Welcome to our All About Rice series! Find more rice cooking tips, buying suggestions, and recipes here.

I know what you’re thinking: “Seriously, Emily, another post about rice? Move on with your life already.” For the record, just this morning alone, I downed two cups of coffee, scrubbed dried banana off the floor, and poked my sister on Facebook. All before 9 am. So, as you can see, there is way more to my life than just rice.

But I couldn’t jump off the topic without sharing about the best places to buy rice in the Portland-metro area. I compared three stores: Winco, Costco, and Fubonn (a local Asian supermarket). This post should give you a ballpark idea of what is a good price when it comes to buying rice.

So, here is what I found. With one exception (25 pound long grain rice), Costco’s prices are the cheapest. Of course, that involves buying 12-50 pounds at a time. This would be a great option if you eat a ton of rice or could split it with someone else. I was happy to find a 12 pound bag of organic short-grain brown rice for $1.12 per pound. Great deal on a reasonable amount!

At WinCo, the big bags of rice (10-25 pounds) were cheaper than the bulk bins. These bags can be found next to the bulk bins or in the Hispanic food aisle. If you are looking for a smaller amount, the bulk bins will beat out the smaller shelf packages (2-5 pounds) every time.

Fubonn’s prices were a mixed bag, mostly more expensive. However, if you are looking for a crazy huge selection of authentic Asian products or just a fun cultural experience, it is a cool stop that is well worth your time.

Rice Prices in the Portland Metro area, as of May 2013:



WINCO (bulk bins)

Arborio Rice – $1.76/lb.

Basmati Rice, Brown – $1.73/lb.

Basmati Rice, White – $1.49/lb.

Black (Forbidden) Rice – $2.94/lb.

Brown Rice, Organic – $1.95/lb.

Brown Rice, Short-grain – .78/lb.

Jasmine Rice, Brown – .98/lb.

Jasmine Rice, White – .91/lb.

Long Grain Rice, Brown – .59/lb.

Long Grain Rice, White – .53/lb.

Pearl Rice – .82/lb.

Pink Rice – $2.30/lb.

WINCO (off the shelf, 10-25 lb. bags)



Basmati Rice, Brown, 10 lb. – $16.45 ($1.65/lb.)

Basmati Rice, White, 10 lb. – $14.17 ($1.42/lb.)

Calrose Rice, 20 lb. – $12.98 (.65/lb.)

Converted Rice, 25 lb. – $12.60 (.50/lb.)

Long Grain Rice, Brown, 25 lb. – $14.03 (.56/lb.)

Long Grain Rice, White, 25 lb. – $12.60 (.50/lb.)

Pearl Rice, 25 lb. – $19.49 (.78/lb.)

WINCO (off the shelf, 2-5 lb. bags)



Basmati Rice, White, 2 lb. – $3.77/lb. ($1.89/lb.)

Basmati Rice, Brown, 2 lb. $4.75 ($2.38/lb.)

Brown Rice, 2 lb. – $2.18 ($1.09/lb.)

Jasmine Rice, 5 lb. – $6.49 ($1.30/lb.)

Long Grain, Enriched, 2 lb. – $1.28 (.64/lb.)

COSTCO



Basmati Rice, 20 lb. – $17.99 (.90/lb.)

Brown Rice, Organic Short-grain, 12 lb. – $13.49 ($1.12/lb.)

Calrose Rice, 50 lb. – $22.99 (.46/lb.)

Jasmine Rice, 25 lb. – $16.99 (.68/lb.)

Long Grain, White, 25 lb. – $16.29 (.65/lb.)

Long Grain, White, 50 lb. – $19.99 (.40/lb.)

FUBONN ASIAN SUPERMARKET



Brown Rice, 5 lb. – $6.49 ($1.30/lb.)

Brown Rice, 20 lb. – $13.99 (.70/lb.)

Calrose Rice, 5 lb. – $4.99 ($1/lb.)

Jasmine Rice, 25 lb. – $20.99 (.84/lb.)

Long Grain, White, 5 lb. – $2.99 (.60/lb.)

Sushi Rice, 4.4 lb. – $5.39/lb.

Learn about the difference types of rice and how to cook brown rice perfectly here.