Sous Vide machine

7 Advantages of sous vide

If you are unsure whether to buy a sous vide, here are 6 good reasons why a sous vide is smart.

#1 Precise cooking

With a sous vide, you can very easily prepare your ingredients and achieve exactly the right and stable temperatures for a more consistent and even cooking.

#2 Tender and flavorful

It is very easy to ensure tender meat with a sous vide, and not only that, the good flavor in the meat is retained, so you get both tender and flavorful food.

#3 Higher nutrient content

When you cook sous vide, you do not lose as many nutrients from the food as you do if, for example, you boil or fry it.

#4 Self-sufficient

You don’t have to do much work when it comes to sous vide, as it can just sit and take care of itself once you turn it on and set your timer.

#5 Easy operation

Most sous vides are easy to operate, and with timers and preset programs, your sous vide can quickly get started and take care of itself.

#6 The meat does not need to be thawed

You do not need to thaw your meat before cooking it; you can simply calculate a little extra cooking time, and the sous vide will gently thaw the meat.

#7 No fats required

It is not necessary to use any fats or oils to prepare the food, so you can save a few calories.

Sous vide - Get tender meat every time

There are mainly 2 types of sous vides, one is a type of container or pot, and the other is typically a stick or has another shape, which should be placed into a container or pot.

These sous vide machines have become immensely popular because they can help you prepare meat to ensure it's tender every time.

The meat becomes tender by being cooked for a long time and at low temperatures.

Sous vide gives you a very high temperature accuracy, where it is easy to maintain the same temperature with very few and small fluctuations throughout the cooking process.

This way, you get easy and delicious food, which for most of the process just takes care of itself.

Sous vide with built-in timer

Sous vide machines and sticks have a built-in timer, making it easy to set the sous vide and let your food take care of itself until the timer is done.

When the timer runs out, your sous vide turns itself off, so you do not have to be present to turn it off.

Most timers can be set to a time that corresponds to several days, so your sous vide can therefore take care of itself for up to several days.

4 smart sous vides

#1 Slow cooker with sous vide

There are sous vide machines that function as a hybrid between sous vide and slow cookers.

A slow cooker, like sous vide, cooks food at lower temperatures and therefore takes longer to prepare but is typically also easy to operate and takes care of itself.

This means that you can have two machines in one, thus allowing you to choose whether you want to cook using the sous vide method or simply make a stew.

#2 Sous vide and vacuum set

Some sous vide sticks are sold as a set along with a vacuum machine to make it even easier for you to get started with using your sous vide.

Of course, you can also buy them separately if you wish to vacuum pack your ingredients for sous vide cooking.

A vacuum pack keeps your ingredients dry and away from water, so the food does not get directly boiled.

#3 Sous vide stick with vacuum

Some sous vide sticks are so smart that they have a vacuum function.

The sous vide stick can thus both cook the food and prepare it by vacuum sealing the bags where the food is placed.

This way, you do not need a vacuum machine and instead have everything combined in one machine, so you can save some space in your kitchen.

#4 Sous vide with App

If your sous vide has a corresponding app, there is a lot of help to be found when it comes to cooking different ingredients.

In the app, you can select the food you would like to prepare, and the app will either give you the recommended cooking time or also start the cooking for you and set the timer.

Ideas for what you can prepare with sous vide

There is a wide range of dishes and ingredients that you can prepare with sous vide, with meat being at the top of the list as it becomes very tender in a sous vide.

This can include different cuts of beef, pork, lamb, game, and chicken.

Additionally, you can also use the sous vide to prepare fish, eggs, and vegetables.

You can also prepare entire dishes, such as different desserts like crème brûlée, cheesecake, “baked” fruits, porridge, etc.

Sous vide stick vs. sous vide machine

Whether you should choose a sous vide stick or a sous vide container depends on your own preferences and needs.

Sous vide sticks are often cheaper than a container with sous vide, but you also need to ensure that you have a large pot or box in which you can use the sous vide stick.

On the other hand, a sous vide container takes up more space than a sous vide stick, where you may still have a large pot to use with the stick.

Some sous vide machines have a form of holders for your food, so you can easily make several dishes with your sous vide at once, without them lying too closely to one another.

There needs to be space for the water to circulate around your ingredients to cook them properly.

Therefore, sous vide machines may be better suited if you need to prepare several things at once, but it is also doable with a sous vide stick if you have a large enough container.

Typically, sous vide sticks and sous vide machines have many of the same functions, so where the difference lies is in the size and capacity of the sous vides.

Capacity

There are both a maximum and minimum limit on how much water you need to use when you are making sous vide, regardless of whether it is a machine or stick you are using.

The minimum amount is because your ingredients that you want to prepare need to be covered by water to cook as better as possible and so the sous vide has some water to work with.

When it comes to the maximum amount, it depends on your sous vide's capacity.

This means that if you use too much water, the sous vide will not have the power to circulate and heat the water properly.

Accessories for sous vide that you should consider

If you want the best sous vide accessories, here is a short list of items you might consider as accessories for your sous vide.

• Reusable bags
• Containers
• Gas burner

If you want to be environmentally conscious and save money in the long run, instead of regular disposable vacuum bags, you can choose reusable bags.

The bags often come with a small vacuum pump, so you do not need to use a large vacuum machine to seal the bags.

You save money since you do not have to use new vacuum bags or rolls every time you cook with your sous vide.

If you are using a sous vide stick, it may be a good idea to consider a container for preparing your food using sous vide techniques.

As a “container,” you can use pots, styrofoam boxes, or you can also choose to buy containers specifically made for sous vide.

The latter type of container is typically made of plastic and has a special opening in the box so you can insert your sous vide stick into the container while still having a closed lid.

This way, you avoid getting too much air into the container, so your ingredients are cooked much better under the right pressure.

However, be mindful of whether your sous vide stick fits the lid's opening, as there are differences in the sizes of sous vide sticks.

A container allows you to make larger portions and, for example, cook larger pieces of meat such as pork roast, beef roast, or other larger cuts.

You can get containers in many different sizes, so no matter how large quantities of food you need to make, there is almost certainly a container to meet your needs.

Be mindful that your sous vide should have enough capacity to heat adequate liters of water to warm such large containers.

You may also consider if you need a gas burner to give your meat or vegetables a crisp surface.

When cooking meat, vegetables, or other items with sous vide, you often lightly sear the meat or use a burner to create a bit of crust.

The burner can also be used if you are making desserts such as crème brûlée, to caramelize sugar on the surface to create the caramelized crust.

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