Electric Rice Cooker, Commercial Rice Cooker
Commercial rice cookers prepare large batches of rice and help users produce evenly cooked product with uniform quality from batch to batch. Kitchen staff can fill the rice cooker, select the desired settings, and start the machine – then focus on other tasks without fear of burning the rice.
Industrial Rice Cookers: What You Need to Know
Industrial rice cookers offer worry-free operation, providing perfectly cooked white and brown rice, grits, and oatmeal. Many can cook and warm broth, macaroni and cheese, or vegetables. The simplicity and versatility of these machines means stress-free preparation of some of your most popular side dishes, as they vary in capacity, heat source, and controls. They're also available with specialty options to simplify operation further.
Common Questions About Commercial Rice Cookers
Is a rice warmer the same as a rice cooker?
Although many commercial rice cookers have a hold or warm function, they're not exactly the same as a rice warmer.
Warmers are designed to hold cooked rice at a warm temperature, maintaining heat and moisture levels for optimal taste and flavor. A warmer may be used at a buffet or catered event to hold cooked rice throughout an extended serving period.
A rice cooker gets hotter than a rice warmer. After water and rice are added to a commercial rice cooker, it heats to a temperature hot enough to boil the water and cook the rice without overcooking or scorching the product. Rice cookers often have built-in timers that automatically shut off the unit or switch it to holding mode once the cooking cycle is complete. Industrial rice cookers frequently are used where large volumes of rice are served each day, such as Asian, Indian, or Mexican restaurants.
Is a rice cooker the same as a rice steamer?
Many people use the terms rice cooker and rice steamer interchangeably, although there are some differences.
Restaurant rice cookers typically boil water to cook rice, whereas steamers typically are placed above the water source to cook product with steam. Many steam cookers include rice baskets in which rice can be cooked; some rice cookers also feature a steam function.
For venues that steam a variety of food, including some rice, a commercial rice steamer can be a good choice. At locations where a large volume of rice needs to be cooked each day, a commercial rice cooker may be a better choice.
Should I get manual or digital controls?
One-touch manual controls let users set it and forget it, though digital controls add the convenient ability to use your commercial rice steamer or cooker in a variety of ways. Many rice steamers include a setting that, when used with a basket, help operators prepare vegetables and sticky rice using steam. If your establishment needs only a machine to cook rice, the manual options generally save a bit of money, but the more complex digital options provide extra cooking processes.