What is Sous Vide?

What is Sous Vide?

If you’ve ever wondered how chefs can make perfectly-cooked, restaurant-quality meals at home, you might be surprised to learn that it’s not all about fancy equipment and years of culinary training. One secret weapon that’s making its way into many kitchens is the sous vide cooker.

So, what exactly is it? “Sous vide” is a French term that translates to “under vacuum.” It refers to a cooking method that involves sealing food in a plastic bag and cooking it in a water bath at a precisely controlled temperature. This may sound complex, but it’s actually a straightforward and foolproof way to achieve amazing results in the kitchen.

Imagine you want to cook a steak to a perfect medium-rare doneness. With sous vide, you’d place the steak in a sealable plastic bag, removing any air to create a vacuum seal. Then, you’d set your sous vide cooker to the desired temperature for medium-rare (usually around 130°F or 54°C) and immerse the bag in a pot of water. The sous vide device circulates and heats the water to that exact temperature and maintains it.

That’s it?! Yes. It might not sound too complicated, but don’t be fooled. There’s more to the cooking process.

Why would I use it? One of the key benefits of sous vide cooking is precision. Traditional methods like grilling or pan-searing often result in a gradient of doneness, with the outer layers more cooked than the center. Sous vide eliminates this problem by evenly cooking the food from edge to edge. It’s like having a chef’s watchful eye on your meal the entire time.

Have you ever overcooked a steak, making it tough and dry? With sous vide, that’s nearly impossible! Since the water bath never exceeds your chosen temperature, your food can’t overcook. You can leave it in the bath for longer than necessary, and it will still come out perfectly cooked when you’re ready.

Sous vide cooking also preserves the natural juices and flavors of your ingredients. When you cook food in a sealed bag, nothing escapes. Your steak, chicken breast, or fish will be incredibly tender and packed with its original taste.

Using a sous vide cooker is as simple as setting a timer. You don’t need to constantly monitor the food. Plus, you can cook in advance and finish off your meal with a quick sear or grill for that perfect outer crust and presentation.

But it doesn’t stop there!

Sous vide isn’t just for meat. You can use it to cook vegetables, eggs, seafood, and even desserts. The precise control over temperature and cooking time means you can experiment with a wide range of recipes.

Want to try it?

To get started with sous vide cooking, you’ll need a sous vide cooker (also called an immersion circulator), vacuum-sealable bags or containers, and a pot or container for the water bath. Simply season your food, vacuum-seal it, set your sous vide device, and let it do the work. There are plenty of charts and guides all around the web to help you figure out optimal cooking times for sous vide.

Here’s a few links from different recommendations: Sous Vide Supreme Guide Food VacBags Cooking Chart

Also, ANOVA (a sous vide cooker manufacturer) has many different recipes for Sous Vide Cooking on their website for free. Check it out

As you can see, sous vide cooking is a fantastic method for achieving restaurant-quality results at home, even if you’re not a professional chef. It’s a simple and foolproof way to cook food precisely, with exceptional tenderness and flavor. So, if you’re looking to up your culinary game, consider adding a sous vide cooker to your kitchen arsenal and unlock a world of delicious possibilities.