PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and surely evaluate a moisture state of rice to be immersed to water, and preferably control texture of rice after being cooked.SOLUTION: The rice to be cooked which is disposed in a state of being immersed to water, is optically monitored, for measuring moisture content-related information which relates to a moisture content of the rice to be cooked, chronologically, then, a saturation state of the moisture content of the rice to be cooked which is estimated based on the moisture content-related information is detected, for determining that the rice to be cooked is in a moisture state suitable for rice cooking.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】水に浸漬される米の含水状態を簡便的確に評価することができ、炊飯後の米飯の食感を好適に制御するための一助となり得る技術を提供すること。【解決手段】水に浸漬した状態に配置された炊飯対象米を光学的に監視して、炊飯対象米の含水率に関連する含水率関連情報を経時的に測定し、前記含水率関連情報から推定される炊飯対象米の含水率の飽和状態を検知して、炊飯対象米が炊飯に適した含水状態であると判定する。【選択図】図1
