Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Food Related => Topic started by: Free Mr. Tony on March 05, 2018, 11:17:39 AM
-
Someone posted this on a different site. I just ordered one. Figured for 49 dollars it's worth having around for a few things.
https://meh.com/deals/chefman-sous-vide-circulator
-
Thanks for helping me spend $55. Worth giving it a shot for that price. If the Anovo has more features then maybe I will upgrade to that later. Thanks for sharing.
-
Thanks for helping me spend $55. Worth giving it a shot for that price. If the Anovo has more features then maybe I will upgrade to that later. Thanks for sharing.
It looks similar to the anova for the most part aside from the clip like the other reply mentioned. Most of the upgrade of an anova would be wifi, Bluetooth, and app related functions. I really don't see the benefits of that on a device like this, but obviously others do. My hunch is that if this works well, it will be all you ever need. Good price. The caveat I see is the clip-style clamp, which limits both the type of container you attach it to, but also the depth. The Anova and Sous Vide Supreme use a screw clamp that can also adjust depth, so if you have a pot or container that has a sizable lip, the screw style clamp will handle that while the clip style could be a challenge.
I noticed that. I could probably rig something up if I really want it to work on a cooler or whatever, but I'll probably just go to a restaurant supply store and get a cambro container.
When I had the anova I used a firehouse subs pickle bucket. It worked ok except the food bags would get sort of sucked up to the circulator because there wasn't a ton of room to swirl around for it.
-
And the award for "most awkward and confusing image for introduction of sous vide cooking" goes to:
(https://i.imgur.com/aKZerJPl.png)
What in the world is she doing here?
-
Probable used to keep breast milk or formula at a precise temperature...
-
Geez, just before my colonoscopy....
She definitely looks more than a little too eager to perform that procedure to me. I'd keep looking for a doctor.
-
Just before putting me out for my most recent colonoscopy, I mentioned to the Dr that in some societies we would be considered engaged when we're done. He said if I wake up in a white dress, don't ask any questions. :P. Oh and I just ordered one of these.
-
Am I one of the few who does not get knocked out to have this done?
-
Am I one of the few who does not get knocked out to have this done?
Is that even an option?
-
My dad doesnt get knocked out. I told him thats because he enjoys it.
-
Can you guys start your own thread instead of messing up FMT's notice of a great deal. ;D
-
Can you guys start your own thread instead of messing up FMT's notice of a great deal. ;D
Haha. I guess I sort of started by posting the strange doctor lady oddly holding what she obviously sees as a "foreign obiect".
-
Pelletfan is more popular than Instagram on at least one site. They keep track of where the clicks come from, and we are beating out a few sites.
(https://i.imgur.com/VHi6FWal.png)
-
I occasionally like to start a cook midday while I'm at work, so the Wifi is handy for that. Most of the time I just run in manual mode.
-
what type of bags do you guys use for your cooking?
-
FMT you made someone some money today!
-
Yes. I had a local for my carpel tunnel surgery too! Just do not want to go under unless they say they won't do it with a local...I just don't trust not waking up!
Am I one of the few who does not get knocked out to have this done?
Is that even an option?
-
I just use my vac seal bags. Once I remembered back to my 4 years of French 1...I realized that it means under vacuum...
what type of bags do you guys use for your cooking?
-
Ok I had a tooth out today after encountering some problems and my feet were almost to the ceiling I wished I was knocked out. Ok back to this machine which I find fascinating how could you put your food in water in the morning go to work and start it before coming home ? Wouldn’t it be spoiled sitting out all day ? Forgive my stupidity or maybe it’s the Vik pills I’m taking for my tooth.
-
Wanted a Sous Vide but wasn't sure if I'd use it. Bought one of these. At this price it can sit if I didn't like it. Pun intended. Ouch !
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
-
Just got the email that my order shipped. I hope I don't really like this and wish I should have ordered more than one. ;D
-
Just got the email that my order shipped. I hope I don't really like this and wish I should have ordered more than one. ;D
Yeah. If I like this I'm going to try age my own beef. I'll convert a wine fridge into a meat locker
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
-
I responded like I cook sous vide...not sue cooking in a crock pot full of water is the same, although it seems like it!
-
I responded like I cook sous vide...not sue cooking in a crock pot full of water is the same, although it seems like it!
Have you been placing a probe in the water in your crock pot to track the temp as it seems you knew that the water temp was consistent at the low setting in your crock pot?
