Rice is a staple food for billions of people around the world. Knowing how to measure rice accurately is important for recipes and portion control. The most common ways to measure rice are by weight, typically in grams or kilograms, or by volume using cups or liters.
One key question when cooking rice is: how many cups are in 1 kilogram (kg) of uncooked rice? The answer depends on the type and variety of rice. In this article, we will provide a detailed breakdown of how many cups are in 1 kg of some common types of uncooked rice.
Factors Affecting Rice Cup Measurements
There are several factors that affect how many cups of uncooked rice are in 1 kg:
- Type of rice: Long grain, medium grain, short grain etc.
- Grain length and width: Longer and wider grains take up more volume per gram.
- Broken vs whole grains: Broken rice pieces compact more densely.
- Measuring method: Lightly spooned vs firmly packed cups.
- Cooking method: Some rice expands more than others when cooked.
Due to these variables, cup measurements can range quite a bit between rice varieties and measuring methods.
Cups per 1 kg of Common Rice Types
Here is an overview of how many cups are in 1 kg of some of the most common types of uncooked rice:
Long Grain White Rice
Long grain white rice has long, slender grains that are 4-5 times longer than they are wide. The grains do not stick together and remain separate after cooking.
- Basmati rice: 4.5-5.5 cups per 1 kg
- Jasmine rice: 4.5-5.5 cups per 1 kg
- White rice (long grain): 5-6 cups per 1 kg
Medium Grain White Rice
Medium grain rice has grains 2-3 times longer than they are wide. The grains are shorter and wider than long grain, and stick together more after cooking.
- Arborio rice: 4-5 cups per 1 kg
- Calrose rice: 5-6 cups per 1 kg
- Japonica rice: 4.5-5.5 cups per 1 kg
Short Grain White Rice
Short grain rice has plump, almost round grains that easily stick together. The grains are 1-2 times longer than they are wide.
- Sushi rice: 4-5 cups per 1 kg
- Glutinous rice: 4-5 cups per 1 kg
Brown Rice
Brown rice has the outer bran layer intact, which changes its texture and density. It requires more water when cooking than white rice.
- Long grain brown rice: 4-5 cups per 1 kg
- Medium grain brown rice: 4-5 cups per 1 kg
- Short grain brown rice: 3.5-4.5 cups per 1 kg
Wild Rice
Wild rice is not in the same family as white and brown rice. It has very long, slender grains and requires much more water to cook.
- Wild rice: 3.5-4.5 cups per 1 kg
How Measuring Method Affects Cups per Kilogram
The measuring method makes a big difference in how many cups fit in 1 kg of rice. Here is a comparison:
Lightly Spooned
This is the most common measuring method. The rice is spooned lightly into a measuring cup until it reaches the top. 1 kg of rice will yield more lightly spooned cups.
Firmly Packed
The rice is packed down firmly into the cup to eliminate air pockets. 1 kg of firmly packed rice will yield fewer cups.
Example Rice Cup Comparison
| Rice Type | Lightly Spooned Cups (per 1 kg) | Firmly Packed Cups (per 1 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Long grain white rice | 5.5 cups | 4.5 cups |
| Medium grain brown rice | 4.5 cups | 3.5 cups |
| Short grain sushi rice | 4.5 cups | 3.5 cups |
As shown, lightly spooned cups generally yield 1 more cup per kg compared to firmly packed for most rice varieties.
Weight to Volume Conversions
In summary, the following conversions can be used estimate how many cups fit in 1 kg of common types of uncooked rice:
- Long grain white rice: 5-6 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
- Medium grain white rice: 4.5-5.5 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
- Short grain white rice: 4-5 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
- Long grain brown rice: 4-5 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
- Medium/short grain brown rice: 3.5-4.5 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
- Wild rice: 3.5-4.5 lightly spooned cups per 1 kg
For firmly packed cups, reduce each estimate by around 1 cup. Keep in mind these ranges are approximations and can vary between rice varieties, measuring methods and other factors. The exact amount can be determined by measuring your specific rice.
Weight of 1 Cup of Uncooked Rice
The calculations can also be reversed to determine the weight of 1 cup of uncooked rice. This information is useful for recipes specifying volumes.
Here are approximate weights for 1 lightly spooned cup of some common rice types:
- Long grain white rice: 190-200 g per cup
- Medium grain white rice: 180-190 g per cup
- Short grain white rice: 200-210 g per cup
- Long grain brown rice: 200-220 g per cup
- Medium/short grain brown rice: 210-230 g per cup
- Wild rice: 220-250 g per cup
So for example, 1 cup of uncooked basmati rice weighs around 190-200 grams. Again, these ranges are estimates and the exact weight can vary.
Factors that Change Cooked Rice Volume
While this article focuses on measuring uncooked rice, it’s worth noting that rice expands in volume after cooking as the grains absorb water.
The increase in cooked volume compared to uncooked volume depends on:
- Rice variety – Longer grains expand more
- Water-to-rice ratio used
- Cooking method (boiling, steaming etc)
For example, 1 cup of uncooked long grain white rice may yield 3 cups cooked. But 1 cup of short grain sushi rice may only yield 2 cups cooked.
Knowing the cooked yield per cup or per kg of uncooked rice can help with recipe planning.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points:
- 1 kg of uncooked rice equates to approximately:
- 5-6 lightly spooned cups for long grain white rice
- 4.5-5.5 lightly spooned cups for medium or short grain white rice
- 4-5 lightly spooned cups for most brown rice varieties
- 3.5-4.5 lightly spooned cups for wild rice
- Reduce approximate cups per kg by 1 if firmly packing rice into the cup
- The weight of 1 cup uncooked rice is around:
- 190-200 g for long grain white rice
- 180-190 g for medium grain white rice
- 200-210 g for short grain white rice
- 200-220 g for long grain brown rice
- 210-230 g for medium/short grain brown rice
- 220-250 g for wild rice
- Rice expands in volume after cooking, with longer grains expanding more
The actual cup measurements can vary based on rice variety, grain size, measuring method and other factors. The ranges here provide general estimates when converting between weight and volume for common types of uncooked rice. Measuring your specific rice will give the most accurate cup conversions.
