Started using an Anova Nano sous-vide cooker earlier this year. The device is small enough to fit inside some of our pots, but we ended up getting a Rubbermaid 5qt container for convenience. Food goes inside Ziploc freezer bags. Meat can look ugly after cooking, and has to be seared briefly. Can cook frozen food without unthawing it first, just need to add an hour or so to the cooking time. Cooking could be controlled from an app, but setting the temperature on the device directly seems quicker and simpler.
Settled on the following temperatures, to get (subjectively) perfect results every time:
- New York Steak. 1h+ @ 54°C.
- Filet Mignon. 1h+ @ 58°C.
- Pork Tenderloin. 1h+ @ 60°C.
- Chicken Breast. 2h+ @ 63°C.
- Duck Breast. 1h+ @ 62°C, and sear for 5min on the skin-side.
- Salmon. 30min @ 49°C (wild, low-fat), 52°C (farmed, high-fat). Must brine prior to cooking, and must remove once cooked. Gets very flaky, which makes searing difficult. Probably only worthwhile for thick pieces.
- Tuna. 45min @ 46°C. Pat dry and sear 30s on each side.
Some things don’t seem to be worth the trouble:
- Carrots. 1h+ @ 84°C. Not noticeably better than steamed.
- Sausages. 45min @ 66°C. Not noticeably better than broiled.
- Eggs. Can’t get the whites to solidify before the yolk, at any temperature.