YES! It's true! The mad genius at Polyscience, Philip Preston—creator of the anti-griddle, the smoke gun (looks like paraphernalia I used to oogle at High Times on Coventry in the 70s), and other magico creations to make cooking more fun—has sent me the latest version of the Polyscience professional immersion circulator for sous vide cooking to play with, something I am eagerly doing. But as I already have one, there is nothing for me to do but give this sleek machine away to one lucky reader!
First, the circulator: the original now seems like a little Datsun compared to this sleek Beemer. Its design has been honed, its size has been tightened, its power enhanced. This baby operates great.
Leave a comment on how you want to use the circulator along with a working email (not to be published) and your name is in the hat. Special consideration may be given to innovative suggestions on how to use this wonderful contraption. I haven't decided. Only one comment per person; anyone caught leaving multiple submissions will be forever banished.
For those who are unclear about what this thing is or does: An immersion circulator is a high tech piece of equipment that heats water to exact temperatures and circulates it so that the temperature surrounding the vacuum sealed food is constant (sous vide = vacuum sealed). This allows you to cook meat to say, exactly 132 degrees F., and keep it there till you need it. It allows you to cook short ribs for three days at 137 degrees F./58 degrees C., long enough to melt the tough connective tissue and make them tender, but at a temperature that keeps them medium rare.
It's an amazing machine and it's quickly working its way from the professional kitchen to the home kitchen. If there were any doubt that sous vide cooking has gone mainstream, my local Williams Sonoma at La Place in Beachwood, Ohio, said they had four available when I called them up. Yes, Williams Sonoma carries the immersion circulator.
I first began studying sous vide cooking while writing the book Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, with chefs Thomas Keller, Jonathan Benno and Corey Lee. Much of this material, the basics of sous vide cooking along with home cook friendly recipes and a thorough discussion of safety issues, has been published in a stylish spiral bound book (cover above), that comes with the machine, along with a DVD, temperature chart and instruction manual. (Full disclosure: because I wrote the material sous vide manual, I receive some royalties for it; it is only available with the machine, alas.)
There are other machines out there that do similar tasks. The Sous Vide Supreme, a countertop appliance, was built with the home cook in mind. Plus side: It works as advertised and it's considerably less expensive; on the negative side, you're limited by the 9 x 12 x 7-inch box, and it takes up substantial counterspace. I know some people have figured out how to jury-rig a rice cooker to cook sous vide (recommended for tinkering geeks, but not for most cooks).
The Polyscience Immersion Circulator is a serious professional machine, portable and powerful. I've just been using a stock pot, but this will keep a big Lexan tub of water exaclty heated. I highly recommend it for restaurant kitchens. If you are a committed home cook and have the scratch ($799) and want to make sous vide a part of your routine, then I recommend it as well. It's a great machine. (More company pix on flickr.)
And the one I'm using (above, photo by Donna, cooking last night's London Broil cut) could be yours! Leave a comment and you're in the running. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday at noon, Eastern time.
"Small Print": Please only one entry per person, we'll be checking, and yes, you can game the system but you probably won't win and you'll risk bad karma for years to come. I will cover shipping in the US, but a shipping and handling fee will be required for shipping to Canada. I cannot ship to other countries (it's too much of a headache, sorry). And last, personal friends and family are not eligible.
As always, happy cooking!
Valerie
If I win, I will approach it the same way my mother did when she got a cuisinart in the early seventies: try EVERYTHING in it, starting with the venison from the deer I killed last weekend. And maybe sous vide a peanut butter and cabbage sandwich, too.
David
I really think I would love to use an immersion circulator for entertaining my co-workers since all of us have moved to the midwest from other cities (<24 in age) and don't know anybody else, but use it to introduce them to less common cuts of meat and offal I get from one of my beef/lamb/pork CSAs.
Given that we work long hours, it would be amazing to be able to start cooking some beef tongue on Wednesday or Thursday in preperation for dinner on Friday/Saturday and free up stove space (only have 1 working electric ring).
Bob R.
I could see some amazing short ribs or venison in my future if I were to win that amazing machine.
Nikki
I've been inspired by Carol Blymire's sous vide cooking... gal's funny as all get-out, but she knows her stuff!
Russ Brown
Living in Minnesota we have a lot of wild game and fish. Venison has no marbled fat so cooking to an exact temp without drying out is a real challenge. The same for pheasant and grouse. And what a unique was to prepare fish, especially walleye, with their delicate structure. A whole new way to use the fruits of the woods and water. Thanks for considering this idea!
katy
I cannot begin to think of what I will do with this. Science is my friend and I will use it to my advantage.
Brian
Possibilites are endless: 72 hour short ribs, perfectly poached eggs, turkey (or even better: turducken).
Mark
I have been increasingly interested in cooking. Next year I am retiring from my day job and can't wait to move cooking from hobby to passion. This would be a great addition. Plus, I want a sous vide egg right now!
Tony Ham
I would love to use the circulator during the week for amazingly convenient meals that would forever banish the slow cooker (my nemesis). I would use it for slow cooking roasts and holding them at temp, alleviating any timing issues. So many possibilities!
Chad
I want to try it on the buffalo and lamb I get from other family members. Great stuff but sometimes roasts cooked rare are a little tough - maybe such cooking would help? It appears to just attach a water resevoir is that correct? That's be great to be able to do larger cuts and not be limited by the size of the resevoir - whole lamb leg, brisket, full bellies perhaps? It would be fun to play. Hopefully this is where comment gets left to be in the hat - email should be working.
firesign3000
Oh my gosh, I dream of owning one of these. This would be the only way I'd ever be able to get one. Please please please. 🙂
jjb
pig in all forms
Aaron
Oooh. I've been wanting one of these forever. Can't make myself pull the trigger on an old gross one on ebay. I'd use it on some of the new wonderful pork that is available here in the Austin area to try and curb my pork belly budget at some of the new trailers around here. Sooo yuuummmmyy. 🙂 I'd even love to do a guest blog post about my first experiences with it. I'd love to work through the entire egullet sous vide thread and find out what is best. Great give away! I have TK's book sitting on my counter with drool marks already on it!
