An ink for ink jet recording includes water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a water-insoluble color material, a dispersant, and a compound expressed by the following chemical formula: R—O—(CH2CH2O)n—H   (I) where R is an alkyl group having a carbon number of 25 to 150 and n is from 2 to 100. The ink not only can maintain performances such as storage stability and high-quality recording images, but also can effectively prevent nozzle clogging, exhibit good dispersion stability, and achieve a high redispersion property that ensures stable ejection both during long continuous operation and after stopping the operation for a long time.