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Sous Vide questions

After too many nights of getting home from work and wondering, way too late, what we are going to eat for dinner, I'm trying to find new, consistent ways to have a hot, tasty dinner done in less time during the week.   I run a financial planning/investment business and my wife is a CPA.   Between 3 kids and work, there is hardly time to eat dinner, much less prepare it.  I am wondering if a sous vide machine will help us. If not, I might be in the market for a stay at home sister wife. =)  So, a few questions to those who own and use them:

1) How long in advance do you have to have meat in water bath:  chicken breasts, whole chickens, steaks, pork chops, etc?   Is it a night before thing, or just throw in the morning of and head off to work?
2) How much food can you fit at once?   We are feeding 2 adults, 2 growing boys and a baby who eats like a grown man.  So, normal nights are 4 steaks, or 4-5 cheicken breasts, etc.   Can I fit enough in one batch to feed us all?   I'm sure there are different size machines to satisfy different needs.
3) Is there a consensus brand or model most here prefer?   We all love the Maverick remote thermometers, Thermapens and anything Tom makes at CGS.   Is there a popular sous vide that people here find works well and is a good value?
4) Possibly, most importantly, how does the food taste?   If I sear a steak/chicken breasts in cast iron or the Egg after the sous vide, is the quality as good as cooking from raw on the grill or in a cast iron pan?    What Is the downside?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide feedback and insight.
Athens, GA
XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590

Comments

  • coomdaddy
    coomdaddy Posts: 128
    edited February 2016
    I would hazard a guess that the Anova Precision Cooker is one of the most popular models going right now. 
  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    edited February 2016
    I would recommend the PolyScience Sous Vide Toolbox app.
    It will answer all your questions regarding how long it will take to cook a particular item.
    I have the PolyScience Sous Vide Professional Chef  model.
    It can easily do 5 gallons of water to cook in.

    There are a lot of manufactures doing immersion circulators on the market now.
    From what I've seen, a lot of the restaurants are using the PolyScience currently.

    Please take a look at this for more info:
    http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html


  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    i don't think sous vide solves your problem. A work day is longer than short cooks like chicken breasts should stay in there and shorter than things like skirt/flank steak should be in there. I have never set something up in the morning to cook that night.
  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    Lit said:
    i don't think sous vide solves your problem. A work day is longer than short cooks like chicken breasts should stay in there and shorter than things like skirt/flank steak should be in there. I have never set something up in the morning to cook that night.
    I've done some long cooks, but I've found I use my setup for the shorter things like chicken breast and thicker pork chops.

    You cant beat using the Sous Vide to reheat vac sealed pork butt. Can't tell it from fresh off the egg to me.
  • The answers to your questions cannot be a simple yes and no, or even maybe.  It's a lot more complicated than that.  If anything, it is more science than the simple cooking we're used to.  But it is quite rewarding for those who wish to move up to the next level of serious cooking.  

    I suggest you read up on it and see if it's good for your situation.  If you already have a hectic life at dinner time, sous vide is probably not your answer.  
    That said, I suggest you go here first in order to get a good understanding of how and why sous vide works.  It's pretty amazing.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide

    Then watch a few videos on YouTube.  Just search sous vide, or you can be more specific by searching for sous vide chicken breast, or maybe sous vide salmon.  There's lots of good information there.  

    It does not matter too much which brand or model of sous vide cooker you decide to buy because they all work pretty much the same way - a precisely controlled hot water bath.  There are some advantages between them but you will probably figure out which are important to you as you learn more about them.

    You might also consider using a crock pot.  They can have your dinner waiting for you when you get home.  It's just a different type of cooking.

    Finally, a Google search for Meals in Five Minutes might be helpful.  

    Good luck with it.

    Spring "Served At The Perfect Temperature" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA



  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    I agree with Lit. You really don't want to leave boneless chicken breasts in the hot tub all day.

    There are lots of references out there but this is the one I refer to most often:

    http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-us/sousvide_cookingtemperatures.htm?lang=EN-US

    It will give you an idea as to which items might be up to spending all day in the jacuzzi. 

    You might want to take a look at an electric pressure cooker. Can make lots of nice foods pretty quickly/easily with those.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,452
    You may want to explore this puppy with built-in refrigeration:
    https://www.cookmellow.com/
    canuckland
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    Not trying to argue....but what would be the issue with leaving chicken for 5 or 6 hours instead of 2-3?   If it's set at a specified temp, the meat won't rise any higher and overcook.   Would it get mushy for some reason?   Just trying to understand the science behind it.   My wife actually works from home, so if it needed to be thrown on midday, that wouldn't be a big deal.   It's just trying to cook, while taking care of 3 kids that makes time an issue after work.  
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Mayberry said:
    Not trying to argue....but what would be the issue with leaving chicken for 5 or 6 hours instead of 2-3?   If it's set at a specified temp, the meat won't rise any higher and overcook.   Would it get mushy for some reason?   Just trying to understand the science behind it.   My wife actually works from home, so if it needed to be thrown on midday, that wouldn't be a big deal.   It's just trying to cook, while taking care of 3 kids that makes time an issue after work.  
    Yes, it will become mushy if cooked too long. If she is at home, problem solved. You can season and vac seal it ahead of time and put it in the fridge. A few hours ahead of dinner time, drop in in the hot tub. When you are ready to eat, pull it out and finish it with a torch or hot cast iron. You can even sv it over the weekend and then chill it. When you are ready to eat, just finish and eat.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,452
    Since your wife works at home, you don't need to pay premium price for Mellow's refrigeration function.
    canuckland
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I tried a sous vide chuck roast a month or two ago. I read somewhere that if you SV'd one for 48 hours, it would turn out almost as good as prime rib. I beg to differ, but it was still quite good. Tender too! Not to mention economical! Cooked at 130° and seared on the stove top when done. 

