12 best sous vide for beginners

Name: Sous Vide for Everybody: The Easy, Foolproof Cooking Technique Thats Sweeping the World
Brand: America's Test Kitchen
Price: 169 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (250 reviews)

Alright, let's dive into the world of sous vide cooking! Imagine cooking food to perfection by immersing it in water at a precisely controlled temperature. That's sous vide for you. It's a French term that translates to "under vacuum," as the method often involves vacuum-sealing food before cooking.

For beginners, the process is surprisingly simple. Here's a basic rundown:

Get the Right Equipment:
- You'll need a sous vide precision cooker, which is a device that circulates water and maintains a constant temperature. They come in various styles, so find one that suits your needs.
- Vacuum sealer or Ziploc bags can be used for airtight sealing.
Choose Your Ingredients:
- Sous vide works wonders for meats, vegetables, and even desserts. Pick your favorite!
Season and Seal:
- Season your food with herbs, spices, or marinades. Place the ingredients in a vacuum-sealed bag or a Ziploc bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible.
Set the Temperature:
- Your precision cooker will allow you to set the water temperature to the exact degree you want your food to reach. This ensures uniform cooking.
Cooking Time:
- One of the beauties of sous vide is the forgiving nature of timing. Your food won't overcook if left in the water bath a little longer. However, it's good to have a rough idea of cooking times for different foods.
Searing (Optional):
- While sous vide cooks food perfectly, it doesn't give that appetizing crust or color. Finish your dish by searing it in a hot pan or with a torch for a short time.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Once your food is cooked and perhaps seared, it's ready to serve.Prepare to be amazed at the tenderness and flavor you've achieved.

Now, if you're into cookbooks, there are plenty that delve into the art of sous vide cooking. Look for titles like "Sous Vide for Beginners" or "The Essential Sous Vide Cookbook." These books often provide not only recipes but also tips and tricks to master the technique.

And there you have it—a quick guide to sous vide for beginners! Ready to embark on your culinary journey?

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best sous vide for beginners on the market

Sous Vide for Everybody: The Easy, Foolproof Cooking Technique That's Sweeping the World

America's Test Kitchen

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Product features

Why sous vide?

From the perfect seared steak to crème brûlee with the ideal consistency, sous vide makes cooking easier while taking away all the guesswork and giving you back free time. Our approachable new cookbook, Sous Vide for Everybody, demystifies this simple technique for cooking everything from eggs and meat to vegetables and desserts.

Beef

The closed environment of sous vide cooking prevents moisture loss, and the steady lower temperature activates enzymes that slowly break down collagen (a process that stops at higher temperatures) to produce the most tender, juicy meat you’ll ever taste.

Eggs and Dairy

Eggs are tricky to cook. The white and yolk behave differently when subjected to heat because they have different proportions of proteins, fats, and water. Eggs are perhaps the poster child for sous vide cooking: You can play with time and temperature (use our great chart!) to get the exact texture desired.

Vegetables

Vegetables are prime candidates for sous vide cookery. As America’s Test Kitchen alum J. Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote on Serious Eats: 'It’s one of the few cooking methods where the end result is a vegetable that tastes more like itself than when you started.'

Dessert

Sous vide works particularly well with creamy, custardy desserts—from pudding to ice cream—and with firm fruit-based desserts. Mason jars make things even easier: Cook and serve in the same container.