By Jeanette Settembre
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You don’t have to be a Michelin-star chef to master the technique of sous vide in the kitchen. This French method, in which food cooks in a vacuum-sealed bag typically placed in temperature-controlled water, allows for cooking a range of meats, fish and produce — from steak au poivre and halibut, to barbecue tofu and caramelized onions. Using this cooking method, foods retain their moisture, “resulting in a moister final product,” explains chef Daniel Carpenter of virtual restaurant operator Nextbite, who develops the company’s restaurant concepts and menus. The result is often a perfectly-cooked cut of just about anything, and at price you can often stomach: For example, the highly recommended Anova Precision Sous Vide cooker with WiFi is on sale at Williams Sonoma for $139.95 . Here are our chef-recommended picks for sous vide equipment:
Simple to use and affordable Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker with Wifi
$139.95
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Designed to work with any pot you have in the kitchen — you just attach a pot, add water and food in a sealed bag or glass jar then press start
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Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities so cooks can control their cooking via their mobile device and adjust from wherever as needed
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Access to more than 4,000 recipes
“It’s durable, stable, and equipped with modern technology to help home cooks participate in the IoT (Internet of Things) trend in cooking. If you have a pasta pot and Ziplocs in your kitchen, you can sous vide with this device. Combined with a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer , you can get into the sous vide game for under $300,” says Carpenter. And New York City executive chef John DeLucie, who oversees Italian restaurants Ainslie in Brooklyn and Carroll Place in Manhattan, is also a fan of the product’s affordability and simplicity. “I like the Anova for the price and ease of use with the app. I use it on meat, poultry and veggies, especially carrots, all with great results,” DeLucie says.
One appliance, 11 uses Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1
$79.95
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Good bang for your buck: The Instant Pot can not only sous vide, but also pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, sterilize, make yogurt, keep food warmer, bake a cake and steam
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28 customizable cooking program settings
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4.8 stars and 1,300 reviews
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The inner pot and pressure cooking lid are dishwasher safe for an easy clean-up
