Do you want to cook food to perfection? It is now possible to produce tender, tasty, juicy meat and vegetable dishes at home with a sous vide precision cooker. Continue reading to learn more about popular sous vide cooking machines for your kitchen at home.

Sous what?

Sous vide (pronounced sue-veed) is French for “under vacuum” which explains part of the cooking process. The food is placed inside a plastic bag, which is then vacuum sealed. However, that is just the start of this unique cooking technique.

The vacuum sealed bag is then placed in a pot or container filled with water. The sous vide precision cooker of your choice is then attached to the container, with the cooking element inside the water. Set the desired time and temperature for cooking the food in the bag.

This cooking technique produces a perfectly cooked piece of food that is juicy, tender and delicious. Nevertheless, you may remove the cooked food from the bag and sear or grill it for a crispier and darker appearance.

The sous vide cooking method is mostly used for cooking meat such as steak and pork or fish such as salmon. Nevertheless, you can also cook the perfect poached egg with this cooking method. Just remember that you have to plan ahead and be patient because it might take a few hours to complete the cooking process. Still, you will never burn the food.

Sous Vide Cooking Equipment

You need a few basic gadgets to get going with sous vide cooking in your kitchen.

First, you need the right plastic bags that are safe for food and 100% BPA-free. You may use resealable Ziploc freezer bags. You can also use a vacuum sealer machine and vacuum seal bags for the best “under vacuum” results. Glass canning jars are sometimes used for cooking beans, pudding or custard.

You might also use the water submersion method if you do not have a vacuum sealer available. Slowly insert the open plastic bag with the food into the water. The water pressure will gently force the air out through the opened top of the bag. Seal the top of the bag before submerging it completely in the water. Clamp the bag to the side of the pot. This might not be the best method, but it is still possible to seal the food in the bag with this low-cost way.

Next, you need a container with a special lid for the water. You might also use sous vide water balls, which are made from BPA-free plastic instead of a special lid. The water balls cover the water surface to reduce heat loss and evaporation.

The last item you need is a sous vide precision cooker. There are two sous vide cooking machine types to choose from: either immersion circulator or water oven.

Sous Vide Machines

The immersion circulator is the smallest sous vide cooking gadget. However, it does not include the water bath. Instead, the immersion circulator is clamped onto the side of the container with the heating element/circulator immersed in the water. The sous vide immersion circulator both heats and circulates the water for the most consistent cooking results.

The water oven is a countertop appliance that provides everything you need for sous vide cooking. It is basically a water container with controls and heating elements. You do not need to buy extra containers or lids because it already has these things. It is not as portable as an immersion circulator, and it also costs more money.

It has been suggested that the Ultra setting of the Instant Pot Ultra electric pressure cooker might be used for sous vide cooking. You can adjust the temperature with the Ultra setting. However, using an electric pressure cooker for sous vide cooking is not an option for the critical cook.

I think the time has arrived to actually review a few of these sous vide cooking machines.

Affordable Immersion Circulator

The affordable sous vide machine from Kitchen Gizmo seems simple to operate, and its display seems easy to read. It looks like a well-made product, but it costs less than more popular models. However, it has neither Bluetooth nor Wi-Fi capabilities. Still, you do not need an app to cook the sous vide way. Just use the manual controls of the kitchen gadget to set the desired cooking time and temperature.

The Kitchen Gizmo immersion circulator clamps onto most containers or pots without a problem. It heats up quickly, and it circulates the water efficiently. The temperature is quite accurate. There is also a timer function which shuts off the cooker automatically.

The Kitchen Gizmo immersion circulator provides good value at an affordable price. You can get this if you are curious about sous vide cooking, but do not want to spend too much money on an expensive machine.

Sous Vide Cooker With Wi-Fi Bluetooth App

The Anova Culinary sous vide cooker provides precise temperature and timing for cooking steak to superior color and taste. There really is no better way to cook a steak to tender perfection. Take it out of the bag and sear it in a pan for a delicious brown crust. Serve and enjoy!

This 900-watt Anova precision cooker is rather expensive due to its Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and smartphone app capabilities. However, some people report problems with setting up a Wi-Fi connection at home. Still, the Bluetooth connection and app seem to work well. The previous 800-watt Anova precision cooker was cheaper, but it was not Wi-Fi enabled.

You can control the Anova precision cooker from its control panel without using your phone at all. We are not convinced that paying extra for Wi-Fi connectivity is necessary. It might just be too much trouble to keep the Wi-Fi connection updated and working. Most people seem to prefer using either the manual controls or the Bluetooth connection.

Sous Vide Machine with Smartphone App

The Breville Joule CS10001 sous vide machine is entirely controlled with a smartphone app. It has neither manual controls nor display screen. This might be its biggest drawback, since you have no way of controlling the precision cooker without a smartphone. This is only a problem if the smartphone loses its connection to the Joule sous vide cooker. You have no way of keeping track of the temperature and time when this happens since there is no display screen on the cooker itself. Still, the Joule seems to continue cooking even if there is no connection to the app.

It seems that recent software updates have increased the reliability of the app. It is also now compatible with Amazon Alexa and Facebook Messenger. The Joule is both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled and compatible with iOS, Android and Fire OS.

The Breville Joule is probably one of the smallest sous vide machines on the market because it does not have a control panel with buttons or display. It can only be controlled with the app.

Sous Vide Water Oven

A water oven is bigger and more expensive than an immersion circulator. However, a water oven can cook more pieces of food, and you do not have to buy extra lids or water balls. Nonetheless, you need a vacuum sealing system for properly sealing the food. You cannot clip the bag to the side of the pot. The bag will be submerged below the water and needs to be airtight as well as watertight. Trapped air causes the bag to float, which means the top part of the food might not cook as completely as the bottom part.

This Sous Vide Supreme SVS10LS water oven can hold up to 11 liters of water. It has a stainless steel interior and exterior finish. The lid is removable, and a wire rack is included. There is a control panel with buttons and a digital LED display.

The Sous Vide Supreme water oven is a somewhat expensive appliance. Its large size and lack of water circulation might be drawbacks. You might see why an immersion circulator is more compact and affordable to buy and use.

Conclusion

Get the Kitchen Gizmo immersion circulator if you are still new to this cooking method. You will save some money, and you won’t have to bother connecting your smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Nevertheless, if you like the idea of controlling a sous vide machine with a smartphone app, then buy the Breville Joule. It seems they have the best app. Just remember that it does not have a control panel or display screen on the machine.

The Sous Vide Supreme water oven is expensive and only recommended for the serious home cook. It provides more cooking space at a higher price tag. Therefore, you can cook more food items for your family or for a party.

Photo by Alex Munsell on Unsplash.