The drying operation is one of the critical steps in the preparation of instant rice. Drying methods and conditionsplay important roles in achieving the desired quality. In this study, instant rice was subjected to convective hot air, microwave and combined microwave-hot air dehydration. Three air temperature (70◦C, 80◦C, 90◦C) and threemicrowave power (210 W, 300 W, 560 W) settings were investigated to find the drying kinetics, rehydration kinetics andcolour change. The results showed that combined microwave-hot air drying decreased the drying time required whencompared to drying with either hot air or microwave energy alone. Predictive models were developed to describedehydration and rehydration kinetics. Dehydration rate, rehydration rate and total colour change of rehydratedproduct generally increased with microwave level and air temperature. Combination drying with MW = 300 W andT = 80◦C was optimal in terms of drying time, rehydration time and colour.