On 12/16/2012 1:25 PM, gtr wrote:
> On 2012-12-16 22:49:48 +0000, dsi1 said:
>
>> I've been thinking about a gizmo that washes rice automatically.
>> Essentially, an upright tube made of plexiglass that you put the rice
>> into. Water and air in the form of fine bubbles are injected at the
>> bottom of the tube.
>
> A cold water jacuzzi for rice kernals.
>
>> The bubbles attach themselves to any debris and fine particles and
>> carry them to the open top where it overflows out.
>
> But how does an air bubble attach itself to debris? Why wouldn't it
> consider rice as debris? I'm not sure what thrasing the rice with your
> hand is any less inclined to shake debris loose and if passed through a
> collander would drain it away.

It has something to do with the increased surface area and surface
tension - I don't know exactly how it works but this does happen when
you shoot air and water through rice. The rice grains are too dense to
be carried away by the bubbles.

>
>> The bubbles also create a positive water flow in one direction i.e.,
>> debris and fine particles do not get redeposited back onto the rice as
>> in conventional rice washing. My guess is that the cleaning action of
>> the air bubbles and the positive water flow would allow you to clean
>> the rice in half the time using the same or less amount of water.
>>
>> Of course, most people wouldn't want something like this, unless they
>> wash rice several times a day. Restaurants might like such a device.
>
> But sadly they have less objections about micro impurities in such as
> rice than the actual consumer does.
>

Let's face it, it's a shitty job. It was a chore that the sushi
apprentice had to do for years until he moved up in skill and rank. In
this age of robo-sushi, I doubt that this is still true.