JBailey

From your post, it is not apparent whether you have a chamber machine or a Food Saver type I have a MVS31 chamber machine and find it to be a most valuable component of my kitchen. As I have said previously, yes it is expensive and may not be for everyone's budget, but if they can afford the machine it makes a wonderful addition to the kitchen. If you are getting air, it may be possible your machine needs calibration to ascertain it is getting proper vacuum. Sometimes with my chamber vacuum if there is too much (call it) humidity or random moisture that causes the machine to have a difficulty in pulling a vacuum. For most consumer machines, it is recommend I believe to cool or freeze product to reduce the moisture. Another thing you should check is whether the seal bar or mechanism is properly closing your bags. They can get dirty and have a build up which does not allow them to seal as well as one would expect. Finally, many items, especially vegetables release air or gases that causes bloat. It is not uncommon for many people to recommend using a sous vide rack like is provided with the Sous Vide Supreme or others will tell you to place a plate or heavy object to keep bags from floating.

POH I also began with a chamber vacuum before I purchased a Sous Vide Supreme a bit over a year ago when they came to market. I imagine their warranty is like so many companies in that they pick a sufficient time to cover the machine during the period when most issues arise. More important than the warranty written on a piece of paper is how the customer service approaches problems and issues. From what I have read here, their customer service department seems to be most helpful and quick to send new machines if a problem is discovered. My SVS has worked perfectly from day one so I have not had to call the company. Personally, I would not trade my SVS for anything. It has worked well, exceeded my expectations and continues to be a part of my weekly cooking. Subsequently, I did buy a second machine which is a Sous Vide Professional from Polyscience. The advantage in having two whether it be two Demis, a Demi and a Sous Vide Supreme or a Demi and a SVP is that you can do foods at two different temperatures. For example, you can do proteins at 135F in one and a vegetable at 185F in the other so each can be finished and on the table together for your meal. You will be able to add a second Demi and probably be under the cost of buying the SVP. Also having two machines allows you to scale up when doing more items for a dinner. Keep the Demi, you will find it spends more time on your counter, plugged in and working than many of your other kitchen appliances!

Coca-Cola has been testing and seems to now be installing the new Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain machine. There are supposedly 106 cartridges (think of inkjet type) in the machine that through micro-dosing of concentrated bases and flavors allows for an unbelievable amount of consumer directed flavor combinations. There is RFID technology, on-board computing, constant contact with Coke headquarters to assure not running out of product or to detect errors (and to follow market trends) and something called "PurePour" which means there is not carry over flavors from one dispensed selection to the next customer's drink. Cosi in Chicago has installed at least one. It is very cool technology. Now, one can create and design beverages in a restaurant!

Years ago there was a popular restaurant on the north side of Indianapolis that featured turpentine baked potatoes. I understood they used a pine based resin/rosin for the turpentine and fried or boiled the potatoes in a kettle. Does anyone else remember this?

WhiteTruffleGirl I am fortunate to have a Minipack MVS 31 Chamber Vacuum Food Sealer. This may be one of my most used kitchen appliances, as it is used daily. The MVS31 vacuum sealer has one seal bar, the seal bar also functions as a bag trimmer to cut off excess after sealing, digital controls, an electronic pressure sensor, the seal bar is removable (for cleaning and in case it should ever need replacement), stainless steel construction and a stop cycle switch. It has a nice depth for sealing larger items and according to what I read the interior of the chamber is about 12.75" x 11.75" x 6" Deep. It can take bags up to about 12" wide. There are also other sealing bars one can buy with different closing functions. One description I read says "Chamber machines utilize a rotary vane vacuum pump that is capable of pulling a vacuum of about 2-3 torr (99.9% vacuum or 29.8" of mercury.) This is much tighter than an air operated nozzle machine (90% or 27" of mercury) or piston powered home machines (85% or 25" of mercury.)" Another advantage is that you can seal liquids with a chamber vacuum. Also, they are heavy at about 140 pounds so there needs to be a dedicated place in your kitchen. I saw a couple new ones from on-line stores with one being just a couple dollars over $1,800, another a little over $1,900 and a couple starting over $2,000. Yes, the initial investment is expensive and this may be out of the price range for many or most individuals. I believe there is not only value if you are doing lots of sous vide, but also using a chamber vacuum for sealing and storing new food product bought at stores and saving leftovers helps it become a daily used machine.