David Velasco
I have always wanted to cook my way through the entirety of a cookbook. I have come close with a few but I want to go all the way with Blumenthal's The Big Fat Duck Cookbook and the immersion circulator would help me in accomplishing this. In particular, I would be interested in experimenting with ultra-slow sous vide cooking. I think that this would lead to some interesting results with braises.
Matt
This is a fantastic idea! I've been waiting for a more consumer-friendly device to make it to the market. Of course I'd like to make the perfect steak with it, but I'm most eager to see how I can use it with vegetables like asparagus and Brussels sprouts...all of those green bits that go nasty, limp or sulfurous when overcooked!
Richard
One thing I'd be interested in trying would be a forcemeat of some sort. I would think the gentle, even heat would help insure that a pate or galantine is cooked the same all the way through. Plus, a plastic bag is a lot cheaper than an enamel pate mold. I want one, badly.
Colin
Having 2 small children, and being 2 working parents, I would use this to cook better meals more consistently for the family. Having items rolling in the circulator while at work. I believe the circulator will one day replace Crock pot cookery in the home. Being able to plan this far in advance allows a family to get away from pre-packed, industrial food completely. What a great thing to combine great quality homemade food and still fit it into our hectic day to day lives.
Andrea
Hmmm. I bet corned beef would be great in it. I would think this would be an amazing item to use for preparing food early for Browns tailgating. Would really make things easier when tailgating before the Browns/Steelers game in January when we will probably have lots of snow!!!
Mark
The only chemistry I ever really enjoyed was cooking - I'd love to experiment with this new kitchen tool!!
Jason
My brothers and I grew up cooking with our father. His favorite method: low and slow. There's nothing we wouldn't throw in the smoker to see how it came out. The patience required could be trying, but in retrospect the anticipation made the final product that much more satisfying. As I see it, sous vide is another iteration of low and slow. I can't wait to use an immersion circulator to cook a meal for my dad and my brothers...
Matthew Lawrence
If i win, i would like to sous vide boston butt combined with a short smoking time. In hopes of enjoying great bbq, without attending to a smoker for 8-10 hours.
Patrick Forest
My foot bath is on its last legs, and this thing would be awesome for that. But realistically, being a professional cook i would love to have some pro equipment at home to perfect recipes and play around.
Louis
If I was fortunate enough to win this, I would use the sous vide to prepare meals for my friends and family using bison and ostrich meat. Most restaurants overcook these meats, so it is difficult to get a solid mid rare of either.
Andrew V
I know its simple, but I would make the perfect soft boiled egg with the immersion circulator. Served with a homemade accoutrements: a crusty baguette, bacon and some micro greens and a little tomato. My take on the BLT with a wonderful sauce, egg yolk.
Spidlerc
Here I thought you were just going to taunt us with updates from Key West while the rest of the country suffers this damnable cold. But, no! You're giving us something that runs on sheer unadulterated AWESOME. You're a good man, Ruhlman... no ship me the damn thing already! 😉
Dave
I will make eggs. Many, many eggs. Eggs from every type of bird I can get my hand on. Duck eggs. Goose eggs. Quail eggs. Emu eggs. Ostrich eggs. The Sous Vide egg is a magical thing.
Doris the Goat
And here I thought I'd be original describing how I'd use it to cook venison! At the moment, I only cook venison in the pressure cooker because I'm never convinced that it will be tender. While delicious, it's impossible to get anything remotely "rare" in the PC. I'd love to achieve a less cooked, yet tender, version in an immersion cooker.
Scott
Perfect for working people who enjoy well cooked meat, and really isn't that everyone? Get your steak or roast going and have it hold the temperature until you get home, then a quick sear and you have dinner. This could even give my Big Green Egg a rest.
Gareth @ Stumptown Savoury
I've used this device and it's absolutely delightful. I would use it to make pig trotters even more unctuous than they already are, even if it takes 72 hours.
Anna
This is an amazing giveaway!!! I am actually kind of obsessed with sous vide eggs, and I would love the opportunity to perfect them myself.
I also think this would be a perfect piece of equipment to play with as the weather gets colder--I live in Montreal, and here we are surrounded by fantastic local meat which is pretty much ALL that is "local" in the winter. We have been experimenting with various cuts of pork, lamb, duck, and all manner of game from our awesome neighbourhood butcher, and it would be too cool to try cooking them new ways in the immersion circulator. I cannot wait to conspire with our butcher about this.
Dave
Wow, what an amazing giveaway. I'd like to try cooking some of Aaron Miller's amazing short ribs with this bad boy. Plus, if you pick me, you're guaranteed to sell another copy of Under Pressure because obviously I'd want to learn how to really use it like the pros.
Merry Christmas
Robert Levitt
I am in the process of opening the first sustainable, local, all whole-animal butcher shop in Chicago. I have a limited budget and no exhaust hood. I have wanted a circulator for some time, but, as with any build out, extra costs creep up and we had to strike the circulator from the equipment list. Without a hood, the circulator will allow me to prepare things like mortadella and other cooked charcuterie. It will also allow me to introduce people to some really interesting cuts of meat they may not have heard of in the form of a value added, take home and heat option. Thanks for the opportunity!
Vivian
I have been wanting one for a while. I have access to some fantastic grassfed Texas Longhorn and Bison. The meat is leaner than the average red meat, and if it's not cooked properly it is easily ruined. I would love to try cooking it using the sous vide technique.
