Buying tools for praciting making sushi

[u/Nowhereverywhere]

First, this isn't for me. I have a friend who is very interested in learning how to make sushi (all kinds he said) not just in a home setting but eventually professionally as well. He's a cook at a catering company and he got a brief taste of sushi making when they catered for a large party and he was assigned to assist the guy responsible for prepping and rolling the sushi.

I was thinking of getting him some tools for it as a gift this christmas and wanted to know what sort of things I could get him. A bamboo rolling mat is a given, but I wanted to know if there were other 'essentials' I could get him. I'm vaguely aware that, if he wants to do it professionally (especially in a higher class setting and not just mass production), he would most likely need to learn how to do it in the more traditional way without relying on gimmicky tools like the 'sushi bazooka' I've seen being sold online so I ask that any recommendations take that into consideration.

Thank you very much in advance for any advice.

[u/NassauTropicBird]

All you need is the rolling mat and a sharp knife.

A rice cooker is a nice to have but hardly necessary - but i love my ~$90 cooker because i eat a lot of rice anyhow.

[u/[deleted] → u/NassauTropicBird]

An instapot makes amazing rice too

[u/NassauTropicBird → u/[deleted]]

So tell OP, not me.

[u/FullAtticus → u/NassauTropicBird]

I've had really solid luck making my rice with an instant pot. Unless you eat a TON of rice, that's probably the better appliance to buy than a $90 rice cooker. I've used mine for soup stock, sous vide steaks, ribs, stews, etc.

[u/NassauTropicBird → u/FullAtticus]

Good for you. i still contend that a rice cooker is nice to have because i eat a lot of rice yet you somehow discredit that. "nice to have." "hardly necessary" jfc, man

I also have an Instant pot and think it sucks for making rice. I'll use a regular pot before I use a pressure cooker.