need vacuum sealer & sous vide machine

[sparky]

ok out there in letstalkbbq land.  since I have sold a bunch of grills my wife says I can get a vac sealer and sous vide machine.  I don't want to spend more than $200 for each one.  this will be my 1st vacuum sealer.  ya.....so my friends.  what should I get?   

[teesquare]

The vac sealer...there are a lot of choices.... neaps just bought a vacmaster 140 that looks really nice - maybe he can comment on choice .

But - for Sous Vide - try the Dork Foods DSV. It is under $100, and here are the advantages/flexability it offers:

1. Least expensive of all the advertised brands

2. Accurate temperature control ( .2F + or -  set point )

3. can control any non digital crock pot, turkey roaster, and on and on......can even control more than one at a time!!! ( must be same temp - and you need to confirm that the wattage/amp draw is within the controller's range - easy to do... )

4. and...they are an LTBBQ Site Sponsor 

Really - EVERYBODY has a crockpot already...for $100 bucks - it is the best value available. Period. I know some manufacturers will try and convince you that you need  "circulation"...But int he real world ( sans marketing jargon ) what happens is heat rises causing a positive convection current...thus the food heats EVENLY.....without having to have a second pump or prop and motor to deal with or fail

The best engineering - is the simplest solution that fulfills the design's needs - with simplicity, efficiency and durability.

[HighOnSmoke]

Definitely agree with Tim on the Dorkfood! I started with one and then I found a deal I couldn't refuse on a
refurbished Sous Vide Supreme. So I sold my Dorkfood one to a member here.

[muebe]

Tee with large items the natural circulation can be disrupted. You can simply add an aquarium air bubbler to help stimulate movement. That is what I use with my DSV.

I agree with the DSV as a great choice for SV cooking.

As far as sealers I have had great results from my foodsaver. Vac-master makes a great sealer too.

[Big Dawg]

(Looking for a Food Sealer too, so I'll just be back here in the corner eavesdropping.)





BD

[Sailor1]

Tee with large items the natural circulation can be disrupted. You can simply add an aquarium air bubbler to help stimulate movement. That is what I use with my DSV.

I agree with the DSV as a great choice for SV cooking.

As far as sealers I have had great results from my foodsaver. Vac-master makes a great sealer too.

Mike, I agree with you that large items disrupt the natural circulation.  I use a turkey roaster to hot water bath the summer sausage and I take the liner out and just use the roaster.  The walls heat up and not the bottom so I am getting a big swing in temp from the top to the bottom.  I have been to busy to build the air bubble system but will do that as soon as hunting season is over.  I also need to get the Dorkfood DVS to control the water temp.  So far the turkey roaster is doing what I need it to do as long as I give the water a few stirs every now and again.

[teesquare]

I have not experienced any un-even cooks - with cooking some good sized roasts....But, maybe there is a difference in heat distribution with with different crock pots ?

Wouldn't leaving the liner help to distribute heat better in the roaster?

I used my turkey roaster to cook 6 - 1-1/2'' thick NY strips , and for that - no problem. But I think I left the liner in...? ( I need to take it out and give it the hairy eyeball again...

[Sailor1]

I have not experienced any un-even cooks - with cooking some good sized roasts....But, maybe there is a difference in heat distribution with with different crock pots ?

Wouldn't leaving the liner help to distribute heat better in the roaster?

I used my turkey roaster to cook 6 - 1-1/2'' thick NY strips , and for that - no problem. But I think I left the liner in...? ( I need to take it out and give it the hairy eyeball again...

Hmmmmm......I have never tried to hot water bath with the liner in.  My thoughts were that if the water came in direct contact with the walls the water would heat faster.  My thinking is that with the liner in, you have air between the heated walls that would act as kind of an insulator.  Please keep in mind that I am only using the roaster as a hot water bath for sausage and have never done that sous verdie thingy you guys that fancy cookin do. 

My chubs are about 18 to 19 inches long and 5 of them fit pretty tight width wise and don't leave much room to stir.

[RAD]

This is great but I need PICs of what you guys are talking about. Helps a guy like me with reading comprehension issues. 

[Las Vegan Cajun]

This is great but I need PICs of what you guys are talking about. Helps a guy like me with reading comprehension issues. 

Just be patient Uncle Dee will post some pics in his next lifetime. 

[Las Vegan Cajun]

I have the ANOVA sous vide and have been throughly satisfied with it.   It is super quiet, easy to operate with a touch screen display.  The newer unit ANOVA recently came out with is Bluetooth and can be operated from a mobile device as well as the touch screen.   It also has an adjustable collar clamp that slides up and down so it can be used on any size pot.  This newer unit was so appealing to me that I bought it too, now I have their original unit and their latest with the upgrades.  The newer unit retails for $179, but if you watch for their specials you can get a $30 discount off that price.

As for vacuum seal machines, I've had 2 Food Savers, the first one lasted 20 years before I had to replace it with the one I have now that I bought 5 years ago.  For home use and not a lot of heavy use the basic Food Saver will do a great job.

[Eatin Smoke]

I have the Anova (mid range $199) and absolutely love the results I've been getting.  I'm fairly new to the sous vide method of cooking so I've been trying just about everything I can get my hands on.

[teesquare]

Just a thought about the Food Saver brand: I have one  that - just yesterday replaced the black foam seals in it for the second time...in 15 years .
I have a Cabela's 15'' machine for bigger stuff. And - I have a 1 year old Food Saver  ( THIS model - http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/FSFSSL0322-002.html#sz=49&start=26 ) which can seal 25 bags an hour without any overheating problems.

That is important if you want one to last. I think most of the inexpensive sealers die for one of two reasons. They are "over worked" - too many vac/seal jobs in a short time period. Or, moisture gets sucked into the vacuum pump. Both of the these issues are preventable- but you have to know the machine's limits and work within them - or get a more expensive machine.

[teesquare]

I have not experienced any un-even cooks - with cooking some good sized roasts....But, maybe there is a difference in heat distribution with with different crock pots ?

Wouldn't leaving the liner help to distribute heat better in the roaster?

I used my turkey roaster to cook 6 - 1-1/2'' thick NY strips , and for that - no problem. But I think I left the liner in...? ( I need to take it out and give it the hairy eyeball again...

Hmmmmm......I have never tried to hot water bath with the liner in.  My thoughts were that if the water came in direct contact with the walls the water would heat faster.  My thinking is that with the liner in, you have air between the heated walls that would act as kind of an insulator.  Please keep in mind that I am only using the roaster as a hot water bath for sausage and have never done that sous verdie thingy you guys that fancy cookin do. 

My chubs are about 18 to 19 inches long and 5 of them fit pretty tight width wise and don't leave much room to stir.

  And - conversely - I have not used my roaster enough to know as much as you do about! But - I agree - it does not seem like an "advantage" to have air ( with a much low energy transfer efficiency ) rather than water for a mass to hold heat. Other than this - potentially: When dealing with sous vide temps - typically we are talking 130 to 150 F. That is very low for a roaster....So, I wonder if the air between the 2 pans will act as a heat distribution "buffer" - sort of a chamber that allows for temps to be more evenly distributed rather than concentrated in the sides....? This may lead to experimenting...Watch for smoke coming from my basement....