-
Just left it on for a couple of hours and then checked it a few times with the ThermaPen. It stayed a very constant 140°. Although I posted about the temps in the March 7th cook thread. I can see why circulation and size of cut make a huge difference. Not thinking about theses things, I put that 5lb. Eye of Round in the Crock Pot, with hot water from the faucet, about 125° at about 8pm. Checked it at 10:30 just assuming it would be 140°, it was 113°. I say, ahh, this piece of meat was cold and I should have started with hotter water. So I dump out water and put in 160° water and go to bed. Wake up in morning and check temp, it is 135°...
Meat was in the water for 20 hours and came out beautiful...Pretty sure I will cook the 75lbs of remaining Eye of Round this way, then about 3 hours on the Memphis, then a nice 10 minute sear to finish at 650°. The folks who sliced it today seemed to think it came out pretty good!
-
Sounds like you need a big cooler and a sous vide gadget for your bigger cooks for the town gatherings and fund raisers.
-
Getting ready to cut a hole in that 48Qt Coleman as soon as the device gets here! Will see how well it holds temperature with 4 gallons in it, and how much water circulation goes on! Will also see how many pounds of beef can realistically be cooked if they start at close to room temperature. I would venture to guess 20-25lbs will be a stretch at one time.
-
Ok I had a tooth out today after encountering some problems and my feet were almost to the ceiling I wished I was knocked out. Ok back to this machine which I find fascinating how could you put your food in water in the morning go to work and start it before coming home ? Wouldn’t it be spoiled sitting out all day ? Forgive my stupidity or maybe it’s the Vik pills I’m taking for my tooth.
No, it's actually a good question. What you do is make an ice water bath for the food. You fill the sous vide container with 50% ice, and 50% cold water, and then put the vac sealed food into it. I typically am using vac sealed food that is frozen as well. The Anova has an ice bath mode, which runs the circulating pump every few minutes to keep the water mixed. It also monitors the temp and if it gets above 40F, sends you an alert to start cooking. If you use an insulated container it will probably stay cold enough for days. With a simple plastic container with a lid and a few towels wrapped around it, it's good for at least 8 hours.
-
Ok I had a tooth out today after encountering some problems and my feet were almost to the ceiling I wished I was knocked out. Ok back to this machine which I find fascinating how could you put your food in water in the morning go to work and start it before coming home ? Wouldn’t it be spoiled sitting out all day ? Forgive my stupidity or maybe it’s the Vik pills I’m taking for my tooth.
No, it's actually a good question. What you do is make an ice water bath for the food. You fill the sous vide container with 50% ice, and 50% cold water, and then put the vac sealed food into it. I typically am using vac sealed food that is frozen as well. The Anova has an ice bath mode, which runs the circulating pump every few minutes to keep the water mixed. It also monitors the temp and if it gets above 40F, sends you an alert to start cooking. If you use an insulated container it will probably stay cold enough for days. With a simple plastic container with a lid and a few towels wrapped around it, it's good for at least 8 hours.
I just bought one and didn’t know that, thanks Bregent, I have a problem with reading instruction manuals. I was thinking along those lines though, frozen foods and into the container. Would easily be safe for a few hours prior to the warm up.
-
Getting ready to cut a hole in that 48Qt Coleman as soon as the device gets here! Will see how well it holds temperature with 4 gallons in it, and how much water circulation goes on! Will also see how many pounds of beef can realistically be cooked if they start at close to room temperature. I would venture to guess 20-25lbs will be a stretch at one time.
FWIW - Most, if not all, portable sous vide machines have a min. and max. water level requirement. If your cooler is too big, you will have to add enough water to reach the min. level. For my 32 qt. cooler, min. is about 3-4" off of the bottom and requires ~16 quarts to reach. Taller coolers will require more. I normally fill mine to the midway point which is ~24-26 quarts. My 800W Anova has no problem keeping the temperature at 140°. So far I've only cooked brisket in the cooler and I cook at 132° for 48-54 hours. As I've noted before, I separate the point from the flat and trim off all visible fat before smoking. I smoke at 150-160° and vacuum pack at an IT of ~120°.
-
Getting ready to cut a hole in that 48Qt Coleman as soon as the device gets here! Will see how well it holds temperature with 4 gallons in it, and how much water circulation goes on! Will also see how many pounds of beef can realistically be cooked if they start at close to room temperature. I would venture to guess 20-25lbs will be a stretch at one time.
