Sous Vide devices?

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StraightForward
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Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:01 pm

Does anyone have one of these? A year or two my husband asked if I wanted one, but at the time it looked like a bread-machine sized thing that cost $400. Now there are little circulators that look to be the size of an immersion blender that just clip onto the side of your existing pot, and they're in the $100-200 range. Just the idea of sous vide soft/hard cooked eggs has me intrigued. I've heard raves about sous vide steak too. I've already got the vacuum sealer.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby KathyK » Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:23 pm


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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:33 pm

My slow cooker is digital so it wouldn't work. That hack was probably well worth it when the machines were more expensive, but now they can be had for $99.

I am liking the look of one of these, since they're so much smaller than a dedicated sous vide:
http://www.amazon.com/Gourmia-Digital-I ... de+machine
http://www.amazon.com/Anova-Culinary-Bl ... de+machine
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby galopp » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:36 pm

There are many listed here, to do both ways. Since it takes some time to cook sv...I would go for the cookers per se. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... zrj22tty_b

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby goldhorse » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:53 pm

My nephew cooked the Thanksgiving turkey with 2 sous vide immersion devices. One for the white meat and one for the dark meat. It was the moistest turkey that I've ever had and I've had many many of them :lol: Anyway, here's a food blog that I follow and their recommendations for sous vide devices. I would go with an immersion one.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/01/firs ... cipes.html

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:16 pm

Thanks! The possibilities with this are starting to multiply. Turkey was one of the things I thought of. Sous vide turkey breast and roasts for lunch meat, pasteurizing eggs for homemade mayo, perfectly cooked salmon etc. The set it and forget it aspect is what I'm really liking, and the idea of having vacuum packed stuff already seasoned and portioned in the freezer that I can just thaw and throw in the sous vide to cook while I run to the gym or the barn or whatever. Along with the Instant Pot, this would be cutting down on active kitchen time substantially.

If I get one it will definitely be an immersion type because I don't want to house another big appliance. The compactness of the immersion type that's available now is what got me seriously considering it.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby scruffy the cat » Sun Jan 10, 2016 9:33 pm

Where's Wicky? She has a sous vide set up.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Sun Jan 10, 2016 11:56 pm

Well, I guess delayed gratification is not my strong suit. Once I realized that Sur la Table sells the Sansair Sous Immersion Circulator, that there is a store 10 minutes from my house, and that I had a gift card from my MIL, it was all over. I'm currently making hard boiled eggs, which will be followed by steaks for dinner tonight.

It is easy to use, I will say that. And I checked the water temp with a digital thermometer and it is bang-on within a fraction of a degree F.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Wicky » Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:06 am

I have had one for years. I love it and if I were cooking more, I'd love it even more. I have one of the originals (Sous Vide Supreme) but there is now another one that is much prettier.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Mon Jan 11, 2016 1:31 am

What are some of your favorite uses for it, Wicky? Do you use a torch?

I'm pretty excited about it. I really hope its durable because I think it will be getting lots of use.

Just now I plopped some rib eyes in there and went to the gym. Can't wait to sear them off and dig in!
Last edited by StraightForward on Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Kelo » Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:56 am

My husband (the cook) got one for Christmas and looooves it.

It looks like a big fancy stick with controls on top. Hooks to a big tub. That is the extent of my knowledge, other than the steak he made the other day was exceptionally tender!

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Kyra's Mom » Mon Jan 11, 2016 4:19 am

For the (lazy) cooking illiterate...what is a Sous Vide?

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 am

Kyra's Mom wrote:For the (lazy) cooking illiterate...what is a Sous Vide?

Susan


Basically it cooks the food in a water bath held at a very specific temperature depending on what you're cooking. The gizmo I bought clips onto the side of the pot and has a pump to circulate the water. Eggs go straight in the water, but most foods, like the steaks we had for dinner, go into vacuum sealed bags with all the seasonings, and then into the water. I did the steaks at 135 and the eggs at 165, a bout an hour each. The garlic flavor really got into the steak, whereas on the grill any fresh garlic would just burn instantly and fall off. I'll do the eggs at 170 next time for hard boiled. The yolks were firm but the whites were just soft enough that I lost a fair bit when I peeled them. Looking forward to cooking salmon tomorrow. The nice thing about this cooking method is that the food can never go over the desired temp, so it's not very time-sensitive - like if you leave a steak in for 1 hour vs. 4 hours, there isn't a big difference in the results, which appeals to my lazy/busy/absentminded side. And since the food is in a sealed bag, it can't dry out. It's a whole new culinary frontier! :D