Dennis
This would find use in my kitchen both as a thing to experiment with and as a practical tool for larger parties. I'm especially intrigued by the ability to get meats to varied donenesses pre-sear for guests with different tastes, or for prepping really long-cooked proteins.
Mary Alice Kropp
I'd give it to my husband and then require he make me something really yummy in it!
chadzilla
Just a shot in the dark here. I am a chef affected by the economic downturn over the past 2 years, and trying to break out on the road (literally) with a food truck. Financing has been tough as it seems it's much more difficult to get help starting out a small new business than the current administration would like you to believe. The concept will be great fresh chef-driven food made better by utilizing techniques such as sous-vide (yes... right on the truck!!!). The circulator makes it possible to deliver food in an optimum state to guests right at the curb. I will bust my ass to make this work.
Slowly, I am building up a brand and concept and gathering small pieces of key equipment for this undertaking. Any help is appreciated.
I currently have a SV magic home unit (the one with the rice cooker), but it cannot handle any sort of volume cooking. I've used the Polyscience models at work for over 2 years, and would be ecstatic to have one parked in my own space.
I will love it, and pet it, and name it George.
rodger
My wife and I are food hobbyists and would love to experiment with this beauty. We'd be happy to keep your readers up to date on our results. Thanks for your blogging efforts and keep up the good work!
Matt
I would love to add this to my kitchen arsenal and have a go at it. Thanks for the giveaway!
Ian
If I had this thing, I would literally buy a pig to put in it.
Brad
As a fellow Cleveland Heights citizen, and a poor grad school student, I will use the circulator to take my cooking to new heights, and more importantly, make my wife appreciate me even more!
Mina
My mom's recipe for char-siu would only get better with this treatment! I would feature it in my column in Albuquerque's Weekly Alibi and give the phrase, "I write for food" some real clout!
Fred Roberts
Sounds like this would be perfect for some assembly line cooking for this single guy. Pre-make some lovely single servings of various items, toss in the freezer, thaw the day before use, and toss in the immersion circulator while I veg out after a long day of work instead of having to cook.
Plus, I then get to to show off to all my friends that I have one of those fancy Iron Chef America kitchen gadgets.
Erik Schwartz
I've got a pig from the farm up the road. Lots of pig parts to sous vide. We also get fresh bug eggs from the farm (the chicken eat bugs not feed). The yolks are amazing.
Also, duck legs would be awesome sous vide.
El Jimadork
I'm interested in comparing the results of sous vide versus "pas de sous vide" on good old pork spares, and how I can apply that knowledge to win a rib cook off. Also interested in applying it to brisket!
Jill
Well, I could be dishonest and say that I have all these glamorous ideas for this, but instead I'll just say that the prospect of having this in my own kitchen is both daunting and exciting. I have no idea what I'd do with it yet. Put everything in it I can find? Yes.
It would forever take me from being a mess-around-in-the-kitchen kind of cook to someone to be taken seriously. My reputation is on the line.
Wow, I hope I win.
Joy
Oh wow, that looks beautiful! I'd love to cook up a bunch of my 6 month old, grass-fed, local calf with that. We've got ribs and sirloin steaks, tongue, the whole thing! I've been pining for an immersion circulator for years now but just can't justify the price tag quite yet. We'll be raising on our calf this year along with our own eggs, chickens and turkey next year. I see endless possibilities!
EK
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, increasingly so with my children. I'd love to expose them to something new and different.
Dan
I would use it for just about everything. From lamb shoulder to creme anglaise, duck confit, short ribs, beans, eggs
I would try to cook just about anything using it.
Chris W
I would use this to help cook large quantities of food for my church. Potlucks, thanksgivings, christmas and any other events. Personally, I'd like to use the device with a large turkey and and then dry roast it in the oven to crisp the skin. Foolproof turkey? Maybe.
Ed Rudisell
I ate at Alinea on Sunday night for the first time. To say I'm inspired to try some new techniques is an understatement.
zach
Unreal, if this one is mine I can either donate my recently acquired Sous Vide Supreme or use it to bathe any little ones that come in the future
Micah
I would put this to use in two ways...
1) It would annoy my wife that I am filling our kitchen with yet another cooking related gadget, tool, or untensil
2) It would blow my wife's mind when I serve her some of the most tender, delicious, and moist beef/chicken/pork/ cooked with this machine.
Jo
I really want to try poached eggs and anything made from pork 🙂
Jen
I love meat and veggies sous vide, but want to open a dessert shop one day and would love to experiment with what it can do for a pastry kitchen!
Teri
all cuts of IOWA PORK
Tags
I will demonstrate to A.J. Liebling once and for all that our technology provides an opportunity to prepare and serve better food than his good friend M. Mirande enjoyed in turn of the (19th) century Paris. Then I will propagate this information with a blog.
Matt Reed
If chosen, I promise to use it only for evil.
I will lash it to a frame of jagged metal and splintered bone, lubricated with the tears of orphans, powered by the dreams of homeless rodeo clowns gone mad from mercury exposure.
With this machine I will march like Sherman to the sea, whereupon I will declare myself the Emperor of All That Is Taupe, and I will unleash my terrible creation upon an unsuspecting humanity, singing the song that ends the earth while the screams of the tormented rise up in terrible harmony and the sky is blackened with despair.
I will also probably cook steaks and stuff. I hear these machines are really good at that.
Joseph Bayot
I would love to cook short ribs with one of these babies.
Jason
Being a scientist, I use highly sensitive heating tools (water baths, incubators, immersion circulators) every day at work. I would love the opportunity to experiment with my food in a similar way at home.
After the typical, "I'll try all kinds of things" phase, I think it would be very fun to create a 3 or 4 course meal using sous-vide for visiting guests. Often I find myself worrying about the upcoming courses and can't fully relax with my guests. This would allow everyone to relax at the table and enjoy our time together, simply pulling out the next course, plating and saucing it (and quickly searing if necessary).
