Breville/Sage/PolyScience Hydro Pro / Plus

[jimb0]

PolyScience has been doing some instagram teases. At first I thought this might just be the first time this is coming to this part of the world, but it seems to be a whole new product. Immersion circulator with networking, touchscreen, and probe. But they're being sly and using the product name in the hashtags if people pay attention. The design reminds me a lot of the Anova premium model.

 

The probe is interesting, though, and they'll sell little sticker blocks you attach to the outside of your bags, then drive the probe through to maintain integrity.

 

 

i also like that it looks like you can use it in a shallow pan. they show it off being used with some ramekins, or a probe driven through a terrine lid , with the bath coming up to the lip. kind of a fun idea, though i doubt i'll be able to afford this guy for home use.

 

there are a bunch of press photos on their flickr account here

 

the instruction manual is up on the fcc 

 

 

i wonder if they were planning on launching this much earlier this year and got delayed because of the pandemic...it looks like their HACCP iOS app was uploaded in december of last year and updated with explicit references to this product all the way back in may

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by jimb0 (log)

[rotuts]

@jimb0 

 

appreciate your report 

 

lets see what happens.

 

this type go thing tase been done

 

as well all know 

 

by Anova  and  Joule

 

but

 

good luck to them

 

why not ?

[adey73]

I got to 45L at up to 90c.

 

didn't see how long it could constantly run at, anyone?

 

The Anova Pro's have frequently been half price in this troubled year, this unit, at least to me, looks pricey.

[jimb0]

15 minutes ago, adey73 said:

I got to 45L at up to 90c.

 

didn't see how long it could constantly run at, anyone?

 

The Anova Pro's have frequently been half price in this troubled year, this unit, at least to me, looks pricey.

I think that’s a reasonably impressive stat, though Anova’s I believe goes up to 60L. Both are more than enough, really. 
 

I read in the manual that it’ll take timers of up to 99 hours, so that’s my stab at a maximum run time (can it overheat pushing 90C for that long, though, idk). I’m sure this will be targeted at mostly restaurant / commercial lines with the polyscience branding - I’m aware that there are a few here who buy the stuff, but I’d wager they are more exception than rule. Don’t get me wrong, I’d probably buy one if I were wealthy, haha. 
 

(I did manage to snag a return anova pro recently for $40, though, so maybe I should shut up).
 

One cool feature related to the haccp app is the ability to log, save, and email all your cook times, either to yourself or your food inspector. 

[btbyrd]

Looks like a worthy upgrade to the older Polyscience units targeted at professionals. Easier to clean, integrated probe, better clamp system, IPx7 waterproof rating, HACCP manager app, built in "SV toolbox" and recipe/setting saving so your idiot employees can use it without killing people. I can only imagine that, like the crossbranded Control Freak, it's going to cost a lot more than I'd be willing to pay for it. But home users aren't the target market, so...

[jimb0]

yeah, that pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. 

[SweetSymphonybyM]

So, the one with the probe would be close to $600. I recently got the Joule, and am now wondering if I should return it and get this instead - mostly for it's toolbox features. As an inexperienced cook, I really like the idea of it telling me the safe temp and time for pasteurization/cooking for different things. 

 

FIY, Thermoworks and other restaurant websites sell the foam tape for sous vide probes. 

[jimb0]

i can see why that might be useful for some but for me personally by the time i've pulled out the circulator i already know what temp and how long everything is going to be set up for (if i don't already know a quick search will give me a good enough idea).

 

i don't personally like the idea of a circulator that requires using another device to control it (as optional feature that's fine) since i like being able to just set it and go while i'm in the kitchen. that alone would prevent me from getting a joule, but there are lots of other options out there these days.

 

i will say that once you've used any of these for a while you'll have a good idea in your mind about how long things take at what temperature to be safe so if that's your only concern i can imagine you'll move past that at some point.

[SweetSymphonybyM]

1 hour ago, jimb0 said:

i can see why that might be useful for some but for me personally by the time i've pulled out the circulator i already know what temp and how long everything is going to be set up for (if i don't already know a quick search will give me a good enough idea).

 

i don't personally like the idea of a circulator that requires using another device to control it (as optional feature that's fine) since i like being able to just set it and go while i'm in the kitchen. that alone would prevent me from getting a joule, but there are lots of other options out there these days.

 

i will say that once you've used any of these for a while you'll have a good idea in your mind about how long things take at what temperature to be safe so if that's your only concern i can imagine you'll move past that at some point.

I understand that everything will come with experience, but I'm currently pregnant with my first one and am a bit freaked out about undercooking things. Most websites vary so much in their recommendations, and I would love a professional source to tell me for how long and at what temp to hold ice cream bases, curds, etc. for them to be pasteurized/safe. One can usually find the final/goal temp, but not so many details as for how long it has to stay at that temp to be safe.

 

I dislike that Joule can only be controlled through the phone, but it's size and pretty looks were too tempting at the time of the purchase). 

[jaw]

hmm, idk. 500-600usd is a hard sell for an immersion circulator.

[weinoo]

13 hours ago, SweetSymphonybyM said:

Most websites vary so much in their recommendations, and I would love a professional source to tell me for how long and at what temp to hold ice cream bases, curds, etc. for them to be pasteurized/safe. One can usually find the final/goal temp, but not so many details as for how long it has to stay at that temp to be safe.

 

This may help you with milk stuff...

