Sous Vide Equipment

The two pieces of equipment required to cook sous vide are a chamber vacuum-packing machine and an immersion circulator. Vacuum packers remove air from a plastic bag and seal it. Removing the air ensures efficient heat transfer between the water and the food and, because oxygen encourages spoilage and freezer burn, it improves the shelf life of the food in the bag.

There are many different sizes of chamber packers, from big box-shaped countertop appliances 1 foot tall, 1½ feet wide, and 1 foot deep with a clear dome-like lid to stand-alone models on rollers. The bagged food is laid inside the chamber, the air is sucked out of the bag, and the bag is sealed.