Using a cooking tool to better enjoy the company of others, that sounds wonderful.
Paul
Eggs. Every possible way of making eggs.
Sharon
I would use it to to cook delicious dinners without needed to keep such a firm eye on the clock (or stovetop) once my baby arrives in 12 days. And it would definitely generate a blog post.
Lindsay
I've held off getting a water oven because of the size, but this is perfect! I'd use it to pasteurize eggs in shell so my relatives would feel comfortable eating some of my dishes and I think I would experiment with tempering chocolate using the precise temperature control. I can envision putting chocolate in vac bags and dropping them in and having them be ready when I am. I also have been dying to try three day short ribs!
Bryan Beneke
I would love to add this to my kitchen arsenal.
Thanks for the giveaway!
bryan
mmm... all this talk of perfectly poached eggs has me really hungry. I would take one of my homemade english muffins (loved the recipe, thanks!), break it open with a fork and toast it, poach an egg in the new circulator, fry up some beautiful canadian bacon, pull together a hollandaise, and build some eggs benedict for my wife (her favorite breakfast).
jason
two words: sous-vide marshmellows. goodbye candy thermometer.
Abigail Blake
I'd love to try using it to cook our local goat, which can be pretty tough and would probably benefit from a long, slow cook.
But mostly I think I'd use it to teach my daughter patience, and maybe to torture her just a little. I'm imagining her asking "isn't dinner ready yet?" for 3 days running and it makes me smile inside.
And I do have a US mailing address.
Jonathan Moulton
Beyond the basics of braising tough cuts of meat, or poaching meat and fish, I would like to experiment with cooking vegetables and fruits. Infusing flavors into the food through the slow cooking without losing flavor at all. Also, balantine and galatines. Maybe terrines in general, poached slowly so there is less of a chance of a broken emulsion. That would be great. Ooo, corned beef and pastrami. Can you imagine the tender brisket melting in your mouth after cooking for 72 hours. Put it on some good rye bread with mustard. That sounds great.
Asad
1. I will cook through the entire Under Pressure book. This will take heroic measures, but I am prepared to face up to the task.
2. I will use the device to facilitate a dietary experiment designed around the teachings of Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades.
3. I will sign up for a local, pasture-raised meat CSA intended for four people and attempt to eat all the meat myself by cooking everything sous vide.
Andrew
A dream come true! Where to begin? For me, this comes down to major convenience. Set it and forget it (for 3 days!). It would be like a hot tub for the 1/4 grass fed and finished cow in my freezer. Cook a whole prime rib to perfect medium rare. Sounds fabulous. Thanks for offering.
Jim
Turkey, eggs, any kind of pork? Or maybe somehow make all of those together!
Kristina H
I would love to win this for my husband! He is a huge foodie and has been wanting one of these for a while. We went to Alinea a few years ago and that experience really got him on a creative kick.
ChrisH
Thanks for the giveaway! Beef brisket, couple hours of smoke and then a few days with the circulator.... hmmm
Scott
As an avid griller/BBQer, I am slightly embarrassed to say I would be most excited to do steaks in one of these bad boys, with a quick sear at the end.
Michael Russell
I saw some beautiful skate at the market the other day, it brought to mind a technique I read about lacquered skate wing. Cooked in fumet, shocked, portioned, breaded then pan fried. I always wanted to try it and just for good measure maybe a braised pork belly how could I resist. I could go on and on with recipes I'd love to try Kellers corned beef tonge, ice cream base... But ill try not to get ahead of my self let's just say that wondeful piece of machine will get put to good use.
TAnders
A tasting menu based on variations of the one minute egg.
Shai
I live abroad so might not be valid for the competition 🙁
However, one of the first things I want to try is the ultimate poached fruit cheesecake.
After all its just a custard so all I really need to do to create the perfect (flour free) cheese cake is fill the ramekins with the right standing custard ratio, freeze and then bag and cook probably around 90 degrees. To make things Interesting I want to incorporate fruit into the custard (strawberries sound good).
Shaw Leach
I am completely enthralled by Sous Vide and have been since discovering the idea. If I could have a do over I would go back to culinary school and enter the food world! Alas... since that is not possible I would settle for adding this to my Culinary home arsenal!!!
I would try some of the wonderful ideas cooked up by Keller and Achatz and then start experimenting on my own! Who knows maybe some Buffalo short ribs are in my future!??
My wife and brand new baby girl would love it! 🙂
Thanks for all you do in the culinary world Ruhlman! I have enjoyed your musings here and writings in your books immensely!
Ian Reilly
This would be a great addition to our kitchen! Please?
Thanks!
Philip Ruffo
I would incorporate sous vide cooking with my BBQ. For instance, start sous vide then lightly smoke for a bit. I also would like to experiment with various confit preparations. And I've been thinking about playing with the various "odd" parts of the pig: trotters, cheeks, belly, etc. This would be the perfect tool for such experimentation.
Patrick R
Considering my limited experience, I can only vaguely imagine the numerous experiments I'd want to try with this. But really, what makes me want it is this... Last new year's one of our local chefs offered a sous vide rack of venison. It was the first time I'd ever had anything cooked in this style and it was simply amazing. If I could come even close to recreating something like it at home, I would be a ridiculously happy camper.
Frank M
I have all of your books and have given them as Christmas presents in the past!!!
Avidan
I would use this in two different ways. First, I think I would use this exactly as intended, to cook meat and other proteins the right way. It's something I've always wanted to do, trying to get just the right texture and doneness on my meat but have never quite managed to achieve.
But the other way I would use it would be to get all sorts of creative. I'm an engineer by trade and I've been having a discussion recently with cooking friends of mine about whether you could put chocolate in a vacuum sealed bag and use an immersion circulator to temper the chocolate if you squeezed the bag every now and then with tongs or the like. I figure that you could set the circulator to the first melting point (91 or something like that, if I recall correctly), drop the chocolate in the water, then once it's all melted, drop the temperature down a bit in the circulator, then bring it back up again and voila! Tempered chocolate.
