Under Pressure

• The boiling temperature of water is a consistent 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level, but it's greatly influenced by air pressure. A pressure cooker raises water's boiling point -- and speeds cooking -- by placing it under pressure, while evaporated milk simmers away moisture at temperatures as low as 100 F in a partial vacuum. The differences caused by altitude are less dramatic, but still important. For a cook working at an elevation of 5,000 feet, water boils at just 203 F. That 9-degree difference in temperature is important to your rice.

The Magic Cooker

• Film critic Roger Ebert, who wrote a rice-cooker cookbook, marveled comedically over the simple device's ability to cook white or brown rice with equal aplomb. The key to this ability is temperature. Since the cooker can't reach a temperature much higher than 212 F until all the water has been absorbed or evaporated, a sudden rise in temperature signals that the rice is done. The pot switches to its keep-warm mode, and holds the rice until mealtime. This takes twice as long with brown rice because its outer layer of bran acts as a sort of raincoat to slow the penetration of moisture. At altitude, the effect increases.

Bubble, Bubble

• Water's lower boiling point at high elevations accounts for most of the difference. Nine degrees doesn't sound like much of an adjustment, but it can extend brown rice's cooking time from 40 minutes to nearly an hour, depending how high you are. The arid high-altitude atmosphere complicates matters further, helping encourage moisture loss through evaporation. To get perfectly cooked brown rice, you'll need to increase the amount of water you start with. At 3,000 feet you might only require an extra couple of tablespoons, while at 7,500 feet it can take well over a quarter-cup of water to properly hydrate your rice.

The Technique

• Look up the cooking instructions for brown rice in your cooker's manual. Most describe a 40- to 45-minute cooking time, depending on the quantity of rice you're making. Start the rice with 2 to 3 extra tablespoons of water, and cook it normally. About the end of the sea-level cooking time, open the lid of your cooker briefly and dip a fork into the rice. If it's dry, add another 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. If there's still water at the bottom and the rice is nearly done, just close the lid and let it finish.