What the Sous vide steak is Sous Vide Cooking? Woman putting meat fillet in sous vide cooker.
The second setup is a full-on water oven, also known as a countertop water bath. The average home cook is better off with the smaller immersion circulator, in my opinion. But, no matter which type of sous vide device you own, you’ll need to put your food in a vacuum-sealed bag. You can purchase a vacuum sealer, which will do an excellent job of removing all air from the bag, but it’s more money to shell out.
Luckily, there’s another option that doesn’t cost a thing. Just put your food in a bag and seal it almost completely, leaving an inch or so unsealed. The biggest benefit to sous vide cooking by far is the food quality. Cooking a steak perfectly every single time is something I thought only Iron Chefs and wizards could do.
With a sous vide machine, you will never, ever overcook your meat. No longer will you ruin an expensive cut of steak or power through an overcooked, rubbery chicken breast that you wish you could just throw in the garbage. Another benefit of the sous vide machine is that it can cook more than just meat. Sure, it does wonders to steak, chicken breasts and pork shoulders, but it can also cook eggs, veggies, shrimp, lobster and more.
Unfortunately, there are some downsides to sous vide cooking. First, it takes longer to cook. Because the water doesn’t go above a certain temperature, the food needs to cook for a longer period of time before it’s safe to consume. Second, you usually need to finish off your meats in a pan. Though it’s fully cooked, there’s no crust when you use a water bath.