I waited for the better part of a decade for sous vide equipment to become cheap enough for me to get into.
The verdict is that sous vide with a cast iron pan sear to finish is definitely the best way to cook chicken breasts. I’m basically trying different proteins each week. Last week was chicken, and this week is pork. The main issue I have with sous vide is the plastic waste it generates. Also, the cheapo Chinese unit I bought requires a press for each tenth of a degree or minute when setting temp/time, which means I’ve already pressed the buttons about a thousand times, as the pulled pork I did the other day had to be set for twelve hours LOLOL. The unit was around forty bucks, so I guess usability testing wasn’t a high priority for the manufacturer. It does work, it’s just unnecessarily annoying.
I didn’t know pulled pork need twelve hours. I do my pulled pork in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours. When it’s done, I take maybe a third of it and broil it to a crisp in my little oven to add some texture, color, and flavor, then I mix the crispier pork back in with the remaining two-thirds. Since I have no way to do pulled pork with a proper grill or smoker, this is the method that works for me. More often than not, I don’t bother with liquid smoke even though I have some.
Isn’t Anova the #1 brand for sous vide? I think #2 is Joule. I got myself an Instant Pot, which comes with a sous-vide function, so I’ve got versatility on my side, and I’ve done lots of filet mignon with it. For a steak-idiot like me, discovering sous vide + reverse sear was like discovering a magic rock that grants superpowers.
Continued good luck to you as you plow through your proteins. Let’s see some fish!
Oh, yeah: I don’t have a vacuum-bagging thingie; I just use Ziplocs and the displacement method to chase the air out of the bags. In theory, Ziplocs are reusable. The displacement method doesn’t produce perfect results, but the results are definitely good enough.
A slow cooker on low is probably cooking 30 to 50 degrees hotter than sous vide, hence the longer times. Kenji actually advocates 18 to 24 hours at 145 to 165. I will actually try longer next time.
BTW, on my blog, I have a Thai question for you.