12 Sous Vide Facts & Statistics

Are you tired of overcooked steaks and underwhelming veggies? Well, say hello to sous vide, the cooking method that will revolutionize your kitchen! No more dry chicken or mushy carrots. With sous vide, you’ll be able to cook your food to perfection, every single time. And the best part? You don’t even have to be a top chef to pull it off.

Today, I’m going to let you know a thing or 2 about sous vide advantages and random facts and stats about this reliable cooking method.

Advantages of Sous Vide Cooking

Here are a few advantages of sous vide cooking:

• Precise temperature control— Sous vide cooking, which involves preparing food in a water bath kept at a precise temperature, is ideal for producing repeatable, high-quality results every time. With this method, you can rest assured that your food will always be cooked to perfection.
• Increased food safety—Sous vide cooking reduces the likelihood of foodborne illnesses by killing harmful bacteria and pathogens.
• Improved texture and flavor— By retaining the food’s original flavors and textures, sous vide cooking can create more flavorful and succulent meals.
• Increased convenience— Because you can simply set the temperature and leave the house, sous vide cooking is a time-saving option. You can prepare a meal before you even feel hungry.
• Greater flexibility— You can cook just about anything in a sous vide machine, from meats and vegetables to eggs and even sweets. You can use it to make anything from quick weeknight meals to elaborate, multi-course feasts.

Sous Vide Facts & Statistics

1. Sous vide eliminates various factors that can affect the outcome of your food. Sous vide cooking makes it simple to prepare food to just the right doneness by maintaining a constant temperature throughout the cooking process.
2. Sous video retains more juice. The bag prevents the food’s natural juices escaping during the cooking process. Additionally, the food is less likely to dry out or lose moisture because it is cooked at a lower temperature than other methods.
3. Sous vide can reduce food wastage. This cooking method achieves this in a few different ways. First, because moisture is retained in a vacuum-sealed bag, you will end up tossing away less food due to dryness or toughness. Sous vide cooking also reduces food waste because it lets you control the degree of doneness to which your food is cooked. Last but not least, since sous vide cooking lest you cook food far in advance and store it for later use, you can prepare larger quantities of food at once and use it as needed, decreasing the need to throw away leftovers.
4. Sous vide machines come in a variety of styles. Let’s take a close look at them individually:
   1. Sous vide immersion circulator— This appliance is used to heat and recirculate water. The device, which resembles a standard immersion blender but contains a heating element and a pump, is submerged in a water bath to cook food. Due to their portability, ease of use, and compatibility with any container big enough to hold the water and the sealed food, immersion circulators are a common choice for sous vide cooking.
   2. Sous vide water oven— It is made up of a heating element, a pump, and a thermostat and is meant to warm and recirculate water in the built-in container. Due to their small size and portability, sous vide water ovens are a great option for people who don’t have a lot of cabinet space in their kitchen but still want to enjoy the benefits of sous vide cooking.
   3. Any waterproof heating system you have—Do you have a cooler you can fill with hot water? What about a rice cooker or a slower cooker that gradually heats the water and keeps it at a steady temperature? Would you feel comfortable increasing your home’s water heater temperature and filling your bathtub with hot water? You can use any of these tools as DIY sous vide machines!
5. The popularity of sous vide started in the late-1990s to early 2000s. Since then, popularity has continued to grow, even among professional chefs, many of whom keep quiet about their reliance on this reliable cooking method.
6. The sous vide machine market may reach a value of $1.28 billion by 2023. Many people (both amateur cooks and professional chefs) now have sous vide machines in their homes because of the widespread interest in sous vide cooking in recent years. The rising popularity of home cooking and the need for more consistent and reliable cooking results are likely causes of this upward trend, as are the decreasing prices of sous vide machines.
7. Sous vide has the potential to retain more nutrients. Sous vide cooking may be less likely to cause the breakdown or loss of certain nutrients than conventional cooking methods. Additionally, the food is less likely to lose moisture or come into contact with oxygen because it is cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag.
8. You can make desserts with a sous vide machine. If you love white chocolate brittle, crème brulée, almond financier, and much more, you’ll be glad to know that you can prepare a wide range of desserts with a sous vide machine!
9. You can place sous vide meat in the fridge before searing and serving. If you want to make a large batch of meat for your guests, you can sous vide your meat and keep them chilled in a fridge. When you’re ready to serve, simply unwrap the meat and sear it in a hot skillet.
10. You can still overcook the meat. Some people might tell you that sous vide won’t overcook meat, but this simply isn’t true. Even if your sous vide machine is set to a lower temperature, leaving sealed meat in the heated water for extended periods can result in a mushy texture. However, it’s completely safe to leave large cuts of meat, like prime rib roast, for 3 consecutive days in a sous vide bath.

Sous Vide FAQs

1. Do you need to cover the container when cooking sous vide?

Yes, you do. Remember that the water needs to maintain a consistent temperature, and leaving it open will allow heat to escape. In addition, a tight-fitting lid will prevent water from escaping due to evaporation. When too much water evaporates, you need to refill the container, and the sous vide machine will have to start over to heat the water and maintain a constant temperature.

2. Do commercial steakhouses cook sous vide?

Despite what everyone tries to tell you, yes, some professional kitchens, including steakhouses, cook sous vide. Unfortunately, this means your steak was probably chilled and reheated to order.

3. Does cooking sous vide make meat more tender?

Not any more tender than traditional braising. When the meat reaches a 120°F, it will begin to tenderize. So, even if you want to prepare a rare steak by cooking sous vide, it can achieve the optimal tenderness levels you yearn for.