 

https://www.idfa.org/pasteurization

 

https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/homemade-ice-cream

 

 

[jimb0]

19 hours ago, SweetSymphonybyM said:

I understand that everything will come with experience, but I'm currently pregnant with my first one and am a bit freaked out about undercooking things. Most websites vary so much in their recommendations, and I would love a professional source to tell me for how long and at what temp to hold ice cream bases, curds, etc. for them to be pasteurized/safe. One can usually find the final/goal temp, but not so many details as for how long it has to stay at that temp to be safe.

 

I dislike that Joule can only be controlled through the phone, but it's size and pretty looks were too tempting at the time of the purchase). 

sure,i feel that. i guess my point though is that there's really only a couple of things to remember, and beyond that pretty much everything is guaranteed to be safe. if you stick to recommendations from, say, chefsteps, anova, or serious eats, when it comes to temperatures and timing guidelines, you're pretty much set, and then you'll be able to think about those guidelines when you see rando blog posts trying to get you to eat undercooked chicken.

[btbyrd]

I agree with jimb0's post above, but would elaborate since you're immunocompromised (or at least pregnant). There's a difference between pasteurized and "safe to eat." If you're willing to eat a conventionally cooked medium-rare steak or a soft boiled egg (that didn't start out pasteurized) then you should have no qualms about eating food prepared SV according to recipes and guidelines from reputable sources (like ChefSteps, Anova, Modernist Cuisine, Doug Baldwin, and America's Test Kitchen). It is just as safe to eat as conventionally prepared food. But if you're trying to abide by strict guidelines in avoiding pathogens, SV offers you the additional advantage of being able to pasteurize foods that you couldn't normally consume (like a medium-rare steak). If you're looking for pasteurization times/temps, Doug Baldwin's Practical Guide to SV offers pasteurization tables for fish, poultry, and meat. Most SV ice cream base recipes (like those from ChefSteps and Anova) have you cook the base at 185F for an hour, after which it's going to be pasteurized (just be sure to agitate the bag a few times during cooking). Since you mentioned curds, I'll add that the same thing is true of ChefStep's lemon curd recipe (which cooks at 75C for an hour).

 

All that's to say, if you already have a Joule, I wouldn't go through the bother and expense of returning it in favor of the Breville/Polyscience unit. For the novice, the Joule is extremely helpful with its visual doneness features and in-app recipes. And if pasteurization is a concern, you can easily look up most of that information in tables. I realize that SV can be daunting to the beginner, but if you've got good recipes (many of which are in the Joule app) and some good online resources, there's no need to fear the technique -- even from a safety standpoint.

Edited January 8, 2021 by btbyrd (log)

[SweetSymphonybyM]

Thank you, Baldwin's book sounds exactly as what I was looking for. I am trying to follow the strictest guidelines, so it is comforting to know that sous vide might help with some of the recipes one would normally abstain from during this time. 

 

I actually made the ChefSteps curd recipe (except with passion fruit and yuzu) this past weekend as the first thing to use Joule for, and was wondering if it is more safe/truly pasteurized as opposed to the stovetop version I usually make. Sous vide seemed a bit safer, as I could hold it at a higher temp for longer, without scorching. I didn't agitate the bag during cooking, but I did blend it before vacuum sealing. 

[SweetSymphonybyM]

What is better for cooling food after sous vide, blast chiller, ice bath, or blast chiller + salted ice bath?

[jimb0]

i mean if you have the cash to blow, a blast chiller is pretty useful in cooking. it’s not going to really guarantee food safety or quality, really, beyond what a dip in an ice bath does, then tossing it in the fridge. 

 

i took a look at the chefsteps recipe for lemon curd, if that’s what you used. an hour at 75C is actually quite a high combo when it comes to whether something is pasteurized, so i wouldn’t worry about it. especially for something like a cure, where you’re going to get easy heat transfer since it’s mostly liquid. 

 

one thing to keep in mind is that if you do look at pasteurization curves (it’s always temp and time, not just one or the other, as you can pasteurize something at lower temps (within reason) by doing it for longer) is that the timing starts once you’ve reached the temperature in the deepest part of whatever it is you’re cooking. 

 

this isn’t a huge problem for something like an egg, say, but can come into play when doing big cuts of meat. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by jimb0 (log)

[SweetSymphonybyM]

I already own a blast chiller, so that was the reason for the question. Most of the recipes I've looked at so far, mention an ice bath, and I was just wondering how necessary it was. 

 

I've ordered the sous vide tape and will be using a thermometer to monitor most sous vide cooking. 

[jimb0]

ah. tbh unless you’re really stopping the cooking process (e.g., shocking some vegetables after blanching, say) i personally wouldn’t bother with ice bath in your case, then. 

[SweetSymphonybyM]

Well, just after ordering a separate sous vide probe and tape for Joulle, it decided to glitch on the second cook - kept loosing power and tripping outlets (even though more powerful appliance work fine in those outlets) and then gave me a propellor error even though it was spinning freely. It is currently en route back to amazon and I'm on my second day of playing around with the Hydro Pro.

 

First cook - pasteurized eggs - adjustable propellor speed came in handy.

Currently cooking - creme brule - hopefully I tightened the jars enough, would hate to ruin them with water.

 

I love, love, love the convenience of a display (Joulle needed to connect for ~15 seconds every time I checked on temp/timer), but it is huge compared to Joulle and I will need a wider container for some of the cooks if I decide to keep it (which I'm currently very tempted to...)

[jimb0]

nice. honestly the lack of an on-device UI (display+buttons) is why i don't like or recommend the joule, personally (though the size is for sure attractive). everything polyscience makes is good, imo, if expensive for some things.