What is Sous vide technology (sous vide) and is it needed in the home kitchen

The essence of the sous-vide culinary method

The sous vide technology (fr. sous vide — "under vacuum") is a method of cooking in a water bath of products placed in a durable plastic bag, from which air is pre–pumped out. The cooking of the dish is slower than on the stove or in the oven, due to the low temperature of the water, where the product sealed in polyethylene is immersed. The water temperature with the vacuum method ranges from 50 °C to 85 °C and never crosses the boiling point. In the process, constant temperature control is very important, which is the basis of proper culinary processing of the sous-vide.

What distinguishes low-temperature heating of products in vacuum from conventional cooking, frying or steam cooking? Firstly, thanks to the sealed packaging, we do not lose the juices that carry the taste, tenderness and aroma of the original product, which, with traditional methods, would inevitably dissolve in water or evaporate in a frying pan. Secondly, for each type of food ingredient, you can choose the optimal temperature that best reveals the taste qualities of the product. An important property of the method is that the dish retains an unchanged taste during cooking for a long time, which is difficult to achieve with conventional methods of heat treatment. After all, there are two extremes in traditional cooking: meat, fish or vegetables will either be too hard or too soft. And the time interval when the dish will be perfect is very short.

Before the start of cooking, as well as after its completion, if you do not plan to serve the dish immediately to the table, the products should be cooled to 3 °C. And don't forget to add salt and season the product with your favorite spices before sealing it in plastic. Note that the technology will not provide the usual ruddy crust characteristic of fried dishes. Therefore, the final chord for meat or fish dishes will be a light frying of the finished product in a frying pan.

Popular su-type devices on the market

AENO SV1

from 3 433 ₴

TFA Sousmatic

from 2 659 ₴

Profi Cook PC-SV 1126

from 3 485 ₴

Caso SV 400

from 4 399 ₴

Heinrichs HSG 8411

from 3 699 ₴

Steba SV 75

from 6 649 ₴

Steba SV 50

from 6 239 ₴

Profi Cook PC-SV 1159

from 5 699 ₴

Profi Cook PC-SV 1112

from 4 800 ₴

Princess 267003

from 5 999 ₴

Anova Precision Cooker Nano

from 9 840 ₴

Anova Precision Cooker Pro

from 29 684 ₴

Steba SV 80

from 11 070 ₴

Teesa TSA8048

from 4 579 ₴

Adler AD 6415

from 3 652 ₴

Caso SV 300

from 5 748 ₴

Equipment required for su-view

For the successful preparation of products "under vacuum", it is necessary to observe the exact technological conditions, which will require the use of special equipment in the kitchen. It includes, first of all, vacuum packers and immersion thermostatic heaters. In the shops of developed countries, you can find a lot of products prepared in advance for cooking using the sous-vide technology. They are sold in sealed plastic bags and are immediately ready for use. Since such blanks are not often found in native penates, we should use the available desktop equipment for hermetically sealed packaging of products for vacuuming. These are relatively inexpensive tubeless electrical appliances that allow air to be pumped out of a plastic package with a culinary ingredient placed there, for subsequent welding of the weld. And you will also need to stock up on plastic bags suitable for the width of the welded plate.

And the main tool for low-temperature cooking will be a heater capable of continuously monitoring the temperature of the process. A universal device for these purposes is a device that vaguely resembles a boiler in appearance and principle of operation. The immersion thermostat is good because it is not tied to a container of a certain volume and can be attached to any deep dish with a clamp. It has a handle and a submersible rod with a thermoelectric element that heats the water in the tank during operation. On the end part of the plastic handle there is a digital display and a control panel that allows you to set the desired temperature and cooking time. The most important element of the device is a thermostat capable of maintaining a set temperature throughout the cooking time. Usually such devices are equipped with a pump or a fan that circulates water to evenly distribute heat throughout the entire container of dishes. And at the end of a given cycle, the automation turns off the device.

