Sous Vide Machine

[aCooksConfession]

I've posted about this a couple times with some recipes, but I am a huge fan of sous vide.This is the Anova SousVide Machine

 

[caseydog]

There are several members who cook sous vide here. I have an Anova circulator, too. If you watch the "What did you cook of eat today" thread, you will see some sous vide foods pop up from time to time. I posted a prime NY Strip just last week.

CD

 

[rascal]

Do I need another tool? Hmmmm. I'm getting convinced??

Russ

 

[Morning Glory]

I have one too but its a water bath type rather than wand type. I don't use it enough. I keep meaning to do more vegetable cooking in it - most people focus on meat cooking.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I have one too but its a water bath type rather than wand type. I don't use it enough. I keep meaning to do more vegetable cooking in it - most people focus on meat cooking.

Do try it....carrots are amazing cooked sous vide....the perfect texture and the only way I can describe the taste is very "carroty"
Skin-on baby potatoes cooked in butter & herbs....also fab. Again, the taste is more intense than when you boil them.
Asparagus, corn on the cob also work well. In fact I think any vegetable you would normally boil would be improved by cooking it sous vide.

 

[epicuric]

Do try it....carrots are amazing cooked sous vide....the perfect texture and the only way I can describe the taste is very "carroty"
Skin-on baby potatoes cooked in butter & herbs....also fab. Again, the taste is more intense than when you boil them.
Asparagus, corn on the cob also work well. In fact I think any vegetable you would normally boil would be improved by cooking it sous vide.

You have given me some ideas for tonight! I rarely sous vide vegetables, but after reading your post I feel the need to. Last thing I tried were confit shallots, and they were not successful.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

You have given me some ideas for tonight! I rarely sous vide vegetables, but after reading your post I feel the need to. Last thing I tried were confit shallots, and they were not successful.

In what way didn't they work? I'm thinking that confit shallots need the maillard/browning of traditional cooking to develop their flavour, or was it something else? I'll remember not to try them

 

[epicuric]

In what way didn't they work? I'm thinking that confit shallots need the maillard/browning of traditional cooking to develop their flavour, or was it something else? I'll remember not to try them

Despite following the cooking instructions they came out undercooked. By the time I realised it was too late. I think you are right about browning them.

 

[aCooksConfession]

There are several members who cook sous vide here. I have an Anova circulator, too. If you watch the "What did you cook of eat today" thread, you will see some sous vide foods pop up from time to time. I posted a prime NY Strip just last week.

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CD

Nice! I'll keep looking through that thread! I love steak sous vide!

 

[aCooksConfession]

I have one too but its a water bath type rather than wand type. I don't use it enough. I keep meaning to do more vegetable cooking in it - most people focus on meat cooking.

I've seen those, I've never used one though. How do you like it?

 

[Morning Glory]

I've seen those, I've never used one though. How do you like it?

It works very well but obviously takes up a lot more space than a wand. Its a domestic sized bath but nevertheless its too big to fit in my tiny kitchen as a fixture. I keep it in the cellar in between uses. This may be why I don't use it enough! I can't compare it to the wand system, but I imagine its easier to keep it temperature. You simply set the required temperature, wait for it to reach that, put in the food and the timing and then forget about it until it pings.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

You simply set the required temperature, wait for it to reach that, put in the food and the timing and then forget about it until it pings.

That's exactly how my wand one works too - set the temperature and timer. It beeps when the water is at the right temperature and beeps again when your cooking time has elapsed.

As I understand it, the main benefits of a water bath version rather than a wand are that water baths are insulated and have lids so they're more energy efficient. And volume - most wand circulators can only heat a certain volume of water so you need to check that your pot isn't too big for your wand.

 

[caseydog]

That's exactly how my wand one works too - set the temperature and timer. It beeps when the water is at the right temperature and beeps again when your cooking time has elapsed.

As I understand it, the main benefits of a water bath version rather than a wand are that water baths are insulated and have lids so they're more energy efficient. And volume - most wand circulators can only heat a certain volume of water so you need to check that your pot isn't too big for your wand.

When I got my container and lid, I found that my Anova was a lot more efficient, just because of the lid. A lot of hot air and water vapor exits out of the top without a lid.

CD

 

[MrsDangermouse]

When I got my container and lid, I found that my Anova was a lot more efficient, just because of the lid. A lot of hot air and water vapor exits out of the top without a lid.

CD

I use my wand in a stock pot (I don't want to have to store a separate container) and the first thing I did when I got it was to make a lid Was dead easy to do - I just used a hole saw to drill a hole in a surplus plastic lid I had from something else. Its not a perfect fit, but it works fine.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I wanted one of these.