Is a Sous Vide worth it?


(PSackmann) #1

I’ve been reading the Sous Vide threads and looking at them online. As a kitchen geek, I’m very intrigued and want to buy one. However, I want to make sure it’s not going to end up just being in a cabinet/drawer unused before I get one. Thus, I’m coming to the experts for help.
In my mind, I can see buying a large amount of say, chicken thighs, sealing them in meal-size bags and sous-vide-ing them, then freezing until ready to eat. Considering I would only be pre-cooking about once a month, is that worth it? Would the amount of time needed to pre-cook reduce the amount of pre-cooked proteins I have available? Would I be better off doing the pre-cook every other week (we’re usually out of town every other weekend) to spread it out?
I’ve also noticed racks on sale on Amazon. Are those necessary, or can you cook multiple bags of meat in one container without racks and have the water circulate properly? Would a small cooler work better, with the bags spread evenly?
Sorry for all the questions, I’m trying to picture using this method before investing in the equipment, so I can make the decision that makes most sense for my family.
Thanks in advance
goohsmom


#2

YES… in a word.

But others, like Juice, who’s typing as I write this, can provide more information on it.


(Running from stupidity) #3

So much. I was saying to my wife yesterday that I’m going to do that with he next bunch of rump steak I get.

Would the amount of time needed to pre-cook reduce the amount of pre-cooked proteins I have available?

I don’t understand that question.

Would I be better off doing the pre-cook every other week (we’re usually out of town every other weekend) to spread it out?

I would do it all at once, just to get it done in one hit.

I’ve also noticed racks on sale on Amazon. Are those necessary, or can you cook multiple bags of meat in one container without racks and have the water circulate properly? Would a small cooler work better, with the bags spread evenly?

Racks are really good, but I don’t know if they’re ESSENTIAL. I would def use one, though, for cooking at this quantity.

Bottom line - they’re awesome for both food quality and ease of food prep/cooking.


(PSackmann) #4

So, given I have one sous vide cooker, is there a limit to how much I can cook at one time? Say I have chicken thighs and a couple of roasts, could I get them all done over the course of a weekend or would I need to spread them out due to the times involved? Or could I put items with similar temp and time requirements in a larger container together and have them come out okay?


(Running from stupidity) #5

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, as long as your sous vide device can support the volume required, then yeah, all at once for sure. i.e. I’ve got the bigger Anova, and it can do a big amount of water, so it would do a lot at once.


(PSackmann) #6

Thanks, I’m looking at the Anova with a 5 gal capacity, that should get a lot done at once. I’m not looking at it for steaks as much as for chuck roasts, chicken breasts and thighs, mainly pre-cooking.

Y’all are great!
goohsmom


(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

Different meats cook at different temperatures usually. You could cook chicken thighs and pot roast at 150F together but you would pull the chicken at 2-4 hrs and let the beef go for maybe 18-48 hours depending on how you like it. The pot roast could be cooked at anywhere between 136-164F depending on how well done you want, lower temperatures are more rare, time is more about texture of the final product. My method is that I use a vacuum sealer unless there’s going to be liquid involved. Sometimes I freeze the liquid part and seal the ice in with the meat. Sometimes I just use a freezer ziplock. I buy meats in bulk and portion, salt, vacuum and freeze in various portions and cuts. I do this with whole beef tenderloins, Family sized packages of chicken thighs, whole turkeys separated into quarters, whole pork loins and butts.

I then just look in the freezer, decide on the meat, fire up the sousvide and start the cook. This part only takes about 5 minutes to get going. I use regular stock pots to cook in. Benefits are you already have one and it’s easy to preheat water with your stove to get the cook going faster. I don’t own a rack but I don’t cook multiple steaks at once in individual bags. I do use a bottom of the pot steam grid. I got it in an Asian grocery store for about $3. It’s basically a small bbq type grill that sits about an inch above the bottom of the pot. This aids good water circulation around the bag. I love sousvide, best kitchen device invention since the wok, I use mine 3-4 times every week. Gives you precise control of doneness and texture. Never ruin meat again by over or undercooking. It pays for itself quickly if you use it. I use a $79 one heavily for over two years now and it’s still jamming.


(Diane) #8

Oh… that’s a really good idea. Thanks!

:heart: (Out of likes again… sigh).


(Brian) #9

When I do a chuck roast, it’s often for 48 to 56 hours, in that neighborhood. The last couple of times, I will do a dry rub on, say, Thursday night, put it in the fridge overnight, and put it in the sous vide on Friday morning. Then Sunday afternoon, I’ll take it out and it’ll be for supper. It may get seared or it may not. I like it just fine either way.

Anyway, the point is that the time between Friday morning and Sunday afternoon, I’m not doing anything other than occasionally checking in to make sure there hasn’t been a power failure or anything else to disrupt things. (So far, that hasn’t happened.)

A corned beef is similar except it will marinate in the fridge for about a week before being put into the sous vide, also for about 2 days.

