I got my Anova today!

[Kaido]

I wonder if there's much advantage to using this over marinading with liquid smoke.

I'm curious about that as well. $140 for the gen2 model is as much as an Anova goes for on sale...not sure if it's worth the price. I already have a smoker (pellet grill) as well, so I can always just walk outside & turn that on if I really need real, actual smoke. I put it on my wishlist, so maybe someday I'll try it!

I am getting more & more curious to try out a TurboChef appliance at home as well. Unfortunately, even the used prices of the newer machines is ridiculous (thousands upon thousands of dollars). A lot of shops around here are getting them, however. My local sandwich shop got a ventless Bullet (yes, I am a nerd & talk to the workers about their kitchen tools haha), which has the high-speed air cooking combined with a side-launched microwave, and can crank out sandwiches SUPER fast. Downside is that it's a whopping $10k I'm particularly interested in the ventless conveyors, like the 1618 model:

http://turbochef.com/site.php?PAGE_TYPE=PRODUCTS&nav_id=111206&page_id=410&sub_page_id=469

Aside from being $12k (YIKES!), it also requires 14,400 watts lol (40 amps! needs a 240V outlet). But you can stick a raw pizza in there & have it come out cooked in like three minutes, which is pretty awesome. A minute for a sandwich, three minutes for frozen fries, no hood required because it's ventless, pretty neat! This model has a split belt, so you can put two different meals in that cook at two different times:

You can buy a tray sealing machine for around $3k these days too (load food, add tray, boom...homemade TV dinner that is frost-safe for the freezer):

I've thought about getting one for a couple years because I've done meal prep for extended family on & off...two of my brothers have since gotten into bodybuilding as well (and they both stink at cooking lol), and I have some family members with health issues that I drop off meals for occasionally, so that would be a super cool machine to have because I could cook in bulk (my latest EPC is a 14-quart Gowise...can cook 10 pounds of chili at a time, no joke!) & then bag everything up safely for long-term freezer storage, as needed. So many toys out there...

 

[Kaido]

I wonder if there's much advantage to using this over marinading with liquid smoke.

Just saw a thread on one of the sous video FB groups. Majority consensus was that most people didn't use it after buying, that it didn't really add much smoke flavor, and that it's mostly for showing off if you want a memorable meal or drink. Meh, I'll pass.

 

[Kaido]

Huge new sous vide offering: Nomiku Sous Chef essentially offers TV dinners for foodies

https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/26/nomiku-sous-chef/

Nomiku wants its sous vide food program to be the 'iTunes for your mouth.'

...

Today the company is ready to announce yet another sous vide machine, but with a twist: it comes with a food program that sends you precooked frozen meals.

...

"Reheating is a concept that everyone is now aware of. Now, we want to make it not suck. We want food to taste delicious."

So basically, you order frozen meal packages & the new Nomiku reads them via RFID. Approximately 30 minutes per meal.

The Nomiku Sous Chef will retail for $149, and in order to get it, you need to buy into the food program too. Entrees are priced around $8 to $14, while side dishes are around $4 to $6, and you can mix and match them to your liking. The meals can be tailored to a variety of dietary preferences, like vegan, gluten-free and paleo. Some sample menu items include sweet potato grits, chickpea masala and pork shoulder with chipotle. Nomiku suggests you start out with $80 worth of meals in order to qualify for free shipping.

Unlike other food subscriptions on the market, like Freshly and Sprig, Nomiku doesn't bill you weekly or monthly. Instead, the machine keeps track of your inventory (since you're using RFID to scan it) and will automatically replenish your default order once you're down to your last four packages of food. This way, you can go for weeks without using the frozen meals and you won't get charged or have to store extra food. If you don't want the automatic reorder for whatever reason, you have 24 hours to cancel or modify it.

And here's the kicker: After you purchase about $300 worth of food (that's roughly 20 meals), Nomiku will credit you $149, which essentially makes the machine free. If you want, you can also cancel the food program at any time. Even without it, the Sous Chef still works as a regular sous vide machine, which is more than you can say for a Keurig (won't work without those pods) or a Juicero (works only with those produce packs).

...

Interestingly, the machine and the meals are all developed and made in California. Indeed, Fetterman tells me that the Sous Chef is the first of Nomiku's devices that was made from start to finish in the US. The food was created and developed by an in-house chef and is made and packed in a USDA- and FDA-certified facility. All of the ingredients are sourced from local farms.

