Pot for sous vide

What Pot To Use For Sous Vide

Sous vide refers to a way of cooking food that’s sealed in plastic bags for a long time while submerged in a water bath. The food is often cooked to perfection at an accurate temperature.

Ultimately, the main goal is to keep the food’s taste and moisture. But, what pot to use for sous vide?

The best pot for cooking sous vide should have robust material that can withstand the high temperatures used for cooking.

It should be safe even when in direct contact with food. Moreover, the best sous vide pot will retain enough water to cook your entire food. It should also be easy to clean.

And suitable for use with different sous vide machines.

This article will help you know what pots are best for the job. It’ll also provide some pot options you can try out.

Best Pots for Cooking Sous Vide

Glass Pots

Glass pots are among the easiest to clean. It won’t usually stain even after cooking for a long time. You can also choose from different sizes depending on how much food you want to cook at a time.

More importantly, glass pots are BPA-free. It also doesn’t retain flavors and odors after washing. It is scratch-resistant and less likely to react with food.

However, your food might react with the material of the pot and change color or flavor. And if you are using acidic food, it can erode the pot’s potential.

Water Baths

Water baths provide some of the best pots for cooking sous vide foods. They might also be a bit expensive since they require specific setups to work as intended.

But, these water baths and very suitable, especially where you want to cook a lot of food at once.

Food Grade Plastic

Food grade plastic is best suited for use with sous vide cooking machines. Moreover, this material is known to be solid and durable. And they are relatively easy to clean.

However, you might have some trouble using them if you need to cook acidic food since it might interact with the material.

Stainless Steel Pot

Stainless steel pots are among the most acknowledged material for cooking sous vide foods.

They have different coatings made from aluminum and titanium to provide superior durability, strength, and corrosion resistance.

These food-grade stainless steel pots are also dishwasher safe and very easy to clean and maintain. They are also safe for use with acidic foods.

Moreover, stainless steel pots can also withstand the high temperatures required to cook sous vide food. They are also effortless to find in stores and online.

And they don’t usually react with your food’s flavor or color changes over time.

Aluminum Pots

Aluminum pots are also lightweight and very durable. They have different coatings to provide superior strength as well as a good level of durability.

You can use them with acidic foods without having interaction or corrosion issues. And they are easy to clean once you rinse them in warm soapy water after cooking your food in the sous vide machine.

Additionally, aluminum pots are also relatively cheaper than other options. But you cannot always use them with acidic food since it can cause corrosions over time.

Copper Pots

Copper pots are excellent when you want to cook your sous vide food using the water bath technique. They help spread heat evenly and relatively faster compared to other pots.

Additionally, copper is an excellent conductor of heat and can help with cooking sous vide even in places where there’s high-frequency noise, such as an urban kitchen or regularly used restaurant kitchen.

Thanks to their resistance to corrosion, you may not run into issues using acidic food in these pots. Besides that, copper is easy to maintain and clean.

However, copper pots are usually more expensive than other options on the market. And they might not be available in all stores, especially if you want to buy a small one for home use.

Stock Pot

Stockpots are just like water baths but with a deeper and broader design. You can use it for cooking sous vide meat, vegetables, fruits, stews, stocks, etc.

They provide you with enough space to prepare your foods as needed.

Stainless steel stock pots are also safe to use even if they come into contact with acidic food. But the main disadvantage is that they are pretty expensive.

Besides, specific models might not even have a lid to keep heat inside while cooking your sous vide food.

Pasta Pot

These pots are specifically designed to cook pasta. But you can also use them for cooking your sous vide food as long as it fits into the pot’s height and width.

For example, you can use a 16-inch (41 cm) wide pasta pot to cook some of your sous vide meats, vegetables, fruits, stocks, etc.

But not all these pots are suitable for cooking sous vide. More importantly, you will need to use a bigger pot for cooking more food at once.

Therefore, make sure that you check the pot’s capacity before making a purchase.

Otherwise, choose one with the widest diameter possible so it can fit into your sous vide machine’s cooking zone.

Rice Cooker

Rice cookers are also great for cooking your sous vide food. They provide you with a large enough volume capacity to prepare all the foods you want to cook in the sous vide machine at once.

Most rice cookers offer an inner pot made from stainless steel or safe to use with acidic foods.

And the pot is usually removable for easy cleanup, and the stainless steel lid helps keep cooking water warm while you prepare your foods in the sous vide machine.

But, not all rice cookers are compatible with most sous vide machines on the market. Therefore, we recommend buying a cooker designed explicitly for sous vide cooking.

That way, you won’t have to purchase a new machine or stop using your current one just for the sake of cooking rice dishes with your sous vide cooker.

Dutch Oven

This is a kind of pot with two handles on the sides and a tight-fitting lid. It’s made from ceramic or cast iron material, both of which are safe to use with acidic foods, and you can use it for cooking your sous vide food very well.

But ensure that the Dutch Oven’s base diameter and height are compatible with your sous vides machine’s cooking zone.

Otherwise, the food inside might not be submerged deep enough in it to cook evenly.