As I have noted under the sous vide topic, I followed Phillip Preston's Polyscience video for turkey breast. In the vacuum bag add sage, duck fat and a touch of apple cider. Then circulate it for 4 hours at 160F, followed by 30 minutes of finishing in the oven at 350F. When in the oven, I wrap the breast in a butter soaked cheesecloth and I discard the skin before carving. I have not experienced such most and tender turky breast previously-and it comes out this way each time I have cooked it sous vide. If you are going elsewhere, maybe you can do the sous vide segment in your kitchen and the finishing in an oven at your destination.

I have gone through any number of immersion blenders. Bamix certainly makes a terrific product. However, the one that surpasses all others is a Robot Coupe MMP160VV. This has a variable speed from 2,000 to 12,500 rpm's. Best of all the shaft, blade and bell can be removed for deep cleaning. There is a whisk attachment that can be bought to add versatility. Not the cheapest, but it will outlast anything else you are considering.

Emannths That was a most interesting and fascinating primer, thank you. Does manufacturing of the plastics and plastic products in plants in the U.S., using chemicals and products sourced both domestically and off-shore make a difference in quality and safety of the output versus a plant located for cheaper labor in another part of the world? I think of the melamine (?) issues discovered in China over the last couple years in products like dog food and baby formula. Should we be looking for a 'made in America' or 'made in western Europe' sourcing labels? In the meantime, I will be disposing of my platic bottles in the back seat of my Corvair without the seat belts!

Ah, but with six volumes and 2,438 pages, I am certain it can be done...but write neatly and small!

Merridith thank you for your thoughts on slow roasting a prime rib. One side of my oven is committed to the hotel pan with two turkeys and the other side is for some roasting and preparing of the sides. I have roasted with success many times and agree that the rendering/softening/and crusting imparts a marvelous flavor to the meat. Yet, I am fascinated by trying this sous vide. Douglas, my appreciation and thanks to you for your comments. Yes, mine is a boneless prime rib choice cut from Costco. I am going for 8 to 12 hours (which means a middle of the night start) in my SVS. I may do about 140 F. I also found PedroG's turbo-aging links and thoughts informative. My other question is about fat that was not trimmed off the meat at the store. Since the heat will be about 140 F, my experience is that the fat is soft, but unlike the results of conventional roasting. Logically, I want to trim the excess off the roast, but reserve it and place it on the meat when I vacuum seal it in my chamer vacuum. There would still be enough residual fat that when I sear the roast the exterior will bubble, crust and impart flavor with each slice. However, I find that with the lower sous vide temps that by the time it is carved or passed around the table the temperature of the slices is declining to room temperature (we are slow passers and eaters at our table). Will larding with the cut fat help flavor as the roast is done sous vide or is putting it back in the bag unnecessary? I am going to season, seal and put it back in the refrigerator, then awaken later to put it in the SVS. I had written earlier about doing Phillip Preston's turkey breast recipe with sage and cider. I have two breast to pop into my SVP at 160 F for 4 hours followed by putting them in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes (I cover mine in buttered cheese cloth while finishing in the over). May everyone trying sous vide, thinking about sous vide, dreaming about sous vide or fortunate enough to be opening presents of sous vide equipment have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have a 10 pound boneless prime rib I was thinking of doing sous vide for Christmas. Douglas Baldwin suggests 8 to 12 hours at the desired temperature, if I recall correctly. I tend to sear post sous vide, but this may be a case where I should do a pre and post sear. What might others recommend? What are your recommendations for time/temps?