Menu preview here:

https://souschef.nomiku.com/preview

They recommend two sides per meal. Main dishes currently include:

1. Curried cauliflower
2. Pork shoulder with chipotle adobo
3. Miso-glazed chicken breast
4. Chicken thigh with Thai yellow curry

Side dishes include:

1. Braised red cabbage
2. Cheesy grits
3. Charred sweet potatoes with lime and cumin
4. Citrus-glazed carrots
5. Jasmine rice with fried shallot

They recommend 2 sides per meal; on the low end, that's $16 per meal ($8 main + two $4 sides), on the high end, that's $26 per meal ($14 main + two $6 sides). That's like eating out at a nice restaurant. Granted, you (1) get the convenience of pre-made food, which is (2) cooked by a chef, and (3) you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, so essentially you're paying money for a convenience package consisting of a well-thought-out, healthy, tasty meal.

I am curious to see if it takes off at this price. I work with a lot of busy professionals who literally eat out every single meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. And even on weekends, a lot of them will get gourmet take-home meals from local high-end grocery stores. I don't know how many of them would go for a sous vide machine...maybe if it were literally a water oven like a SousVide Supreme appliance, where it's a box you fill up with water, close the lid, and press a button. I suspect this will be popular in the well-off nerd community like Silicon Valley, where you have geeks who are foodies who love technology but don't like to or aren't good at cooking at home, and have the money available to spend (almost a grand a month just for dinner, if you use it every day!). It's almost like an Amazon Dash button for your dinner.

I do like this concept a lot. I've been doing this with a FoodSaver for years, long before I got my Anova...vac-seal meals & then reheat by boiling. Of course now, you can get precision results with a sous vide machine, and you also have the option of being able to cook raw food (from vac-sealed frozen meals in a bag, if you so desire) accurately thanks to that technology. I approach this a few different ways currently:

1. Sous vide pre-cooked meals: Essentially just reheating pre-cooked meals in a vac-seal bag
2. Sous vide raw meals: For example, chicken breast with a marinade, frozen in a vac-seal bag
3. Instant Pot raw meals: Vac-sealed bags that I thaw overnight in the fridge & then cook in the IP
4. Microwave TV dinner trays: Anything leftover from my IP/Anova/grill usually gets portioned out into TV dinner trays

It really depends on the meal in question. Like, crack chicken is best done in the Instant Pot, not the sous vide. And I don't have a sous vide machine at my office, just a microwave & toaster oven, so it's easier just to nuke a homemade TV dinner for lunch. And the draw of eating out is still strong...you get variety, you get a hot meal instantly without having to do any work, no dishes to do, etc.

Anyway, neat idea. I like to cook, so I'll be sticking with my Anova personally, but if you're in the market for a new sous vide machine, the new Nomiku would definitely be worth checking out! It's like HelloFresh without actually having to do any work

 

[agent00f]

Interesting experiment this weekend with lowest possible effort attempt at "proper" bbq.

1. Buy bag of corned beef brisket point
2. Toss bag directly into 65-70deg water for ~8hr, depending on pref and brand
3. Refrigerate for a bit, like overnight
4. Dry rub of choice + liquid smoke (dry is good because wetness is more for maintaining temp/moisture on long cooks whereas finishing sous vide is opposite)
5. ~250deg F in oven for 2.5 hr or however long until internal temp hits ~160 (I used meat temp monitor)
6. Broil for few min fat side up until it drips

I messed up step 4 with a rub that's too wet which slowed down crust formation, ie temp reached before it hardens, so I threw it in the freezer for a bit to reverse the temp gradient before continuing in oven until the outside was acceptable when it hit internal target again.

Excellent results according to guests, for almost no actual work.

 

[agent00f]

Huge new sous vide offering: Nomiku Sous Chef essentially offers TV dinners for foodies

https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/26/nomiku-sous-chef/


So basically, you order frozen meal packages & the new Nomiku reads them via RFID. Approximately 30 minutes per meal.


Menu preview here:

https://souschef.nomiku.com/preview

They recommend two sides per meal. Main dishes currently include:

1. Curried cauliflower
2. Pork shoulder with chipotle adobo
3. Miso-glazed chicken breast
4. Chicken thigh with Thai yellow curry

Side dishes include:

1. Braised red cabbage
2. Cheesy grits
3. Charred sweet potatoes with lime and cumin
4. Citrus-glazed carrots
5. Jasmine rice with fried shallot

They recommend 2 sides per meal; on the low end, that's $16 per meal ($8 main + two $4 sides), on the high end, that's $26 per meal ($14 main + two $6 sides). That's like eating out at a nice restaurant. Granted, you (1) get the convenience of pre-made food, which is (2) cooked by a chef, and (3) you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, so essentially you're paying money for a convenience package consisting of a well-thought-out, healthy, tasty meal.

