[Elvira]

Just seen this thread! Interesting! It seems a very "fashionable" way of cooking in restaurants at the moment and one that I am starting to hate when we go out for a meal.  At one place recently I could taste the plastic and I think the chef used it on every course  (The Husband was raving about it so I kept quiet).  I can always tell when they use it when preparing a dish though - I just don't like the texture of fish and meat cooked this way (even if you can't taste plastic and it is seared afterwards to give it colour).  Interesting way to cook veg though...

I recently discovered the Waitrose cook-in-a-bag fish - yes I know it is an old method that you don't need to go to Waitrose for - but no washing up, keeps in the smell and minimum faff  .  Not sure I can see the benefit of getting a special sous vide cooker when all you need is a bit of baking parchment that does a similar job? but I could be persuaded otherwise...

[Kristen]

no washing up, keeps in the smell and minimum faf

As I cut the bags open to extract the food last night Mrs K was saying "What a mess those bags are" and seemed oblivious to my protestations as to the mess in the pans and oven dishes we would otherwise have had.  No difference if you have to sear the food after cooking though, I suppose.  I resent the "waste" of the bags though ... perhaps I should reuse them ?

Not sure I can see the benefit of getting a special sous vide cooker when all you need is a bit of baking parchment that does a similar job? but I could be persuaded otherwise

I've read a book about it so I am an expert

Apparently a fraction of a degree can make the difference between one chef's dish and another's.  I am persuaded that if you find a temperature that works for a particular dish that you should be able to reproduce time after time, which appeals to me, and the fact that I can leave the food in the water bath for ages after cooking time is finished means that Mrs K / guests arriving late is not a problem.

Having said that I checked the temperature of my water bath last night, during cooking (but only using the front-panel display, not a thermometer) and it was anything up to 3 degrees below the set temperature (this long after any initially cooling would have been reheated).

Still thought the fish, last night, was not very hot (cooked at 50C) so had to microwave it for 30 seconds.

Looking in the Book I fancy a go with some cheap cuts of meat, and to do some veg as well, but the veg need 80C and the meat much less ...