We’re super excited about a new cooking function coming to the Smart Cooker in a few months via a firmware update: Sous Vide. Since many of us in the test kitchen have worked in the restaurant industry, we are well acquainted with this method, which flawlessly and consistently cooks foods to their optimum temperature. But, what exactly is sous vide cooking?

In short, sous vide is the process of sealing food in an airtight container – usually a vacuum-sealed bag or zip-top bag - and then slowly cooking that food in a temperature-controlled water bath. When cooked this way, the food will never go above the temperature of the water, which is set to the desired doneness. Sous vide is a wonderful way to cook steak, pork, chicken, and fish because there is absolutely no worry about overcooking it.

However, because the foods have not had their surface kissed by high heat, they can look a little wan right out of the bath. Fortunately, that’s super easy to remedy by quickly searing the food just before serving.

While it seems as if sous vide cooking has been around restaurant kitchens forever, appliances that make the method more readily available to home cooks have not been on the market that long. The most common version is known as an immersion circulator. It works by heating up a coil in an immersion blender type device that is then submerged in whatever vessel you’re using to cook in. The device heats the water as it circulates. However, with the Smart Cooker, you don’t need the extra device or even a separate vessel to cook in. It all happens right in the pot.

We are currently developing delicious Guided Cooking recipes for sous vide cooking, which will take any and all mystery out of the meal prep process. Keep your eyes peeled for the sous vide firmware update!