We have had our Sous Vide for about 2 months now so I feel I’m at a point where I can give you a fairly honest and thorough review of it.

The question in the blog title will hopefully have grabbed your attention.

I will tell you that before my SV arrived and perhaps even for the first few days I was very much in the gadget camp. Now I’m firmly in the home kitchen essential one.

I suppose I couldn’t tell you that it is absolutely essential for you to have one. After all you can cook everything you would cook in it in the oven or on the hob/BBQ or even your microwave instead. Instead I will tell you what I use it for and how much time/effort it saves.

I won’t write a list because I use it for nearly everything these days so the list could go on a bit.

Easy Meal Prep

I buy chicken breasts in bulk from my butcher then separate into vac bags ( normally about 3 in each) I add a dry rub or some simple seasoning, seal and cook in bulk using the rack. I turn it on leave it for a set amount of time and when it’s cooked I will open one bag up to use for that evenings meal and quick chill the other bags to freeze or refrigerate depending on my meal plan that week. So there in 5 minutes of prep is ALL my poultry cooked for that week.

Weaning foods

I cook veggies such as sweet potatoes and fruits like apples and pears for my weaning baby. Cooking in the sous vide gets them perfectly cooked and soft but none of the precious vitamins escape. Sometime I purée them other times I just squish the bag to mush it up before opening.

Stocks For Soups and Stews

Whenever you cook meat in the sous vide you get the most beautiful stock from the juices, I have added it to soups, stews, casseroles and pies with delicious results. Also the meat is perfectly moist and tender meaning you don’t need to add as much sauce to your dishes so less calories too.

BBQ delights

I’ve made the most stupendous ribs in the SV. Seriously they are incredible. One of the best things I’ve ever cooked. My dad ( who doesn’t like ribs) hasn’t stopped talking about them for a month. I’m perfecting my recipe at the moment but will share it very very soon.

It may seem like an expensive bit of kit to add to your kitchen but if you love really good food you will never look back. It has transformed our meals.
It saves me time and I don’t feel like I constantly have to check my dishes to ensure they haven’t dried out or overcooked so I spend that extra time on the important things like playing with my children.. Or drinking tea. I know the meat will taste amazing even if I use a less expensive cut and that is a huge plus for me. It’s also a big guilt reliever for someone (like me) who doesn’t always find time to cook the perfect meal for her children knowing that their veggies are packed with nutrients and nothing has drifted away in a pan of water.

I believe your initial outlay for the price of a machine will repay itself easily over the years.

So maybe you wouldn’t consider it an essential ( although I certainly do) but it’s definitely not a gadget or a fad. In fact in ten years I expect more and more home kitchens to have one.

One of the most recent dishes I’ve made using my SV is an utterly perfect roast beef..just look at the juices. Gravy was delicious.

Visit the Sous Vide Supreme site to find out more.

* I was given a Sous Vide Supreme and Vacuum sealer for the purpose of a review.