Sous vide sounds like a term that Michelin-starred chefs would throw around—and it is. Fancy kitchen professionals have been using the sous vide cooking technique for years, primarily because it cooks meat and fish more evenly than any other method and retains vegetables’ color, flavor, and nutrients in a way steaming never could.
In other words, sous vide = perfectly cooked meals every time (eliminating the risk of an emergency pizza delivery order).
What on earth is it, though? Sous vide is a technique that involves sealing meat or veggies in an air-tight bag (sous vide means “under vacuum” in French), then submerging and cooking them in a temperature-controlled water bath.
Here’s the good news: Whereas the devices needed to create that perfectly heated scenario used to be mostly commercial and cost thousands of dollars, smart tech companies are now making affordable, portable gadgets that make it so easy to sous vide at home, you’d be crazy not to. Here are a few I recommend:
For the busy, tech-savvy cook:
Busy working moms, rejoice! The Anova Precision Cooker ($199) is an immersion circulator that heats and circulates the water in whatever pot you clip it to. The smartest of the group, it syncs with an app so you can attach it to the side of the pot in advance and start cooking your food from anywhere, and it’ll send you a notification when it’s done.
For the Instagram chef:
If aesthetics are your thing, the Sansaire Sous Vide ($178) is the immersion circulator with the sleekest look. It attaches to the side of a pot with a stainless steel clamp, and you can adjust the temperature with an easy twist of the ring at the top.
For the wannabe gourmand:
If using sous vide is your attempt at impressing friends at a dinner party (or, ahem, a new love interest), the Gourmia GSV130 Digital Sous Vide Pod ($129) comes with recipes developed by cookbook writer Jason Logsdon, whose specialty is helping at-home cooks create restaurant-worthy meals using techniques like sous vide and molecular gastronomy.
For the sous vide devotee:
Unlike the immersion circulators you use with a pot and can stash in a drawer after, the SousVide Supreme Demi Water Oven ($329) is a standalone “tub” that takes up residence on your countertop. It’s a good choice if you’ve decided sous vide is your jam and you plan on cooking your morning eggs, lunchtime chicken and veggies, and evening steak in there day after day.
Ready to try out your new sous vide gadget? Try one of these 25 Sous Vide Recipes for Easy Cooking! Have you tried an at-home sous vide gadget? Let me know which works for you in the comments below!
