198 g of white rice is 1 cup. This is the uncooked weight, which is the number that matters, because rice roughly triples in weight when it is cooked. A recipe that says one cup of rice means one cup of dry rice, and confusing cooked and uncooked rice is one of the most common kitchen mistakes there is.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Method and source
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Long-grain white rice, uncooked. Pilaf, stir-fries, rice pudding and side dishes.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Cups | Grams of white rice |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 49.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 66 g |
| 1/2 cup | 99 g |
| 2/3 cup | 132 g |
| 3/4 cup | 148.5 g |
| 1 cup | 198 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 297 g |
| 2 cups | 396 g |
| 3 cups | 594 g |
| 4 cups | 792 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of white rice is about 0.51 cups, and 50 g is about 0.25 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
Rice for a family dinner
A recipe serving four calls for 396 g of white rice, which is 2 cups uncooked. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in 4 cups of water. The 2 cups of dry rice will become about 6 cups cooked, which is the right amount for four people with a little left over.
A rice pudding that needs exact rice
A baked rice pudding uses 99 g of white rice, half a cup, simmered slowly in milk and sugar. The rice quantity matters here because too much rice makes the pudding stodgy and dry, while too little leaves it soupy. Half a cup measured dry is the right starting point.
Meal prep rice for the week
A meal prep plan calls for 792 g of white rice, or 4 cups uncooked, cooked in a large pot and portioned into containers. That gives about 12 cups cooked, or roughly eight servings. Cooking in bulk like this is where weighing pays off: a cup measure of rice is surprisingly variable depending on how you fill it.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Grains, seeds and similar dry goods should be spooned into the cup and levelled, without shaking or tapping the cup to settle them, which packs them down and inflates the weight. If the recipe calls for rinsed rice or oats, measure before rinsing: the water they absorb changes their weight, and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. Store grains in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, and check for a stale or rancid smell before using older stock, because whole grains carry oils that go off faster than refined flour.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 198 g of white rice means measuring 396 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 594 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 99 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. A cake scaled by half still needs half the flour, half the sugar, half the butter and half the white rice, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the white rice rather than trying to measure two thirds of a cup in a jug, because the jug markings are not precise enough for fractions of a cup.
When should you weigh white rice instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the white rice until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 2 years.
- Measure rice dry, before rinsing.
- One cup dry makes about three cups cooked.
- Store dry rice airtight for up to two years.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the weight of cooked or uncooked rice?
Uncooked. One cup of dry white rice weighs 198 g, and it becomes about 600 g once cooked because it absorbs water. Always measure rice before cooking unless a recipe explicitly says cooked rice.
How much cooked rice does 1 cup of dry rice make?
About 3 cups cooked, or roughly 600 g. The exact amount depends on how much water you use and how long you cook it, but the rule of thumb is that rice triples in volume when cooked.
Is brown rice the same weight per cup?
Yes, brown rice is also 198 g per cup uncooked. The two weigh the same because the grain size is similar, even though brown rice takes longer to cook and has a chewier texture.
Should I rinse rice before measuring or after?
Measure before rinsing. Rinsing adds water to the grains, which changes their weight, and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet rice. Rinse after measuring, in a sieve or a bowl.
How much rice do I need per person?
About half a cup of dry rice per person, or 99 g, which becomes about 1 1/2 cups cooked. For a main dish where rice is the star, use two thirds of a cup per person. For a side dish, a third of a cup is often enough.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with grains and seeds is measuring them after rinsing, because the water they absorb changes their weight and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. The second is shaking or tapping the cup to settle the contents, which packs them down and inflates the weight. The third is confusing cooked and uncooked measurements: a cup of dry rice becomes about three cups cooked, and a recipe that means one will not work with the other. The fourth mistake is storing grains in an open bag in a humid kitchen, where they absorb moisture and can develop mould or pantry moths. Finally, do not assume that all grains weigh the same per cup: oats are 89 g, quinoa is 177 g, and rice is 198 g, and swapping them cup for cup will change a recipe significantly.