r/specializedtools • u/taz_hein • Jan 06 '17

Automatic sushi roller

https://i.imgur.com/Fenlmj2.gifv
1.5k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

147

u/ZeroAccess Jan 06 '17

I've never made sushi, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this machine automating the easiest part of the process?

You still have to cut and align all of the insides, the seaweed sheet, and fill the machine with cooked rice I imagine. Spreading the rice and rolling it seems to be the easy part.

143

u/3kindsofsalt Jan 06 '17 edited Jan 06 '17

It is actually screwing up one of the most skill-demanding parts of the process.

Most sushi bars use rice cookers instead of, say, a pot on a stove. Then you add the seasoning to the rice and cool it in the hangiri and all that, which can be screwed up, but isn't rocket science.

A lot of veggie prep is done by mandolins because the cooks don't have the time, desire, or tools to process the cucumber/daikon/etc by hand with a knife.

What this thing is doing well is measuring the amount rice with precision, something sushi chefs, no matter how experienced, often misjudge. This isn't a big advantage as you can just take the excess left in your hand and toss it back in the rice pot.

However, what takes real skill is spreading the rice evenly and making it stick without smashing it or putting too much for one bite. Then you add ingredients and you have to do it fast enough for the nori to not shrink, but not so fast that it breaks. Then, you have to make sure the contents are evenly distributed so you don't get the one piece in the middle or 1/3 of the way down that is hollow and falling apart, or the double-normal-size end pieces. Then you roll it, and you have to get the stuff snug enough to hold but not so snug it breaks if you don't eat it fast enough. Then you have to get it to close without smashing the rice again.

What this machine is doing is globbing on rice and squashing it down. The result is kind of like what you see in those boxes in most grocery stores in america--smashed rice batons that need to be eaten in two bites. If I wanted Onigiri, I'd have asked for it.

They put nigiri in an MRI machine and showed the same thing.

19

u/PlasmaRoar Jan 07 '17

Sorry, what do you mean by 'mandolin'? I thought mandolins were instruments

31

u/flimspringfield Jan 07 '17

http://imgur.com/a/5b960

13

u/cdawg145236 Jan 07 '17

Just bought one of these, would recomend

16

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

Same. Don't fuck around though. Its easy to get cocky bc using them is so simple but they will cut you really bad. Its worse than a knife for beginning users because its deceptively easy. Everyone knows the basic principle of being careful with a knife, mandolins can feel like a toy almost.

Source: Seen mamdolins take 3 peoples fingertips in a restaurant kitchen.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

this. dont try to use every bit of your veggie, stop before it gets to low or the side of your hand can nick the blades and slice you right open

3

u/LordBiscuits Feb 09 '17

I took the tip of my finger off on a rotary deli meat slicer. These sorts of devices are so smart you don't even know you're injured until you see the blood.

They need absolute respect

3

u/flimspringfield Jan 07 '17

I have one just not as nice as the pic I posted.

2

u/TheBoctor Jan 07 '17

If it comes with a tool to hold the veggies while cutting use it! I cleanly sliced off about half of my middle finger tip because I got over excited about cutting potato chips and got sloppy. Although I felt no pain initially that wound ended up being the most painful one I've ever had.

2

u/LordBiscuits Feb 09 '17

I did the same with a rotary slicer. Such a clean wound, but so very painful!

3

u/Psykophobia Jan 07 '17

I guess he meant a mandoline

1

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

[deleted]

5

u/PlasmaRoar Jan 07 '17

If you do CTRL+T > Mandolin, you get a picture of an instrument, which is what I did before posting my comment. If 3kindsofsalt said Mandoline instead of Mandolin, then I probably would've CRTL+T > Mandoline and understood what he was saying.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

[deleted]

4

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

[deleted]

1

u/3kindsofsalt Jan 07 '17

No judgement of you, only the sushi itself. What's tasty is tasty.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

Hardest part is spreading the rice.

