9 Store-Bought White Rice Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

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Is there any food more versatile than white rice? You can eat it plain or with a little bit of the best store-bought butter. You can top it with canned kidney beans, a handful of your favorite cheese, or a bit of well-seasoned shredded chicken. This simple food can go into soups, stews, stir-fries, and desserts, like arroz con leche – one of my favorite sweet treats during the colder months. Of course, if you use white rice as often as I do, starting with the best possible brand is crucial. But with so many different options crowding grocery store aisles, how can you tell which store-bought white rice brands are going to hold up to your expectations?

Personally tasting each white rice option from every brand is the only way to be sure which is the highest quality, but that isn't a reasonable endeavor for most people. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be. I tried nearly every store-bought white rice option available in my area and ranked them based on their taste and texture. When I wasn't able to try an option, I relied on external customer reviews to help me formulate an opinion. Each brand was given a cumulative rating based on all available products and was ranked here from worst to best. You can find more about my methodology at the end of the article. 

Ben's Original Long-Grain White Rice is the brand's only white rice product, although it does make numerous other rice-related products. I can only hope that those alternatives are better than this white rice option.

From the beginning, the color and smell were off, but I looked past this and moved on with the taste test. It didn't get much better. Honestly, this was more like brown rice than white, as it had a slightly chewier texture and nuttier flavor profile. I liked that this 100% American-grown rice didn't clump, but I didn't like how dry it was. Some of the grains also discolored and burned when I cooked them according to the package directions. I wouldn't buy this brand again, although I think people who enjoy brown rice more than I do might not have such a significant problem with it. I also couldn't see myself eating it in the future if someone offered it.

One thing I liked more about Rice Select than every other option on its list was its packaging. The jar is more convenient than standard bags and keeps things fresher for longer without requiring any extra work. But if you are going to buy a higher-ranked option that comes in a bag, I suggest immediately storing half in an airtight container, and vacuum sealing the rest for later. If you don't already have a vacuum sealer, I recommend this Mesliese 6in1 Vacuum Sealer, which you can get on Amazon for less than $70.

Regardless of how convenient the storage container is, I have zero plans to buy Rice Select Texmati Rice again. The individual grains blended together slightly during cooking, making them mushy. It was not enough to entirely ruin my eating experience, but it was enough to knock this rice down to near the bottom of the ranking. The positives included a delicious savory smell while cooking, and an okay flavor profile. I would have liked a slightly cleaner taste, with lighter starchy notes. Since this was the only white rice available from Rice Select, my review was based on this product alone.

Carolina is one of the brands I grew up on. If my Momma was making a hearty jambalaya or a simple chicken and rice stir-fry, this is the brand she'd grab. Since I loved my Momma's cooking, I assumed this rice would perform better. Unfortunately, nostalgia wasn't enough to make me believe this was on par with my top-ranked store-bought white rice brands.

The one thing Carolina's only standard white rice product (an enriched extra-long grain) did well was texture. The rice was light and fluffy, with well-defined individual grains that stuck together just enough, which was exactly what I was looking for. Everything else was the problem. The smell and taste were overly starchy, even after rinsing three times before cooking. The starchiness transformed what should have been a clean taste into something that tasted boxed and slightly artificial. Perhaps this issue was hidden from my young taste buds by all the robust Southern cooking flavors. My suggestion today is to skip it because it's not worth your hard-earned money.

As one might expect from a pantry staple like white rice, the middle of this list is stocked with a few options that are nearly identical. I pored over my notes for these similar brands (three private labels in particular) and really struggled with how to rank them. Ultimately, I identified minuscule differences that allowed me to separate them slightly. During that process, Earthly Grains came out on bottom — if just barely.

Earthly Grains Long-Grain White Rice, courtesy of Aldi, was a little drier than it should be. While nowhere near "crunchy," it was enough for me to take notice. It was a hair drier than the next highest-ranked option. Each grain was mildly fluffy and didn't clump together during the cooking process; it was just enough added stickiness that it was easy to eat. The taste was clean, and it absorbed the salt I added to it well. This wasn't a bad rice brand by any means; it definitely gets the job done, but I wouldn't call it the best, either. If you're already in Aldi, choosing this option for the sake of convenience might make sense. But I don't suggest going out of your way for it.

If you were waiting on the part of the ranking where you get an update on my toxic relationship with Bowl and Basket, we're finally there. Most recently, I was left without a strong opinion on its mediocre canned pinto beans, and recommended against its unsalted butter when baking. As for its white rice brand? I was actually decently pleased with both options offered by ShopRite's private label, even if I wasn't totally blown away by their quality.

The first option I tried was the Bowl and Basket Enriched Long-Grain White Rice. Like Earthly Grains, this was a little dry, a bit fluffy, mostly clean tasting, and the grains stayed separate instead of merging into mush. The only difference is that this one was a hair less dry than Earthly Grains, so it pulled slightly ahead.

