Everything Sous Vide

Advertise with us
Miura knives
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
cooktocut said:
My two cents on sous vide… I prefer the joule for a few reasons. One, and most important, is that I can turn it on from outside my house. If I’m on my way home from work, or coming back from the bar buzzed and hungry, I can have my water warmed up by the time I get home, then just put my frozen vacuum sealed meal in the water and in 20 minutes I’m good to go. This is really a game changer for me. Quicker than cooking, quicker than Uber eats. It does a very good job of warming the water up quickly. I’ve also used it as a very handy way to figure out if my power is out at home, by connecting to it and seeing if I can turn it on. Then again that last one is minor since there are plenty of other solutions for that. My only gripe about Joule is they seem to tap out at about a year and a half to two years if you don’t take them out of the water regularly, clean and service them, etc. I think that sous vide cooking and reheating is so good that everyone should have one. I just wish that there was a better solution to all the single use plastics that get wasted with those bags. I do know that they sell the reusable bags, which I try and use as much as possible, but since most of my sous vide use is from bulk meal prep where I’m freezing 20-30 bags of a recipe in individual servings for reheating later… it’s unavoidable at this point.
Click to expand...
Thats a awesome point, makes a lot of sense! Thats why i'm leaning towards Joule, quite easy to store, small and aestethic, practical for the us guys who are not all the time at home as well.
 
Delat said:
I’m surprised to hear the noise complaint; mine is extremely quiet, just a low hum. I’ve noticed that mine needs a certain minimum water level to avoid churning which is noisy. If I go just above that level, which is a bit higher than the minimum level indicated on the device, it quiets down a ton.

One of the fun things I like to sous vide is individual crime brûlée jars. Less stress and easy peasy vs doing it an oven. I do a similar thing except with eggs to make small single-serve breakfast cups. I usually put some leftover bolognese sauce or bacon jam in the bottom, then mix up eggs with cheese and salt to fill, then sous vide.

Here’s a video of the crème brûlée process from my IG. I understand you can skip tempering the eggs when doing sous vide but I’ve never tried it.
Click to expand...

great video, great song, looks so delicious!
 
BrunofromBrazil said:
Thats a awesome point, makes a lot of sense! Thats why i'm leaning towards Joule, quite easy to store, small and aestethic, practical for the us guys who are not all the time at home as well.
Click to expand...
If you do end up going down the vacuum seal/sous vide rabbit hole, I strongly recommend getting a chamber vac sealer sooner rather than later. I went the normal vacuum sealer route for the first little bit, with the rolls of bags… and let me tell you cutting all those bags, sealing one end, then sealing them one at a time… such a huge pain. Not only is it a waste of time, but you also have to pay close attention when you’re sealing so you’re not sucking liquid into the machine, which you will inevitably do and then have to clean it. My chamber vac is one of my most cherished possessions other than my knives and my sous vide. I can seal 4 bags at a time, and they sell 500 ct packs of bags that are already sealed on one end and are very affordable. You can also use thicker bags, like 5 mil for bone in products or sous vide lobster tail, for example. Not sure that’s an option for those regular sealers. The only drawbacks - lg footprint, need to change the oil regularly (not very hard), and you can’t seal hot foods with liquid in them, because liquids boil at very low temperatures in a vacuum and will make a big mess in the machine. That last issue is easily rectified by just letting your food chill in the fridge overnight and then portioning and sealing it the following day.

Edit - if I have something larger than let’s say 16 inches to seal, I use my regular vacuum sealer since it won’t fit in the chamber vac. Perfect for curing pork bellies for bacon, for example. Weigh the pork, figure out the portion of your seasonings, then just slide that bad boy in a long bag, sprinkle the seasonings in, then seal and throw in the fridge. No mess, risk of leaking, less dishes to clean, easy to flip and the seasonings are definitely going to penetrate better. Another good example would be sealing a rack of ribs, you’d need a regular sealer.
 