I did bison the other night and the result was a tender, moist rib eye, evenly done throughout, whereas conventional cooking might have dried the meat. What Angela will enjoy discovering is the consistancy and ability to replicate with sous vide cooking. I recommend doing the same protein a couple times and finding this benefit.

It has been my understanding that the meat surface should be dry to achieve the best sear. Certainly putting the black bean sauce in your bag and then vacuuming will give flavor as you sous vide, but perhaps reserving some of the black bean sauce for plating would be optimum. As for the sauce itself, I also understand vegetables need to be at about 185 F for best sous vide results.

This sounds like it is 'schweinshaxe' and is wonderful as they serve it at Haxenbauer in Munich. The German Food Guide shows it roasted and prepared in sauerkraut.

Last weekend, Costco was selling Butterball boneless breast of turkey which I purchased. I followed the recommended method from Mr. Preston at PolyScience using the herbs and duck fat. I forgot to add the apple cider to my sous vide bag which I will try next time. I cooked the breast at 160F for four hours as recommended and then finished it in an oven at 350F for a half hour. It came out tender, wonderfully moist and flavorful. Next time, I might wrap the breast in a butter soaked cheesecloth when finishing in the oven so as to keep the out portion moist as well. This is very much worth trying by all.

Nathan, first thank you for all you are doing and for being available for questions and problems. In your last post, you suggest that reheating times should equal original cooking times. So a protein at say 140 F cooked for 90 minutes would then need the same time and temperature in the water bath after removing from the refrigerator? My other question is about serving temperatures. If I am doing a steak at 140 for dinner F a la minute, I remove it from the vacuum bag, pat it dry and sear in a hot pan for the maillard reaction, then plate. However, by the time I put the steak on the plate and walk into the dining room, the first bite does not seem 'hot'. If I were at a steakhouse where they broil under significant temperatures, then the first bite is what we have come to expect for serving temperatures. Logically, I know an item prepared sous vide can never exceed the temperatures we have set. Is it our expectation or memory that when we see a steak that the first bites should be hot?

I know mise en place would ease my meal preparation, but I, too, fall into the bad habits of scrambling around the kitchen, through the cabinets and into the refrigerator as an evening meal progresses. I suppose a formal cooking education would teach me the advantages or at least the habit of setting out what I need before I begin. Yes, cookbooks lay out the ingredients, but not often do they suggest or discuss the advantages of being prepared. When I sort through all the bottles looking for the herb I need, I mentally promise that before the next time, I will at the very least alphabetize them on my counter! Old dogs and bad habits die hard...imagine how my meal time could be more efficient if I practiced what I know is the proper way!

Last night I bought a jar of duck fat at Williams-Sonoma. It is from a Canadian firm called Rougie (www.rougie.us). The sticker on the jar is just under $11 for 11.28 oz. (320g). I will be trying it pre-Thanksgiving on a fresh boneless turkey breast that Costco featured. I likely will use Mr. Preston's recommendation of 4 hours @ 160 F, followed by 30 minutes in the oven at 350 F.

I understand the max volume container for the Sous Vide Professional is about 20 quarts. This is the size of the stockpot and bin that came from Williams-Sonoma. Then, it is finding places to store three items instead of the self-contained SVS. If you were tackling multiple items for future use as Chris does, the ability to choose a different vessel would an advantage. However, I have been able to do sufficient quantities with the Sous Vide Supreme. I know this is probably not the answer being sought, but it is personal preference. If you look at cost alone, then you can have multiple Sous Vide Supremes or a SVS and a couple 'Demis' for the price of the SVP. It is no different of an argument than why some people buy a KitchenAid mixer, others a Hobart N-50 and many are happy with a Hamilton Beach. It is a matter of time/value of money.

