For years, I got so frustrated with countless batches of rice that turn out mushy, or crunchy, or watery, or any number of ways that aren't Perfectly Fluffy, Tender, Chewy, Separate Yet Cohesive Grains of Deliciousness. Then I read this helpful article: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/9395-science-the-secrets-of-co… .
Now I cook rice in the following way, and only occasionally does it (for NO FREAKING REASON THAT I CAN SEE) turn out wrong. That's not a very compelling introduction to a recipe, I guess, but really - this is the best way I've found to cook rice if you don't have a rice cooker, and apart from sushi rice (which requires a short soak and five minutes longer both to cook and to steam), turns out a very high-quality product:
WASH: any quantity between 3/4 cup and up to two pounds of rice in either a small, small-medium, or medium saucepan (size depends on the quantity - just eyeball it), stirring and draining, stirring and draining, until the water runs fairly clear. This can take five minutes if your rice is really dusty or starchy. Drain thoroughly.
COVER THE RICE WITH WATER: in the saucepan, smooth the surface of the rice and touch your thumb to the very surface of the grains. Cover the rice with water up until your first thumb knuckle (about one inch). Add some salt if you like.
COVER THE POT, and bring the rice to a boil. Make sure it is a rolling boil, but then immediately turn down the heat to low (want to know how often I miss the mark and let the pot boil over?? I'm not going to tell you. But I will say that for some reason, when you wipe clean the stove surface to remove the boiled-over rice water, it gets cleaner than other spots).
SIMMER THE RICE, covered, for 15 minutes. Don't open the lid!
LET THE RICE STEAM, covered but off the heat, for 5 minutes. Don't open the lid!
NOW YOU CAN OPEN THE LID. Fluff the rice, and enjoy. :) Refrigerate leftovers overnight to facilitate the formation of the retrograde form of Resistant Starch.