I have always cooked rice in a pot (family from Louisiana, they literally grow rice there) but when I met my husband he was so mystified by dry rice, he'd been using microwave bags of rice.

I rinse long grain rice, and brown rice, but soak short grain sticky rice, and for some dishes, saute dry rice in butter or olive oil before cooking it. One of my kids used to cook it like pasta in a lot of water then drain it, I don't think this is a one right way situation.

Puerto Rican food is delicious for sure. My DIL says it's "saucy not spicy".