This particular unit is super easy to use. It has three buttons on top: Power, Time and Temp. Push the temp button, then turn the "ring" that's integrated into the body and the digital readout tells you the temp it's set at. Then it reverts to telling you the actual temp of the water so you can watch the temp rise. It operates almost silently.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Wicky » Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:37 pm

The pretty new one https://www.cookmellow.com/
The one I have https://www.sousvidesupreme.com/Default.aspx

Made great turkey in it. As said, cook dark meat separately from light meat. I actually made an entire Thanksgiving meal with it, just cooked it in advance and brought it all down to my mom's with the device, and heated everything up IN the Sous Vide, and it was all great. Salmon. Brussels sprouts (those required some pan time). Acorn squash. Meat, if you use a blow torch or a hot cast iron pan to sear the outside.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby quinta » Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:12 pm

We have this one:

http://polyscienceculinary.com/products/sous-vide-discovery

We mostly use it for eggs, fish, dried beans, and yoghurt. It is quiet, hits up relatively quickly, and the clamp is good and sturdy. No complaints.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Wed Jan 13, 2016 6:27 pm

Wicky wrote:The pretty new one https://www.cookmellow.com/
The one I have https://www.sousvidesupreme.com/Default.aspx

Made great turkey in it. As said, cook dark meat separately from light meat. I actually made an entire Thanksgiving meal with it, just cooked it in advance and brought it all down to my mom's with the device, and heated everything up IN the Sous Vide, and it was all great. Salmon. Brussels sprouts (those required some pan time). Acorn squash. Meat, if you use a blow torch or a hot cast iron pan to sear the outside.


Dang it, now I want to upgrade already!

Quinta, how do you do dried beans, and are they better than by some other method?

I've got a pork loin going in there today, and then I'm going to cook some beets when I get home.

Need to buy a torch.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby quinta » Wed Jan 13, 2016 8:38 pm

StraightForward wrote:Quinta, how do you do dried beans, and are they better than by some other method?


Time and temp here : https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-navy-beans.

I put the beans in a mason jar with lid rather than the bag, and add onion, garlic and hot pepper to the jar. They come out really tender. Takes longer than the pressure cooker, but I think you get better flavour.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby viscountessleftfield » Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:24 am

Can you smell the food cooking?

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:47 am

viscountessleftfield wrote:Can you smell the food cooking?


Mostly, no because it's in a vacuum seal bag. Tonight I came home and covered a turkey breast I'd thawed out with pesto and used the Ziploc bag it was in instead of a vacuum bag, and the house did smell like pesto when I got home from the stable.

And OMG, it was ultra-moist, tender turkey breast. This will be an awesome way to cook some meat to have on hand for salads, lunches etc. Between this and my Instant Pot, the rest of my kitchen equipment is feeling neglected...
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby viscountessleftfield » Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:01 am

I'm pregnant and have horrible food aversions, the smell of food makes me so sick I haven't cooked anything other than frozen waffles in weeks.

This might be a solution for us, if I don't smell it cooking I can usually eat a bit of food.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby KathyK » Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:27 pm

viscountessleftfield wrote:I'm pregnant. . ."

Um, did we know this? Either way, congratulations!

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby viscountessleftfield » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:40 pm

KathyK wrote:
viscountessleftfield wrote:I'm pregnant. . ."

Um, did we know this? Either way, congratulations!


I need to make an announcement thread. I haven't advertised it, but it's not a secret.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby WheresMyWhite » Sat Jan 16, 2016 2:52 pm

KathyK, I think VLF mentioned it in the photography thread so some probably knew while others didn't :)

How you feeling VLF?

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby viscountessleftfield » Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:16 am

WheresMyWhite wrote:KathyK, I think VLF mentioned it in the photography thread so some probably knew while others didn't :)

How you feeling VLF?


Still really sick, but it's not really expected to get any better before I have the baby. Just hanging in there with lots of nausea medications.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Sun Jan 17, 2016 3:58 pm

viscountessleftfield wrote:I'm pregnant and have horrible food aversions, the smell of food makes me so sick I haven't cooked anything other than frozen waffles in weeks.

This might be a solution for us, if I don't smell it cooking I can usually eat a bit of food.


Congratulations! That seems like a great occasion to buy one. :D I'm also thinking that it would make life with a baby easier since the cooking times aren't very sensitive and it doesn't need tending. Have also read that people use it to warm bottles because it will bring them to a perfect 98.6.

