Do you have a Sous Vide?

Do you own a sous vide machine

  • Yes - water bath type.

    Votes: 2 6.7%

  • Yes - immersion wand type.

    Votes: 14 46.7%

  • No - why would I want one?

    Votes: 10 33.3%

  • I'm considering it.

    Votes: 3 10.0%

  • I'm not sure what they do.

    Votes: 2 6.7%
  • Total voters
    30
I love my sous vide, it’s been a great tool in the kitchen and lets me experiment in different ways. I currently use this one made my Breville (Sage) and its been really good. A couple samples below I’ve used it to make.

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I love using the sous vide method for chicken breast. Absolutely perfect texture every single time.
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I’ve used it to make desserts as well. This was a Banana pudding with whipped cream and a brown sugar and butter crumble.
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I bought an instant pot with a sous vide function and have used it once.
I thought it was a great asset but the first thing I cooked in it was steak. Perhaps the steak was already too good a quality because after sous viding it, it was weirdly so soft it was very unappealing.

I should probably give it another go. I hear veggies in it are superb 🤷‍♀️
 
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SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I bought an instant pot with a slow cooker function and have used it once.
I thought it was a great asset but the first thing I cooked in it was streak. Perhaps the steak was already too good a quality because after sous viding it, it was weirdly so soft it was very unappealing.

I should probably give it another go. I hear veggies in it are superb 🤷‍♀️
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My problem with pressure cookers is that they are absolute convenience in terms of cooking speed. If you need a pot roast in 30 minutes then a pressure cooker is the answer. But there is always a tradeoff and unfortunately that is the end result. You cannot achieve the same depth of flavor whipping together something that quick no matter how much we might try to convince ourselves.

Even when using the slow cooker method as you mentioned I never could never appreciate the end result because meat always came out mushy even if I did a quick browning beforehand. Certain tools or methods do have limitations IMO. While I understand the thought behind a slow cooker and used one extensively in the past I am straight stovetop or oven when it comes to quality end results.

One thing I’d also mention about something like an InstaPot is that its a “jack of all trades, a master of none.” It’s all marketing. There is no way around it. To achieve certain results you must hone specific disciplines.

I’m not perfect by any means when it comes to falling for some of these methods. But over time and through research I’ve taught myself to narrow things down. But I’m also extremely open minded in the event I am wrong. Knowledge is power is it not? :wink:
 
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AgileMJOLNIR said:
You cannot achieve the same depth of flavor whipping together something that quick no matter how much we might try to convince ourselves.



One thing I’d also mention about something like an InstaPot is that its a “jack of all trades, a master of none.” It’s all marketing. There is no way around it. To achieve certain results you must hone specific disciplines.

I’m not perfect by any means when it comes to falling for some of these methods. But over time and through research I’ve taught myself to narrow things down. But I’m also extremely open minded in the event I am wrong. Knowledge is power is it not? :wink:
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Sorry, I have to disagree. My pot roast, red beans and rice, collard greens taste exactly the same, if not better, using the pressure cooker versus long cooking. It took several tries to get the timing correct granted but even the experiments were still good.

Oh, just for clarification, I'm writing about a stove top pressure cooker.
 
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medtran49 said:
Sorry, I have to disagree. My pot roast, red beans and rice, collard greens taste exactly the same, if not better, using the pressure cooker versus long cooking. It took several tries to get the timing correct granted but even the experiments were still good.

Oh, just for clarification, I'm writing about a stove top pressure cooker.
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Fair enough and NP:) I have had very mediocre results with pressure cookers but I am also talking about the electric variety so perhaps there is a difference?
 
AgileMJOLNIR said:
:happy:

Fair enough and NP:) I have had very mediocre results with pressure cookers but I am also talking about the electric variety so perhaps there is a difference?
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Can't comment about the difference in stovetop versus electric, but I'll tell you what happened when I made a mistake. I was cooking red beans and rice, and neglected to turn down the heat low enough on the last cook, as things go in at different times. Well, they scorched, not a lot, just a tiny little bit, like if you were just cooking on the stovetop in the regular way, you'd just switch pans, leaving the scorched stuff behind, and continue cooking. They might taste a tiny bit scorched but still be good enough to eat. I knew the beans were scorched as soon as I got the pressure released enough to open the pot, but hoped they would still be okay to eat. BIG nope! The pressure in the pot had forced that taste into every single bean in the pot, even the ones on top nowhere near the bottom. I had to throw out the entire pot.

The  moral of the story is that the pressure forces the taste of whatever is in the liquid into the solids very, very well.
 
medtran49 said:
Can't comment about the difference in stovetop versus electric, but I'll tell you what happened when I made a mistake. I was cooking red beans and rice, and neglected to turn down the heat low enough on the last cook, as things go in at different times. Well, they scorched, not a lot, just a tiny little bit, like if you were just cooking on the stovetop in the regular way, you'd just switch pans, leaving the scorched stuff behind, and continue cooking. They might taste a tiny bit scorched but still be good enough to eat. I knew the beans were scorched as soon as I got the pressure released enough to open the pot, but hoped they would still be okay to eat. BIG nope! The pressure in the pot had forced that taste into every single bean in the pot, even the ones on top nowhere near the bottom. I had to throw out the entire pot.

The  moral of the story is that the pressure forces the taste of whatever is in the liquid into the solids very, very well.
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Appreciate you sharing your experience with it. I’m definitely open minded so I just went a dug out the pressure cooker and will give it another go:) I’ll let you know the results.
 
I have a slow cooker or crock pot. Not the same thing but I get somewhat similar results. I've never found a better way to cook ribs. They spend a few hours in the crock pot and then they are sauced and finished in the broiler.
 
I bought one, an Inkbird. it's supposed to be programmed by using a Bluetooth feature, but the thing doesn't even work at all. What a waste of money & a worthless piece of junk this is!!! I ended up putting it in one of the storage bins, condeming it to one of the darkest places in the world!!! :ninja:
 
I haven't got a "sous vide" and am not planning on buying one. From what I understand, it's best for meat and poultry and, since I mostly eat vegetables and fish, it would undoubtedly spend its life on a shelf, collecting dust.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Maybe, but the time factor would drive me nuts. Squash, courgettes and aubergines 30-40 minutes?
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I know. But the flavour is so intense it can be worth it. Having said that although I have a sous vide I rarely use it because it's a tank which takes up space. And also the sealing machine... so it's down in the cellar :shy:
 
I'd rather use my Instant Pot pressure cooker. With my model, you can regulate water temperature, but it doesn't circulate.
 
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