Welcome to our All About Rice series! Find more rice cooking tips, buying suggestions, and recipes here.
I know what you’re thinking: “Seriously, Emily, another post about rice? Move on with your life already.” For the record, just this morning alone, I downed two cups of coffee, scrubbed dried banana off the floor, and poked my sister on Facebook. All before 9 am. So, as you can see, there is way more to my life than just rice.
But I couldn’t jump off the topic without sharing about the best places to buy rice in the Portland-metro area. I compared three stores: Winco, Costco, and Fubonn (a local Asian supermarket). This post should give you a ballpark idea of what is a good price when it comes to buying rice.
So, here is what I found. With one exception (25 pound long grain rice), Costco’s prices are the cheapest. Of course, that involves buying 12-50 pounds at a time. This would be a great option if you eat a ton of rice or could split it with someone else. I was happy to find a 12 pound bag of organic short-grain brown rice for $1.12 per pound. Great deal on a reasonable amount!
At WinCo, the big bags of rice (10-25 pounds) were cheaper than the bulk bins. These bags can be found next to the bulk bins or in the Hispanic food aisle. If you are looking for a smaller amount, the bulk bins will beat out the smaller shelf packages (2-5 pounds) every time.
Fubonn’s prices were a mixed bag, mostly more expensive. However, if you are looking for a crazy huge selection of authentic Asian products or just a fun cultural experience, it is a cool stop that is well worth your time.
Rice Prices in the Portland Metro area, as of May 2013:
WINCO (bulk bins)
Arborio Rice – $1.76/lb.
Basmati Rice, Brown – $1.73/lb.
Basmati Rice, White – $1.49/lb.
Black (Forbidden) Rice – $2.94/lb.
Brown Rice, Organic – $1.95/lb.
Brown Rice, Short-grain – .78/lb.
Jasmine Rice, Brown – .98/lb.
Jasmine Rice, White – .91/lb.
Long Grain Rice, Brown – .59/lb.
Long Grain Rice, White – .53/lb.
Pearl Rice – .82/lb.
Pink Rice – $2.30/lb.
WINCO (off the shelf, 10-25 lb. bags)
Basmati Rice, Brown, 10 lb. – $16.45 ($1.65/lb.)
Basmati Rice, White, 10 lb. – $14.17 ($1.42/lb.)
Calrose Rice, 20 lb. – $12.98 (.65/lb.)
Converted Rice, 25 lb. – $12.60 (.50/lb.)
Long Grain Rice, Brown, 25 lb. – $14.03 (.56/lb.)
Long Grain Rice, White, 25 lb. – $12.60 (.50/lb.)
Pearl Rice, 25 lb. – $19.49 (.78/lb.)
WINCO (off the shelf, 2-5 lb. bags)
Basmati Rice, White, 2 lb. – $3.77/lb. ($1.89/lb.)
Basmati Rice, Brown, 2 lb. $4.75 ($2.38/lb.)
Brown Rice, 2 lb. – $2.18 ($1.09/lb.)
Jasmine Rice, 5 lb. – $6.49 ($1.30/lb.)
Long Grain, Enriched, 2 lb. – $1.28 (.64/lb.)
COSTCO
Basmati Rice, 20 lb. – $17.99 (.90/lb.)
Brown Rice, Organic Short-grain, 12 lb. – $13.49 ($1.12/lb.)
Calrose Rice, 50 lb. – $22.99 (.46/lb.)
Jasmine Rice, 25 lb. – $16.99 (.68/lb.)
Long Grain, White, 25 lb. – $16.29 (.65/lb.)
Long Grain, White, 50 lb. – $19.99 (.40/lb.)
Brown Rice, 5 lb. – $6.49 ($1.30/lb.)
Brown Rice, 20 lb. – $13.99 (.70/lb.)
Calrose Rice, 5 lb. – $4.99 ($1/lb.)
Jasmine Rice, 25 lb. – $20.99 (.84/lb.)
Long Grain, White, 5 lb. – $2.99 (.60/lb.)
Sushi Rice, 4.4 lb. – $5.39/lb.
Learn about the difference types of rice and how to cook brown rice perfectly here.
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Greetings/sales,
We would appreciate if you can give us Quote price on the below item and let us know if you have them in stock or how soon you can supply us,
(1). Jasmine Rice 50 Pound Quantity :800 bag
(2) . Basmatic Rice 50 Pound Quantity : 500 bag
Your quotation must be valid for at least 30 days and our Institutional payment terms are Net30 days from the date of your invoice with our official institutional
purchase order. Since there is probably specific information that you require before establishing a credit account with us, perhaps
it will make more sense for you to send us the paper works to be filled out.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards.