I'll have to try another type of bean, but I tried black beans yesterday and after 4-5 hours they still weren't done. Maybe they are just too old and over-dried, but I think I'll stick to the pressure cooker for beans. Also, quite a bit of evaporation occurred, so it wouldn't do to leave them cooking all day at that high of a temp (I set them at 180, then increased to 190 since they weren't cooking much). Might experiment with lentils though; it seems like the tiny beluga lentils might benefit from very gentle cooking.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Canyon » Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:12 pm

I am reviving this thread to see if people have updates on their sous vide devices. I am interested in the immersion circulator/wand style, preferably one that can be operated without an app.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Baroque » Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:27 pm

We got one for hubby for Xmas and it's fantastic. It clips to the side of a pan and the results from it so far have been fantastic. Just use ziplock bags or if you have a heatsealer you can make your own ones. It cooks steaks perfectly, we've done pork fillets, chicken and lamb in it so far, the main benefit is that you can put the meat on and just go off and do something else knowing that the end result will be perfect.

My son made a perfect butter chicken for himself a couple of days ago, just put all the ingredients in the heat sealer /vacuum packer bag and it was lovely.

The type of meat is what determines the temperature required and the cooking time can vary depending on how long you decide to leave it. It will still come out perfect when seared off in the pan after its water bath!

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby heddylamar » Wed Jan 16, 2019 10:03 pm

My husband bought one of the original Instant Pot branded ones (no bluetooth, etc) several years ago when it was on sale for a lot less than the current price. He uses it for salmon (then sears it on the stove), and I use it for soft boiled eggs.

We should branch out more :lol: Okay, I should find more vegetarian uses for it, because salmon and sausages are the extent of his meat cooking. Even if I never use it for anything but perfect wiggly eggs, it was well worth the price IMO.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:47 am

Well, I started having some issues with the Sansaire I had in this original thread. Sometimes it would just turn off on long cooks, risking ruining large roasts. So I upgraded to a Joule with the Chef Steps subscription and I love it. It is run by an app, which can be annoying when you just want to set a specific temp. It is handy when you don't remember your temps though, and it will lead you through choosing a time and temp.

I love that the Joule is very slim and sleek. I just wrap the cord around and store it in a utensil drawer. When I want to cook a few eggs, I put it in my electric kettle with the lid off, so I can quickly heat up a small amount of water (for firm whites and runny yolks, I do 185F. 8 minutes for room temp eggs and 9 for refrigerated eggs).

Aside from cooking, I have used my immersion circulators to thaw frozen things, speed heating large quantities of water and make cheese.
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby heddylamar » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:06 am

The IP sous vide is a bit chunky, but it stores well in a canister in a lower cabinet.

I hear sous vide great for reheating things like mashed potatoes, risotto, soups, and delicate sauces. We rarely have leftovers, so that doesn't get any play here.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Koolkat » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:22 am

Can you reuse the plastic bags?

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby heddylamar » Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:09 am

Koolkat wrote:Can you reuse the plastic bags?


My husband uses regular Ziploc freezer bags, which are reusable. Vacuum bags are a bit more delicate, but they seem to be reusable if the first round item is soft or squishy.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby blob » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:31 pm

I have one and use it almost exclusively for meat that I would otherwise roast, broil, seared, grill. I cook to the right temperature and then finish quickly on the stove/broiler to get a good sear or crispy skin, depending on what it is.

It makes the biggest difference in red meat for me, where I like my meat a particular temperature. This saves me from overcooking anything.

I know a lot of people use it even for braised meats, but I don't find that especially useful or easier.

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby StraightForward » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:09 pm

Koolkat wrote:Can you reuse the plastic bags?


I don't like to use Ziplocs except for low-temp cooks. Food-Saver bags seem to hold up better to >150F. Because the part of the bag that is sealed in a vacuum bag needs to be cut off, it would get smaller with each use.

There are silicone zip bags made for this purpose, and they should hold up to washing, and high temps better. However, if there are air pockets in your bag, the food will usually need to be weighted to ensure that it stays underwater, so I stick with the vacuum bags (and also because a lot of what I cook is already frozen in vacuum bags).
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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Canyon » Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:51 pm

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I'm pretty sure we are going to buy one, just looking for recommendations on specific brands.

@Baroque and @blob - what brands did you buy?

And another question, does anyone use silicone bags? They are reusable and are dishwasher safe, which appeals to squeamish me. Example: Stasher bags Their large size is 10"; maybe it's too small to be useful. But, there are other brands of silicone bags available.

Edit - I see that StraightForward mentions silicone bags, I should read more carefully :evil: ...Anyone else tried them?

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby blob » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:38 pm

Anova, but admittedly I don't know how cost friendly it is, it was a present. But I do really like it and find it easy to use!

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Re: Sous Vide devices?

Postby Hayburner » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:03 pm

THanks for reviving this thread.

I've never heard of this type of machine/method of cooking.


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