How to Cook Rice

Step One: Rinse and (optional) Soak
Rinse in a few changes of cold water. There are two reasons for rinsing: some mills outside the US use talc as a milling aid, so it's an important step for imported rice. The other reason is that rinsing also removes loose starch (for less sticky rice).

Two reasons for soaking rice. First because if it's a little older, it might be more brittle and break easier. The second and in my opinion the most important reason is that it activates the enzymes for better digestion.

Step two: Simple cooking method
You might have heard "one part rice to two parts water". This is right. If you have 2 cups of water, bring them to a boil with an optional dash of salt then add 1 cup of rice. Cover and lower heat to a simmer. Set your timer to 20 minutes. When the rice is done, let it "rest" for about 10 minutes to absorb the moisture all of the way through.