    If you don't mind leftovers, you might consider cooking 2 or 3 "oversized" meals over the weekend and just reheat during the week. I cooked a one pot meal with chicken thighs and veggies last night for dinner. Had some more tonight... walked into the kitchen, filled my plate and microwaved for 3 minutes. Chicken, potatoes, carrots and broccoli in 3 minutes. And I still have enough for one more meal.

    Crock Pots are helpful too. Put it on in the morning and it'll be done when you get home. 

    Pressure cookers make short work of many things. I have a recipe for a chicken/lentil/carrot stew that cooks in 20 minutes! I even tried pulled pork once, just out of curiosity. As I recall, it took about 1:15 at 15 PSI. Not egged, that's for sure, but edible. =)

    Lots of ways to skin this cat.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I think I'm down the rabbit hole.   Too late to turn back.    I want one.   If it doesn't solve my weeknight problem completely, then at least I get fully pink steaks throughout, right?   Looking on Amazon, there is a wifi version and a bluetooth version.   Mixed reviews on the functionality of both.    But, I've found Amazon reviews to be sketchy sometimes.    Is one model preferred over the other?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    Mayberry said:
    Not trying to argue....but what would be the issue with leaving chicken for 5 or 6 hours instead of 2-3?   If it's set at a specified temp, the meat won't rise any higher and overcook.   Would it get mushy for some reason?   Just trying to understand the science behind it.   My wife actually works from home, so if it needed to be thrown on midday, that wouldn't be a big deal.   It's just trying to cook, while taking care of 3 kids that makes time an issue after work.  
    J. Kenji addresses the time duration in this article: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html

    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    If you already have a crock pot (Hi-Lo-Off models only, no programmables) and just want to try SV for $20something, buy one of these. Plug the controller into the wall outlet and plug the crock pot into the controller. Set your desired temp and it turns the crock pot on and off when the water temp goes above or below your target. It's what I use and it works beautifully! My 48 hr chuckie was dead solid perfect at 130° +/- 1° for the duration.

    The only disadvantage is, you are limited to how much you can cook by the size of your crock pot.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    If you already have a crock pot (Hi-Lo-Off models only, no programmables) and just want to try SV for $20something, buy one of these. Plug the controller into the wall outlet and plug the crock pot into the controller. Set your desired temp and it turns the crock pot on and off when the water temp goes above or below your target. It's what I use and it works beautifully! My 48 hr chuckie was dead solid perfect at 130° +/- 1° for the duration.

    The only disadvantage is, you are limited to how much you can cook by the size of your crock pot.
    You do need to be sure you have an older style "analog" crock pot for those to work together.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    GregW said:
    I would recommend the PolyScience Sous Vide Toolbox app.
    It will answer all your questions regarding how long it will take to cook a particular item.
    I have the PolyScience Sous Vide Professional Chef  model.
    It can easily do 5 gallons of water to cook in.

    There are a lot of manufactures doing immersion circulators on the market now.
    From what I've seen, a lot of the restaurants are using the PolyScience currently.

    Please take a look at this for more info:
    http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html


    I have 4 sous vide cookers, and the Polyscience Professional is my favorite.  I use it mostly in a 45 quart cooler.  The capacity is enormous.  Use leftover bubble wrap from packing (like from Amazon) to insulate the top - floats on the water.

    You can cook dinner sized portions on the weekend, store in the fridge (shelf life is unreal if you sterilize - there are guidelines for that), then heat in the SV or just hot water, quickly sear or grill and you have perfectly cooked dinner in very little time.

    You can cook a few racks of ribs in advance, heat them up and grill them in 45 minutes.  Normally takes hours.

    But the best feature of SV is precision cooking.  You can control the cooking process precisely and obtain textures, moisture and fat content better than any other method.

    Another feature - cooking for large groups with limited grill space.  I have cooked for 50 people many times using SV where I would be working my ass off if just using grills and smokers.  Do some prep, sleep like a baby and crank out mass quantities. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • tonyled
    tonyled Posts: 536
    some great advice here.  i will throw in on the bluetooth vs wifi argument.  you wont need either.  i bought the bluetooth version and have yet to use the bluetooth feature.  so my advice is go with the cheaper one (bluetooth).  they are as close to set it and forget it than anything you will encounter
  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    +1 bluetooth. 

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Typically you set a temperature and then leave it there.  I don't really see the need for the connectivity....as long as it breaking doesn't stop the device from heating water I don't see the harm.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..