Sous Vide Cooking, is it new?

Sous Vide cooking isn’t new to the kitchen, in fact it originated in France in the 1970’s and is used daily across the world in professional kitchens to enhance flavour, reduce preparation time and ensure consistent results. The function however hasn’t really taken off in domestic homes largely due to the need for specialist equipment (which can be very bulky), until now.

New technology, better manufacturing techniques and a growing demand for more professional cooking equipment for aspiration home cooks has meant that the Sous Vide function is now being introduced into smart ovens like Bora’s recently launched X BO, and incorporated into the latest steam ovens from Neff and Siemens.

But the questions on your lips are probably still, what on earth does Sous Vide mean, could it seriously improve your cooking and, is it worth the investment?

Here at JD Kitchens we’ve been experimenting with a bit of cooking in our display kitchen and we’ve been impressed with the flavour and ease of cooking it offers, so we have come up with 12 tasty reasons to choose sous vide cooking and incorporate it in your next kitchen design.

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What is Sous-Vide Cooking?

Sous vide cooking is a unique and precise cooking technique that involves cooking vacuum-sealed food in a water bath at a controlled temperature for an extended period. This method offers several benefits:

1. Precision Cooking: Sous vide allows for precise control over cooking temperatures, ensuring that your food is cooked to the exact level of doneness you desire. This precision can be difficult to achieve with traditional cooking methods.
2. Consistent Results: With sous vide, you can achieve consistent results every time you cook. Since the temperature is tightly controlled, there’s a lower risk of overcooking or undercooking your food.
3. Improved Texture: The gentle and even cooking of sous vide helps to maintain the natural texture and moisture of the food. This is especially beneficial for delicate proteins like fish and tender cuts of meat, which can easily become tough or dry with traditional cooking methods.
4. Enhanced Flavors: When cooking sous vide, the flavours of the ingredients are sealed in the vacuum-sealed bag, resulting in intensified and more concentrated flavours. This can lead to incredibly flavourful dishes.
5. Nutrient Retention: Because the food is cooked in a sealed environment, fewer nutrients are lost during the cooking process compared to boiling or other high-heat methods.
6. Reduced Food Waste: Sous vide can help reduce food waste by allowing you to cook tougher cuts of meat or lesser-known ingredients to perfection. These cuts might otherwise be discarded due to their toughness.
7. Convenience: Sous vide cooking is great for meal prep. You can cook large batches of food, portion them, and then simply reheat or sear them when you’re ready to eat.
8. Time Flexibility: The longer cooking times associated with sous vide give you more flexibility in your schedule. You can leave the food in the water bath for longer periods without worrying about overcooking.
9. Less Supervision: Once you’ve set the temperature and immersed the food in the water bath, there’s less need to closely monitor the cooking process. This can free you up to focus on other tasks.
10. Tenderization of Tough Cuts: Sous vide is especially effective for breaking down tough connective tissues in cuts of meat, making them tender and flavourful without the need for extended cooking times at high temperatures.
11. Safe Cooking: Sous vide cooking often involves cooking food to temperatures that ensure food safety, which is particularly important for proteins like poultry and pork.
12. Creative Possibilities: Sous vide cooking allows for experimentation with various flavourings, seasonings, and marinades that can infuse the food over long cooking times.

However, after all these ticks in the benefits column, it is important to note that Sous Vide cooking isn’t always the end of the cooking process, for example, if you want a crispy exterior or caramelisation on your steak you will still need to use an additional process.

That said, we think that if you can lock in nutrients, and get a superior flavour and texture for very little effort, why on earth would you not!?

Sous vide siemens snap

And in the BORA  X BO it really is very simple. There’s a programme already set on the touch screen to take you through the process, no risk of the water source running dry, no matter what cut of tough meat your cooking, as the oven is plumbed directly into the water supply and excess simply drains away. The oven even dries itself before you open the door!

Have we converted you to Sous Vide or just given you more questions to ask?  Get in touch and let us know what you think.

JD Kitchens are based in Warrington, Cheshire.  They supply and fit quality German kitchens with the latest technology.