I am curious to see if it takes off at this price. I work with a lot of busy professionals who literally eat out every single meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. And even on weekends, a lot of them will get gourmet take-home meals from local high-end grocery stores. I don't know how many of them would go for a sous vide machine...maybe if it were literally a water oven like a SousVide Supreme appliance, where it's a box you fill up with water, close the lid, and press a button. I suspect this will be popular in the well-off nerd community like Silicon Valley, where you have geeks who are foodies who love technology but don't like to or aren't good at cooking at home, and have the money available to spend (almost a grand a month just for dinner, if you use it every day!). It's almost like an Amazon Dash button for your dinner.

I do like this concept a lot. I've been doing this with a FoodSaver for years, long before I got my Anova...vac-seal meals & then reheat by boiling. Of course now, you can get precision results with a sous vide machine, and you also have the option of being able to cook raw food (from vac-sealed frozen meals in a bag, if you so desire) accurately thanks to that technology. I approach this a few different ways currently:

1. Sous vide pre-cooked meals: Essentially just reheating pre-cooked meals in a vac-seal bag
2. Sous vide raw meals: For example, chicken breast with a marinade, frozen in a vac-seal bag
3. Instant Pot raw meals: Vac-sealed bags that I thaw overnight in the fridge & then cook in the IP
4. Microwave TV dinner trays: Anything leftover from my IP/Anova/grill usually gets portioned out into TV dinner trays

It really depends on the meal in question. Like, crack chicken is best done in the Instant Pot, not the sous vide. And I don't have a sous vide machine at my office, just a microwave & toaster oven, so it's easier just to nuke a homemade TV dinner for lunch. And the draw of eating out is still strong...you get variety, you get a hot meal instantly without having to do any work, no dishes to do, etc.

Anyway, neat idea. I like to cook, so I'll be sticking with my Anova personally, but if you're in the market for a new sous vide machine, the new Nomiku would definitely be worth checking out! It's like HelloFresh without actually having to do any work

Since the food is already cooked anyway I don't see how this is significant different than tossing microwave dinners/entrees into sous vide (presumably for more precise heating). The downside of those pre-cooked products is that they always taste a bit like leftovers, which is an acceptable given the convenience/price. Really, if I wanted to spend the time, I can already warm up differing portions optimally, like meats in an IR/crisping oven and not end up with soggy meals out of a bag.

 

[ponyo]

Interesting experiment this weekend with lowest possible effort attempt at "proper" bbq.

1. Buy bag of corned beef brisket point
2. Toss bag directly into 65-70deg water for ~8hr, depending on pref and brand
3. Refrigerate for a bit, like overnight
4. Dry rub of choice + liquid smoke (dry is good because wetness is more for maintaining temp/moisture on long cooks whereas finishing sous vide is opposite)
5. ~250deg F in oven for 2.5 hr or however long until internal temp hits ~160 (I used meat temp monitor)
6. Broil for few min fat side up until it drips

I messed up step 4 with a rub that's too wet which slowed down crust formation, ie temp reached before it hardens, so I threw it in the freezer for a bit to reverse the temp gradient before continuing in oven until the outside was acceptable when it hit internal target again.

Excellent results according to guests, for almost no actual work.

No way you could eat this. I desalinated my corned beef overnight before smoking and it was still too salty. I actually have another corned beef in the fridge I plan to desalinate for 2-3 days because overnight wasn't enough.

 

[agent00f]

No way you could eat this. I desalinated my corned beef overnight before smoking and it was still too salty. I actually have another corned beef in the fridge I plan to desalinate for 2-3 days because overnight wasn't enough.

Flavor was about perfect in a sandwich with plain bread. If too salty put it in a bag with some water while cooking.

 

[ponyo]

Flavor was about perfect in a sandwich with plain bread. If too salty put it in a bag with some water while cooking.

Nope. I don't believe you. You didn't make that pastrami. Because if you had, you would've known it's saltier than eating giant block of salt. Some ideas sound great until you actually try it.

 

[agent00f]

Nope. I don't believe you. You didn't make that pastrami. Because if you had, you would've known it's saltier than eating giant block of salt. Some ideas sound great until you actually try it.

