I find the free boiling method better for white rice. Once the rice is cooked I rinse it briefly under cold water. If you are using an electric rice cooker, use 1- ¾ cups water per cup of white rice and 2 cups water per cup of long grain brown rice.

When cooking brown rice on the stovetop, I use a thick- bottomed pot with a good heavy lid; Le Creuset is ideal. Add rice to boiling water, bring water back to a boil, use a fork to scrape off the bottom of the pot, turn heat to simmer and cover well. I often put a full teakettle on top to insure no steam escaping. After cooking for 25-30 minutes I turn off the heat and let rice finish cooking for 5-10 minutes before serving. I also recommend using a fork to fluff your rice before serving up.

long grain white 1 cup raw lots of salted water 20 minutes 2 cups cooked
long grain brown 1 cup raw 2- ¼ cups salted water 30 minutes + 5 steam 2 cups cooked
basmati 1 cup raw lots of salted water 15- 20 minutes 2 cups cooked