I don't rinse rice before cooking unless the recipe tells me to. Generally sushi and short grain rice need rinsing to remove starch before cooking. Otherwise, you're only rinsing away nutrients. Never rinse risotto rice.

Rice cookers are wonderful and inexpensive appliances. I use 1¾ cups of liquid for 1 cup of rice. Often I will use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water to give the rice that extra five percent magic.

Follow the packet instructions carefully and try to avoid lifting the lid during cooking as it will disturb the cooking process. Rice is cooked when it is tender to the bite. Once cooked, remove from the heat, remove the lid and cover with a tea towel. Stand for five to 10 minutes, then fluff the with a fork and served.