I would agree between the two of us one is a liar.

 

[ponyo]

Yup. And I'm still calling you a liar. You can post all the pictures you want from Google but I know from experience you can't cook like you wrote without it being salt-lick.

 

[agent00f]

Yup. And I'm still calling you a liar. You can post all the pictures you want from Google but I know from experience you can't cook like you wrote without it being salt-lick.

This is of course not difficult to settle if you're willing to endure the embarrassment, preferably if there's something on the line, let's say the liar stops posting forever.

 

[ponyo]

This is of course not difficult to settle if you're willing to endure the embarrassment, preferably if there's something on the line.

What's difficult to settle? There's nothing to settle. Anyone who has done any cooking of pastrami can immediately tell you just cooked salt-lick. Go google search some more images of your salt-lick.

 

[agent00f]

What's difficult to settle? There's nothing to settle. Anyone who has done any cooking of pastrami can immediately tell you just cooked salt-lick. Go google search some more images of your salt-lick.

It's easy enough to demonstrate that's a plate and counter I have access to, if you have any character or moral integrity to stand behind your proclamations.

 

[ponyo]

It's easy enough to demonstrate that's a plate and counter I have access to, if you have any character or moral integrity to stand behind your proclamations.

You haven't proven jack shit other than you know how to cook salt-lick. So start posting away google search images. Make sure you include a card that reads, "ponyo, yes this is really my plate and counter." That sure will convince me.

 

[agent00f]

You haven't proven jack shit other than you know how to cook salt-lick. So start posting away google search images. Make sure you include a card that reads, "ponyo, yes this is really my plate and counter." That sure will convince me.

My terms are the liar stops posting forever, just so that lying comes at a price.

 

[ponyo]

My terms are the liar stops posting forever, just so it wouldn't be so easy for your sort.

So you'll stop posting? Great!

 

[agent00f]

So you'll stop posting? Great!

Sure, if I can't produce said picture. Of course liars lack the character to accept any consequences.

 

[ponyo]

Yes, if I can't produce said picture. Of course it's easy to figure what the liar will do if I do.

You already posted one picture of salt-lick. I'm sure google has more. Hurry up. It's already past my bedtime.

 

[agent00f]

You already posted one picture of salt-lick. I'm sure google has more. Hurry up. It's already past my bedtime.

Blustering is not the same thing as showing some character.

What is wrong with both of you? You didn't get laid this month at home?

I just want there to be some consequences for degenerate behavior, and make a worthy spectacle of it.

 

[agent00f]

It's like reading f**** Disney forum who is stronger. Mickey or Donald duck... If you need to settle this, do it like f**** adults...

Seems my proposal is how adults in possession of some character settle things, in evident contrast to those without.

 

[ponyo]

Ok. I'm going to bed. I expect some google search pictures by morning. And remember to add the card I mentioned. That's super important because I like seeing my name. I promise never to post again. Never. Ever. Swear on my internet honor.

 

[agent00f]

Ok. I'm going to bed. I expect some google search pictures by morning. And remember to add the card I mentioned. That's super important because I like seeing my name. I promise never to post again. Never. Ever. Swear on my internet honor.

I guess we'll see if ponyo's honor is ever worth anything.

 

[ponyo]

I guess we'll see if ponyo's honor is ever worth anything.

Man, I gave you simple easy to follow instructions and you still failed. I asked for "ponyo, yes this is really my plate and counter." It took you like 3 hours to photoshop the wrong phrase?

You're no Trygve. This is how you offer proof. Learn and try better next time.

 

[slag]

Nope. I don't believe you. You didn't make that pastrami. Because if you had, you would've known it's saltier than eating giant block of salt. Some ideas sound great until you actually try it.

Agree. I skipped the soak in water phase with my pastrami a few weeks ago and boy was it ever so salty. I ended up mixing it in with the sous vide corned beef and it still made me pucker.

 

[agent00f]

Man, I gave you simple easy to follow instructions and you still failed. I asked for "ponyo, yes this is really my plate and counter." It took you like 3 hours to photoshop the wrong phrase?

You're no Trygve. This is how you offer proof. Learn and try better next time.

There's a rather obvious difference between changing letters on a white piece of paper and replacing meat with paper.

But all that's to be expected from those with zero integrity or intelligence, which is why the sign says what it does instead of RIP ponyo. The perpetually degenerate just can't help themselves as the characterization might imply.