A variety of novel cooking methods are now emerging. As a gourmet, you're probably familiar with sous vide. It's a culinary style that employs advanced techniques.
A sous vide cooker is one that cooks at low temperatures. This sort of cooker enables cooks to achieve the desired level of doneness, color, and flavor in their cuisine. So, what exactly is a sous vide cooker?
What is a Sous Vide Cooker?
A sous vide cooker is a device that cooks food using the sous vide method. This is a technique that involves cooking at a lower temperature than usual. The temperature is between 50 and 60°C. Food, such as meat and vegetables, is preserved in vacuum bags before cooking.
Cooking with a sous vide cooker often takes several hours, ranging from one to seven. In certain situations, up to 72 hours. However, the sous vide process will ensure that the food cooks uniformly while maintaining its original texture. It also imparts a unique flavor to the dish.
Benjamin Thompson developed this cooking method in 1799. It was not until 1960 that the technology gained popularity as an industrial food preservation method in the United States and France.
How to Make Food with a Sous Vide Cooker?
Many people believe that it is difficult to cook sous vide at home. In truth, cooking using a sous vide cooker is quite straightforward. We shall go over how to make this dish. The steps are as follows;
- First, you need to determine the cooking temperature of the food. Because each type of food with different cutting thicknesses will have different cooking times when using a sous vide cooker.
- Next, you put the food in the bag to conduct a vacuum. Finally, you put the food bag into the pot of water using a sous vide machine to control the temperature and cooking time. Now the process of cooking the food will begin.
- After the food is cooked, remove the bag of food from the sous vide cooker. If not used immediately, you should reduce the temperature of the food bag to below 3°C for about 2 hours. Also, make a note of the date and time of cooking. Then store them inside the freezer compartment.
The Benefits of Using Sous Vide Cooker
Sous vide is a cooking technique that dates back nearly four decades. However, it has only recently gained popularity and widespread adoption.
Many 5-star restaurants across the world employ this strategy to produce culinary wonders of flavor and color. Clearly, the advantages that this strategy provides are enormous. Despite the fact that cooking sous vide takes a long time, many establishments still rely on it.
The sous vide technique is used to enhance the organic properties of food. Furthermore, using a sous vide cooker ensures food safety and extends shelf life. The food will be kept very moist. This approach requires color and texture throughout, equally distributed.
Since the food is sealed inside the vacuum bag, liquids and outside air cannot come into direct contact. The flavor and nutrients are retained.
The dish is more delectable than normal processing methods, especially when the aroma of spices is preserved. The food's freshness is maintained since no oxidation happens during the cooking process.
Sous vide is a technique for keeping optimal texture in foods that are soft and break readily while cooking. This aids food shape in the creation of more appealing and elegant dishes.
You can also compress or shape the food to improve its texture. Food stored in a vacuum environment is safer, more sanitary, and has a longer shelf life without the need of preservatives.
Time and Temperature When Cooking with Sous Vide Cooker
Foods can be classified into two categories: meats and veggies. As a result, while utilizing the sous vide technique, you also need to consider the cooking temperatures and times for these two food groups.
Meats, in particular, are known for their varied textures. If regular cooking temperatures are employed, the collagen in the meat's connective tissue can be broken down to form gelatin.
If the temperature does not rise sufficiently (cooking temperature) to heat the protein, the meat will turn tough. This permits moisture from the flesh to escape, resulting in deformation and drying.
As a result, employing the sous vide method allows you to retain the appropriate temperature for an extended period of time. Time must be sufficient to degrade the proteins.
As a result, the meat is fully cooked, evenly tender, and retains its natural moisture.
Furthermore, while utilizing the sous vide method, meats are cooked at a lower temperature than vegetables.
Top 5 Best Sous Vide Cookers on the Market
Which type of sous vide cooker is best to buy? If you need to buy it, take a look at the following goods that are highly rated by people for their quality.
1. PolyScience Creative Series Immersion Circulator
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The PolyScience Cooker is widely used in restaurant kitchens. It can help you control the timing and quality of food. The device operates with a capacity of 120/240V with a capacity of 1100W.
The sturdy design allows it to be used with a variety of pots to cook food such as meat, fish, vegetables, etc. The bag is carefully packed to ensure that the food is cooked without fear of burning or loss of smell.
2. Anova Precision Cooker WiFi (900 W)
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Compared to version 1 with a capacity of 800W, the 2nd generation Anova Precision Cooker WiFi has a capacity of 900W. Accordingly, the speed of food heating is increased, making the cooking process more efficient. Precise temperature control gives you quality meals.
You can control it remotely with a smart device through a Wi-Fi connection. Users can easily monitor and control from iPhone or other connected devices. Timer and temperature control features make cooking even simpler. The parts are also removable for easy cleaning after use.
3. Anova Precision Cooker Nano
Compact design suitable for many different uses. The plastic shell makes it cheaper than other machines on the market. Extremely fast heating time for small amounts of food.
The appliance is suitable for cooking a variety of foods. The Anova Precision Cooker Nano works well over an extremely convenient Bluetooth connection.
4. Kitchen Gizmo Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
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Kitchen Gizmo has a fairly simple design with a not-so-complicated texture. Users can use it easily with just a few simple steps.
When starting up the sous vide cooker, you can set the temperature to cook food easily. You can create dishes that are both beautiful and taste great while still maintaining nutrients.
You can even disassemble the handle for cleaning after use. At the same time, you can control the temperature precisely during machine operation.
5. Gourmia GSV130 Immersion Circulator
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Compared to other sous vide cookers on the market, the Gourmia GSV130 Immersion Circulator is quite light in weight and compact in size. This feature makes the process easier to use. This sous vide cooker is suitable for many different types of pots. It comes with safety clamps that ensure the food cooks evenly and slowly.
Each dish, after being cooked, will retain its rich flavor with moderate softness. The Gourmia GSV130 Immersion Circulator has an LCD control panel with command buttons that allow easy setting of accurate time and temperature.
Last Words
Above are useful information that you need to know about sous vide cooker. If you haven't used the sous vide method in your kitchen yet, you should buy one to experience the benefits this particular cooking method has to offer.