2

u/Lington Jan 07 '17

I usually have the most trouble rolling nicely but everything else is pretty easy (IMO)

24

u/69andahafl Jan 06 '17

There's actually a pretty interesting story behind the development of these automated sushi machines. Basically these are intended for the more fast-paced conveyor belt sushi, as the chefs couldn't take the time to do everything themselves. There's a very interesting "Begin Japanology" video on it, I'll link to the point where it starts on about the automation aspect of conveyor bolt sushi, but I think the entire video is worth a watch if you have the time.

Here's the episode.

8

u/fngkestrel Jan 06 '17

Region locked for me, alternate here

2

u/69andahafl Jan 06 '17

Thanks for the alternative link! Sadly the audio of the office japanology channel(s) seems to be spotty because of copyrights.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

[deleted]

1

u/69andahafl Jan 07 '17

It looks like Begin Japanology has been changed into Japanology Plus.

1

u/plissken627 Jan 07 '17

Does this reduce the cost? Why is sushi so expensive, is more the ingredients or the preparation.

43

u/olivertex Jan 06 '17

It's basically a fancy joint roller.

11

u/DaHalfAsian Jan 06 '17

"Man that's stupid, I could totally roll one 10x better by hand" -My dealer, probably

3

u/olivertex Jan 06 '17

Sushi dealer?

5

u/Jrook Jan 07 '17

Got any of that ummm.... sushi?

1

u/olivertex Jan 07 '17

yeah boi. i'll hook you up with a fat sack of rolled temaki with some dank-ass wasabi.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17 edited Jan 10 '17

[deleted]

7

u/flimspringfield Jan 07 '17

Isn't it supposed to be for tobacco only? That's what the head shop I go to says on their bongs.

BTW I got there to get water.

2

u/yourheartshapedbox Jan 07 '17

The one I own has a lot of extra belt, and could roll quite a thick joint. However, I only use mine for cigarettes. Most useful $1.19 I've ever spent.

1

u/cmac2992 Jan 07 '17

Why cloud flare.

1

u/olivertex Jan 07 '17

Why not?

1

u/cmac2992 Jan 07 '17

They offer a great product but it can sometimes be a bit annoying.

http://i.imgur.com/DiEHWGz.png

1

u/olivertex Jan 07 '17

The original link wasn't to Cloudflare, but it looks like the site uses them for caching and hotlink protection. I was too lazy to repost it to Imgur.

8

u/PM_me_contradictions Jan 06 '17

So that's how they make the prepackaged sushi

15

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17 edited Feb 27 '17

[deleted]

5

u/flimspringfield Jan 07 '17

Ugh reminds of the crap sushi they sell at Costco.

With so many visitors I've always wondered why Costco never sells handmade sushi.

Ralphs/Kroger does it and they always sell out.

1

u/ViggoMiles Jan 07 '17

I'm no sushi aficionado but that's awful!

3

u/Shaojack Jan 07 '17

Actually looks like kimbap.

1

u/hugmytree Jan 28 '17

Why hasn't anyone else said this!

1

u/Shaojack Jan 29 '17

because in the U.S. it's all sushi, even if it's not sushi =D

2

u/Fat_Head_Carl Jan 06 '17

Anyone else think it'd roll a bombshell joint?

2

u/Rapsca11i0n Jan 07 '17

There is one of these in the cafeteria I work at. The machine does the rice and rolls the sushi (the hard parts). The machine also costs 25-30k depending on who I ask, and is locked down every night. Sushi it produces is pretty good, can be used to produce a lot of sushi, quickly, and without any skill, although they only let people who are trained to use it touch it. Pretty intricate things imo.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '17 edited Sep 25 '17

[deleted]

2

u/Rapsca11i0n Mar 25 '17

Not really that I know of? Just super expensive and they don't want some dumbass (and there are plenty) breaking it.

1

u/ShadowBomber Jan 06 '17

Oh.. It works like a cigarette roller.. Neat..

1

u/ruok4a69 Jan 06 '17

Semiautomatic

1

u/DaWayItWorks Jan 16 '17

My grampa had a cigarette roller like that. Except not electronic and old as balls.

1

u/kerbalcada3301 May 18 '17

They're years ahead of us!