Foodies will have heard of the wonders of sous vide . It is a technique that allows you to cook products at a low temperature, maintaining a constant temperature and preserving the nutrients with the help of vacuum packaging. Until not long ago, this method was offered only by professional tools, but now, thanks to Anova, it is available to anyone.
What is Sous vide cooking?
The idea of this technique is to control food so as not to overcook it. Thus, we can maintain juices, flavors and nutrients that will allow us to obtain results worthy of the best restaurant. The most interesting thing is that the whole process is quite simple and automated, and that is where technology comes into play to have the greatest control of the process.
Broadly speaking, to cook a product at a low temperature we need the following elements:
- A pot or container in which to immerse the product.
- A vacuum packaging bag or zip bag failing that.
- A temperature controlled water circulation system like the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker .
How does the Anova Precision Cooker work?
Once you have the recipe chosen for your next meal, you will have to vacuum pack the raw material or use a ZIP bag from which you will extract the air with the help of a dip. With the bag in the water and perfectly submerged, you just have to turn on the Anova Precision Cooker and set the temperature at which you want the water and the cooking time.
These values will depend on the recipe you follow, and once selected on the device, you can start cooking. The convenient thing about the Precision Cooker is that you do not need to be aware of it at all, only to check very occasionally if the water level remains stable or if on the contrary you need to add more water to compensate for evaporation.
It must be taken into account that many of the cooks require periods of 8, 12, 24, 48 and many more hours depending on the recipe and the type of product, so that the evaporation of water is a very common problem. To avoid this problem, there are accessories such as lids for trays or simple remedies with the help of corks or plastic wrap.
What does this Precision Cooker offer compared to other models?
The main advantage of this Anova model is that it is quite small compared to previous generations, something that allows it to be placed in smaller containers and handle less volume of water than its older sisters. This makes it more versatile and comfortable, although it must be taken into account that the power will not be the same, since it remains at 1,000W , instead of the 1,500W of the larger models.
What does this translate to? Basically you will need more time to heat large volumes of water, or in some cases, you will not be able to maintain the temperature if that is the case. But to get to that point we would have to handle quite large volumes, and in our case we have been able to work with an 8-liter pot without problems, in which we put several pieces of meat, and they were all cooked to perfection.
The difference in size is quite considerable, making this model a perfect option for those who want to enter the world of sous vide and do not have too much space at home or do not intend to make large quantities.
The advantages
This way of cooking takes extreme care of the product, since cooking takes place in a slow and extremely controlled manner. Obviously the results in most cases will not go directly to the plate, since in the case of some meats, a marking or last step will be needed to complete the preparation.
But in general terms, it is an extremely comfortable process that makes it possible to speed up certain tasks in the kitchen, at the same time that it offers the technological point of knowing at all times at what temperature the container is kept and how much time is left for cooking to finish.
Is the Anova Precision Cooker worth buying?
We are facing a very specific gadget that only the most lovers of the kitchen will appreciate, but if this is your case, we have no doubts that it will be a device that you will know how to take advantage of. Currently it can be purchased on Amazon with a price of 165 euros, so it can be a fantastic gift for your friend in the kitchen.