It's just a theory, but I would love to put it into practice. This is what happens when you put an engineer in the kitchen. I'm sure I'll think of some other creative ways to use it too.
David Tucker
I had some "so-good-your-head-explodes" short ribs at Todd Gray's restaurant Equinox here in DC a couple of months ago. He prepared them using sous vide technique with vegetables and vinegars. Amazing. Since my wife is exceedingly fond of short ribs, if I win I'll first attempt to recreate Gray's dish. After that, I think I'd explore pork barbecue and mexican preparations.
Ben
I haven't tried this kind of cooking before, but if I won this tool I'd educate myself as much as possible and then just experiment a lot. What fun!
Ryan Schulz
I'm really interested in seeing how it compares to my pressure cooker and dutch oven in terms of texture and favor. I think the American public (no thanks to Julia Childs) is so used to caramelization on meat that we've lost the flavors of the meat itself. Short Ribs (per your example) are a great place to start on a bed of Parsnip puree with basil salsa verde.
I'd also be really interested to see how it handles poaching fruits with spices for desserts and cocktails. Hmmmmm.....
dave
mutton, and goat. just when the kids get tired of the cute baby animals they are perfect for the immersion circulator.
The Food Freak
Since I'm a food freak, I am quite disappointed that I have yet to mess around with such a tool. I've eaten sous vide meat before and it is pretty outrageously delicious. If I win, I will take to my blog and experiment with the immersion circulator, study from under pressure and become and immersion circulation freak and document the recipes on my blog fr others to get inspired. Thanks for the opportunity, love your work!
The Food Freak
Thefoodfreak@gmail.com
Thefoodfreak.com
Socialkim
This is the most awesome creation since bacon chocolate chip cookies! I'm an amateur foodie and would love to be the first on my block (subdivision, city...) to use one of these. Think you could slow cook ham and greens with it?!
Dean
SAY! I like sous vide green eggs and ham!
I do, I do
Ruhl-I-Man
I think that would not be too haute
To even try them with some goat...
And I might even put some brain.
Yes, in a bag. For a main.
And oh, some duck. Why not confit?
It is sous vide, sous vide, you see!
Can you use it to make lox?
Or pork belly? Yes, several blocks.
In that bag will go a grouse.
And I will share it with my spouse.
And I will eat use it here and there.
Say! I will make sous vide poached pear!
I want sous vide green eggs and ham.
So help me
Help me
Ruhl-I-Man
Chris Elliott
My goal with sous vide cooking is to really explore the science side of the cooking method to achieve fantistic results. Also, I am a super lazy engineer-type so anything where I can put cheap meats into a bag and leave the cooking up to the machine for a few days is a bonus.
Bob Lloyd
Awesome giveaway. Getting ready to remodel our kitchen. This would make a great addition ant the opportunity to learn a new cooking technique.
Jenny
I would definitely do 63 degree eggs all the time, and would love to put lamb in a bag loaded with aromatics for a delicious and tender, perfect bite...
Nick
I've had Keller's book for a bit now and have been trying to save up the $ for a circulator! Bathing terrines to try to get the perfect texture, a new way to use the venison I've been saving in the freezer, the best duck confit of my life?! I'd run up my electric bill from the use I'd get out of this thing!
Nicholas L. Hall
I would use it in a quest to make you (yes YOU, Ruhlman) appreciate the produce on which you so callously cast aspersions. Green bell peppers, chard stems, zucchini. Any other fruits or vegetables on your shit list? Let me at 'em. You send me the circulator, and I will take it as my personal mission in life to take your list of hated foods, and use that miracle of modern culinary science to turn them into something you'll love. While I'm at it, I may even whip up a sous vide chicken caesar. When I am successful, you will be invited to my home to taste the fruits (pardon the ghastly pun) of my labors. You will then publicly rescind your hatred of said produce. Sound like a plan?
Jeff
In my basement sits a chest freezer that has slowly been filled with all kinds of fun and intersting stuff. I've got goat meat, lamb shanks, baby octupus, rabbbit loins, ducks, phesant, venison, elk loin, pork belly, and a couple of goose breasts. There are probably other things lurking in there as well. Having this immersion circulator would provide me with a fun and exciting way to use up all this meat (not that it wouldn't have gotten used anyway). I'd probably even blog about it, which I think would be very entertaining and given that some of my bounty is from friends and family that hunts, I think they would love to see their stuff being cooked in a new and exciting way.
Nico Galoppo
Wow, winning this will *definitely* push my limits in cooking beyond what I have every tried before!
Chris W
If I win, I will try sous vide'ing every vegetable imaginable. I always see and hear so much about people sous vide'ing meat, but really interested to see what interesting textures and flavors could be achieved in our plantier foods.
thomas mcneill
I would use the immersion circulator to perfect the burger, something that has been a goal of mine for some time now that few seem to realize is a possibility. Start low and slow in the water bath and sear it on a rocket hot cast iron skillet handed down from my grandmother. Not innovative I suppose, though comforting and delicious.
James
ooooo this is way fancier than my cooler/digital therm setup. short ribs, fish, steak, chicken, chops . . hmm gettin' hungry just thinkin' about it.
James
ooooo this is way fancier than my cooler and digital therm setup. short ribs, fish, steak, chicken, chops . . hmm getting hungry just thinkingabout it.
Joe B
I think it would be a great way to teach my kids more about the science of cooking. What works well with this technique - and what doesn't. I can already see some spectacular failures in dessert with this! All part of the fun.
chad
beef, pork, and chicken. and possibly breast milk. for the baby, not for me. although i have to say, i don't hate giving it a tongue test, if you know what i mean.
