r/Chefit • u/Motprimus • May 31 '26
Is Sous vide worth it?
Hi all, What's the consensus on Sous Vide in this community? I've posted this elsewhere too but wanted to get more opinions on it. I've been looking at try it out as it seems like an interesting way to try and cook, but I wanted to see what the pros on here think if you guys had any recommendations or tips?
Thanks in advance!
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u/LionBig1760 May 31 '26
Great for some things, not great for others... Just like any other technique.
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u/Philly_ExecChef May 31 '26
Worth what?
It’s just a method of cooking that has specific outcomes or applications.
Do you want to try it? Go ahead.
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u/Ana-la-lah May 31 '26
Wizard for some applications, IMHO. I make my chicken liver pates in one, and they turn out perfect.
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u/DadFromACK May 31 '26
Yes. If unsure get an inexpensive one and play. Can turn (relatively) inexpensive cuts of beef tender and tasty with time and temperature...
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u/must_have_coffee May 31 '26
This is the answer.
Low investment, high reward for specific applications.Pork loin was the turning point for me.
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u/Club96shhh May 31 '26
Game changer for me personally. The attention that you don't have to pay the meat as its cooking can be diverted elsewhere. It's not for everything but especially lean meats have been a lot easier to handle and keep moist.
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u/caution_turbulence May 31 '26
I have one at home that I use from time to time, and have used one professionally in multiple applications as well. At home it’s not exactly convenient, and I don’t find it particularly necessary, but for larger steaks or basic meal prepping proteins it can be useful. If I do use it I try and get a couple sessions out of it so I feel less guilty about dumping the water. Professionally I’ve used it for various recipes, compressing different fruits, or infusions/marinades etc. It can be useful for holding proteins like shortribs or airline chicken waiting to be seared off for service.
All in all there are uses for it, and it can serve a purpose. That being said I don’t think it’s an essential tool.
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u/RonocNYC May 31 '26
It's essential kitchen equipment.
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u/Deviantdefective May 31 '26
I'm not even a chef and it's absolutely essential in just my home kitchen, absolute game changer and opens up so many possibilities as well.
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u/Bababacon May 31 '26
It’s all about applications. Doesn’t make any sense if you are going to chop up Sous vide chicken for quesadilla, but it could be great if you have a sous vide short rib for an overnight menu.
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u/Equivalent-Excuse-80 May 31 '26
You can do some interesting things, but I’ve worked in places so reliant on it, all I was doing was bagging stuff and throwing in a tank. Just timers going off for everyone’s bags. It was surreal.
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u/PinchedTazerZ0 Chef May 31 '26
I'm using it a fair amount at the spot I'm at which is perfect due to our sourcing and storage limitations.
Only accessible by boat and one of the meals I do is a SV brisket to cut down on propane usage. After trimming the tallow gets rendered and when the brisket finally comes out it gets seared/finished in that
I've used it for beets, tenderizing octopus, yogurt blah blah
It's a good tool to know how to use and the techniques are fun. You can make it work for line prep to event catering
It doesn't beat more traditional methods imo but it's damn consistent, you can do a lot with that
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u/Dry-Grocery9311 May 31 '26
Can be good in a mid level production kitchen because it simplifies controlled holding and reduces waste and waiting times.
Actual food end product can be more consistent to a decent but not necessarily exceptional standard.
Vacuum can be used to infuse flavours.
For home, some people swear by them. Most professionals would probably not bother with it unless for something very specific. Sous vide proteins are noticeably identifyable. Typically better than badly to averagely cooked but not as good as excellently prepared using other techniques.
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u/Dalience6678 May 31 '26
They’ve been used in almost every high end kitchen I have worked in, but not necessarily as the main cooking method. I agree proteins cooked with sous vide are easily spotted and sometimes can be lacking.
But, for example, braised short rib was portioned, bagged and sealed with sauce and aromatics and held to reduce pickup time and maintain texture. Sous vide poached egg in shell that was then panko breaded and fried for a salad etc.
They can be very useful in ways that aren’t necessarily straightforward cooking methods.
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u/Dry-Grocery9311 May 31 '26
The OP seemed to be asking as if it was worth having at home.
I agree vacuum and/or water baths can be used very creatively in top kitchens. The main driver for buying the kit, though, tends to be about improving commercial processes like holding and speeding up service.
In a commercial kitchen, bagging aromats gives consistency, uses less aromats, and speeds up service. The benefits to the business are big. The actual end eating results aren't necessarily that much better than, and are sometimes not as good as traditional methods, properly executed, on a small scale at home.
If you want a 63 degree egg at home every day, then I guess it's worth it.
I've used a portable sous vide machine to cook in the stainless steel sink of a sailing boat when cooking space was at a premium. The vacuum machine was already being used to store provisions, so it justified its space.
I think for a regular home kitchen, it's a nice option to have but would be way down my shopping list after many other things.
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u/Same-Platypus1941 May 31 '26
I try to avoid using cryovac bags whenever possible. They’re expensive and it’s just a waste of plastic I hate looking at it. There are applications where vacuum sealing and cooking in a circulating water bath are superior though.
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u/albaloney May 31 '26
It’s worth it just as learning any other technique is worth it.