What Rice Cookers Does Chipotle Use to Prepare Rice?
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual chain with more than 4,000 locations, serving custom-assembled burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and more. The brand emphasizes fresh ingredients and quick service, so commercial rice cooking equipment helps staff keep up with demand.
Chipotle added Wood Stone rice cookers to its operation in the early 2020s, switching from a brand featuring large, single-pot machines that cook more than 100 cups of rice per batch. The Town RiceMaster® is a close equivalent to this machine sold by KaTom. Wood Stone cookers, on the other hand, heat 60 cups of rice directly in third-size food pans.
How Do Chipotle Rice Cookers Work?
Commercial rice cookers heat raw rice using a cooking container nested inside a heated jacket, helping distribute heat evenly at optimized temperatures. Although many models are electric, Chipotle uses gas-powered cookers with high-BTU burners that support fast batch turnaround.
The Benefits of Commercial Rice Cookers
Restaurant rice cookers simplify cooking and require minimal supervision to produce consistent results. These units feature relatively small footprints while producing large volumes of rice in a short period.
Town Rice Cookers
The Town RiceMaster features simple operation with a pilot button, burner button, and bimetallic sensor designed to keep the pot at the correct cooking temperature. Its hold mode keeps rice service-ready for a short period after the cooking cycle is complete. Natural gas units can cook 110 cups of rice in 22 minutes, while LP models have a 27-minute cooking time.
Key Town RiceMaster features include:
- Even Cooking: The cast aluminum pot, stainless steel lid, and thick outer walls promote even heat across the cooking surface
- High Output: Holds 55 cups of uncooked rice to produce 110 cups of cooked rice
- Ease of Use: Steel drop handles enable staff to remove the cooking pot for washing rice, transferring cooked product, or cleaning the pot
Wood Stone Rice Cookers
Wood Stone's gas-fired rice cooker cooks rice and other grains in as many as three third-size 6-inch-deep food pans, which can yield 20 cups of cooked rice per pan. This cooker features an easy-read digital display and cooks white rice in 23 minutes and brown rice in 33 minutes.
Key Wood Stone rice cooker features include:
- Multiple Rice Settings: Programmed modes support white, brown, and other rice styles
- Digital Controls: Adjustable cooking time and temperature settings help operators refine results
- Durable Construction: The exterior and cooking zone are constructed of stainless steel
How Commercial Rice Cookers Can Improve Your Kitchen
Town rice cookers benefit kitchens needing high-volume rice production. They're simple to operate, and once a cooking cycle finishes, staff can easily remove the cooking pot to transfer product to a warmer. Because they're powered by gas, they heat up quickly but require 6 inches of clearance around the back and sides. With a 22-inch diameter, they fit comfortably on most countertops.
Wood Stone rice cookers produce less rice than Town models but offer the advantage of cooking multiple batches at once, enabling users to cook white and brown rice at the same time. Since rice is heated in food pans, staff can transfer finished product directly to serving stations and begin another batch with fresh pans. This process ensures the freshest product and reduces cooking pot cleaning time.
Most cooking equipment requires adequate ventilation. Depending on local codes and the installation, these rice cookers may need to be placed under Type 2 hoods.
Shop Rice Cookers at KaTom to Maintain Rice Production
From fast-casual operations to busy restaurants and cafeterias, rice cookers support a variety of kitchen styles. Whether you're looking for a large batch cooker or a smaller model with adjustable settings, shop KaTom to find a rice cooker that matches your operation.