Hi Sales,
We’re emailing from Trader Joe’s Company and would like to ask you to provide us with a quote for the following items:
Vegetable and Sunflower Oil 35lbs
Non Fat Grade A Powder Milk 50lbs
Whole milk powder 26% fat 50 lbs
Extra Fine Granulated Sugar 50lbs
Jasmine or Basmati white Rice 50lbs
We’re interested in maintaining a long-lasting relationship with your company if your quotes match our budget we have in mind this in mind, we ask that you give us the best prices for these items.
Please feel free to call us for further clarification.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
—
Sincerely,
John Anders
Purchasing Manager
Trader Joe’s Company
800 S Shamrock Ave, Monrovia, CA, 91016-6346
+1 626-559-8045
2013….. It’s now 2022. Maybe you should update this? Weird this is the first result that came up in a search. I would much prefer to read something about rice prices that’s not 9 years old.
Thanks for sharing wonderful information with us.
I WILL NEED RICE FOR MY BUSINESS NEED GOOD PRICE
Local Middle eastern stores would have the best deals on rice.
Can you get sweet rice in bulk please
Where i can buy a good deal for rooster rice pls and thNks
I used to love Rooster rice,not anymore dont know what they did to the ones they export to BC,Canada.
I’m looking for Royal Brown Rice.
Do you guys where I can get a good deal on them?
almost all the rice listed are just terrible brands which why cheaper. They either difficult to cook, got more than necessary prep or came from exploitation.
The Asian market rice tend to be better for many reasons. For starters, they move the most. God only knows how long Winco and Costco had them rice sitting in the storage collecting dust just for “Members” to pay a little less. Accumulative sums are evil like compound interest.
They are easier to cook and better quality of texture and taste. That is really important because why pay 50 dollars for either a hit and miss… you always want a hit.
Lastly, Asian markets are almost always small local business owners and supporting local businesses vs deep pocket-tax avoiding-loophole hopping-corporations is always better. 🙂
You must be thinking about Sam’s club with your rather snide remark about “loophole hopping corporations”. Costco is famous for paying good wages, good benefits, and making sure their employees have good health care. Executive salaries are capped at a fraction of what they make out in the rest of the corporate wilds.
The rice at small Asian markets is highly variable. Sometimes it is very old. They nearly always carry the exact same brands you find at Costco (or Sam’s for that matter). Buying rice at an Asian market is no guarantee of quality – the quality is just as variable as any other commodity in any other type of store.
Royal brand rice has traditionally been one of the better and more reliable brands of basmati rice available in the US. The last time I got basmati rice at an Asian grocery, it just wasn’t as good as usual. I didn’t really notice the difference until I got my next bag of Royal – from Costco. Suddenly I had the fragrance of good Basmati rice back.
Buy what you want, where you want. Costco/Sams don’t carry every kind of rice – my personal favorite is rose matta, aka Kerala red rice. Can’t get that at Costco or Sam’s!
My limited experience with Costco rice is that it does not taste very good. I was told by a Japanese woman to buy good rice in small quantities and I can really taste the difference. Rice is pretty cheap to begin with so may as well enjoy it too.
jasmine rice, with the elephant on the package, at costco is yummy. They sell the same brand in asian stores.
Rice is also a high GMO (geneticall modified food), so I buy organic. GMO’s cause cancer, allergies, intestinal issues like ulcertice colitis, crohns etc and cause infertility. Best to steer clear of all that!!
You may be interested in learning more…
http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/gmos-genetically-modified-food-1/gmo-foods.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBfCfjlpV2k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Yes, “enhanced” or modified rice is a hot topic! Once a cheap staple, both in home kitchens and for aid organizations… now many are taking a closer look.
One more reason I was excited to find the organic brown rice for such a great price at Costco!
GMOs have not been linked to ANY health problems whatsoever. There are good reasons to fight against GMOs – mostly having to do with contamination of nearby crops and the push to drive farmers who save seed out of business.
But health fear mongering is not among those reasons.
I also buy my rice at Cash and Carry, just recently I bought a 50lb bag of Jasmine rice for 32. and split it with a friend….it’s all about watching and shopping around !!!! :O)
I appreciate all your rice research and all the comments-great to share
all of the knowledge out there.
I will say too, since I have been following FLNW-my diet has improved a lot -thanks to all the posts and comments-thank-you.
I agree that Cash and Carry has the best price on rice. I buy flour there too. Also, I think they have the best price on sirracha and sweet chili sauce. Thank you for the tip about the Safeway buckets 🙂
I just called my Safeway about the buckets…she said that yes they have them, but floral is using them this week for all the Mother’s Day flowers…call next week.
