A favourite method among professional chefs, serious foodies know that sous vide cooking (which literally translates to “under vacuum”) produces some of the most succulent food possible. It's an extremely slow process, where food sealed in vacuum bags is cooked in a water bath at consistent, low temperatures.
What's the big deal about bagging food before you cook it? The magic isn't “in the bag”, as it were, it's actually in the temperature. Sous vide meals benefit from the ability to regulate and maintain precise temperatures (give or take a degree) over a set period of time. Food cooks in its own juices, guaranteeing delicious results, every time. But really, aside from that, it's the forgiving nature of this method that makes sous vide perfect for at-home cooks.
When you want to cook like the chef's do, you need the right equipment, and the chef's use the PolyScience Sous Vide Professional Immersion Circulator.
What's so special?
The PolyScience Immersion Circulator is a workhorse machine, built with the professional kitchen in mind. It features a powerful pump that continuously circulates heated water – up to eight gallons at a time! - to ensure uniform cooking temperatures.
Cooking temperatures can be adjusted at the touch of a button, from 59 degrees Fahrenheit to 212 (the boiling point of water), and it can be set to 1/10th of a degree. It really takes the guess work out of preparing the perfect salmon fillet or beef brisket. Just a quick sear or grill before serving for that perfect browned finish.
Does it really work?
You shouldn't be surprised that yes, this thing actually works. Steaks and chicken are plumper and juicer, fish and chicken are moist, never dry.
PolyScience were the first company to come out with an immersion circulator for the home, and over the years have worked on perfecting the little bugs that made past machines less than perfect – low light LED screen, a tendency for temperatures to vary too much over long periods, etc. Top chefs may love using it to create culinary masterpieces, but that shouldn't deter even the most amateur cooks from trying it out. No matter how long you leave your bag in the bath, the meat inside will never dry out or become tough. Set and forget.
Should you buy it?
If you aren't passionate about food in a way your friends might consider compulsive, we say definitely not. The CHEF series is $799 American, the Creative series, which heats up about 5.5 gallons of water, is $399 – both really expensive and definitely not worth it if you're only planning on occasional use. In addition, you also have to pick up a vacuum sealer and bags, and that can add up.
But! Dedicated foodies looking for a fool-proof cooking method that will wow their guests at every dinner party, definitely need this in their kitchen.
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