Last edited:
Not particularly helpful if the OP wants to cook and then freeze, but I've been using a (Stasher?) silicone bag with reasonably good success. I tried using a zip-loc at first but was concerned about the plastic melting and potentially leeching into whatever was inside. The silicone is quite thick, so you'll never get as good of a vacuum, but in my experience of cooking fish and meat over the past year, that hasn't been all that much of an issue.
 
cooktocut said:
If you do end up going down the vacuum seal/sous vide rabbit hole, I strongly recommend getting a chamber vac sealer sooner rather than later. I went the normal vacuum sealer route for the first little bit, with the rolls of bags… and let me tell you cutting all those bags, sealing one end, then sealing them one at a time… such a huge pain. Not only is it a waste of time, but you also have to pay close attention when you’re sealing so you’re not sucking liquid into the machine, which you will inevitably do and then have to clean it. My chamber vac is one of my most cherished possessions other than my knives and my sous vide. I can seal 4 bags at a time, and they sell 500 ct packs of bags that are already sealed on one end and are very affordable. You can also use thicker bags, like 5 mil for bone in products or sous vide lobster tail, for example. Not sure that’s an option for those regular sealers. The only drawbacks - lg footprint, need to change the oil regularly (not very hard), and you can’t seal hot foods with liquid in them, because liquids boil at very low temperatures in a vacuum and will make a big mess in the machine. That last issue is easily rectified by just letting your food chill in the fridge overnight and then portioning and sealing it the following day.

Edit - if I have something larger than let’s say 16 inches to seal, I use my regular vacuum sealer since it won’t fit in the chamber vac. Perfect for curing pork bellies for bacon, for example. Weigh the pork, figure out the portion of your seasonings, then just slide that bad boy in a long bag, sprinkle the seasonings in, then seal and throw in the fridge. No mess, risk of leaking, less dishes to clean, easy to flip and the seasonings are definitely going to penetrate better. Another good example would be sealing a rack of ribs, you’d need a regular sealer.
Click to expand...
Yeah haha I already have a regular vacuum sealer and a really cheap Sous vide, currently looking to up my game. Double bagged a lot of bone in meats haha As well as, double sealing not to risk a breach. I never thought of getting a chamber vacuum selaer, are they really that good?

Thanks,

Bruno
 
BrunofromBrazil said:
Yeah haha I already have a regular vacuum sealer and a really cheap Sous vide, currently looking to up my game. Double bagged a lot of bone in meats haha As well as, double sealing not to risk a breach. I never thought of getting a chamber vacuum selaer, are they really that good?

Thanks,

Bruno
Click to expand...
I would say if you’re not doing very high volume that the cost can’t be justified. If you don’t regularly find yourself having to do more than maybe 4 or 5 bags at a time then it’s probably not worth it.
 
I bought a chamber vac during the pandemic because I’d gotten tired of ziplocks failing in my deep freeze. That alone justified it, especially when buying meats a case at a time (having since gone mostly vegetarian). My Joule is named Sue.
 
The vacuum level you can achieve with a chamber vacuum is a lot higher, so high that you can boil liquid at room temperature (or even ice water, with some of the more expensive units with super powerful pumps). You can also seal liquid in the bags and do things like compression and vacuum infusion/pickling. They used to be very large and very expensive, but smaller, less expensive models have emerged on the scene over the past few years.

Another bonus is that the chamber vacuum bags are much cheaper than edge sealer bags and Ziplocs. And chamber vacuum bags don't have that "waffle" texture that edge sealer bags have, which always used to bother me. I don't know that the standard 3mm thick bags are any tougher than, say, FoodSaver (an edge sealer brand) bags, but all vacuum sealer bags are much more durable than Ziplocs.
 
cooktocut said:
I would say if you’re not doing very high volume that the cost can’t be justified. If you don’t regularly find yourself having to do more than maybe 4 or 5 bags at a time then it’s probably not worth it.
Click to expand...
I’m thinking a lot about using it for meal preps! Maybe it could be worth it, need to research a bot more in here, Brazil, things tend to be a bit more expensive always haha Thanks again for the tips!
 
