Heat retention: how the cooker holds heat for safety on the worktop and whether the food catches or burns Ease of use: Sous vide is a somewhat niche cooking technique, so if your experience with it is frustrating or difficult, it's likely that your sous vide gear will end up in the donation pile. The best sous vide machines have bright, clear displays; are intuitive to operate; and easy to set up, clean, and store. We also looked at app connectivity for smart sous vide machines, though we ultimately prioritized models that have onboard controls, since they're the most user-friendly and versatile.

Custard and other egg-based desserts can be cooked in canning jars, and slow-cooking grains like polenta or oats also do well. And that's just the start of the list, which is always growing as chefs and home cooks experiment with the possibilities.

The Joule and Joule Turbo are nearly identical, and they operate almost exactly the same, except that the Turbo has a new function: turbo mode. This heats the water a little bit above the target temperature (no more than 10 degrees, in our tests) to get food to the exact right doneness a bit faster. This works especially well with smaller items: Breville says turbo mode can sous-vide a steak in half the time.

Not necessarily. Sous vide doesn't require a true vacuum seal to work, but it's important that the food is in a securely closed bag that won't pop open mid-cooking. If you're using a zip-top bag, try to squeeze out as much air as possible before closing, and be careful the opening seals all the way from end to end. You can also use glass canning jars for sous vide, but make sure to use airtight lids and screw them on tightly.At the most basic, any sous-vide cooker will have controls for heat and time, letting you set your desired temperature and length of time to hold it. But sous vide is complicated, with different ideal settings for different foods and situations. Most machines offer some extra functionality beyond just temperature and time, whether that's just a handful of presets or a fully automated program that lets you specify exactly what you're making and exactly how you want it. Our Lab team has spent collective decades working in professional kitchens, developing recipes, and testing kitchen gear. The purpose of sous vide is to control the time and temperature for a perfect result. If you are cooking too long or the water is too heated, it can alter the results. For excellent results cooking timing and temperature matter in sous vide as well. One of the main benefits is complete control of the finished temperature, along with edge-to-edge cooking at exactly the same doneness. For cooks who aren’t good at cooking a steak to the right temperature, sous vide makes it easy, with just a sear at the end to get a good crust.

In addition to timing how long it takes for a sous vide machine to heat four quarts of water, we also look at how well it cooks eggs and steak. Lindsay Boyers is a functional nutritionist, recipe developer, and author of more than a dozen books and cookbooks. She tested the Anova and Anova Nano at home. While it may sound futuristic, sous vide cooking has quite a few advantages: the long, slow cook time can turn tough cuts of meat incredibly tender; the sealed environment helps contain moisture so food doesn't dry out; and because the temperature is so low, there's almost no risk of overcooking. With the right equipment, sous vide cooking can be safe and easy, and help you produce some of the most delicious meals you've ever had. No liquid escapes from a slow cooker, so when adapting a recipe not specifically written for a slow cooker, reduce any added liquid by a third.Sous vide is French for “under vacuum," but it refers to a cooking technique that seals food in a bag and cooks it slowly in water that's kept at a very precise temperature. Where cooking on a pan or grill uses very high temperature to heat ingredients from one side at a time, sous vide brings everything to the same temperature all at once. That lets you get perfectly even doneness every time, while also retaining fats and juices that would cook out of the food with other techniques. Sous vide is a fantastic technique for cooking food. It’s a bit slow process but rewards you with the perfect flavor and texture of food preserved. Slow cooking does not necessarily mean you can do that in a slow cooker. Functions: additional functions on the slow cooker including browning, reheating, reducing and whether it is hob or oven-safe Speed: I timed how long it took each machine to heat four quarts of room temperature water to 130 F and 190 F. The best machines were able to do this in under 10 minutes and under 25 minutes, respectively. (It's worth noting that you can speed this process by covering the bath with plastic wrap, which we didn't for this test.)