Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide

The SousVide Supreme isn't much to look at. It is a big silver box, a bit larger than a bread machine. The controls on the front are simple. It has little more than a temperature readout, controls to set the temperature, at timer, and a power switch. You can set it to within 1 degree Fahrenheit or .5 degrees Celsius. Inside, it is mostly a big, empty chamber that you fill with water. The reservoir has a false bottom so that things you are cooking are kept from directly touching any hot spots. There is an odd little rack that goes inside to hold your food packets.

I've been very excited about the possibilities of sous vide cookery. For those who don't know, sous vide involves vacuum-packing (and sealing) raw food and cooking it in a controlled, low-temperature water bath. The idea is that the food maintains its shape and appearance while becoming equally cooked throughout. For example, if you cook a steak sous vide to a particular temperature, it will be exactly that temperature throughout - not rarer in the center and more well-done on the outside.