Dan- said:
I bought a chamber vac during the pandemic because I’d gotten tired of ziplocks failing in my deep freeze. That alone justified it, especially when buying meats a case at a time (having since gone mostly vegetarian). My Joule is named Sue.
Click to expand...
Is he a boy named sue? Putting the reference out there hehe I’m a big country fan hehe
 
btbyrd said:
The vacuum level you can achieve with a chamber vacuum is a lot higher, so high that you can boil liquid at room temperature (or even ice water, with some of the more expensive units with super powerful pumps). You can also seal liquid in the bags and do things like compression and vacuum infusion/pickling. They used to be very large and very expensive, but smaller, less expensive models have emerged on the scene over the past few years.

Another bonus is that the chamber vacuum bags are much cheaper than edge sealer bags and Ziplocs. And chamber vacuum bags don't have that "waffle" texture that edge sealer bags have, which always used to bother me. I don't know that the standard 3mm thick bags are any tougher than, say, FoodSaver (an edge sealer brand) bags, but all vacuum sealer bags are much more durable than Ziplocs.
Click to expand...
Niceee, I love the idea to maintain liquid inside the bag, without having to deep clean my vacuum sealer haha I will do a bit of research into it and into the options we have here in Brazil!

Thanks.
 
Bruno, how often do you vac seal? And, how much do you vac seal when you do it? Do you vac seal liquids? I think those 3 answers will likely determine if you need Chamber sealed or not
 
ptolemy said:
Bruno, how often do you vac seal? And, how much do you vac seal when you do it? Do you vac seal liquids? I think those 3 answers will likely determine if you need Chamber sealed or not
Click to expand...
Not as much as I intend to! I want to use it more regularly, at least once a week, for meal prep for the week! Perhaps I would vac seal stocks, soup bases or some sauces!
 
I use the Polyscience immersion circulator and a large polycarbonate bath when I have a lot to cook, and the Joule mounted to a simple stock pot for smaller things. The Polysci would be overkill for what it sounds your needs are, but I like that it has enough power to sous vide whole roasts or whole turkey roulades. On the other hand, the Joule is nice in that you can be up and running quickly with a stockpot getting the water up to temp on the range.

I'd look carefully at @ptolemy's questions. Not all vacuum sealers work with liquids, and not all bags work with all sealers. I like pre cut bags, as I think rolls are a pain. And if you plan to seal proteins with bones I'd go for the 3 mil thick bags.
 
I’ve done entire briskets, entire strip loins, entire birds, multiple racks of ribs at a time… all with the Joule. Never had an issue. Did a couple briskets for over 24 hours as well. Holds temperature just fine, but I just wrap the big container with towels to insulate it and help out a little for those longer cooks.

Also in my experience 3 mil isn’t thick enough for bones. 5 mil or it might bust in the water or the freezer.
 
Last edited:
The polycarbonate cambros are definitely useful if you want to do higher temp cooks. Heat loss through the side of a stock pots can be a pain - first time I tried doing carrots at 180F, the Anova had problems getting my 20qt stock pot up to temp. Had to wrap the pot in towels to try and keep the heat in. Not a problem in cambro.
 
Good to know. I didn't mean to imply the Joule couldn't - just my experience - and the small 12 quart container it came with. I also have never insulated - just foil on top.

I can't tell for sure, but it also looks like the current joules are a little larger and more powerful. Mine is from before Breville took over chef Steps. Actually my Poly Sci is pre Breville too LOL.

I like that the new ones have a magnetic bottom - if I didn't already have one I'd find that helpful.
 
btbyrd said:
Incidentally, my Joule is named "Bruno" on my wifi/Bluetooth networks after Bruno Goussault, the godfather of sous vide cooking.
Click to expand...
On an entirely related note and exactly as cerebral note, mine from the days before the price hikes were entirely named because French phonetics when transcribed to English are funny

Also, to add to the thread. My only issue with the joules was that the early versions only used 2.4 ghz Wi-Fi in an era when most routers had both. If you were unlucky and had a router that had a single network for both 5 and 2.4 it caused the connections to entirely fail. My current system has both again so it works fine. App has always been fine, although they abandoned adding recipes to it once breville bought them and wanted to sell another freaking monthly sub.

1694440352100.png
 
After a bit of research thinking more and more about the Joule! In regards to the vacuum sealer need to research a bit more, only found pro cahmber vacuum sealers! It appears as well that the Joule has a stronger sous vide right now! That might be interesting...

