Can you give directions for brown rice in a simple rice cooker?

I think having it last that long sort of defeats the purpose. I'd rather cook it the night before, if I don't have time in the morning.

Defeats the purpose? I don't get it.

@Sara
I've been cooking brown rice in a one-button rice cooker (National 3-cup model) for a while now. I find I get good results if I use about 30% more water than recommended for white rice. It tricks the machine into cooking for longer. I should add that I like my rice a little sticky/squishy -- you'll need to experiment a little to get yours just right.

Brown rice in the freezer - If you buy a large quantity of brown rice it will keep best the the freezer or fridge. Brown rice is more prone to go bad by becoming rancid or developing bugs. Keeps great in the freezer.

sesame oil... I gotta try that!
I always cook extra for a meal later in the week or even a snack.

Whoa! I better check my bag of brown rice! Then put it in the freezer! Thanks phoxx!

For breakfast with a little warmed milk and brown sugar -- better than oatmeal, if you like your grains to be less-gruel-like.

Here's my method - submerge bag in pan of water, bring to boil, and cook for 8 minutes.

I actually cook mine the Alton Brown method in the oven. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

It's simple, easy and error-free. I originally thought that this amount of time in the oven would prevent us from eating it most weeknights, but if you put it on as soon as you get home, it's ready by the time you're done with everything else for dinner. Note Alton says 1 hour, but we only cook half to a third of the recipe and it only takes 45 minutes.

I have always followed the directions found here: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/03/how-to-cook-brown-rice/

I found it one day when I googled "how to cook brown rice." It was the first result. I get perfect rice each time, and it only takes 35 minutes from start to eating (most of which is spent ignoring it!).

I always cook my brown rice in my simple rice cooker. I usually just follow the cooking directions on the side of the rice to figure out how much water to rice ratio. It usually is 1 cup of brown rice to 2 1/4 water. I usually cut that in about half and still have a lot left over for one meal. I just add the water with the rice and turn it on.

When It's done I will add a little light soy sauce and sometimes some sautéed mushrooms.

Saveur's technique for Perfect Brown Rice really is perfect. Absolutely foolproof. http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Perfect-Brown-Rice

I NEVER rinse brown rice. It is always perfectly delicious.

My rice cooker (a fairly nice Zojirushi) has a brown rice setting; I trust it implicitly. C:

I use the bake in the oven method and I sub out some of the liquid for a can of S&W Pinquitos and a can of mexican diced tomatoes. Then I'm set for lunch all week. Wrap it up in a burrito, toss it with some lettuce for a salad, add some chopped cilantro and eat it with chips.

I also use the Saveur technique of boiling and draining the rice like you would pasta, although I never realized it until I clicked on the link. I find it too gluey when it's cooked like white rice, in a 1:2 ratio with water. It also cooks faster when you boil it in lots of water, which is a big plus!

@Sara

I wrote a post a while back on my blog about how to cook rice in a rice cooker: http://perfectlyedible.com/2009/11/brown-v-white/

Short story is that I use the "first knuckle" method of measuring water and let the rice cooker do its thing. It does take significantly longer than cooking white rice, though, so you need to take that in to account.

I cook my brown rice with far less liquid -- about 1 1/2 cups water to 1 C. rice. Bring water and rice to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 45 mins, then turn off heat, but leave the rice covered in the pot, on the burner, for another 15 minutes. This method produces separate grains with a toothsome texture, just the way I like it.

http://operagirlcooks.com

@jlmcnamara: My grandmother used the first knuckle method for white rice. She used her middle finger, and that does seem to work for us. Of course, my grandmother would have never made brown rice...

However, I am surprised it works for you with brown rice. I use short grain rice, but use a lot more water than for the white.

I use the Alton Brown baked brown rice method too... turns out perfectly every time, and it's so easy!

Simple one button rice cooker and I always use brown basmati rice.

I use the Zojirushi IH (induction) model. It has a Brown Rice and a Brown Rice GABA setting (this supposively is nutritionally superior because it simulates germination which activates various enzymes in the rice). Combined with the built in "Fuzzy Logic", it is pretty much guaranteed you'll have perfect results 100% of the time as long as you use the exact measurements specified for the rice cooker.