We buy rice at Oriental Market (Foster and 82nd ish). Cheaper than all of the places you listed!
I buy my rice at Cash and Carry. When it’s on sale it is cheaper than many of the prices you listed above.
However a quick google search reveals that Cash and Carry has less than half a dozen locations located in NorCal only. So you are one of the few in the world who even know about that store. congrats
I used to buy my rice solely at Win-co until our pediatrician told us about high levels of arsenic found in Gulf Coast grown rice. Now I only buy rice if I know where it was grown, so Fubonn, Asian markets, New Seasons, and Whole Foods. On the whole we are spending way more on rice, but the peace of mind is worth it.
Polly, I’m agree with you, I prefer to spend a little more a have peace of mind.
I’ve Been Researching arsnic In Rice. One Recommendation Was To rinse The Heck Out Of It And Cook It With More Water. Then Drain Excess Water Off. Just a Thought.
I have been reading about arsenic levels, too. Check out our post on cooking perfect brown rice! It features that exact method: rinsing the rice and draining the water.
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/all-about-rice-tips-terms-and-how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/
Tried the add more water and it doesn’t work in a rice cooker. It just makes really gooey and watery rice. I had to throw it out.
that’s always been in rice. I think since more and more White Americans are consuming rice it’s becoming an issue. Culture groups in Latin America and Asia have always clean their rice until clear water, use olive oil or straight, and add some salt. Before rice cookers, which I still don’t use myself, many of us boiled the water first before putting the rice inside, then simmer. I think it not only had to do with better rice (though boiling and simmer not important since rice cookers steam or cook without a preboil), but killing germs like pasteurizing.
It is really easy to clean the rice.
Emily, you’re awesome. I’m also glad someone else needs more than one cup of coffee in the morning in order to scrape the dried fruit off the floor. Thanks for the heads up on rice.
I second the Cash & Carry recommendation – it also has a good website, so you can see the price/size before you go to the store (and sign up for e-mails of the weekly specials; I’m pretty sure there’s rice on special right now, but I’m stocked up).
Be careful to compare at Winco. I just bought two of the smaller 16 ounce bags for less than a dollar each. The larger, 32 ounce bag, was priced over $2.00. I think it was $2.30 something? Got the same amount for less than $2.00 by buying the two bags instead of the larger one.
Yes, I noticed that, too. Sometimes their pricing is funny! Either way, though, the bulk bins would be cheaper than either bag.
I buy most of my grains, including rice, at WinCo because its easier to buy a little at a time and they have pretty good prices across the board. My only exception is quinoa – the best price I have seen is the 4 lb. bag of organic quinoa at Costco for about $10 – making it $2.50/ lb. Even WinCo is another $1 or so more per lb.
Another great place to purchase large quantities of rice is Cash & Carry. I usually pick up my long grain white rice for around $16.95 for 50 pounds which comes to around $0.34 per pound. Amazing price!
Of course you have to be able to store 50 pounds of rice – call a Safeway bakery. They have great food storage buckets (previously filled with frosting!) that have gasket seal lids. They give them away for free because they normally just throw them away. Make sure you call in the morning and request them to be saved and then pick them up later that day. Most Safeway’s throw them away because they do not have the room to store the empty buckets.
Another great option… use several 32 oz. re-purposed yogurt containers and stack them on a shelf in your food storage area. That’s how I do mine and they are easy to work with. Just did a bag of jasmine rice that way yesterday. I wish Cash & Carry would start selling organic dried goods. Would love to see them carry quinoa.
You wrote:
I know what you’re thinking: “Seriously, Emily, another post about rice? Move on with your life already.”
Actually, this is how I found you, and all I can say is, THANK YOU! I’ve got $150 to feed (and, um, “drink”? LOL) my family for an entire month – including a hungry teen and hungry hubby! So to find your blog here was literally a life-saver. Since rice can be used as a staple (at least this month!), this was very useful info. Thanks again!
@Heidi, I’m praying that I get your luck in finding a grocery bakery that will be willing to part with their frosting buckets. Man, I need those, but can’t afford them. And @Mae, I love your idea of re-using your yogurt containers, too!
— Slightly different, but in a kid’s gardening book, I read how to cut out of your plastic milk carton a certain way, so that you end up making a scoop, handle and all, from the one already there! So I could pass this on, I just now searched for directions:
http://lifehacker.com/5924292/turn-a-plastic-jug-into-a-scoop
While it was meant for the garden, I don’t see why you couldn’t turn these homemade scoops into bin scoops!
Thanks for the Cash & Carry tip! I know they have good prices on certain products.
Costco bakery has used. small bucket in the bakery. Safeway ways slightly larger (3-3 1/2 gal)) , as well as Hagens free in their bakery.