Sous Vide is French for "under vacuum." Using Sous Vide as a cooking method usually involves putting food into a sealable bag, evacuating the air, sealing the bag and then leaving it sit in a vessel of heated water for a period of time. As a side note neither the bag nor its contents are under a vacuum, so the name is a bit of a misnomer, but that is a discussion for another time. The amount of time and the degree of heat for the water vary based on what food item is to be Sous Vide.

One of the biggest advantages to Sous Vide cookery is that most proteins can be cooked and held at the desired doneness temperature without the risk of overcooking. In some cases, holding the food for an extended period of time will improve the final product. Cooking at the desired doneness temperature also ensures that the outside is cooked to a temperature no higher than the inside, which results in a perfectly evenly cooked product. However, this can also be viewed as a weekness, when cooking with a low temperature, no Maillard reaction takes place. This leaves the outside surface looking bland and drab. A quick searing with a hot pan or even blow torch after removing from the sealed bag can fix this. Vegetables can also be sous vide but for optimal results they should be removed once cooked; continuing to hold will degrade their quality.

An Immersion Circulator is a laboratory grade device which consists of a thermostat, pump and a heating element. The device will have some type of controls to allow a target temperature to be set and sometimes a control for the speed of the pump. When turned on, the heating element will heat the liquid while the pump will circulate the liquid. Once the target temperate is reached, the heating element will cycle on and off to maintain the temperature. Most Immersion Circulators will have a temperature range of room temperature to about 212/300oF. Refrigerated Immersion Circulators also exist, but are outside the scope of this discussion. The PolyScience 7306 is the culinary standard; however there are many other brands (which can be picked up all over eBay*) which perform identically.

Immersion Circulators have been typically used only with in scientific labs, but are emerging more and more in the culinary world. The precise temperature control is perfect for cooking with the Sous Vide method. While the usage of Immersion Circulators with food is a recent development (started taking off in 2000), sous vide is not (dates back to at least the mid 1970s).

Sous Vide at Home

At the most basic level, a large pot of water and a thermometer with a high and low alarm (this one is nice, and it has a laser) will allow you to sous vide. However, without an electronic thermostat, you will need to act as the thermostat. Constantly adjusting the temperature will get old very quickly. The results can be almost just as good as an immersion circulator for recipes with shorter cooking times, but this is by far the most difficult method.

A device built specifically for home use, simply called Sous Vide Cooking Controller by Auber Instruments is also a great option. With these devices the power cable of an electronic cooker (best with a rice cooker) gets plugged into the back side and a thermometer gets put into the electronic cooker. The device monitors the temperature and will switch the electronic cooker on and off to maintain the temperature. If you alreay own a rice cooker or slow cooker, this is a great option.

Immersion Circulators are not limited to labratories and can be used at home. This is, as expected, the best option. They can be used with stock pots, but the space inside the pot will be cramped with the food and immersion circulator. Something like a steam table pan will be the best vessel for containing the cooking water, food and immersion circulator.

Vacuum Sealing at Home

For food containment, at the most basic level zip lock bags can be used. Plastic wrap is not recommended because much more plastic is needed and an air tight seal is basically impossible. Zip lock bags are decent, but it is difficult to remove all air from them. A much better option, while still being wallet friendly, is specifically designed vacuum bags which have a one way valve to remove air. A starter kit should cost less than $10 which includes a manual pump and a few test bags. Additional bags in quart and gallon sizes can be purchased without the pump. Avoid small pump models which use batteries, you will be able to remove more air with a manual pump.

For someone more serious or for those who simply do more sous vide cooking a dedicated vacuum sealing machine is the best option. There are two broad types of machines, counter top consumer level and professional chamber style. The counter top varieties will work for almost every application; the biggest difference comes down to sealing bags with liquids. Chamber style vacuum sealing machines do a better job with liquids, but you can get an as good seal with the counter top models by watching the air removal process and invoking a manual seal. For the purpose of sous vide, the difference is negligible.

For the counter top, the best option is the Prago Trade Pro 2300 Vacuum Sealer. I’d avoid the Foodsaver brand as the reviews seem to be a mixed bag, some last a life time, others arrive dead, but if you must, the Gamesaver Turbo offers a manual sealing option and generally gets good reviews.

Resources

• A Practical Guide to Sous Vide - Douglas Baldwin has done a tremendous amount of work putting together an excellent guide for general cooking times of most proteins.
• Under Pressure - Excellent book by Thomas Keller.
• The Perfect Steak - Watch three geeks from Kamikaze Cookery sous vide in a pot with a thermometer.

* eBay is a great place to pick up a second hand Immersion Circulator, but keep in mind, most of these devices have been used by scientific laboratories which may work with materials that are not safe to consume. Should you purchase a used device, make sure it is cleaned thoroughly. Citranox is usually the recommended cleaner.