Jon
I would like try a milk braised pork shoulder, turkey or duck confit for some killer mac and cheese, and curried salmon. Here's hoping!
Tom Rolenaitis
I can only dream of the wonderful magic of having this and my upcoming berkshire hog (Picture Homer Simpson drooling.) being slaughtered at the beginning of the new year (thank you Beau Ramsburg - shameless plug ) .
Michael van Huystee
I think this would be a great for multi-tasking. I could warm up the kiddie bath for my infant son to the perfect temperature and finish off the medium rare duck for dinner at the same time.
Jeff
I would use this for perfect hard and soft boiled eggs...braised lamb shanks...the possibilities are endless
sheiladeedee
Trying to cook healthy meals after a 12 hour work day is just so hard... I could prep in advance, come home and have dinner waiting. I would experiment with combinations for one-dish (one-pouch?) meals and since my husband and I like different things to eat, this would be perfect - beef and salmon dinners, all at once. I have been watching these machines and want to get one when the price comes down and the technology tightens up.
pam
What an amazing giveway! I would sooo bring this to school and amaze my 8th grade students!
Baydog
This has lesser cuts written all over it! Cheeks, oxtail, short ribs, gizzards, trotters. All of my favorite things to eat. Pick ME!
JP
I would love to try this out!
latenac
All I can say is I would put it good use as well as use it to encourage my 7 year old's interest in science and food.
Liz Finkelstein
mmmmmmmmmm short ribs mmmmmmmmmmm
Priscilla
I attended the "modern Thanksgiving" class at Williams Sonoma and they used this product! I hadn't hear of it before that and I was really excited to see them make the turkey. I would start by re-creating the sous vide turkey and take it from there.
Thanks for the chance to win!
prizpriz@gmail.com
Sacha
I'd bake with it. Give me a moment to explain. Many people, most in fact, like the crust of the bread or the edge brownies. My girlfriend and her family do not. It's the soft crustless interior that is for them. Imagine, perfect white bread with no crust! English tea-style cucumber sandwiches without all the waste! Brownies that are nothing but soft crumbly interior. Much experimentation would have to happen before this would work but I'm almost certain I could do it. I'd even photo-blog the whole process.
Ted
I would like to improve my short ribs!
Audiofan2
If I win I plan to use it to create a major power outage in Cleveland. Traffic lights across city go dark as I blissfully make a confit of moulard duck four gras.
Joey D'Antoni
I would use the immersion circulator to make perfect eggs, steaks, and duck confit with less fat than usual--reducing my cost.
Chris Rosecrants
I have been using an old extra deep roasting pan with candy thermometer. What would I do? Aside from the obvious chuck tail flap and pork shoulder, how about some pineapple slices with french vermouth or milk poaching guinea hens.
Anders
Awesome...I'd use that baby to finally spread the sous vide word up here in NH! I've had experience with the older model and cant wait to show my colleagues up here how to utilize this great technique and push the limits in the scene around me! We have so many great producers here and to treat their product with the respect it deserves is my main goal. You're a generous man Ruhlman...
Jarod Dixon
I would use this fantastic device as an ode to Sir Benjamin Thompson and his early work in thermodynamics... That or I would just make some damn good food and brag about it a lot.
erin
experiments are fun!!!
Katie
The non-innovative but actual answer: eggs. We will sous vide so many eggs. And meat of course. The stab at innovative: I would promise to try the turkey cooked in duck fat a la these guys: http://www.cookingissues.com/2009/11/25/turkey-time-part-3-how-to-cook-it/#more-2600. Well, maybe.
Kirstin G
Oh the ways I would use that fantastic little machine! I'd torture my husband and little boys with an endless variety of delicious flavor. Actually it'd be fun to spoil the husband as with his constant cycle of deployments, he's missed out on so much.
amy
Fish. I would love to experiment with fish, and definitely some veg as well to see what I can do with the texture.
Eily
How much fun would it be to play with eggs - to cook them to 140 degrees, then 150 degrees, and every temperature in between? To know, from experience, what difference just one degree makes? I'm sure it's been done, but I have to try it. And beef. And pork. All those cuts that are braised low and slow forever... what do they taste like on their own?
Mark Wilder
I've always wanted to try sous vide! I think my first foray into the medium would be simple duck breasts, maybe for a nice duck salad with a citrus-y wild rice.
Steve
Organic chemistry was, perhaps, the worst course of my academic careeer. Cooking organic, sous vide, has the potential to produce one of my best courses--perhaps the third or fourth.
George
It would be great to vacuum seal a meal, leave it in the immersion circulator before I head off to work, and then have a perfectly cooked dinner waiting for me when I get home.
Tim
With a baby on the way, I would use it to cook and then freeze reheatable meals for the first few sleep-deprived weeks... And then when the kiddo is old enough, to cook meats and veg to purée for him or her.
Joel
I would love to experiment , maybe bring it into the restaurant where I work. I know about Sous vide but have never tried it. I already own a vacuum sealer
Patrick K
I'd use it to try out some new experiments in the kitchen. But, more importantly, I could use it to ensure (to my wife's delight, I'm sure) that the meat (be it chicken or beef) is definitely cooked through to the right temperature!
Donna
My foodie children and I would like to explore our family's traditional recipes with sous vide - grandmother preserved everything, especially multipurpose foods like slow-cooked beef, homemade sausage, salted fish and of course autumn fruits and vegetables that would winter over. Like grandmother, though, frugality prevents purchase, so you are my only hope! LOL.
Erick
Holy living crap... I don't think the question is so much what would I do with it, as what WOULDN'T I do with it. That list is far less expansive, and perhaps a bit less risqué.
zack
I'm gonna dip my balls in it! OK not really, but I had to drop The State reference. I'm gonna get my pescatarian wife to start eating steak and chicken because I know how damn well these things turn out that stuff.
