These Sous Vide Machines Take the Cooking Out of Your Hands

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Simply by virtue of having a French name, sous vide cooking sounds a lot fancier and more complicated than it is. In reality, a sous vide machine takes about 99 percent of actual effort out of the the cooking process completely.

Sous vide is a method of cooking food by heating circulated water. To operate, you simply attach the device to a stock pot or basin of water, seal your food in a plastic bag and drop it in the pot. Set the sous vide to the correct settings and let it do all the rest. In addition to making cooking a million times easier, sous vides allow you to set very precise temperatures and cooking times, making for perfectly-cooked food every time. What that means: you’ll never have to eat a less-than-juicy steak or tough filet of salmon ever again.

What is a Good Sous Vide?

So what should you look for when you’re shopping for one of the best sous vide devices? Perhaps surprisingly, there is a lot less you have to think about with sous vides than with items that seem like they’d be pretty straightforward (looking at you cast iron pans). Here is what to consider.

Efficiency: Sous vides with a higher gallons per minute (GPM) rate come to temperature and maintain temperature more quickly than others because of the increased speed at which the water circulates. Other factors affecting a sous vide’s efficiency include how precisely it can control temperature, and whether it has features like presets that make cooking even easier for the cook.

Controls: Some sous vides are controlled remotely via app, but we prefer models that include controls directly on the device itself, usually with some sort of touchscreen LED display.

Size and Design: In general, most people favor slender sous vides, which are easy to store and use. We also look at small details like clamp design and adjustability, which can impact how convenient the machine is to use.

WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity: Many but not all sous vides can connect to WiFi or Bluetooth and be operated via phone app. These features are especially handy if you want to start or stop your machine remotely.