When I bought the Sous Vide Supreme, the only alternative was the PolyScience Sous Vide Thermal Circulator 7306 which sold at about $969. The SVS was half that amount. I certainly had not used either a circulator or bath previously and did not know if my fascination with home sous vide would continue once I actually owned the machine or whether is might join other 'orphans' on the self. I certainly needed a machine that could hold temperature and experiment I have! The one thing I did note early on was when you were doing two proteins or vegetables for a meal there were no issues as long as both items could be done in the same bath. However, I could not do both meats at say 140 F and a vegetable at 185 F a la minute for the same meal. Then, PolyScience came out with the SVP and between the price Williams-Sonoma offered and their including a 20 qt stockpot and a Camwear plastic container (the value of both was about $199), I felt there was a great value. Now I can do two items at vastly different temps or load one machine for longer timed dishes and the other for what I may do for that evenings dinner. Both are fantastic and both are actively used.

Were you satisfied drying in the refrigerator along with the regular items? There was no flavor carry-over from the meat to the other items or vice versa? Did you have the meat on a grate to allow air flow with a drip pan beneath? If so, did you rotate the meat during the process to allow even drying on all sides?

Did you age the whole loin which is what I believe I see in the photo? I understand or read that it is best not to wash, dry or rub off any of the remainder still on the meat from the 'wet aging' vacuum sealed package as it is sold in Costco. Would cutting it up into smaller portions work? I am fortunate to have a MVS-31 MiniTorre chamber vacuum, so I will be able to seal the product easily. Thank you for your comment.

After watching a couple Food Network programs featuring dry aged beef like the one last night that featured David Burke's Primehouse in Chicago, I became curious how to do this at home. In my search, I ran across a company selling bags for dry aging at home. They are called Drybag Steak (http://www.drybagsteak.com/). Apparently, you put meat cuts in one of ther moisture permeable bags, use a vacuum machine to extract the air and then place the meat in refrigerator for several weeks to accomlish the aging process. They suggest using a regular refrigerator where you are in and out of it on a regular basis, versus placing the meat in a 'garage' refrigerator or a dedicated refrigerator since opening and closing helps the drying process when you allow moisture to escape the refrigerator. This sounds very interesting. You might like to look into this for yourself. As I wrote to someone else, this may be of benefit for charcuterie at home.

When I ate at Marcus Wareing's restaurant, it was an experience of a lifetime. The front of house staff was terrific and Chef Wareing took time to give me a kitchen tour and leisurely chat about what he was acomplishing. I am certainly sorry you had a bad experience. I am also sorry you have decided to pillory Chef Wareing. Too many of us writing opinions (mine included) are from sources that may or may not be credible. One question that cannot be answered is where does a Chef Wareing go to have his reputation restored if there were misunderstandings or exagerations?

The Sous Vide Supreme is a terrific machine and a great way to learn more about sous vide cooking. I have had mine since they were introduced last year. Yes, there are other machines like the Sous Vide Professional and some Rube Goldberg gadgets good hearted souls will try to convince you to build, but if you want out of the box ease and consistency then go SVS. You may wish to consider their new 'Demi' that is only a bit smaller and will take up less space on your counter (or in the pantry) when not in use. The 'Demi' will allow you to do everything you can in the full sized SVS or if you went out and bought the pro level SVP. The 'Demi' is a bit less expensive. Unless you are doing lots of sous vide products at the same time, the size should be large enough for all you wish to prepare for home scale sous vide cooking and it may work for small restaurant production. What I wrote in the other thread is that eventually you will find the urge to have a second or third sous vide system so you can do proteins and vegetables at different temperatures so this first investment should not go to waste. One other thought is that you want to buy the best vacuum machine you can afford-chamber vacuums are best if you are serious about the pursuit of sous vide. I don't know about the vacuum machine they also sell at the Sous Vide Supreme web site, but I imagine it is a good starting point. Your decision is about time/value of money. If you have enough for the 'Demi' or the SVS and you have not sacrificed elsewhere, then give it your full and due consideration.