The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen

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ctviggen

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The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« on: 23 Nov 2016, 10:58 am »
I bought one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Anova-Precision-Cooker-WIFI-Watts/dp/B01HHWSV1S/ref=dp_ob_title_kitchen

It's a sous vide cooker, which means you cook (primarily meat but does eggs and some veggies too) in a water bath. We like this so much, we took it on vacation with us.

You do not need anything but a pot, water, and freezer bags.  You put meat in the bag, lower the bag into water until the top is almost covered, get out as much air as possible, then lower the bag into the water. You then cook the meat for the desired time period, and then sear the outside using a grill, cast iron, or the broiler.

This cooks so well, that we no longer cook steak, lamb chops, leg of lamb, or anything else where tight temperature control is desired, with any other method.  Also, you can prepare the meat, put it in the cooker, leave and come back and sear it.  You can also program this, so you could put the meat in an ice bath in the morning, and come home in the evening to meat that's ready to sear.  (I have not actually tried this yet.)

If you see this (or a competitor) on sale on Black Friday, buy it.  I'm thinking of buying another, to cook breast atone temperature and thighs at another, or to cook a portion of meat at a higher temperature for those who don't like red centers.

Other notes.  A vacuum sealer does help.  If you set the temperature for rare or medium rare, the entire piece of meat is that temperature.  This means that people who don't like meat at that temperature don't have a choice.  If you cook in the oven, the ends are often overcooked/not red, but not with sous vide.  I originally cut a hole in a cooler to use with this, but now we only use that for long cooking sessions.  We bought a relatively short plastic container to use for short time periods.  With sous vide, the cooked meat does not have to rest, and you don't have to worry about cross-contamination (you can use the same plate to transport the meat to and from the grill for searing). There's a wealth of information out there about cooking times for different cuts of meat.  As of now, we've not actually used programming of this device; we just set the temperature manually.   So, I think you're safe getting the cheaper model (not sure how much difference there is going from 900 watts to 800 watts, though).  I always had trouble getting things like steak and leg of lamb to cook evenly on my ceramic grill --- part was always overcooked.  With this, the meat is perfectly cooked.  I do miss the smoky favor though, and since you only sear for mere minutes, you can't get smoke into the meat.

FullRangeMan

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #1 on: 23 Nov 2016, 11:13 am »
I even cant figure what it is :o

goskers

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #2 on: 23 Nov 2016, 12:03 pm »
It is a device that circulates and heats water.  This water is what cooks the food submerged in it.  You set the temperature you want the food cooked to and the device makes it happen without the temperature ever going over that set point.  The method itself is called sous vide.

I don't have one of these but it has been on my short list for the same reasons as you list above.

FullRangeMan

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #3 on: 23 Nov 2016, 12:14 pm »
Nice thanks for inform.

mav52

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #4 on: 23 Nov 2016, 12:57 pm »
We have been using this for a few years and it works great, never had any issues with the app or the wifi slow cooker. Its the 'Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo 6-Quart Slow Cooker" Under $140 bucks. But that sous vide cooker is interesting.

Syrah

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #5 on: 23 Nov 2016, 02:49 pm »
Be careful with the plastic that you use.  I wouldn't use any old freezer bag.  Make sure it's a vacuum bag made for sous vide cooking.

jkelly

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #6 on: 24 Nov 2016, 04:45 pm »
Both 800 and 900 are on sale on Thanksgiving day.

Jeff

jMelvin

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #7 on: 27 Nov 2016, 05:57 pm »
I've had the 1st generation for quite some time and still love it. Perfectly cooked steak was always a crapshoot before investing in this contraption. Now, perfect every time. Just clicked the Amazon link BTW .. can't beat that price.

MaxCast

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #8 on: 27 Nov 2016, 09:12 pm »
Better than a $30 crock pot??

Phil A

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #9 on: 27 Nov 2016, 09:34 pm »
Better than a $30 crock pot??

That's exactly what I was thinking.  I use my crock pot several times a year.  If I am doing lunch, I put the stuff in before I go to sleep and if dinner then right after breakfast.  Works really well.

MaxCast

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #10 on: 28 Nov 2016, 02:19 am »
We use ours 1-3 times a week.  I can see when this would be better and it is very interesting.  Love my button down crock pot lid tor transport tho.
Maybe you can stick it in a crock pot??

EdRo

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #11 on: 28 May 2017, 08:56 pm »
Has anyone tried cooking a 6 - 8 lb beef brisket sous vide?

Rob Babcock

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #12 on: 29 May 2017, 01:20 am »
Has anyone tried cooking a 6 - 8 lb beef brisket sous vide?

Brisket is one of my favorite things to cook sous vide.  My preferred technique is to do 72 hours @ 130o F.  This will make the meat tender enough to cut with a spoon or fork yet still credibly close to medium rare.  Chef Thomas Keller makes steak frites at one of his Michelin-starred restaurants this way.

I'm a huge proponent of sous vide!  As full disclosure I'll point out that I'm a professional chef but I do a lot of cooking this way at home, too.

dcun201

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #13 on: 19 Sep 2017, 08:29 am »
Man I have been wanting to do Sous vide steak for so long.  The wife refuse to let me buy another kitchen appliance because I will have to also get a vacuum sealer also. Sucks that my kitchen space is so limited.  :cry:

Rob Babcock

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #14 on: 19 Sep 2017, 03:57 pm »
You can do a steak in a ziplock bag, no need for a vacuum sealer.  For longer cooks you need to seal better but steak is usually an hour or less so a zip bag will hold up fine.

dcun201

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #15 on: 19 Sep 2017, 04:01 pm »
How about marinating chicken breast for a few hours. Those for sure need a vacuum sealer right?

bummrush

Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #16 on: 19 Sep 2017, 06:05 pm »
Have seen on food shows. Never would have guessed the low price.

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #17 on: 24 Sep 2017, 12:10 am »
Has anyone tried cooking a 6 - 8 lb beef brisket sous vide?
I don't even know you any more.  :dunno:

EdRo

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #18 on: 24 Sep 2017, 01:10 am »
C'mon Bob...you know I'll smoke that brisket after I sous vide, before I can serve it!!! JEESH!!!

LesterSleepsIn

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Re: The best $150-$200 you can spend for your kitchen
« Reply #19 on: 24 Sep 2017, 01:11 am »
Has anyone tried cooking a 6 - 8 lb beef brisket sous vide?

Well, not quite, but there is this (sorry Bob):

Instant Pot MAPLE SMOKED BRISKET

https://stevesacooking.com/2016/03/17/instant-pot-maple-smoked-brisket/