FWIW - Most, if not all, portable sous vide machines have a min. and max. water level requirement. If your cooler is too big, you will have to add enough water to reach the min. level. For my 32 qt. cooler, min. is about 3-4" off of the bottom and requires ~16 quarts to reach. Taller coolers will require more. I normally fill mine to the midway point which is ~24-26 quarts. My 800W Anova has no problem keeping the temperature at 140°. So far I've only cooked brisket in the cooler and I cook at 132° for 48-54 hours. As I've noted before, I separate the point from the flat and trim off all visible fat before smoking. I smoke at 150-160° and vacuum pack at an IT of ~120°.
I never messed with the BBQ meats when I had the anova. What's the texture like of a 132 brisket? What's your opinion on going a more traditional holding temp of like 180 for a day or two after smoking? I'd be interested to do it that way to see if the lower internal temp kept it juicy while still breaking everything down at 180 to get the more traditional BBQ meat texture.
-
I've yet to try a brisket but plan to soon. I did pulled pork last year - SV for 26 hours at 165F then smoked with Slow N Sear for 90 minutes. It turned out good, moist and tender but was more effort than it was worth. Pork butts are easy enough to just throw on the smoker and forget about with much less hands on. I can see the benefit with a brisket, especially the flat.
Did a chuck roast last night for the first time. It was choice that was on sale for $2.29. Followed the ChefSteps recipe. Trussed, seasoned with S&P, seared and then SV at 133F for 40 hours. Then rolled in salt and herbs and roasted for 10 minutes at 475F. Taste and texture like prime rib. Next time will SV at 131 for a little more towards rare.
-
That chuck certainly looks good. Was it tender like prime rib or thin sliced rib roast or tri-tip?
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off? It looks like it may. It would be useful if it did if you had a container that had a hole to slide the machine into as it looks like there is a rim right above the max water line that would keep it from falling in the water. I guess I am getting antsy waiting for mine to see. I am looking at some lids for containers I already have that have the hole to slide the machine into the container through the lid. I guess I will wait until it arrives to see if that is the case and if those lids will work before I going buying them.
-
What's the texture like of a 132 brisket? What's your opinion on going a more traditional holding temp of like 180 for a day or two after smoking? I'd be interested to do it that way to see if the lower internal temp kept it juicy while still breaking everything down at 180 to get the more traditional BBQ meat texture.
Texture is just like any good steak. It's medium rare, very moist and taste is great. I once let a brisket cook for 72 hours at 132° and the meat started to get a little mushy. Cooking at 180° for two days would probably result in moist mushy over cooked meat that doesn't taste bad. If I had to guess, I'd say that 18-20 hours at 180° might yield meat with similar taste and texture as traditional smoked brisket.
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off?
I believe that the clips that you are referring to are intended to keep the top of the bag out of the water. They may be good insurance if you are using Ziploc bags, but I vacuum seal my bags and they have never leaked so I do not use them. The clips that I've seen have a pretty strong spring and are unlikely to slip.
-
That chuck certainly looks good. Was it tender like prime rib or thin sliced rib roast or tri-tip?
It was close to prime rib but not as soft. I was afraid it was going to be mushy if left too long. Next time I'll go another 8 hours or more, and run at 131F.
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off? It looks like it may. It would be useful if it did if you had a container that had a hole to slide the machine into as it looks like there is a rim right above the max water line that would keep it from falling in the water. I guess I am getting antsy waiting for mine to see. I am looking at some lids for containers I already have that have the hole to slide the machine into the container through the lid. I guess I will wait until it arrives to see if that is the case and if those lids will work before I going buying them.
I read the question answer thing on Amazon. I believe it said the clip was part of the unit, and non-removable. On most stuff, you don't really need a lid. Unless you are planning a days long cook, i wouldn't bother. I didn't use a lid most of the time on mine. If nothing else, a piece of styrofoam with a hole would work fine. I also think serious eats said ping pong balls work well for insulation.
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off?
I believe that the clips that you are referring to are intended to keep the top of the bag out of the water. They may be good insurance if you are using Ziploc bags, but I vacuum seal my bags and they have never leaked so I do not use them. The clips that I've seen have a pretty strong spring and are unlikely to slip.
