Anyone here sous vide their steaks every day? Do you just leave it on the counter and on 24x7? I’ve cooked tons of steaks sous vide before, but not for my meals since starting carnivore. I have been grilling my steaks outside on the grill and recently have thought about maybe doing some kind of semi-permanent station for sous vide somewhere. If anyone does this, would distilled water be best to use? How often do you change the water, if at all?
Permanent/Semi-Permanent Sous Vide Area?
Polly1
(Polly)
#2
Why use distilled water? If you have a semi-permanent sous vide set up there is only so much calcium which can be deposited out of the water, although I suppose you have to top up from time to time.
I would have thought that periodic de-scaling would work. Do let us know what you decide to do and how it goes for you.
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#3
I usually just set up the sous vide when I want to use it. We have one plastic container with a top we use, then I have a hole drilled into an insulated container I use for longer times with larger meats.
I don’t see why a “permanent” installation wouldn’t work, though sometimes the water will have stuff in it. Things that get on the outside of the bags, for instance.
Bellyman
(Brian)
#4
Permanent can take on various appearances.
We have a fairly small kitchen. There are things that live on the countertop. There are things that live under or over the countertop in cabinets. And there are things that are stored on a shelf that’s not in the kitchen but easy to get to. Things that get used every day usually live on the countertop permanently. Things that don’t get used regularly usually live on that shelf that’s not even in the kitchen. It is perfectly fine for a particular tool to move from one area to the other depending upon it’s current usage.
I really like the sous vide, especially for steaks. I still like them seared on the grill but putting them through the sous vide to begin with, I am a whole lot more at ease about whether they’re done on the inside to my liking.
FWIW, the sous vide lives in a cabinet that is so easy to get to that I can have it out as fast as I can a dinner plate, maybe faster. I don’t have to look very hard to find it. 
MiKetoAF
(Mike W.)
#5
Why not just do a ton of steaks ahead of time and freeze/refrigerate them and throw them on the grill to heat?
ffskier
#6
Not sure why you would use distilled water? I change the water every time I use my equipment. Keep in mind I do not use it very often, maybe 1x per month on a 1 1/2-2" Rib-eye and finish off with a reverse sear. Perfect every time. I do not have the patients to do it everyday, rather it is a treat 1x per month.
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#7
You have to have the practice to gain patients. 
(Okay, I’ll just show myself out, shall I?)
Snikwah
(Snikwah)
#8
I ended up making a permanent “station” in the corner of the dining room. I used a 28qt cooler and cut a hole in the lid and epoxied a 2" PVC union in the hole. I also drilled a few holes in the lid and spray foamed the inside of the lid. Almost all coolers have hollow lids. As for the water inside, I did use distilled water. We have fairly hard water here and my reverse osmosis system adds minerals back after filtering so I didn’t want to use that. Since it’s going to be running 24x7 most days, I didn’t want to have to worry about scaling. Since it’s completely sealed, I shouldn’t have to change the water often…if at all. It’s been working great. Just drop a steak in there from the freezer a few hours before time to eat and it’s ready for a quick sear with the flame thrower.
I’ve been cooking steaks sous vide for many years, but I just had a couple sizes of clear polycarbonate containers that I would just use on the counter and then put them away. Cooking my daily steaks this way, I didn’t want it to always be sitting there on the counter plus the lids on those polycarbonate containers is not a perfect seal, nor are they insulated. So far, this has been perfect for me. I’ve always loved doing my steaks sous vide, and having this always running is a game changer. I have my killawatt meter on it and once the water is heated to temp, it uses very little electricity.
