Joule Sous Vide Cooking

The Best Way To Cook Meat Evenly

When you cook meat it is challenging to cook it exactly the same way all the time. This is especially true when cooking any type of meat at home. By using sous vide cooking you can accomplish the objective that the meat will be cooked exactly the same every time. The machine or tool to use is the Joule by ChefSteps that brings the Joule sous vide cooking right into your own home.

Basically, what the appliance does it heats water like a water bath to the desired temperature and that temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process until done. The temperature used will vary for cooking depending upon the specific types of meats and vegetables being cooked. For example, imagine every layer of meat is being cooked from the edge to the center at the exact same temperature at the same time. The result is a greater tasting piece of meat or vegetables being cooked in its natural juices and to your liking.

You may be asking, how does sous vide cooking work? Very simply, you place the meat in a seal-lock plastic bag and when the water reaches the desired temperature you place the bag into the heated water. In sous vide cooking this is a water bath. The appliance keeps the water at the desired temperature all throughout the cooking process. Resulting in a perfectly cooked piece of meat from the edge to the center. It retains all of its natural juices making for a great tasting piece of meat. If you add any seasonings of your liking it will taste even better.

You get to choose the rareness or doneness of the meat you want and the unit takes over. The unit cooks the meat at the correct temperature for the exact amount of time evenly from the edge to the center when it reaches the desired doneness or elapsed time. Based on the type of meat, fresh or frozen and the thickness. The app controls all this based on your selections.

This particular tool uses an app that lists various types of meat and the desired doneness. You select the type of meat to be cooked, its desired doneness, how thick the meat is and the unit will tell you how long it will be sitting in the water bath before it’s done.

Setting Up Joule Video

Check out the short video below on how to set up the Joule unit.

How To Sous Vide Foods Properly

If you are new to this type of cooking, you may need to try it a few times before you can master it. Once you get used to using this cooking method, you will not want to go back to the old way. Check out the steps below.

Step 1: Start your warm water bath. While you are preparing the food, the water will begin to heat up to the desired temperature. To speed up the water heating process, you can start with hot water from   the tap. Be sure to follow all of the instructions in the manual for setting up the device for the proper temperature of the food being cooked.

Step 2: Season the food and seal it in a plastic bag. When doing this for the first time use little seasoning then you can add more the next time you cook the same piece of meat. This process allows the food to retain its natural flavor by keeping the juices locked up in the bag while cooking. The seasoning can be salt and pepper or any other types of herbs you like on your meat. Seal the bag. Using a FoodSaver or any type of vacuum sealing machine for this step or a zipped lock bag will also work.

Step 3: Place plastic bag into heated water bath. When the machine informs

you the temperature has been reached, slowly drop the sealed bag into the heated bath water making sure it is completely submerged. Set the timer and wait until it’s done. You can also walk away at this point. The unit will cook the food and notify you when it’s done.

Step 4: Sear the meat when done. When the timer goes off the meat or whatever is being cooked is done. Carefully remove it from the water bath. Cut the bag and remove the contents. If it’s meat, you can sear it using a hot pan to caramelize the exterior before serving.

This method of cooking uses a water bath that slowly cooks the meats and vegetables. This is a better way of cooking as it locks in the vitamin and mineral content at lower temperatures. When cooking using an oven or stove, the temperature is usually much higher and you begin to lose some of the nutritional values of the meats and vegetables.

The Benefits of Sous Vide Cooking

There are some huge benefits of using the sous vide cooking method. First, you will get higher vitamin and mineral levels of the meats and vegetables, enhanced flavors, healthier, never overcooked, consistent results, and less fat. You will get great tasting meat that will melt in your mouth and will leave you speechless. When cooking meats and vegetables using a pan or oven, you must coat them with oil to prevent them from sticking. You will not have to add any oils to the sous vide food. You can if you want to add some flavor to the meat according to your liking.

Second, you can save time and money. Instead of watching the food in the pan, oven, or barbeque, you just set the sous vide machine to the specific temperature and walk away. Using this method will not overcook or burn the food. The sous vide cooking allows you to buy cheaper cuts of meat and make them tender saving you money.

Using Joule Cooking Videos

To assist you in learning the basics of sous vide cooking, below are some great videos using the Joule unit for various types of cooking meat and desserts. Recipes are included in the video discussion area for your benefit. These are provided to give you some ideas on how to cook using the Joule unit for Sous Vide cooking.

