Sous vide is a technique that is well known in Europe and the United States and which is growing more and more here in Brazil. It is an alternative to traditional cooking and has a number of advantages (see them here).
As it’s a different technique, one that many people aren’t used to yet, it raises a lot of questions. In this article, we’re going to address the main questions we get about sous vide.
If you want the best end result, you should definitely use a vacuum machine. As sous vide is a procedure in which water is what cooks the product, it is essential that the water has as much contact as possible with the packaging and the product, and this is only possible with a vacuum. If you are going to use sous vide for production, this is the most recommended and most widely used.
However, if you are using sous vide at home, you can use techniques to remove as much air as possible from the packaging by hand and then seal it. But, of course, the end result will be very different from that of vacuum-packed food.
Since the vacuum is going to be carried out, barrier packaging is used, usually Nylon Poly or Nylon PP. Nylon Poly is easier to find and more affordable than Nylon PP.
So why use Nylon PP? It turns out that Nylon Poly can withstand temperatures up to 70ºC, above which there is a risk that it will release microparticles that could contaminate the food. That’s why, above 70ºC, we recommend Nylon PP, which can withstand up to 115ºC (more than enough for sous vide).
We suggest that our customers only use Nylon PP when it is really necessary to cook at temperatures above 70ºC, so that the costs of the operation are optimized.
Sous vide can be divided into three stages: vacuum-packing the product, cooking the product and thermal shock for later storage.
So, for the first stage, you’ll need a vacuum packer. For the second stage, you’ll need a thermocirculator (some customers use combi ovens, but these are much less efficient). Finally, you’ll need equipment to provide thermal shock, such as a thermo-cooler or a deep-freezer (you can also use a vat of ice water to provide this thermal shock).
The last stage is important because the heat shock results in pasteurization, which allows the food to be stored (chilled or frozen) without risk of contamination.
Three main costs need to be taken into account: equipment, packaging and energy.
In terms of equipment, a home kit (domestic vacuum machine + attachment thermocirculator) can cost less than USD 700,00. If you want something more production-oriented, you can find kits (vacuum sealer + thermocirculator) for USD 2,000.00. Now, if you want equipment for professional use (here we will consider our equipment), which guarantees maximum efficiency for sous vide, this cost can be around USD 5.000,00.
Packaging will also vary, as it depends on the size of the product to be packaged and the type of packaging, so to make things easier let’s consider packaging for 1kg. If you’re cooking up to 70ºC (poly nylon), the cost of a 1kg package is around 10 cents, for example. Now, if the cooking is above 70ºC (nylon pp required), that same 1kg package will cost around 50 cents(article written on 06/11/2023).
Finally comes energy. The focus here is on thermocirculators, which have a higher power output and can have a big impact on your energy bill. They consume an average of 2kWh, up to 4kWh, and as sous vide is a technique where cooking is slower, some products will cook for up to 72 hours, so you need to pay close attention to this point. With this in mind, our patented thermocirculators have an ultra-efficient thermal insulation system, where the average consumption per hour can be less than 0.15kWh (see the calculation here).
Basically all foods, with the exception of those that require fermentation. So you can sous vide proteins, vegetables, cereals, sweets, soups, sauces, condiments, etc.
You can even use sous vide for frying, where the food is cooked using this technique and then taken away to be fried.
However, sous vide is most commonly used for proteins in general.
Sous vide is an analytical technique, where the cooking time of the food depends on how long it takes for the center of the food to reach the set temperature.
This temperature will vary depending on the type of food and also on the end result you want to achieve. For example, if you want a sirloin steak to be rare, you can set the temperature to 54ºC, but if you want it to be just right, the temperature will be 57ºC. As for the time, it will depend on the thickness of the piece (the thicker it is, the longer the time).
This is where the biggest doubts lie, as there are so many different types of product, which can seem complex. We’ve made a table with the times and temperatures (see here) of various foods, which can be an excellent basis for getting started. Over time, we suggest that you carry out tests to arrive at the result that best suits you.
Both in our sous vide guide and in the article above where we discuss the advantages, we talk about why sous vide is worthwhile.
In a nutshell, it’s a technique in which your final product will be of superior quality (it retains more nutrients, proteins, loses less weight, is juicier, more tender, transforms second-rate meats into first-rate meats, guarantees uniformity of the final result, etc.) as well as allowing you to optimize your production and your kitchen, producing all your dishes outside of peak hours.
In this way, sous vide allows you to win in two ways: by offering superior food to your customers and by allowing your business to develop.
Would you like to get in contact with Orved Brock to know more about our professional sous vide machines? Reach us via phone: +55 85 98793-6777, e-mail: vendas@orvedbrock.com.br or whatsapp.
