Anyone tried sous vide cookng? Just got a...

[TreasonousBastard]

semi-spam from one of the cooking sites I've been known to hang out in advertising a $500 cooker (not including the vacuum sealer you need, but they will gladly sell you if you don't have one). I have no intention of adding this gadget to my overstuffed kitchen, but my curiosity is piqued.

Snooping around a bit, it seems this sort of very slow cooking for a day or two can have its benefits if you watch out for botulism, and I'm curious if anyone has any real experience with it.

[Warpy]

1. I think I'll pass, thanks

and leave the high tech, over tweaked stuff to restaurants.

I'm really a peasant at heart, and prefer to keep things simple.

The temperatures are low but usually high enough to destroy any botulin toxin that is formed during the first day of inadequate cooking, but I'll still pass.

[MajorChode]

2. It looks interesting

I have never thought about doing this at home, but it looks like you could build your own cooker much cheaper. I installed a PID on my espresso machine. They aren't that complicated to wire up and program. All you'd need is an immersion heater, a temperature probe, a solid state relay, and a PID. Naturally you'll also need a vaccum sealer like a foodsaver. With the PID, you can control the temperatures to within less than +-1 degree.

[MajorChode]

3. For $159 you can get the controller

It's designed to work with a commercial rice cooker. My guess is it would also work with a cheaper crock pot, but perhaps you wouldn't get the temperature stability required.

http://freshmealssolutions.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=15&Itemid=31&TreeId=1

[noamnety]

4. I would worry about chemicals leaching from the plastic

Even for just reheating food in the microwave, I've stopped using plastic entirely because of health concerns. I definitely don't want to slow cook my foods in plastic bags.

[MajorChode]

5. They aren't made from the type of plastic that is a concern

Polycarbonate plastic (commonly used in plastic bottles) can leach BPA under certain conditions which is currently being studied to see if it poses a health risk. PVC also may contain BPA, but it's not quite as clear if leaching is a problem with PVC.

Foodsaver bags are made out of a blend of polyethylene and nylon. I know of no health risks or even suspected risk associated with those two materials.

[noamnety]

6. That's good to know, thanks.

I've just been avoiding all heating in plastic, and I bought a couple extra pyrex and ceramic bowls to have around.

[On the Road]

7. I've Been Thinking About Getting One

Some of them sell for substantially less than $500. The prospect of tender meat is very appealing. Plus there are all kinds of other things you can do with them.

[MajorChode]

9. I'm seriously considering it

You don't really have to spend $500. All you need is the $159 controller I listed, a big crock pot, and a fish tank bubbler for circulation. You'll also need something to hold the bags down. A small piece of roof gutter mesh and a stone would do the trick. I already have a foodsaver vacuum.

I think this type of setup is better, because you don't have that much invested and you can step up to a larger commercial rice cooker later on if you want a bigger tank.

[supernova]

8. Heard of it, not crazy about it

I'm more of a function following form kind of person when it comes to cooking. There just aren't that many things that would require very low and very slow. I don't do brisket and the only possible thing it might do better is fois gras. And I've never made that myself either. But I might experiment in the future.

It seems like a fun toy rather than something useful.

[MajorChode]

10. You need to read the Douglas Baldwin guide if you haven't already

It lists all sorts of practical recipes and provides tons of technical information. The two biggest advantages I see are that it provides uniform doneness and you don't have to worry about overcooking. This allows you to leave the food in the tank until you are ready to brown and serve. So there's no more worrying about all of your dishes coming together at the same time. Baldwin also claims you can turn very cheap cuts of mean like chuck into filet mignon tenderness, which stands to reason. This is a huge advantage because cheaper cuts of beef actually have more flavor, so it's like getting all of the advantages of BBQ without nearly as much hassle.

http://amath.colorado.edu/~baldwind/sous-vide.html