Cooking New York Strip Steak

Cooking Steak

Cooking Ribs

Baby Back Ribs

Desserts

Make great tasting desserts using the sous vide method. Check out the two videos below.
Chocolate Cake

Cheesecake

Joule Sous Vide Cooking Tool

We highly recommend using the Joule by ChefSteps. It is compact, thin and small enough to fit in the kitchen drawer.

Product Specifications

• Manufacture: ChefSteps
• ASIN: B0727R431B
• Model: 4186JW120B
• Wattage: 1100 watts
• Height: 11 inches
• Weight: 1.3 lbs.
• Width: 1.9 inches
• Colors: White & White with Stainless Steel Cap and Base
• WiFi & Bluetooth Ready: Yes, and works with iPhone or Android or cook anywhere using WiFi
• Voltage: 120 volt outlets only
• Saves Space: Fits into kitchen drawer
• FDA Safe: All plastic materials are FDA-certified food-safe plastic
• Minimum Water Depth: 1.5 inches (38 mm)
• Maximum Water Depth: 8 inches (203 mm)
• Temperature Accuracy: 0.2°F / 0.1°C
• Maximum Bath Volume: 10 Gallons or 40 Liters
• Maximum Water Temperature: At sea level (208 °F / 98 °C); Any other altitude (3.6°F / 2°C below the local boiling point)
• System Requirements: iOS 8.0 or higher; Android 4.4 or later
• Operating Requirements: Line voltage 100 to 120 volts AC; Frequency 50 to 60 Hz, single phase
• Communication & Control: Bluetooth Smart 4.0 wireless; IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi compatible (2.4Ghz Only)
• Safety & Security: Secure data transfer over WiFI and Bluetooth Smart; Thermal cutoff protection; High current protection

Note: In a well-insulated, covered container—a cooler, say—Joule can heat up to 10 gallons (40 liters) of water. In a covered pot, it can heat about 5 gallons (20 liters). When you’re cooking without a cover, it’s recommend limiting water volume to about 2.5 gallons (10 liters).

Joule Pricing

The price for the Joule unit is provided so consumers can compare them with other similar products.

• White Only Price: $179.00
• White & Stainless Steel Price: $199.00

Note: The prices for these products are subject to change without notice and may not be the price at the time of purchase.

Product Rating & Customer Reviews

Rating: [usr 4.4]
This product was rated by 1,588 customers which gave this product an excellent rating. You can read all of the reviews for this product by clicking on the link: Customer Reviews!

Questions People Are Asking About This Product

Below are some of the questions that people as asking about this product.

Question: What happens if you take the phone out of Bluetooth range, or shut the phone off?
Answer: Joule utilizes both Bluetooth and wifi. As long as it is connected to your wifi network at home, Joule will continue to function with the app. I have had Joule cooking my food while I was away from home, at work, and the app will still connect to Joule over the cellular network. I have not tried turning my phone off while Joule and the app were running. I can only assume that Joule will either just continue the current task, or that it will pause and wait for you.

Question: How many steaks (ribeye or strip) can I cook at one time?
Answer: You can cook multiple chicken breasts, steaks, or pieces of salmon at one time. The amount you’ll be able to cook largely depends on the vessel you’re using. In a well-insulated, covered container-a cooler, say-your little Joule can heat up to 10 gallons (40 liters) of water. In a covered pot, it can heat about 5 gallons (20 liters). When you’re cooking without a cover, we generally recommend limiting water volume to about 2.5 gallons (10 liters). The number of items you’re cooking will not increase cooking time as long as the pieces are all separate (not necessarily in separate bags, but in bags that aren’t too crowded).

Question: Do you need a vacuum sealer to go with the joule sous vide?
Answer: No, you can get by with zip lock bags. A vacuum sealer is great.

You can read all of the 495 answered questions by clicking on the following link: Answered Questions!

PROS

1. 1100 watts of power that heats water quicker.
2. Compact to fit in the kitchen drawer.
3. Active Pressure Sensor that calculates the local boiling point no matter the altitude.
4. Healthier for you.
5. Cooks meat and vegetables evenly from edge to the center.
6. Cooks foods in their natural juices.
7. Uses less fat.
8. Great tasting foods.
9. Maintains higher nutritional values of foods being cooked.

CONS

1. Price.
2. Has no screen and must use a phone and app for cooking.
3. Unit cannot be submerged in water or placed in the dishwasher.
4. Takes longer to cook.
5. Water bath required.
6. Requires meats to be seared after coming out of the water bath.
7. Requires using vacuum plastic seal bags or zip lock bags for cooking foods in the water bath.

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