That’s just a couple of examples. It’s a total of maybe 5 minutes work getting a roast going and whatever it takes to sear or slice to put it on the table, also only a few minutes. A corned beef is a little longer getting all the spices mixed and the brine ready, but not a lot of time if you have it all handy. So I wonder whether you could do that at times during the week rather than waiting for the weekend since it pretty much takes care of itself while cooking.

Chicken thighs are easy as they can be done in less than 4 hours. The big roasts, though, I like cooked longer. Some go 24 hours but I like the texture better on longer cook times. (Just my tastes.)

Stuff like burgers or fish fillets probably wouldn’t be worthwhile since you can make those pretty quickly by more standard methods… although I have had the hankerin’ to try some sous vide burgers again. Made some Juicy Lucy’s in the sous vide a while back and they were some good eats! Would love to try that again with some smoked pepper jack… So many good things to try…

Good luck!


(Bob M) #10

I love sous vide burgers…way juicier than any I’ve made before, and you can ensure they lack bacteria while also being red on the inside.

I think if it were a choice between sous vide and the Instant Pot, I might have to go for the Instant Pot. Luckily, I have both.

We like our sous vide so much, we take it with us on vacation. It allows us to put something in, go away, come back, have dinner.


(Karim Wassef) #11

I love mine. I can buy steaks in bulk and still fast for 4 days a week! I prepare it all overnight and store it in the fridge cooked… then pop, sear, and done anytime I want in 15 minutes.

Sous Vide is how restaurants were able to manage uncertainty in demand without limiting buying leverage and still have steak ready on demand… it used to cost $1000 and now it’s $100. Love love love it.


(Jane) #12

I love being able to sous vide food while I am fasting and not have to smell it cooking!!!


(Mike) #13

Sometimes when I see sales, I’ll stock up, provided I have the freezer space. I’ll pick up chicken, roasts, pork loin, tenderloin or other cuts, as I find/need them. I’ll cut into individual portions, season, sear, vacuum seal, weigh and then cook them in the sous vide. When finished cooking, I’ll document each bag with the date, seasoning, temperture and contents. I’ll then freeze them, rotating stock.

I’ll reheat in the sous vide for about 30 minutes or so until warm, depending on size of package, then serve. Taste and texture are the same as they were prior to freezing, in my opinion. When reheating, I use the same temperature that was used to cook the contents. Our sous vide connects to wifi and typically sits on the counter all the time, so I can heat it up remotely and throw something in to reheat when I get home from work. I change the water at least weekly or if something spills.

As far as seasoning, that can be anything…that is keto, of course. Sometimes I’ll smoke meat for a few minutes before searing for a smokey flavor. I typically don’t add butter or oils to the bag, as we prefer use those just before serving for maximum flavor and ingestion rate.

If you watch Woot and Amazon, you can occasionally catch sous vide sticks, as some call them, on the cheap. I recently caught two of them for $39 each that are both wifi and gifted one of them to family. I kept one for a backup and to cook veggies in when my main sous vide is occupied. Vegetable are cooked at a higher temperatures than proteins, so a second sous vide is needed, if doing both. Asparagus is my favorite, cooked sous vide.

Back to the question…Is a Sous Vide worth it? Most definitely is for my family. I can’t prepare meat any better that sous vide. Everything is more tender, juicy and delicious.


(Garry (Canada)) #14

Is it worth it? I have one (ANOVA BT) and it has it’s place in my kitchen toolbox. I don’t think it’s the golden goose that everyone makes it out to be. – It does do a good job though.
I’d say If you can only afford one item for your kitchen to cook meats, buy a 6qt instant pot Duo.


(Jane) #15

I didn’t buy my sous vide to cook meat - I got it to make goat cheese because it has such precise temperature control.

Best.purchase.ever. I LOVE my sous vide!!!

Made some ribs overnight that were fork tender and melt in your mouth. Previously it was hit-or-miss on ribs. Sometimes great, sometimes boot leather tough.


(PSackmann) #16

Wait, cheesemaking? That’s a whole new spin I hadn’t thought of. I had just accepted the fact that it wasn’t right for my family at this time, when a new wrinkle is added. Thanks so much Janie, this is why I started this thread, to see how it would fit into our lifestyle, and now the answer, a way to use up milk that doesn’t get drunk in our household.


(Running from stupidity) #17

Heh, drunk milk


(PSackmann) #18

Gotta do something with the liqueurs I make, I don’t drink them anymore. :tada:


(Jane) #19

You can use it to make yogurt also if you have extra milk.


(Jane) #20

We are picking up our day-old chicks on Tuesday and the guide says they need very warm water the first day (98F/36.7C) so I’m going to set my sous vide in a water bath and set it for that temp before we leave and I will have it ready to fill the watering dishes when we arrive home with our new babies.
:grinning:
:hatching_chick:
:hatched_chick: