Rice and Grain Yield Calculator: Dry to Cooked Weight, Water and Grams per Box

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Opens on the book's Freezer Month. Change any number to your own and press Calculate.

Start from fills the boxes below

Grain

Dry weight g

Boxes

Water by volume cups of water a cup of grain; blank = USA Rice's (2 white, 2¼ brown)

A cup of the dry grain g; blank = FDC's cup

Choose the grain and its dry weight, then press Calculate.

The formula

Swell factor = (1 − water % dry) ÷ (1 − water % cooked), from FDC; cooked = dry × factor
Water taken up = cooked − dry. Per box = cooked ÷ boxes
Cups of dry grain = grams ÷ the weight of a cup (FDC); water to add = cups × the ratio × 236.6 mL
Left as steam = water added − water taken up (a lid and low heat keep it small)

The book's worked example, Chapter 4. The dal's 400 g of brown rice at 11.8 % water cooks to 70.27 %: about 1,187 g, so each box gets about 148 g. The curry's 400 g of white rice makes about 1,120 g, 140 g a box.

Check it. Weigh the empty pan, cook, weigh again: cooked rice minus the dry rice is the water it really took up.

Honest limits. Rice: the UK Food Standards Agency says chill leftover rice as quickly as possible, ideally within an hour, get it into the freezer within an hour of cooking, and never reheat it more than once; the FDA's Bad Bug Book explains why (Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking, and its vomiting toxin survives reheating). Water ratios are USA Rice's for the stovetop; larger batches need slightly less water; follow your rice cooker's line if you use one. Yields are FDC averages: weigh yours. Prices are illustrative US prices from November 2026, shown without a currency sign; put in your own. Everything stays in your browser: no sign-up, nothing stored.

These calculators go with Vegan Meal Prep Math (Craft & Studio, Book 4), where every number on this page is worked by hand.