This $89.95 'life-saving' sous vide precision cooker may surpass the Instant Pot in 2020
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The art of cooking has certainly evolved through the years, with several gadgets and once-considered "unconventional" methods serving as the go-to way for navigating around the kitchen for many. In the late 2010s, the Instant Pot became one of the quickest and most common ways for home cooks to get meals on the table in a flash, without sacrificing flavor or texture. Now, however, it's a new decade and the sous vide precision cooker is the new gadget that's set to take the throne as the appliance to have.
Once exclusively used by professional chefs at four and five-star restaurants, the sous vide precision cooker has already surpassed the Instant Pot, for many, in the ability to more accurately prepare a range of foods. If you're unsure of how this works, we're here to break it all down for you.
Shop: Stainless Steel Yedi Total Package Sous Vide Cooker, $89.95
This gadget uses water to cook your food to the doneness of your preference. From proteins like chicken and steak to vegetables like green beans and broccoli, they are all prepared to perfection without the use of pans. All that's required is the ability to press a few buttons. Easy peasy, right?
How it works (in detail)
If you're still a bit skeptical about how you can possibly cook a fillet of fish or a medium-rare steak to perfection, for example, without using a pan, that's fair! — but it is possible. The sous vide precision cooker, like the one from trusted brand Yedi pictured above, uses water to both preserve your food and cook it to perfection.
Here's how the process works: a pot is filled with water and the appliance uses a cooling system to keep the proteins or veggies placed inside the water bath from spoiling — similarly to if they were placed in the refrigerator. When you turn the machine on and instruct it to begin the cooking process it produces heat, by way of bubbles, which surround your food and cook it to the doneness of your choice. This can also be adjusted so it is ready whether you are in the kitchen during the cooking process or away from home, and need it to be ready when you walk through the door.
(Credit: Amazon)
All you have to do is season your proteins or veggies, place them into the food-safe reusable BPA-free vacuum-sealed bags provided with the appliance, suck the air out with the included hand pump and, once the bag is completely air-tight, place it into the pot of water. That's it! Note, though, that while your food will technically be submerged in water, it is not being boiled, as the machine is using bubbles for water circulation and optimal heat control. We know — Chemistry.
The appliance's process resembles that of a slow cooker, preparing your food at a slow and steady pace, which is fittingly described as "sous-vide style" by chefs. What's even sweeter is that, through this process, you never have to check on your food while it's cooking — no flipping or stirring required.
In addition to being convenient and simple, this process also ensures that meats that need to be cooked through are never under- or overcooked. No rare chicken here, folks!
Pricing and Customer Reviews
These machines usually retail between $100 and $400. This incredible 30-piece find from Yedi, however — which comes equipped with the machine and a full accessory kit including the hand pump, 20 reusable FDA-certified vacuum-sealed bags, four sous vide container clips and two sous vide vacuum bag sealing clips — is available on Amazon for $89.95!
Boasting overwhelmingly positive reviews from shoppers, this particular brand's version of the appliance has proven to be a home run for home cooks.
"For our 5 year anniversary, I whipped up a 5 course meal using this sous vide. For someone who hardly cooks, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to use," one shopper wrote. "More so, I was surprised at how tender and perfectly flavored our steaks came out. Not only was my husband surprised and impressed at my use of the sous vide, but the ease of the use and mouth watering output has inspired me to continue experimenting using my new sous vide."
Another customer admitted to cooking a frozen salmon steak in under 90 minutes "with great results." "[It] maintained a very consistent temperature while cooking. I used the supplied bag and vacuum pump and they worked great. I'll be buying more as X-mas gifts."
One more reviewer described the product as a "lifesaver" and even dubbed it "a must buy." "I've cooked steak, chicken breasts and carne asada and thus far have no complaints. The food tasted amazing!"
If you're looking for the next kitchen gadget that's set to blow up, here's your early ticket to the party!