You may use this pot as a makeshift water bath container and line some of your food carefully into it before sealing its lid tightly.

French Oven

Like Dutch ovens, French Oven is usually made from cast iron or ceramic materials, which can last for years. And they are compatible with almost any sous vide machine out there.

Plus, these pots are pretty easy to clean and maintain even in harsh conditions, such as a busy restaurant kitchen.

But be careful when cooking acidic foods in these pots because you might experience leaching after a long time.

Clay Cooking Pot

Clay pots are made from a soft clay material to be molded into different designs and shapes. And they can also provide you with the best sous vide cooking experience.

That’s because their lightweight design won’t make it harder for you to transport them after sealing your food in.

But, these ceramic pots are not ideal if you want to prepare large quantities of your sous vide foods because they are pretty small.

And it’s pretty hard to find one with a large diameter that can accommodate more than a few pounds of food.

Furthermore, clay pots made from low-quality ingredients can also absorb some moisture and flavor from the acidic food cooked in them for extended periods.

Regular Saucepan

A regular saucepan can also work well for cooking sous vide. They are usually made from stainless steel and can be used with water baths.

Their handles are usually easy to grip, making them ideal for use on all types of stovetops, including induction cookers.

Cooking Sous Vide in a Regular Saucepan

a lady using a Sous vide machine in the kitchen

Are you wondering how to cook your sous vide in a saucepan? Here’s how. But, first, you will need the following items to get started:

Saucepan

Having a saucepan for sous vide cooking is essential. You should find one that is deep enough and has a good quality lid. And it would be best if you find a saucepan with easy-to-grip handles.

Plastic bags/ zip-lock bags

Since we will be cooking sous vide in a saucepan, you won’t need anything too complicated to seal your food. It would be best if you had plastic bags or zip-lock bags that are heat-safe.

Procedure:

1) Fill the saucepan with enough water according to the thickness of your cut of meat and quantity. A gallon of water is usually enough for a one-gallon zip-lock bag.

2) Add salt and anything else you want (e.g., wine or spices) to the water in the saucepan.

3) Put your meat and vacuum seal it if necessary. Make sure that you set your sous vide machine so that the temperature is at least 185°F.

4) Submerge the sealed cut of meat inside the water bath and wait until it’s cooked to your liking. You can use a spoon or tongs to test if it is done, but keep in mind that you should not stir or move it once you’ve placed it inside the water unless your machine has a lid to prevent loss of water.

5) Remove your cut of meat from the saucepan and serve immediately with home fries or rice.

What Pot To Use For Sous Vide: Buying Guide

Figuring out what pot is an ideal option for cooking your sous vide is never easy. That’s because of the many models with different designs available on the market.

The following are some considerations to make when shopping for the best pot for sous vide:

Material and Size

It would help if you chose a pot that is easy to clean, has an ovenproof design, and is made from a material suitable for acidic foods. You should also find one that fits your sous vide machine perfectly.

And in most cases, stainless steel pots are the best because they are compatible with all sous vide machines.

But you can also opt for a Dutch oven or any other type of pot if it fits your sous vide machine.

Price Range

Some pots cost $10, and some go for over $100. If you intend to use the pot for cooking sous vide regularly, it’s best to invest in one made from thick and durable materials.

Handle Design

The pot’s handle should have an ergonomic design so that you can easily grip it when cooking sous vide and move it around effortlessly even if there’s hot water inside.

Also, the material should be heat resistant to prevent burns.

Easy To Clean

You need to have a pot that you can easily clean and maintain. And if it comes with a lid, so much the better because you can use it for storing leftovers or marinating meat overnight.

What Pot To Use For Sous Vide: Pot Options

We used the following pots to cook sous vide:

  • Stainless steel saucepan
  • Aluminum French oven
  • Stainless steel stockpot
  • A large clay cooking pot.

And here’s what we found:

Aluminum French oven (Fissler 17205105)

This is a sturdy pan that can withstand the heat of an induction cooker without warping or melting. The handles have protective plastic sleeves for added safety.

But it’s not suitable for cooking sous vide because it’s not compatible with induction cookers.

Stainless steel saucepan (Scanpan CTX)

It’s very light and has riveted handles, but the bottom is too thin that it tends to heat up quickly and cool down immediately when you place it on an induction cooker.

Stainless steel stockpot (All-Clad VC3)

It looks like a Dutch oven, but it’s not. The design and weight of the handles are suitable for cooking sous vide, but since the bottom is made from aluminum, you can’t place it over induction cookers.

Large clay cooking pot (Beijing Chef Ceramics Co., Ltd.)

It’s a versatile pot that you can use to cook, serve, and store your food. The glaze is made from fine clay, and it’s usually available in white or cream color.

The downside of this kind of pot is the weight when full.

We preferred using stainless steel pots because they are light enough to transport easily on an induction cooker, even with water inside. And they are durable and easy to clean.

What Pot To Use For Sous Vide: Final Words

If you need to cook sous vide foods at home, then the above pots can help you with that job. They come in different shapes and sizes to suit your specific need, budget, and preference.

Just make sure to check their compatibility with your sous vide machine.

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