I generally believe that rice cookers are one of the greatest kitchen gadgets of all times, in large part because it requires absolutely no work, and if you have a rice cooker that uses fuzzy logic it will make perfect rice all the time with very little effort. But if you are going to make rice with anything other than a rice cooker, a clay pot is a fantastic way to make it. There are apparently some health benefits, and some taste benefits, and the porosity of the clay helps make the rice turn out perfect every time. I certainly had a lot better luck making rice in a clay pot than I do in a regular pot, so I’ll take it. These directions work for white rice.

1. Take your rice. Wash your rice. No, really, wash your rice. Here is a discussion of how to properly wash rice. I do not often do the “sit in a colander to drain” step because I am impatient and lazy, so take that into account.

2. Know your rice ratios. I’m being cagey on this because how much to add depends on what kind of rice you have. I tend to use either jasmine rice (about a 1:1.5 rice:water ratio) or short-grain Japanese rice (about a 1:1.1 rice:water ratio), but most rice you get in the US grocery store is medium grain, and I don’t know what the right ratio is, sorry.

3. Bring rice to boil, put top on, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.

That’s it! Your rice is done.