Kitchen appliances chat

This is how I worked out our standard bags and food waste bag size

That is impressive detective work, thank you.

@Jameo We were hoping to get some eco friendly bags to go inside, as we’re unfortunately a long way away from the bins.

Sous vide wands. Talk to me.

SeriousEats recommends the Anova Precision and the Breville Joule, but these seem to be only really available in the US at sane price points.

What can I get in UK for not silly money?

The Anova is on sale right now on what looks like a UK site:
https://anovaculinary.com/en-gb/products/anova-precision-cooker-pro?adnet=x&gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19ehe0G6leKAL-iNGSD3qlF09sDTIjy2YtMacy3IRiyMh8ZvIM33khrxoCiMIQAvD_BwE

I got their first model in 2014 for USD 265 with shipping from the US, so the current price doesn't look too bad.

But these days I would probably go with something like this:
https://www.nisbets.co.uk/caterlite-portable-sous-vide/cs939?vatToggle=incvat&plaid=1&cmmmc=PLA--18122692213--1--1&cm_mmca1=go_18122692213___c&gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19eqwIvuxX53s-jmaGU9NsblGmiYMVaKrThfQTtFeahspK4uVZeX4pihoCONkQAvD_BwE

There is really not much to it and makes no sense paying crazy money for it.

I've got an Anova Precision that I need to accept that I never use if you want to make me an offer for it.

Are they a Bora dealer???

Why yes they are, how did you know

That's a kind offer - thanks. I'm not sure what a reasonable offer would be though - half of current retail?

Anyone need an 3 section in cupboard bin. Has only ever been used for dry recycling.

£5 - collection from Walthamstow.

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That sounds fair. Let me dig it out and check it works (I see no reason why it wouldn't).

There is really not much to it

Mine seems to be discontinued.
Sous Vide Precision Cooker 1000W Thermal Immersion Circulator Accurate Temperature 99Hrs Timer,Digital Display,Ultra-Quiet,Stainless/Black,Make Gourmet Quality Food at Home https://amzn.eu/d/eAmipKQ
A mate who was very into SV recommended it on black Friday a few years ago. He had the Anova one I think back in the day, and although he liked all the apps that went with it he admitted it wasn't that necessary.

Might be worth referencing to stats (low temp and increments) as that's what he did if for any reason you don't get aggi's - which is what I'd suggest... Not least for not having to do any more research

I haven't used it much recently - probably a covid hangover of not having big group lunches anymore. I mainly used it for large peices of meat to free up the oven - especially lamb to reduce the smell for my veggie wife.

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One limiting thing about SV wands I would point out though is the container size.

The wands are very big. There is a good chance your biggest saucepan isn't actually as big as you think and water evaporates.

I made a cool box which handily stores the wand, bags, old spoons and clothes pegs for weights.

See here for more details:

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/14779029/

and

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/14779032/

That is a genius idea. But I do enjoy the apparent lab experiment of bits of meat floating in bags in water of a clear polycarbonate tank.

*thumbs up emoji*

As soon as I said "pop the sous vide in it and put it in the shed", I got the nod.

In do have a 12l stock pot, which will take care of most big things. Just how good is such a toiny wand at cooking something that needs a 24l container?

It's very good at holding the temperature, how quickly it will come up to that temperature depends on how cold the water was at the beginning. I even managed to top up the water in the bath tub when our boiler was broken.

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i have seen some 'shitty rigs' in my time but never a carbon gitzo and superclamp holding a sous-vide.

I'm not quite sure what the question is.

Things like a leg of lamb are an awkward shape and I don't have a stockpot so would have had to buy one. The cooler was probably cheaper than any stockpot and I got a load of shit for buying the wand in the first place, so bringing a massive stock pot would have been even worse.

Filling it up is a bit of effort, but not that bad. I usually fill it with hot tap water and a couple of nearly boiled kettles, then let it get up/down to temp. I also use two cheap rachet straps to reinforce the sides now.

I'm not quite sure what the question is.

You pretty much answered it in any case - if you're cooking something the size of a leg of lamb, how good is the little wand at bringing the water back up to temperature once you put the leg in.

It's a bit moot, to be honest, as at some point, it's either deal with whatever performance the sous vide wand has, or spend £££ on a commercial machine.

I do like the coolerbox idea though, and may well copy it.

I've also found something on github where someone has written something to access the Anov API, meaning that it can all be integrated into home assistant.

how good is the little wand at bringing the water back up to temperature once you put the leg in

I think it's reasonably quick (mine is) but I guess the temp difference isn't that great - water of maybe 57 degrees vs fridge or room temp meat?

Ah right. Yeah it's pretty good.

The cooking times for most things I've sous vided(?) are very wide, eg "cook for 4-6hrs" sort of thing. My mate used to do smaller things like poached eggs and duck breast.

Carrots are good too.

I'm so completely sold on this whole business now. Sous vide all the things.

It’s brilliant. Get a proper vacuum machine - compressed fruit, aero chocolate etc etc

Which one though?

I was given this https://www.sousvidetools.com/vacuum-packing-machines/chamber-vacuum-packing-machines/sousvidetoolsr-senses-300-chamber-vacuum-packer

Massive overkill but will serve me for years.