Apologize I wasn't clear. I meant the clip on the unit that holds it to the container as this unit does not have the screw clamp that gets tightened. It is more like a chip clip type lever that you press to open the mouth up to attach to the side of the container. The pictures looked like that part of the unit may slide down the shaft so it could be removed.
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off? It looks like it may. It would be useful if it did if you had a container that had a hole to slide the machine into as it looks like there is a rim right above the max water line that would keep it from falling in the water. I guess I am getting antsy waiting for mine to see. I am looking at some lids for containers I already have that have the hole to slide the machine into the container through the lid. I guess I will wait until it arrives to see if that is the case and if those lids will work before I going buying them.
I read the question answer thing on Amazon. I believe it said the clip was part of the unit, and non-removable. On most stuff, you don't really need a lid. Unless you are planning a days long cook, i wouldn't bother. I didn't use a lid most of the time on mine. If nothing else, a piece of styrofoam with a hole would work fine. I also think serious eats said ping pong balls work well for insulation.
Fair point. I don't plan to make a brisket out of the gate. I should use it and learn a bit before buying all of the extra equipment. Thanks for your insight and potentially saving me money to spend on some other cooking related item since you already cost me $55 on buying the unit. ;) ;D
-
They sell things like them on Amazon just so you don't lose a lot of your water through evaporation!
I also think serious eats said ping pong balls work well for insulation.
(https://i.imgur.com/PuTUOlkh.jpg)
-
Anyone know if the clip that holds it to the side of a container slides off? It looks like it may. It would be useful if it did if you had a container that had a hole to slide the machine into as it looks like there is a rim right above the max water line that would keep it from falling in the water. I guess I am getting antsy waiting for mine to see. I am looking at some lids for containers I already have that have the hole to slide the machine into the container through the lid. I guess I will wait until it arrives to see if that is the case and if those lids will work before I going buying them.
I read the question answer thing on Amazon. I believe it said the clip was part of the unit, and non-removable. On most stuff, you don't really need a lid. Unless you are planning a days long cook, i wouldn't bother. I didn't use a lid most of the time on mine. If nothing else, a piece of styrofoam with a hole would work fine. I also think serious eats said ping pong balls work well for insulation.
Fair point. I don't plan to make a brisket out of the gate. I should use it and learn a bit before buying all of the extra equipment. Thanks for your insight and potentially saving me money to spend on some other cooking related item since you already cost me $55 on buying the unit. ;) ;D
One of my negatives from my first go round was having a big vessel sitting in the corner of my kitchen for days at a time. Not a huge deal, but just one of those things. The other day I got a 20 quart stock pot at a restaurant supply place to hopefully run this on my stove top instead of elsewhere in my kitchen. I think I will like this setup better, but I will have to use a cooler or something if I want to do a big cut.
(https://i.imgur.com/Lp1Nti3l.jpg)
They sell things like them on Amazon just so you don't lose a lot of your water through evaporation!
I also think serious eats said ping pong balls work well for insulation.
(https://i.imgur.com/PuTUOlkh.jpg)
That's a boatload of ping pong balls.
-
I think those are closer in size to moth balls than ping pong balls.
-
Pretty sure they are smaller then ping pong, although I think they have some that size as well!
-
Gotta be a bit careful with those balls, I was using ping pong balls but when I did a 185 cook on green beans they started to melt and deform.
-
Helps prevent heat loss-Lower energy loss during cooking. Made of BPA free PP, safe to 225°F. Cook for hours without adding water to sous vide container - sous vide rack will be easily accessible.
• No more middle of the night water level alarms-These sous vide balls allow you cook water for hours on end without ever having to re-fill. Due to the surface exposure between the water and air, water hardly evaporates during the cooking process.
• No more lids-Acts as lid to reduce splashing hazard but allows easy access to all shapes and sizes contents. Compatible with Anova, Nomiku, Gourmia, Sansaire, PolyScience Sous Vide Controller and other professional sous vide cookers.
• Packed in practical mesh bag-Facilitates the drying process after use and for easy storage. You could put all the balls in and hang up the bag in somewhere.
• From a 1 gallon container to a 5 gallon container, your sous vide water balls will cover the water from corner to corner with either 1 or 2 layers, keep the heat around your food. 100% brand new with good quality. If any question, welcome to leave a message to us, we will be glad and find a best solution for you
(https://i.imgur.com/PuTUOlkh.jpg)
-
Hah...looks like I will have a package showing up next week I guess. It pays to do your research as usual.