Vacuum packers

Gorenje VS120E

from 2 349 ₴

Severin FS 3604

from 1 774 ₴

Caso FastVac 500

from 6 499 ₴

Stenson TL00160

from 885 ₴

Silver Crest SFS 120 A1

from 1 899 ₴

Gorenje VS120W

from 2 195 ₴

Caso VC 300 Pro

from 4 580 ₴

Caso GourmetVac 380

from 5 169 ₴

Profi Cook PC-VK 1080

from 2 439 ₴

Clatronic FS 3261

from 1 219 ₴

MPM MPZ-01

from 1 979 ₴

Profi Cook PC-VK 1134

from 3 919 ₴

Cecotec SealVac 120 SteelCut

from 2 199 ₴

Caso VR 190 Advanced

from 2 919 ₴

Electrolux E4VS1 4 AG

from 1 819 ₴

Camry CR 4470

from 2 399 ₴

Sencor SVS 3010 GY

from 2 699 ₴

Rotex RVS320-B

from 1 816 ₴

Caso VC 100

from 3 694 ₴

Princess 492967

from 3 299 ₴

And of course it is worth preparing a suitable cooking container in advance. It can be a large saucepan, a steel bath or a thermoplastic cookware. Since the container cannot be covered with a lid, the duration of heating the water increases. To simulate a closed dish, many hollow plastic balls are placed on the surface of the water, which perform the function of a "lid".

On the market of equipment for su-vide, you can find universal multivarkers ready to work with this technology. But, since these devices have a limited bowl capacity, they are not widely used. We deliberately do not mention professional equipment for restaurants and cafes, because this is a completely different class of equipment and price category, designed for the preparation of culinary preparations that accelerate customer service.

What you can cook

Contrary to expectations that the technology was created exclusively for meat processing, almost any food can be cooked "under vacuum". In addition to pork, beef, veal, lamb and poultry, you can cook fish, vegetables, fruits and even confectionery. In order not to make a mistake with the thermal regime and cooking time, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the approximate parameters in our summary table.

Advantages and disadvantages of cooking in a vacuum

Like any technology, the su-view has its pros and cons, which are worth paying attention to.

Advantages of low-temperature processing of souse vide products

• Complete preservation of the natural taste, aroma, texture, juiciness, nutritional value and vitamin composition of the product. You will not be able to get such a result from the delicate heat treatment of the dish by any of the other well-known culinary methods;
• Uniform heating of the ingredient throughout the volume. Unlike conventional frying, when the upper layer of the product, being heated by high temperature, is fried harder, and the inner part remains unprepared, the sous-vide distributes the temperature evenly over the entire thickness. At the same time, the possibility of over-drying and overcooking the dish is completely excluded;
• Precise temperature selection for the readiness of each dish. Thermostatic heating with a set temperature allows you to achieve optimal conditions for any product;
• The most waste-free way of cooking. The juices released when the product is heated, thanks to the sealed plastic of the packaging, do not flow out anywhere. They partially impregnate the delicate texture of the dish, and partially turn into a nutritious jelly mass when cooled. Therefore, such culinary concepts as "uzharka" and "uvarka" are not at all appropriate here;
• The possibility of preserving the prepared product for up to 2 weeks. It is enough just to get the cooked dish out of the refrigerator and quickly reheat it in the microwave or in a frying pan.

Disadvantages of cooking "under vacuum"

• Long cooking time. The low temperature of the processes naturally increases the cooking time, which can reach many hours;
• The absence of a ruddy crust. Cooking in plastic never allows you to get a ruddy, toasted crust, which we like so much in meat. Therefore, in most cases, additional frying of the cooked dish in a frying pan is required;
• The risk of botulism. When cooking dishes at a temperature of less than 53 °C for more than 4 hours, the risk of growth of botulism bacteria increases, for which these conditions will be favorable. This danger can be eliminated by increasing the processing temperature;
• The need to purchase special equipment. In order to accurately comply with technological conditions, spending on the purchase of equipment for vacuum packaging and thermostatic heating will be required.

Conclusions and recommendations

The technology of low-temperature cooking of hermetically sealed products in a plastic bag seems to be a very interesting realization of culinary aspirations that give a stable and excellent result. This is not just an addition to traditional cooking methods, but a separate page in the cooking business. Of course, "vacuum" cooking greatly facilitates the work of specialists in the restaurant business, allowing you to prepare dishes of guaranteed quality, ready to serve in a matter of minutes. But, despite the apparent difficulties, cooking in a water bath is quite suitable for home. Taking into account what is known about the capabilities of the su-vid technology, it should be recommended for expanding the arsenal of home cooking enthusiasts, gourmets, "meat eaters", fans of extreme cooking and just lovers of delicious food.