Sous Vide Accessories You Didn’t Know You Needed
My apologies for the clickbait-esque title, but seriously – as the sous vide market continues to climb and people begin to experience everyday woe’s that may come with sous vide cooking (floating bags, getting a good sear, insulation for long cooks, etc.), more unique products are coming to the market to solve these dilemmas. Let’s take a quick look at some of the common ones and also a few new products you may not have heard about before.
Great accessories that you probably already know about
Besides the CRAZY obvious ones like vacuum sealers, cast iron pans, kitchen torches, and containers, there are a few non-obvious products and hacks that are popular in the sous vide community, including:
- Stasher bags solved the issue of sustainability regarding plastic waste by developing a food-grade reusable silicone sous vide bag. It worked great in my review, however I prefer using it when cooking vegetables as it’s easier to clean as opposed to cooking meat.
- Ikea and Amazon sales of collapsible pot racks skyrocketed as sous viders discovered they work great for holding bags in place (looking for a new option? Keep reading below).
- Ping pong balls was a weird one to watch unfold. A bright mind decided to fill their polycarbonate container with ping pong balls to prevent evaporation and help insulate. Now, you can find tons of different Amazon listings for food-safe sous vide balls.
New accessories you didn’t know you needed
Sous Vide Weights
SO-VIDA lands twice on our list. This company that I know nothing about, because I can’t seem to find a website for their brand, is bringing a few unique sous vide products to market solely on Amazon. First on the list is a new sous vide weight that aims to eliminate floating bags. This 5oz cylinder is placed inside your bag along with the food in order to hold the bag under water. The weight itself comes from the stainless steel core, which is then wrapped in food-safe and heat-resistant silicone. If you’re still uneasy about placing it in with your food, you can actually put this weight in a bag, and then place another bag (with your food inside the 2nd bag) inside the first bag.
Container Sleeve
The second product by SO-VIDA is their unique container sleeve which fits the ever-so-popular Rubbermade, Cambro, and LIPAVI containers. Think of it as a giant beer koozie. The listing states an independent test found a 26% power savings during a 24 hour cook due to the insulation, and a 3 minute faster pre-heat time. I find the 3 minute faster pre-heat a bit far fetched, but who knows.
Meat Slicer
You’re welcome, anonymous readers’ stomach.