# Pressure Steaming Sushi Rice



## SilverSwarfer (May 29, 2019)

Anybody working with high pressure to steam sushi rice? Is there an appliance or a system used in Japanese restaurants to create a high pressure steaming environment for rice?

I have always used conventional gas cookers in restaurants. 55 cup Rinnai/Rice Master is the standard I have seen. Recently I have been limited to electric units and they are simply inferior. I am looking for an even better (if possible) solution than the standard huge gas cooker. I understand there may be another, possibly better method.

Small batches would not be a problem in my case. I seem to remember seeing arrangements with bamboo Edobitsu looking containers, stacked and layered with wet towels (to seal) and weight (to increase pressure). Anyone familiar with such a setup?


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## ojisan (May 29, 2019)

I've never seen bamboo stuff for rice steaming besides steamers for mochi rice. For mochi, you actually "steam" rice, so bamboo steamers (seiro) have been traditionally used. For sushi rice, as you know, you "boil" rice grains, so I don't think bamboo can do something here.

I did some research on rice steaming when I moved to the US and now use a Staub cocotte at home on the electric (not IH) range. The result is not bad (I think it's better than at least mid-range rice cookers), but I don't think it works at a commercial kitchen (5 cups maximum. maybe 10 cups with larger cocotte?). I also tried a donabe, but it didn't work well at all on the flat electric heater.

I guess they use IH cookers from Zojirushi or something similar at commercial electric-only environments in Japan.


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