How to cook rice outside commercially?

Is there a better alternative to a propane rice cooker for cooking rice outside e.g farmers market, street food environment?

I have found very little options for actual machines in the united states, the only options being a 55cup units with no smaller sizes.

Of the few options for propane rice cookers most are overseas (china) and only available in bulk i.e purchasing over 50 units.

Best Answer

In Thailand I've often seen outdoor cookpots like the one below. Googling the term Thai charcoal burner will return the bottom part of the device pictured. It's filled it with charcoal and acts like a stove.

The middle and top parts are used when cooking sticky rice. The middle part is a thin metal pot that holds at least a few liters of water. The top part is a bamboo basket which holds the rice. When the water in the pot starts to boil, the rice is steamed. While steaming they typically cover the rice with a lid. Sticky rice is normally pre-soaked but I'm not sure if that's necessary for other types of rice.

Wikipedia provides this picture by Feral Arts under CC-BY 2.0:

I'm not sure if this works with regular rice, but I don't see why it wouldn't. From what I've seen, Thais mostly use electric rice cookers when cooking jasmine rice.

Of course this setup can be adapted to your situation. Bamboo steamer baskets and corresponding pots are probably available at local Asian stores and the steaming can be achieved by any kind of heat source.

The only thing to be mindful of is that the bottom of the bamboo basket does not touch the boiling water because you want it to steam.

Pictures about "How to cook rice outside commercially?"

How to cook rice outside commercially? - Positive ethnic cook in apron standing at counter in food truck and giving delicious hamburger to anonymous woman customer in daytime

How to cook rice outside commercially? - Rice on Bowl, Sliced-egg, Corn, and Vegetable on Table

How to cook rice outside commercially? - Dish With Rice on Plate

How do I cook rice outside?

You can leave your rice in the rice cooker while you are transporting it. By wrapping it in a cloth or in tin foil, you will be able to keep the heat in the rice cooker for longer.

How do restaurants cook rice?

A restaurant that serves a lot of rice probably uses a large crock-pot or slow cooker to keep the rice warm until it's ready to be served.

Perfectly Cooked Camp Rice | easy and simple |

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Kampus Production, Cats Coming, Göran Svensson