Review of Uncle Ben's Boil-in-Bag Rice Pouches

I had some leftover meat in my refrigerator about a week ago and decided to use it up by making a multi-meat stir fry. Since I didn't have any rice to go with the stir fry, I ended up stopping at the grocery store on my way home from work and picked up a box of Uncle Ben's Boil-in-Bag Rice.

This is a brand I was somewhat familiar with because it is well-known. However, it is also a brand I rarely buy, electing to purchase the more affordable brands instead. In fact, the only reason I purchased it this time around was I really liked the convenience of the rice being in the bags and it was the only brand in the store that offered that option. Unfortunately, other than the convenience, there really wasn't a whole lot I would consider overly special about this product.

As planned, my wife prepared this rice on the stove while I cooked the stir fry outside on the grill. And, as I mentioned, it was definitely convenient. She just had to add the rice to boiling water, let it cook then empty it into a serving dish.

One thing she pointed out right away, however, was the small quantity in each of the bags. One bag wouldn't have been enough for more than one person so we ended up making two of them. Even then, we barely had enough and it did make me question the overall value when compared to other rice brands.

When it came to quality, I had no complaints about this rice. However, while I thought the quality was good, it, again, wasn't anything that was overly special. It tasted just like the white rice we purchase from the more affordable brands and, other than the box, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Again, I had no real complaints about the product and did enjoy the convenience of having the rice in the bags. That being said, the price difference between this product and the other options I had for rice was pretty significant and, even with the convenience, I'm finding it hard to justify spending the extra money, especially when there wasn't any noticeable difference in quality. In other words, it was a luxury purchase and not one I can see myself making in the future.

My Grade: C