I had been toying with buying a sous vide machine for a while now. Years, actually. I just didn’t want to make the investment in something I wouldn’t use or didn’t do what I thought it did. Then, I found a machine that seemed very affordable and had good reviews. So, I bought a sous vide machine and proceeded to sous vide everything.
I sous vide steaks, chops, chicken, eggs, burgers, desserts, and yogurt (so far). Some of it was wonderful, and some of it is never going to happen in my kitchen ever again.
I started off with a couple of filet mignons (pictured below in the water). They were lovely and soft and juicy. They would literally melt in your mouth. Once I took a bite I forgot to photograph it and it before I knew it, it was gone! Next, I did a strip steak (main photo above), which came out perfectly cooked juice and tender. Not as good as the fillet, but why would it be at a 1/4 of the price? Still, it was probably a misteak mistake to do the fillet first. We felt spoiled!
Since then, I’ve done a ribeye, and a filet mignon again. The filet is definitely something truly spectacular but making less ridiculously priced yet still quality cuts of beef using this method is one of the reasons I wanted to try this cooking method in the first place. Really just ONE of the reasons.
I have made Chinese style BBQ pork, teriyaki chicken, poached eggs, creme brulee, curried chicken thighs, yogurt, and pork chops (not pictured). So far, the biggest disappointment to me was the poached eggs. I tried several ways but they always came out with “snotty” whites. The texture was unpleasant, but the yolks were buttery and soft. I haven’t tried making “hard-boiled” eggs using sous vide, but I’m going to and I am hoping to get that lovely buttery yolk in the center.
Of course, I also needed to purchase a kitchen blow torch to go with my sous vide machine. It helps to finish off things like the creme brulee and sear some of the fat left unrendered on the meat. I will definitely find other uses for it that have nothing to do with sous vide, like possibly a lemon meringue pie…
Anyway, besides steaks, one of most favorite other recipes so far has been for creme brulee. I have made it a few times and each time it has been creamy and not too sweet. The kitchen blow torch worked perfectly and the “burnt” sugar was not only fun to crack up once it cooled but tasted really good, a bit like toasted marshmallows.
I highly recommend sous vide cooking (and the blow torch) even if you are not a “gadget” person or an adventurous cook. I am very glad I finally explored this cooking method and below I have included all the equipment I purchased and use. None of the links are to any sort of commission-based purchasing. Just regular old Amazon pages.
I am now about $150 into this new adventure and I regret nothing! The choices I made were solid. Even though I ended up getting the container set I still have the option of using a stockpot because I have the silicone lid…
A: VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker Accurate Immersion Cooker <$60
Certainly, not the most high-end stick style sous vide machine but it’s done a great job so far. I don’t like the weird clip thing that holds it on the side of the pot. It feels like if used enough it would snap and break. However, it did slide on and off the stockpot really easily. Now that I have the container set I don’t use the clip. The container wasn’t really made for this machine so I adapted it using binder clips.
B: Cellar Made Sous Vide Lid <$12
This little silicone lid is perfect if you just have a few small things you want to sous vide. It makes it so you can use a stockpot or other tall round container.
C, D, & E: HOMENOTE Sous Vide Container 12 Quart with Lid & Rack and Sleeve <$50
I’m really glad I bought this set. I was only really looking for a rack to put in my stockpot and hold the bags but they were all around $25 and would not have fit in the pot. Then, I realized that I was pretty much dedicating my expensive stockpot to being a sous vide container. For what you get, the set is a great bargain. I had all the components of the set in my cart when I saw this and since it’s a set, I knew it was all going to fit and work together so I got it instead. I highly recommend it.
F: Iwatani International Culinary Butane Torch <$30
If you don’t have one already, I highly recommend this one. I looked at cheaper ones but I was scared by the mixed reviews. I have used this torch numerous times and it’s excellent. I always wanted one but I just didn’t make anything regularly that would warrant it. I got the torch to put some color on steaks but that ended up being to much work and take to much time. I have used it for creme brulee, meringue, smores, and a few other things.