Starchy cooked grains like rice and pasta grow bacteria quickly. Eating week old cooked rice is not the best idea. As a professional cook in a healthcare setting we never keep cooked rice longer than 48 hours, some organizations even suggest only 24 hours. If you want to save time and cook your rice in large batches you can freeze it in 7 portions and pull one for your lunch each night for the next day.

I'm with the oven-preferring commenters. I find that good brown rice on the stovetop is risky: small variations in heat or a pan without a super-heavy bottom can leave it crunchy or soggy, and I'm not sure which is worse!

I do mine in the oven in a pyrex or stoneware dish, like this:

http://www.aseasontotaste.com/2010/02/oven-brown-rice/

@klem
That's funny. Growing up, my mother also taught me the knuckle method for white rice, but somewhere along the way I ended up changing it to use a ratio of 1 cup rice: 1.25 cups water.

When I got annoyed with how brown rice came out using package directions I gave the knuckle method a try just to see and it actually worked. I use Massa short grain brown rice. The texture is perfect for me. A little sticky but not too much. I also unplug the rice cooker after it's done and let the rice sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes. Give it a try!

I like to add shredded/sliced chicken with ginger, green onion, almonds, veggies and soy vey sauce. Or with canned tomatoes, green onion, cumin, cilantro black beans and a bit of jack cheese and stuff it in a pita. I sometimes use leftover brown rice in enchilada filling--it extends the filling, adds some extra nutrition and texture, but doesn't really impact flavor.

I decided to switch us over to brown rice a couple years ago but could never get a method to work which involved all the water evaporating or being absorbed--I always ended up with undercooked or soggy rice. I even bought a rice-cooker, which broke after one use. And then I found directions on a food blog (but since my computer died after an auto accident in December, I've lost the link), and I've never made it another way since. It's perfect EVERY TIME.

Basically, it calls for using four cups of water for every one cup of rice. Boil water, add rice and cook for 25 minutes (uncovered). Drain excess water. With pan on an off burner, put tight-fitting lid on the pan so rice steams with the little bit of water that's left (for ~10 minutes). I've left it for up to half an hour after draining and it was still perfect.

I like SteamFresh brown rice - it cooks fast, tastes "real" (nothing like Uncle Ben's) and is a pretty good deal if you can find it on sale. I make it at work.

http://www.birdseyesteamfresh.com/rice/detail.aspx?prod=riceWholeGrain

Otherwise, my microwave rice cooker does a great job:

1 c rice
3 c water
30 min @ 70% Power (Med HI)
Makes 2 c cooked rice

I know this is a bit late, but please be careful if you're cooling and reheating rice: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/processed-food-retail-sale/fact-sheets/cooked-rice/index.htm.

Help! I have a favorite recipe that I want to switch from white to brown rice, and I just can't get it to work. Here's the skinny -- years ago my wife and I started cooking a recipe that consisted of a cup and a half of white rice, mixed with a package of Lipton Onion Soup (I know, it's salty, but it's the salt for the whole dish), add several chopped mushrooms and put it all in a dutch oven, put pieces of chicken on top to cover (thighs work best) add three cups water and pop it in a 350 degree oven. An hour later, the chicken is falling apart, the rice is saturated with mushroom and chicken flavors, put a little steamed broccoli on the side, and you're in business.

But with brown rice it was a failure. Even after extended cooking it was just soupy mess. So next time, I put the brown rice and water in a pan, brought it to a boil, and let it boil rapidly for 6 or 7 minutes. Then back into the oven mixed with the other ingredients to cook.

An hour later, I still have a soupy mess. It smells great, but the water is not absorbed and the rice is uncooked. How now?

I have found that "popping" the brown rice in hot oil before adding water makes a huge difference in the quality of the finished product. The individual grains stay distinct and don't get so mushy. The frying imparts a nutty flavor, and the rice cooks quicker because the hull has been broken on most of the grains. So for me this step is not optional!

It was my first time cooking brown rice on stove top...first time period! It came out awesome!! I had to use olive oil since that was the only one I had at the moment. Some of the rice did stick but enough of it came out to last me 4days =D
Thanks a bunch
-Andra

Soaking the rice prior to cooking results in shorter cooking times, unlocks valuable nutrients in the rice and makes it easier to digest. http://scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/A/200000373.html