Sometimes rice can look perfect from the outside, but when turning our to a bowl, there’s a nasty layer of brown turned rice in the bottom of the pan, or even worse, INSIDE the bowl. There are a few reasons this happens; sometimes, it just happens. However, if this is a reoccurring issue, there are a couple of things you should be looking for.
When rice cooker rice has turned brown, you should check you are putting enough water in the pan. Rice cookers work on a 1:1 ratio of water to rice. If browning still occurs, you should check the fidelity of the bowl. Non-stick coating wearing off can cause burning, sticking, and browning of rice.
Suppose you are currently reading this with a bowl of half-browned rice. You can “pick” or cut the browning off and use the rest of the rice. On rare occasions, rice cookers have issues heating the entire element, sometimes burning parts of the bowl. If this is the first or only time you have encountered this problem, you shouldn’t worry. However – Keep an eye on the rice cooker. If browning continues to occur, remedial action should be taken.
Brown rice can be a symptom of dehydration and burning the pan’s bottom.
As a rule of thumb: White rice and water should be at a 1:1 ratio.
This can be a little tricky when you get to different grains and types of rice, as the water ratio does change depending on what you are using.
I have put a chart together from my experiences.
Don’t Forget To Rinse, Soak, and Rinse All Rice Types First!
| Rice Type | Rice | Water |
| White Rice | 1 Cup | 1 Cup |
| Brown Rice | 1 Cup | 2 Cup |
| Basmati | 1 Cup | 1.5 Cup |
| Short Grain | 1 Cup | 2 Cup |
| Bomba | 1 Cup | 3 Cup |
| Black Rice | 1 Cup | 2 Cup |
| Parboiled | 1 Cup | 2.5 Cup |
If you are sure you are using enough water, but still your rice is browning on the bottom. There’s a high chance your rice bowl has worn out.
By worn out, most probably the non-stick coating from your rice bowl has worn away, meaning rice is sticking to the bowl, causing browning from the metal!
Give the bowl a rinse with warm water and inspect the bowl for any chips or cracks in the coating. Sometimes you have to check to close up to identify defects.
If Your Bowl Is Worn Out – Stop Using Immediately
Sadly, you should instead not use a rice bowl with defects. Once the coating is wearing away, the coating can chip and get into any food being cooked (it is not the best to consume)
Instead, you can buy replacement pans from Amazon or the manufacturer’s website.
Be aware – Check the price of pans VS the price of a new rice cooker first. Walmart has a very popular rice cooker for $29.92 which will cook rice perfectly. Often it can be more cost-effective to recycle your old unit, and buy a new one, than start replacing parts in an old rice cooker.
Another common defect in well-loved rice cookers: Parts of the heating element stops working, causing the other part of the heating element to work double time (to satisfy the thermostat, which is pushing the inside of the unit to reach a specific temperature), essentially burning one part of the rice, and undercooking the other part.
Tip your rice cooker out and upside down, and inspect the rice. Is the browning occurring on just one side of the rice? Or in one spot? If so, and you have already checked your rice pan for defects, you may (probably) have a heating element issue.
The bad news is that it’s time to get a new rice cooker. The good news is that you get to buy a new rice cooker! I have a small guide HERE on buying a new rice cooker.
I’ll save you the read and get to the chase. You should buy the most affordable rice cooker, rather than the most expensive one you can find. A rice cooker will churn out the same results regardless of price point!
Sometimes, rice can go bad, especially when not stored correctly. This, however, is very rare. Now and again, moisture can get into a bag of rice and spoil a clump of rice.
Pouring bad rice can usually be picked up immediately, as off rice has a unique smell and looks different from the rest of the grain – which stands out against the other white grains.
If you suspect your rice has gone off. Inspect the packaging for any damage, and check the rice in the bag. If it is wet or moist, the whole package should be discarded—the same with if you find any off grains. The entire packet should be discarded.
Rice spoilage spreads. Suppose you identify any spoilage in a pack. You should discard the whole pack.
Rice is considered a “high risk” food in the industry, meaning it can be hazardous to ingest bad or off rice. If in doubt – throw it out! Rice is something you can’t mess around with
In short, there are three reasons your rice is brown
