Sous vide: everything you need to know about sous vide cooking at home

Keen to recreate fancy French dishes at home? Want to make cheap cuts of meat taste delicious? Still haven't mastered perfectly poached eggs? You've landed on the right page. We've got the lowdown on everything you need to know about sous vide cooking and how a sous vide machine can help you cook up a storm and churn out restaurant-quality dishes from your family kitchen.

Read next: The best sous vide machines to buy, as rated by Mumsnetters

What is sous vide?

French for "under vacuum," sous vide (pronounced soo-veed) is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in an airtight bag and cooked in a water bath at a precise temperature (generally under 85°C) for a set length of time. It can take a lot of the guesswork out of gourmet cooking, resulting in perfectly cooked dishes - and restaurant-quality steaks - every single time.

While it might sound like the preserve of head chefs, sous vide machines (or immersion circulators) are increasingly popping up in family kitchens to help foodies nail gourmet meals, particularly tender-cooked meat and fish dishes. Most sous vide machines resemble a large hand blender (unless you plump for a professional standalone water bath) and are attached to the side of a saucepan to control water temperature.

But is it really worth investing in a sous vide machine for your home kitchen or is it just ANOTHER gourmet gadget to add to the back of the kitchen cupboard? Read on for insights from Mumsnet's foodie community and check out our guide to the best sous vide machines to buy.

What are the benefits of sous vide cooking at home?

• Precision cooking every time - no room for error

• No danger of undercooking or overcooking food

• Ideal for tender-cooked meat, fish and vegetables

• No need to prod meat with thermometers and knives to check doneness

• Enhances flavours and retains vitamins and minerals

• Great way of making the most of cheap cuts of meat

The main benefit of sous vide cooking is that it guarantees consistency and precision, ensuring foolproof results every time, ensuring that food cooks evenly and to the ideal 'doneness'. You'll also benefit from enhanced flavours and tenderness. And while it might seem like a faff to cook meat in a water bath, once you've set things up, it's a very hands-off approach, leaving you time to prepare side dishes or do whatever else needs to be done in the kitchen. And it eliminates the need to prod and jab meat with a thermometer or knife while cooking to check if it's done. And the precise temperature control removes any concerns about undercooking or overcooking. It can also help with advance meal prep - you can cook a week's worth of proteins slowly and evenly and then bring them to life with a quick sear or saute to warm them up before serving.

Enhancing flavours is a key advantage of sous vide cooking. By sealing in the juices and aromas, this cooking method allows the natural flavours of the ingredients to shine through. To take it a step further, you can add herbs and spices to the vacuum-sealed bag to intensify the taste and aroma of the food, creating a top-notch culinary experience. Whether you're a home cook or a professional chef, sous vide cooking provides an easy way to take your cooking to the next level.

Sous vide cooking according to Mumsnetters

“I probably use mine every couple of weeks. I mainly use it to cook steaks and roasts. Lamb and short ribs are my favourites” - WhyDoesItAlways

"The use of plastic is the only downside to sous vide cooking but you can now buy reusable silicone bags which can be run through the dishwasher to clean" - WhyDoesItAlways

"It certainly doesn't get used regularly but when we have used it the things we've cooked have been amazing" - shadesofwinter

"Long cooking of cheaper cuts of meat gives very tender results, and steaks are always perfectly done" - ItsAllAboutTheBaseNoGerbils

"It’s well worth it if you are into cookery"  - ItsAllAboutTheBaseNoGerbils

"Most sous vide cookery is done at very low (and specific) temperatures. It's certainly not something I could achieve in my oven" - Cohle 

"We had one and got rid, took up too much space in my tiny kitchen and seeing as you need to fry everything off for flavour seemed a bit pointless" - inwood

How to get started with sous vide cooking

To get started with sous vide cooking, it's important to choose the right equipment. Thankfully we have a handy guide to the best sous vide machines to buy, including top tips and recommendations from Mumsnetters that own and rate them.

Once you've invested in a sous vide machine, prepare your ingredients and seasonings in vacuum-sealed bags, ensuring all the flavours are sealed in. Once the setup is ready, set the desired temperature and cooking time for your dish. Finally, submerge the sealed bags in a water bath (a regular saucepan full of water) and let them cook slowly and evenly. With these simple steps, you'll be on your way to enjoying incredibly tender meat that practically melts in your mouth, whether it's a juicy steak, succulent ribs or a portion of fish.

Choosing the right equipment

When it comes to choosing the right product for sous vide cooking, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, you have the option of using either a sous vide immersion circulator (similar in size to a large hand blender that attaches to the side of a pan or water) or a water oven (a large stainless steel unit, typically used by professional cooks). Both are effective in maintaining precise temperature control and accuracy throughout the cooking process but it's far more likely that you'll be looking for an immersion circulator for home use (unless you have loads of space at home, have a large family or entertain on the regular). Secondly, think about size and capacity - consider the amount of food you'll be cooking on a frequent basis and the available space in your kitchen.

What's best to cook in a sous vide machine?

With sous vide cooking, you can nail perfectly cooked medium-rare steak every time. Something that can be hard for even confident cooks to master. And you can achieve tender and juicy chicken breasts without drying them out. On the fish front, seabass, salmon, swordfish and octopus work well. One of the most popular things to cook in a sous vide machine is eggs. If you've ever wondered how restaurants serve perfectly cooked eggs (poached, hard boiled, soft boiled and everything in between) all day, every day, it's highly likely they're using a sous vide machine in the kitchen. A sous vide machine can transform your poached egg game at home. And you don't need to use a vacuum bag here - just place the eggs in their shells directly into temperature-controlled water for a set length of time (typically 12-14 minutes). You can even make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to five days ready to reheat for brilliant brunches.

Are there any downsides to sous vide cooking?

• Requires forward planning

• Large pan needed

• Pricey investment

• You'll need a separate vacuum sealer

Although there's a hands-off element to sous vide cooking (in that you can bag up your meat/fish/veg and let the temperature-controlled water bath do its thing), there's a fair amount of forward-planning to contend with. Slow-cooked food obviously requires quite a bit of time. You'll need to set aside at least an hour to cook a steak at a low temperature for example (compared to a few minutes of searing it in a pan). You'll also need a pan large enough to contain both the sous vide machine and your ingredients. Sous vide machines typically cost upwards of £80 so it's a pricey buy, and you'll also need to factor in the cost of an additional vacuum sealer in order to prep your food for cooking.

Is a sous vide machine a must-buy kitchen gadget?

If you're an avid foodie or an adventurous home cook, a sous vide machine can really help to up your gourmet food game. Even if you're not a passionate cook, using a sous vide machine can help to restore confidence in the kitchen. It can be so hard to judge when a piece of meat is cooked through to perfection - especially if you're hosting a large family meal or a dinner party. A sous vide machine can remove the guesswork - you can pretty much guarantee a tender-cooked piece of meat or fish after slow cooking for a prescribed length of time. Having said that, it's a pricey gadget that probably won't get used on a regular basis and you'll need to be very organised in order to plan ahead to ensure you leave enough time to heat a water bath and slow cook a dish for hours on end. If you host dinner parties on a regular basis and love tender-cooked meat, a sous vide machine is a tasty investment.