Grady Griffin
I'd love the opportunity to use this piece of equipment as an instructional tool to help teach over 800 students across MS enrolled in ProStart, the NRA's culinary arts/restaurant management curriculum. To be competitive and learn the techniques of industry innovators at such an early age would propel my students to greater heights and perhaps convince more high school students of the bona fide career paths offered in the culinary/foodservice world. (State education budgets preclude any school here in purchasing such a tool). Thanks in advance for the consideration.
Steve
Organic chemistry was, perhaps, the worst course of my academic careeer. Cooking organic, sous vide, has the potential to produce one of my best courses--perhaps the third or fourth, just after the soup.
Chad
I would use it for three things:
1. Low-Temp Pasteurization for my canning and pickling projects, which are varied and many
2. If I can find the bags to fit, I'm going to conft tons of fresh hams. I pit-cook whole hogs.. the hams are such a bitch to get right consistently. If I had this thing I would bag the hams with drippings from the rest of the hog and confit them, then mix in with the rest of my pulled pork!
3. Onsen Tomago for breakfast every day for the rest of my life!
Dave
First step, purchase Under Pressure. Second step, introduce it to my daughter who is studying culinary management.
corey
After being laid off last year i took it as an opportunity to explore another career option and started working in a kitchen. While ultimately I opted for to go back to a career that allowed me to pay my bills on time and see my friends and family, I'm now armed with all of these new skills and techniques that i can't put to use at home! Two things I desperately want at home: a deep fryer and an immersion circulator. I have been trying the beer cooler/DIY sous-vide method for things taking less than two hours, but am itching to do things requiring longer cooking times - such throwing in pork cheeks or belly in for 12 hours. At the restaurant, we would cook our corned beef sous-vide, and I'm very anxious to give that a go at home! And, oddly enough, I'm really excited to do more with vegetables and fruits with the device. Basically, having trouble thinking of what I wouldn't do with it!
Curtis Perry
I've never used one of these, so i don't have a specific plan in mind. But I'd love to have one, and I'm a reasonably good, experimental home cook so I'm sure I'd dream up something good!
J Keilson
First things thing first: boneless beef short ribs cooked forever in red wine and topped with bordelaise sauce.
After that? Mutton shoulder (lamb if I can't get it) with infinite rosemary. Goat in spicy tomato sauce, I love the flavor of long-cooked tomatoes. Duck confit without having to purchase/save up tons of duck fat ahead of time. Sweet/spicy duck breast, medium-rare with lots of star anise and chilis. Steaks, perfectly rare steaks, 125 F, all the time, every time, finished on the grill for just a moment.
Charlie
I'm not sure where it would go, but dammit, there will be space for it! *drool*
Rory W
I would use this for anything I can that would work well in it, and probably some things that may not work so well. I've seen so much about these wonderful contraptions and I would love to have one for myself. Thank you for the chance to win!!
Andy
I'd love to be able to cook sous vide at home and you can make it happen Michael!
Thanks and have a safe and happy holiday!
Mark D.
Two words: Mangalitsa belly.
david
You truly inspire me and I love the blog. More importantly, my wife went to Duke. That's gotta count for something right? 😉
Brad
I'm a student at Wesleyan university, and have been cobbling together a group of foodies to eat together every couple of weeks. I wowed them with my ghetto sous-vide preparation of slow-poached eggs, but would love to take it to the next level with this machine. I'd really like to get into sousvide'd rabbit next.
Walt Smith
Michael,
Everytime you write about Mangalista pork you get my mouth watering. If I win, I'll get on the horn and order some pig parts from your friends at Mosefund Farm. I'll cure some (my father daughter tradition) and sous vide the rest.
kakaty
How would I use it? Both my husband and I work full time and we have 2 small kids. Dinner needs to be on the table by 6 or hell breaks loose. I would use this a couple of times a week to make awesome meals - we could have a roast going all day, or short ribs going for 2-3 days. Chicken and veggies together - start it when we walk in the door, play with the kids, do homework and have a complete meal ready in an hour. Think of the possibilities! We could buy larger cuts or protien, spend some weekend time preparing and vacuum sealing and freezing them. Then during the stressfull week just throw the frozen packets in and enjoy a nice family dinner. And since eggs are a staple in our house (see above about the need for quick meals) sous vide eggs opens up a host of new ways to try them. Finally, let's be honest; I would cook just about anything/everything we buy at the NUFM sous vide - maybe it would get the kids (and me!) to eat new veggies!
MarkTcha
Perfectly cooked steaks, poached eggs(breakfast of champions!), I wonder if you could make a roux sous vide?
Patrick
Oh wow. What WOULDN'T I use it for? Fish, scallops, burgers, steak, chicken, veggies, maybe even some seitan an tofu. Brilliant machine.
Rebecca Huston
Yummy food!
Aaron
I would be able to stop using my stock pot and a digital thermometer while carefully adjusting the heat and adding cold water to control the temperature.
Ron Lyon
I was planning on building a DIY version during my holiday break. I'd much rather have the real thing. Sounds a lot safer than me, water, electricity and a soldering gun.
Db Sweeney
My 3rd grader and I spend Sunday's cooking recipes from cookbooks like The French Laundry, Le Bernardin, and Bouchon. We have the Alinea cookbook, but we haven't really done as much with that because several recipes call for cooking sous vide. This machine would open that world.
I love Mr. Keller's restaurants and this machine would allow us to purchase Under Pressure and start working through that book as well.
I guess to sum it up best, that sous vide machine would open up a whole new world of opportunities on Sunday afternoons beyond the amazing food I'm sure it can produce. And the 3rd grader wants you to know that this would make sure her steak is medium rare and not "still alive" (her term for rare which is the way I cook it).
No worries, she still puts ketchup on a hot dog. She'll learn.
