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[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by NotFromHere
Well that, and the fact that he used Uncle Ben's. Uncle Ben's? Run to the nearest ethnic store and pick up something, anything other than the Ben.

Actually . . . the Uncle Ben's boil-in-a-bag rice did really well in the Cook's Illustrated tasting, though the instant and converted faired poorly.

When it came to tasting, our panel decided that in the case of white rice, less is definitely more. The first-place rice, as well as those that came in third, fourth, and fifth, were all standard rices that had not been subjected to any special processing to make them cook faster or end up with grains that were unusually separate.

This result was not unexpected. What really surprised us, though, was the second-place finish of Uncle Ben’s Boil-in-Bag rice, along with the sixth-place showing of Kraft’s Boil-in-Bag. In both cases, the idea behind the dual processing of these rices really paid off. Testers found the grains of Uncle Ben’s, in particular, to be firm, perfectly unbroken, and nicely moist.

The converted rice, on the other hand, did not fare as well. While the version by Uncle Ben’s just managed to edge into the recommended category, tasters found that the converted product by Canilla had a strong undesirable aftertaste and yellow appearance that dropped it into the “not recommended” category.

As for instant rices, our tasters were anything but impressed. Both of the brands sampled in our tasting—Uncle Ben’s and Kraft Minute—carried “chemical” and “metallic” flavors. Tasters also found these products unpalatably mushy, and noted that the individual kernels tended to fall apart and fray.

So if you aren’t opposed to preparing your rice in a plastic pouch, a boil-in-bag rice might be the best option when you’re looking for convenience. The trade-off, however, is that you get less rice for your dollar and you cannot cook these rices along with other seasonings or ingredients. The recommended standard long-grain white rices take a total of only 30 to 35 minutes to prepare (including resting time) and require minimal attention, so the rest of your meal can be prepared as they cook. They also make for a more affordable kitchen staple.

www.Cooksillustrated.com {Subscription required.}

We need a rice thread sock.