Rice is very simple to cook at home, especially if you have a rice cooker. Rice cookers are inexpensive and make this job a snap. If you make a lot of dishes that require rice, you'll soon wonder how you lived without one.

Measure the rice precisely using the plastic measuring cup that came with your rice cooker, and place the rice in the metal cooking pan inside.

Wash the rice with cold water in the rice cooker cooking pan and rub the rice grains gently between the palms of your hands. Drain. Repeat three or four times, until the water is clear.

Add cold water up to the level marked on the pan that corresponds to the number of cups of rice you are preparing. Be sure that all the grains of rice are submerged in water and that the surface of the rice is flat and level to ensure even cooking.

Wipe off any excess water from the outside of the rice cooker cooking pan and place it in the main body of the rice cooker. Close the lid, plug in the rice cooker and press the cooking switch to start.

Allow the cooked rice to rest for 15 minutes. Then open the cooker and use a spatula to fluff and serve your rice.