By the way, when I used to do bone in proteins, I used to double bag only the bone, I would make a pouch the size of the bone, seal both ends and cut it in the middle (used roll of bags). So I had the bigger bag that the protein was in, double sealed, of course, and then the smaller one only in the bone. Never leaked or had a issue with it, my bags were 3 mil thick.

Thanks guys!
 
I don’t think there are consumer chamber vacs other than stuff like Miele’s super expensive built-in.
 
BrunofromBrazil said:
After a bit of research thinking more and more about the Joule! In regards to the vacuum sealer need to research a bit more, only found pro cahmber vacuum sealers! It appears as well that the Joule has a stronger sous vide right now! That might be interesting...

By the way, when I used to do bone in proteins, I used to double bag only the bone, I would make a pouch the size of the bone, seal both ends and cut it in the middle (used roll of bags). So I had the bigger bag that the protein was in, double sealed, of course, and then the smaller one only in the bone. Never leaked or had a issue with it, my bags were 3 mil thick.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
My greatest concern about the Joule is the interface... I won't buy any appliance with an app-only interface. I have used an Anova cooker (a couple of them, actually) for quite a few years, and more than once, an OS update for my smartphone introduced a bug that prevent the app from communicating with the immersion cooker. (The first time this happened, I had only a Bluetooth enabled cooker; the second time, the OS update screwed up the apps ability to communicate with the cooker via either Bluetooth or wifi. Without manual controls (which the Anova model has), I would have been unable to use my cooker until the problem was fixed. Also, although it seems unlikely, if the manufacturer ever stops supporting your cooker, it is possible that no app updates will be released and you'll have a end of life appliance. I just don't trust appliances that are controllable only via an app.

Also, I have found a decent vacuum sealer to be one of the more useful purchases I'm made for the kitchen. It's great for sous vide (especially long cooks or higher temp cooks, where zip top bags are prone to fail) and a vac sealer is really idea for cooking larger batches of food and then freezing single servings. I use mine several times each week and I would not be without it.
 
Last edited:
JASinIL2006 said:
My greatest concern about the Joule is the interface... I won't buy any appliance with an app-only interface. I have used an Anova cooker (a couple of them, actually) for quite a few years, and more than once, an OS update for my smartphone introduced a bug that prevent the app from communicating with the immersion cooker. (The first time this happened, I had only a Bluetooth enabled cooker; the second time, the OS update screwed up the apps ability to communicate with the cooker via either Bluetooth or wifi. Without manual controls (which the Anova model has), I would have been unable to use my cooker until the problem was fixed. Also, although it seems unlikely, if the manufacturer ever stops supporting your cooker, it is possible that no app updates will be released and you'll have a end of life appliance. I just don't trust appliances that are controllable only via an app.

Also, I have found a decent vacuum sealer to be one of the more useful purchases I'm made for the kitchen. It's great for sous vide (especially long cooks or higher temp cooks, where zip top bags are prone to fail) and a vac sealer is really idea for cooking larger batches of food and then freezing single servings. I use mine several times each week and I would not be without it.
Click to expand...
Vacuum sealer is a must, after u start using it you can't go without it! It's super pratical and it suplants the need for tupperwares! I love it, thats why I'm wanting to buy a new one!
 
cooktocut said:
I just want to add this because I think it’s important… when you’re using sous vide it’s absolutely imperative that the bag is dry and free of water before you start dumping stuff onto plates for eating or for next steps. Just a small amount of that water is enough to get you super sick. I’ve only had self induced food poisoning twice, and both times were from not doing this. Water that’s heated and cooled, heated and cooled, that DOES have food in it since those bags are not completely impermeable and they do let oils/other organics to leach out of them, are a perfect breeding ground for some nasty bacteria that will have you worshiping the porcelain throne for hours.
Click to expand...
What?
 
Rreidiii said:
What?
Click to expand...
He is referring to what people call the danger zone of sous vide temps, 40F to 140F or so, where bacteria can grow despite no air. So most sous vide proteins get cooked, a short rest to re-absorb juices, then ice bath and fridge temps for safety. Then final hot cook method before plating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top