Bowl and Basket Enriched Medium-Grain White Rice is the other option offered from the brand, and I actually enjoyed this one a little more. It was nearly identical to the long grain except it was a bit fluffier and moister. Overall, this turned out to be a decent white rice brand that I would definitely eat again but wouldn't go out of my way to purchase.

Goya is the first store-bought white rice brand I could see myself buying again. In fact, up until now, it was always my second choice when my top option wasn't available. This ranking has changed that, but I still think it's a decent rice brand.

There are two standard white rice options available by Goya, and I was able to try both. The first was a Medium-Grain White Rice, which was a bit sticky and very fluffy, with grains that didn't clump. There was a very clean taste that seemed to absorb the faint buttery and salty notes I added, which is exactly what I was looking for. If the other rice had been equally as perfect, this could have easily taken first place.

As it was, the Canilla Extra-Long Grain Rice from Goya was another "not terrible, not great" option. The taste was perfect, but when cooked according to the instructions, the grains stuck together and became slightly mushy. With one perfect product and the other mediocre, I felt pretty confident placing Goya on the upper end of this list.

Walmart's private label, Great Value, is usually hit or miss, although it has more hits than Bowl and Basket in my humble opinion. Its sweet iced tea was heavily artificial to the point I had to dump it down the drain, but its store-bought Caesar dressing was a mildly nuanced, budget-friendly option I'd definitely eat again. I was thankful its Long-Grain White Rice turned out to be another decent budget-friendly option that I'd eat again if someone offered — and I might even purchase it if my top two picks were unavailable.

This enriched rice was my favorite of the three similar private label brands. Like the Aldi and ShopRite rice brands, this one was fluffy and clean-tasting, but a little on the dry side. It beat the other private labels because it was moister, though that difference was barely perceptible.

The other reason it scored highly was the high reviews and extensive praise left on the Walmart website for the Great Value Medium-Grain Enriched Rice. These reviews reflect some of the same standards I looked for in this ranking. "Great rice and tastes great," one Walmart shopper said. "Very white intact grains of rice," said another.

Good & Gather is one private label that didn't turn out nearly identical to the others. Instead, Target's private label really stood on its own in this ranking — which was refreshing, since I've found the brand to largely be a disappointment across grocery categories. Good & Gather appears to offer only two standard white rice options, and I was able to try both.

Good & Gather Short-Grain White Rice was my favorite rice on this list. The small grains remained separate and soft without becoming mushy, with a stickiness that exceeded the other options on this list. In my experience, that's the way short-grain is supposed to be, and it's what makes it so perfect for creating standout sushi at home. The clean flavor, accented by faint savory undertones, paired nicely with the butter and salt I added.

The Good & Gather Long-Grain White Rice was okay. It was similar but not identical to the lower-ranked private labels. It was still light and fluffy, with individual grains, and I appreciated its noticeably moister texture and cleaner and more neutral taste. I'll be buying the short-grain white rice moving forward, but I'll stick with my top brand for medium- and long-grain white rice.

Arroz Rico is the rice I usually use at home, and even when tasted side-by-side with competitors, it earned its name — which, for those who don't speak Spanish, translates loosely to mean "delicious rice" or "tasty rice." Although I've tried both white options in the past, I was only able to try one for the purposes of this taste test.

Arroz Rico's Medium-Grain White Rice had a mouthwatering, savory-ish smell while cooking which translated into a clean taste with savory undertones. These natural flavors merged beautifully with the faint buttery notes and light saltiness I added according to how I normally eat "plain" rice. The grains held their shape well and stuck together without merging in the slightest. 

The Arroz Rico Long-Grain White Rice was sold out at my local Walmart, and I couldn't find it at my local ShopRite, but online reviews largely represent my own past experiences with it. One person said, "I always order this rice. It's easy to cook and it tastes good. I definitely recommend it." Others stated this was the only rice they'd cook with and that they prefer it to other brands.

If you're looking for the best store-bought white rice brand, I strongly recommend Arroz Rico. Grab a bag on your next shopping trip and see what a difference quality rice can make in some of your favorite meals.

I chose only standard store-bought white rice brands for inclusion in this list, which means special varieties (basmati, jasmine, sushi, and instant) were excluded for fairness. I purchased all brand options from grocery stores near Vineland, New Jersey, and judged each on the cumulative quality of their white rice products. While personal preference inevitably influenced my ranking, every effort was made to evaluate product quality as objectively as possible. 

In most instances, I was able to taste the rice featured here personally. These were cooked in the rice cooker on the "white rice" setting. Before tasting, I added about 1 teaspoon of butter and ⅛ teaspoon of salt — these were not measured exactly, but were eyeballed to be the same amount within a small margin of error. I was looking for a tender, fluffy rice that remained separate grains rather than merging into one big mess, with a savory and clean taste. For the few options I was unable to try, I relied on external customer reviews.

My food industry background spanning more than 15 years was the primary driver in why I felt confident in making these ranking decisions. However, extensive consumership of white rice over the last several decades and prior work done for Daily Meal also contributed. This includes similar starch-based articles like my ranking of popular frozen tater tots and my ranking of Kraft Mac and Cheese flavors.