Why it burns
The flame doesn't drop fast enough. You bring the pot to a boil, cut the heat, and assume you're done. But the pan still holds more energy than the rice needs. The bottom layer overcooks while the top grains are still absorbing.
Three fixes
Cut the heat lower than feels right. On most home stoves the lowest setting is still too high. Slide the burner to minimum — or use a heat diffuser. You want a barely visible simmer: one or two small bubbles every 10 seconds.
Don't lift the lid. Every peek drops the internal temperature and loses steam. That steam finishes the top. Resist until the timer goes off.
Rest it off the heat. When the timer rings, kill the flame. Leave the lid on for 10 minutes. Residual heat finishes the job without scorching anything.
The pan is usually the problem
Thin stainless saucepans concentrate heat at the base. On almost any stove, they'll burn rice. A heavy-bottomed pot — cast iron, enamelled cast iron, thick non-stick — distributes heat evenly. If rice burns every time, change the pan before you change anything else.
The rescue move
Already scorched the bottom? Don't stir — you'll pull the burnt layer up through the whole pot. Lay a folded piece of bread on top of the rice. Replace the lid. Rest off heat for 5 minutes. The bread absorbs the smell. Serve from the top and leave the scorched crust behind.
One ratio
1 part rice, 1.5 parts water. Measure by volume. Then leave it alone.
