One cup of white rice weighs 198 g, spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. White rice is long-grain rice with the bran and germ removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm — which is why it keeps for years, cooks in 20 minutes, and has a light, fluffy texture. The cup weight of 198 g is the number you need for pilaf, stir-fries, rice pudding and side dishes, where rice is measured by the cup and the weight decides the portions. All weights on this page are approximate; the grain length varies slightly by variety, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
White Rice: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of white rice in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 198 g per cup, spooned and levelled. Every figure is approximate — spooned and levelled is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
| --- | --- |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.1 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 12.4 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 49.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 66 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 99 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 148.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 198 g |
| 2 cups | 396 g |
| 100 g | 0.5 cups |
There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.5 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
What is White Rice?
White rice is long-grain white rice, uncooked. The grains are polished to remove the bran and germ, which makes the rice cook faster and keep longer than brown rice, but also removes most of its fibre and nutrients. It is used for pilaf, stir-fries, rice pudding and side dishes, and it is the rice that most recipes mean when they say rice. It cooks in about 20 minutes by the absorption method — 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water — and the result is light, separate grains that do not stick together. It keeps for up to 2 years in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, which is why it is a pantry staple around the world.
How to measure White Rice correctly
White Rice is measured spooned and levelled, and the method matters more than most cooks realise. For dry ingredients, spoon the ingredient into the measure with a smaller spoon, letting it fall loosely, then sweep a knife across the top to level it — never dip the measuring cup into the bag, because dipping compresses the ingredient and adds up to 20 percent. For liquids, pour into a liquid measuring jug and read the level at eye height, or weigh directly into the bowl, which is the most accurate method of all. The King Arthur Baking figure used on this page is 198 g per cup, and it is the figure the site's converters use, so the numbers here and the numbers in the tool always agree. Confidence in this figure is high.
Worked examples
A pilaf for four
A pilaf for four uses 2 cups of white rice — 396 g — cooked with 4 cups of stock, onion and spices. The weight matters because pilaf is a ratio: 396 g of rice to 960 g of stock is a 1:2.4 ratio by weight, which gives separate, fluffy grains. Weighing the rice keeps the ratio exact — a cup too much and the pilaf is dry and undercooked, a cup too little and it turns to mush. The rice is rinsed before cooking, toasted in butter with the onion, then simmered with the lid on for 20 minutes and rested for 10 minutes, which is when the grains finish absorbing the liquid and become fluffy.
A stir-fry rice for two
A fried rice for two uses 1 cup of white rice — 198 g — cooked the day before and chilled overnight. The weight is useful because fried rice needs cold, dry rice: 198 g of dry rice cooks up to about 600 g, which is the right amount for two servings, and chilling it overnight dries the grains so they fry instead of steaming. The rice is fried in a hot wok with oil, egg, vegetables and soy sauce, and the grains stay separate because they were cooked and chilled properly. Freshly cooked rice makes fried rice soggy, which is why the day-old rule matters.
A rice pudding for a family
A rice pudding for six uses 1 cup of white rice — 198 g — simmered with 1 litre of milk, sugar and vanilla. The weight matters because rice pudding is a ratio of rice to milk: 198 g of rice to 1,000 g of milk gives a creamy pudding where the rice is tender and the milk has thickened around it. Weighing the rice keeps the ratio exact — a cup too much and the pudding is stiff and dry, a cup too little and it stays thin and soupy. The pudding is cooked slowly, stirred often, for about 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and the pudding coats the back of a spoon.
Rinsing and the absorption method
White rice's two most important techniques are rinsing and the absorption method, and both are about starch. Rinsing removes the surface starch that makes rice sticky: rinse the rice in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear, and the grains will cook up separate and fluffy. Skipping the rinse gives a stickier result, which suits sushi but not pilaf. The absorption method is the standard way to cook white rice: 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water, brought to a boil, covered, simmered on the lowest heat for 20 minutes, then rested off the heat for 10 minutes with the lid on. The resting time is when the grains finish absorbing the water and become fluffy — serving the rice straight off the heat gives wet, uneven grains. The ratio is by volume, but the weight is what lets you scale it: 198 g of rice needs 474 g of water, 396 g needs 948 g, and the ratio holds at any batch size. And one safety note: cooked rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour, because it can harbour Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that survives cooking and multiplies at room temperature. Never leave cooked rice out overnight.
What to use instead
If you run out of white rice, these are the tested substitutes from our substitution data, with the ratio and the case where each one does not work. Use the ratio by weight where it is given, and check the warning before you commit the batter.
White rice to Brown rice: 1:1 (longer cooking, more water). Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.
White rice to Quinoa: 1:1 (shorter cooking). Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.
White rice to Couscous: 1:1 (much shorter cooking — just steamed). Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.
White rice to Barley: 1:1 (longer cooking). Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.
The golden rule for any substitution is to match the job, not just the ingredient: a substitute that works in a sauce may fail in a cake, because the two recipes ask different things of the ingredient. When in doubt, use a recipe written for the substitute rather than adapting one written for the original.
Storage
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 2 years. That is the headline, but the details matter. Store white rice in an airtight container, away from heat, light and strong smells — dry ingredients absorb odours readily, and a bag of flour stored next to the spices will taste of them within a week. Label the container with the date you opened it, so you know how long it has been there, and check it before you bake: if it smells off, tastes bitter, or shows any sign of moisture or insects, discard it. Buying in smaller quantities and using it promptly is better than buying in bulk and storing it for a year, because every ingredient loses flavour with time, even the ones that never truly go bad.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of white rice?
One cup of uncooked long-grain white rice weighs 198 g, spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. One tablespoon weighs 12.4 g. Cooked rice weighs more — a cup of cooked white rice is about 195 g, but that is a different measure.
How many cups of white rice are in 1 kg?
There are about 5 cups in 1 kg of white rice (1,000 divided by 198 is 5.05 cups). A standard 1 kg bag holds just over 5 cups, and a 500 g bag holds about 2.5 cups.
Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?
Yes, 1:1 by weight or volume, but adjust the cooking time and water. Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white rice (40 to 45 minutes versus 20) and needs slightly more water. The result will be chewier and nuttier, with more fibre.
How much does white rice expand when cooked?
White rice roughly triples in volume when cooked. One cup of dry rice (198 g) makes about 3 cups cooked (about 585 g). One tablespoon of dry rice (12.4 g) becomes about 3 tablespoons cooked.
How long does white rice last?
Up to 2 years in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Cooked rice keeps for 4 days in the fridge and should be cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour of cooking. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature overnight.
Related pages
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the cups to grams converter for any amount, the ingredient density lookup for the full table of 120 ingredients, the White Rice cups to grams page for cup conversions, the White Rice grams to cups page for working backwards from grams, and the White Rice tablespoons to grams page for spoon measures. You may also want Brown Rice, Rolled Oats.