Rice Roasting Machine Using Infrared Ray

Roasted rice is the main raw material for cooking in Thailand, especially the northeastern part. The objectives of this study were to design and construct a roasting machine using infrared rays, and to evaluate the qualities of roasted rice. The stainless steel roasting chamber was designed as a rotatable drum with a diameter of 0.6 m and a length of 1 m. An infrared burner was mounted inside the chamber. The performance of the rice roasting machine was tested at infrared burner temperature of 750 - 800 C, and drum speed of 5-7 rpm. The results showed that the optimum roasting conditions of the machine were a drum speed of 6 rpm, infrared burner temperature of 800 C and roasting time of 40 minutes. With those conditions, roasted rice would have similar quality comparing to other roasted rice in the market.