Slow Cooker Vs. Sous Vide Machine: Which One is Right for You?

When you’re busy with work, life, and the hundred other things that need to get done around your home, it can be hard to get dinner on the table every night. 

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what to make for dinner at the last minute, then you know how frustrating it is to be stuck in a rut when it comes to dinner.

But there’s good news—there are plenty of ways to spice up your usual dinner routine, without having to spend a lot of time cooking or planning meals. 

From fast-food chains to your own kitchen, there are many different ways to avoid the usual “same-old” meal routine.

When it comes to making homemade meals, sometimes the only time to make the choice between two similar-looking machines is when you’re standing in front of the kitchen cabinets.

In this article, we are going to discuss the differences between a slow cooker and a sous vide machine.

Sous Vide Cooker vs Slow Cooker. Differences and Benefits

What is slow cooking?

Slow cooking is a cooking method that uses low heat and long-simmering to create tender and flavorful food. It can be used with or without a pot.

The temperature inside a slow cooker is always low, between 140°F and 160°F (60°C and 70°C). This makes food last longer.

What is the mechanism of a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are usually made out of aluminum with a ceramic lining. The ceramic lining insulates and slows down the temperature inside the cooker.

The heating element is encased by a layer of insulation that heats up slowly over a long period of time.

What is cooking sous vide?

Sous vide is a method of cooking where the food is cooked in a vacuum bag, sealed, and then cooked at low temperatures. 

It has a few advantages over other methods of cooking, such as ovens or grills, including reduced fat, better preservation of flavor and texture, the longer storage life of food.

In short, it’s a better way to cook.

Sous vide is the fastest growing trend in foodservice, but you don’t need to own a $20,000 sous vide machine to enjoy the benefits of cooking at home or in a restaurant. 

People at home have done it and it’s easy as can be—even for a novice.

With just a few essentials, you can create the same amazing results that a professional sous vide chef creates with a state-of-the-art machine.

Many people think sous vide is all about cooking for hours in a water bath, but it is not that simple. 

Sous vide is actually a French technique invented by a Frenchman, and it’s a method of vacuum-sealing food for cooking.

The method has been around since the 1970s, but it’s been making a comeback in recent years because it allows home cooks to cook high-quality food like steak without being a professional chef.

See also: Do Restaurant Use Sous Vide?

What are the benefits of Sous Vide?

Sous vide is a great way to prepare food. Here are some of the pros: It saves time. There is no need to turn on the oven or wait for it to heat up. 

Just place your food in the water bath and set the temperature.

It will do the rest! You don’t have to worry about overcooking. You can use a higher temperature and still get perfectly cooked meat. It makes for very consistent results.

You can’t mess up an entire batch of food. You just have to worry about overcooking one piece of meat. The food is safe from bacteria growth.

There are no microorganisms that cause food poisoning. You can cook for several days without worrying about the food spoiling.

You can store food for weeks, if not months, and reheat it with no problems. It keeps the food moist and flavorful.  

See also: Health Benefits of Sous Vide Cooking

What are the issues of Sous Vide?

In our opinion, the most difficult part of home cooking is that it requires some level of specialized skill to operate rightly. It takes a little longer to cook.  

Frequently Asked Questions About Sous Vide vs Slow Cooker

What is a Combi Oven?

It is a special type of oven that can be used to cook two dishes at once. This saves lots of time and fuel.

It is usually built into the top part of a barbecue or a stove. It consists of two different types of ovens inside.

The bottom oven heats up fast and is used for cooking small dishes like stir-fry vegetables. The top oven is slower and is used for bigger dishes like casseroles.

What is a crock pot?

A Crock-Pot (also spelled as Crockpot) is a kitchen device for cooking foods with dry heat, usually at low temperatures. 

Crock pot is a slow cooker, it simulates the cooking process using heat retention.

The food or broth is placed in a ceramic vessel with the lid on and cooked at a low temperature for several hours or even overnight.

What are the benefits of slow cooking?

Slow cooking has a lot of benefits. It saves your time, energy, and effort as compared to conventional cooking methods.

Slow cooking also makes use of the low-temperature, long time, and low-pressure conditions. 

These are perfect for tenderizing tough cuts of meat and slow cooking can be used to prepare most dishes like soups, stews, rice, and vegetables.

Slow cooking is the most effective method of cooking. In slow-cooking food is cooked at low heat for a long period of time, without any added oil.

This method of cooking helps retain the nutrients in the food.

As a result, the nutrients in the food remain intact and this makes slow cooking an ideal method of cooking for the following reasons:

• Retains nutrients.
• Cheaper than other methods of cooking.
• It has minimal effect on the taste of the food.
• Preserves the texture and flavor of food.

What are the cons of slow cooking?

Slow cooking is a great method to cook a large quantity of food and is safe for those with high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. 

In the traditional method of cooking, you must season foods well before they go into the oven.

This can be done by adding salt, pepper, oil, or spices to the food. The food must then be cooked slowly over a period of time.

You should cook your food at a temperature that will not burn it, but also not cook it at a high temperature for too long, because this could result in overcooking. 

When choosing recipes, you should choose foods that take a long time to cook, so they can be prepared slowly.

For example, you can use a slow cooker for baking bread instead of the traditional oven.

Why should I cook sous vide?

Sous Vide cooking is a low-temperature, moist-heat process that seals in nutrients while retaining the integrity of proteins, vegetables, and fruits. 

It is used for things like chicken breasts, steak, shrimp, pork chops, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and more.

You can also use it to make sauces and dressings or to infuse flavors into foods that might normally need high heat.

What equipment do I need to cook sous vide?

You will need a water bath, a thermometer, some plastic bags, and a vacuum sealer.

Can you sous vide in a slow cooker?

Yes, it is not that complicated and you don’t have to buy any fancy equipment! All you need are some chicken breasts, a slow cooker, some spices, and some vegetables (onions, carrots, and potatoes).

You could even do this whole process in a slow cooker. Just make sure you cut the potatoes into cubes before cooking them.

How long should we cook meat in a slow cooker?

Cook for at least two hours per pound. If you’re cooking a small turkey, cook for 4 hours on low heat. A large turkey can be cooked for 5-6 hours on high.

Conclusion

We have always been a fan of slow cookers and sous vide cooking. We think it’s just natural to want to cook things in the simplest, most efficient way possible.

But if you are just starting out, we recommend using sous vide machine as your first option.

I think that will help you learn the basics faster, and then you can decide which method suits you best