowing the ratio lets you buy, portion, and meal-prep without waste.

Common reference points

  • 1/2 cup dry white rice → ~1.5 cups cooked → ~3 side servings.
  • 1 cup dry white rice → ~3 cups cooked → ~6 side servings.
  • 1 cup dry brown rice → ~3.25 cups cooked, using about 2.25 cups water.
  • Per person: about 1/4 cup dry rice for a side, 1/3 cup dry for a main dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does uncooked rice expand when cooked?
Most white rice roughly triples in volume — 1 cup dry makes about 3 cups cooked. Brown and wild rice expand a little more (about 3.25 and 3.5 times) because they cook with more water. By weight, cooked rice ends up around three times the dry weight, since the grains absorb close to twice their weight in water and a small amount evaporates.
How much dry rice per person should I cook?
For a side dish, plan on about 1/4 cup (roughly 45-50 g) of dry rice per person, which cooks up to a half-cup serving. For rice as the main component of a meal, use about 1/3 cup dry per person. One cup of dry white rice feeds 4 to 6 people as a side.
Does brown rice yield more than white rice?
Slightly. Brown rice keeps its bran layer, needs more water (about 2 to 2.25 cups per cup dry), and cooks longer, so it expands a bit more — roughly 3.25 cups cooked per dry cup versus 3 cups for white. Wild rice, which is technically a grass seed, can expand up to about 3.5 to 4 times.
Why does my cooked amount differ from the estimate?
These are averages. Real yield shifts with the water ratio you use, how long you cook, whether you rinsed the rice, the age of the grain, and even the pot and lid. Expect the actual result to land within about 10-15% of the estimate. For exact meal-prep portions, weigh the cooked rice after it rests.

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