You don't need a rice cooker to make foolproof rice. Use this recipe to make basic white rice in a saucepan on the stovetop. It's easy and will come out right every time if you follow a few simple steps.

There are several keys to cooking perfect rice. The first is the ratio of water to rice: For plain white rice, use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of uncooked long-grain rice. This will result in 3 cups of cooked rice. Second is the temperature. You want to bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so it simmers for the rest of the cooking time. Don't walk away until that's done. Finally, timing is important. Use a timer to ensure you're cooking the rice for the exact time required.

You might have heard that you have to soak rice before you cook it, but it's not necessarily true for all long-grain white rice, and it's definitely not needed for this basic recipe. However, rinsing the rice before cooking helps create the best texture, as it removes some of the surface starches.

Plain white rice is an excellent inexpensive side dish for nearly any meal—it's hard to find a dish that rice doesn't complement. It's also a blank canvas to which you can add countless ingredients for extra flavor and it does a good job of soaking up the sauces of whatever you pair it with, too. Once you discover how well this method works, you won't hesitate to cook rice for dinner.