Christophe
Looks like the perfect gear for Coq au vin and Boeuf Bourguignon!
Jon R.
I'm really looking forward to winning this fine piece of equipment. Short ribs and pork belly for starters. Chicken to be fried. Brisket...mmmm.
Xani
I would love to be able to give this amazing gadget to my Dad! He is an avid cook and foodie (as is our whole family-- we always joke that the only thing we can do together without fighting is cook and eat!), and loves experimenting, trying new techniques, etc. Recently we blow-torched a prime rib, a la Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc technique, and it was awesome. He would absolutely flip his lid if I somehow won this thing for him!
Theresa Bellomo
Besides using it to cook a myriad of perfect dinners I would use to achieve the perfect water temperature for a facial - a multi-tasking machine!
Brian Bass
Set it and forget it takes on a whole new meaning with one of these. Sign me up! Thanks and happy holidays.
Rosie Hawthorne
I am worthy. Pick me.
Sean
I am going to use it for a weekend long epsom salt foot bath.
No one can deny that is an innovative use
Dave F
Oh man, this thing is awesome. I've been lusting after one for ages.
I guess there are so many recipes I would like to try out - from lamb chops to creme brulee. But ultimately, it's the idea that sous vide makes time management easier while ensuring very delicious food that gets to me. Making GREAT food for friends is what makes this doubly awesome. Getting would be a big kick start to my underground dinners.
Blair L.
Eggs first then 48 hr short ribs, then everything else.
Craig McConomy
I would definitely be buying pork belly from the local butcher and fattening myself up for the holidays!
Foster
I was thinking of using immersion cooking turkey next year in parts instead of doing the whole big Norman Rockwell thing. This'd be perfect.
Dennis
This is a true cooking geek giveaway. Even serious home cooks are hesitant to drop major coin to try a product. This would effectively change the way I cook for my family. Hook it up!!!
Chip Leinen
I've always wanted to play with one of these. It would be an incredible gift to win.
Nathan
First, I would use this machine to finally perfect cooking with pork, which I am never able to consistently get to the sweet spot. I would probably use it in combination with other cooking techniques to create perfectly cooked but barely seared meats. Finally, and most importantly, I would convert my fish tank over to extremophiles! http://bit.ly/hNuZSD
Bbq Dude
Holy moley. Well, I'm a brisket guy. And the idea of making a medium-rare brisket is pretty appealing to me. So I would use this for brisket, and serve sous-vide brisket to my co-workers for work bbqs. Then I'd move on to some of the other traditional bbq meats. Pork butt. Short ribs. But in the few beer-cooler experiments that I've done with sous-vide, I have had a lot of success with fish. So fish would be a regular weeknight event.
Natalie Sztern
Oh Boy!!! (i will pay shipping)...I would put the unit on a specially placed wheeling island where I will prepare to cook pigs feet (trotters) so that I may finally make a Petchah that I hope will rival the one my mother-in-law used to make. Of course she didn't use pigs feet but i have read that upon buying three (now in my freezer) I can indeed make petchah from them. Alternatively I should I not win I will be making the Pork Trotter Roulade from a recipe off Starchefs.com
Now how's that for a girl who never ever thought of making anything pork until her 40's?
caleb
our passion is education...and the residents of applebee's country are dying for us to bring a little more fun into their lives! four years ago tapas...last year charcuterie...2011...sous vide!!!
Steve
I would cook ox tail and trotters perfectly and incorporate into cassoulet. Generally when I incorporate things like this the beans end up losing their consistency before the meat is done.
Joe
I would cook more pork belly and shortribs. If my wife would let me I would use it for perfect temperature baby bath!
Alex Taylor
I would obviously use it to make the perfect steak au poivre to keep my wife happy! Once that has been achieved I'd move into experimenting with fish, eggs and various poultry. I think wild game would be a fun challenge to master with this.
Cheers!
ChaseW
I would start with the favorites - pork belly, short ribs, etc, but then I would try to get more creative with fruits and vegetables. If there is the right kind of watertight container, I bet you could make some incredible custards as well.
Josh
I may become a mad food scientist and never leave my kitchen!
dave
Poaching the batch of cotechino I stuffed over the weekend. Milk/whey poached cuts of pork and veal. Eggs.
Michael Graham
I run a small little cheese shop with my wife and we recently starting serving lunch. We have a teeny kitchen and no hood, so cooking meat has been out of the question. With a sous-vide machine we would be able to positively up the ante on our menu, all the while singing the praises of our very generous benefactor!
Gene
Wylie Dufresne's wonderful velvety eggs! Been making them the hard way by monitoring the water temperature and turning the gas on and off as needed. With one of these I could work through more of 'Under Pressure'.
Anthony Mills
Steaks and more steaks.
Burgess
I'm currently a line cook at a great restaurant that uses multiple circulators to cook everything from vegetables to 48 hour wagyu short ribs, fresh bacon, and even sausages,made with mangalista fatback, that could be cubed and seared off to nice finish. I would love to experiment at home, as I am actively seeking my own kitchen to run, which may not be up to speed with this great technology!
Jill
"I would make Porchetta Di Testa, herbed and delicious pigs head perfectly cooked with the aid of an immersion circulator."
Klee
I would use it to make nearly every recipe in Under Pressure, which I bought in June (and use w/the rigger cooker), as well as some puddings and other desserts!
Jeff
I've been watching them use those for years on TV. This would make a most excellent Christmas present, and it won't put my eye out.
Stella
Hmmm....eggs, lobster-mac-cheese, fish, PORK!!!!. And would be a big help with cooking time management.
Justin Parmelee
I think beyond the obvious of many much meats, I have a new baby who is approaching the age of getting to eat food instead of just nursing. So we could cook up a ton of veggies and such for him. Also I think I could use it to help in propagating yeasts for brewing beer.
kathy
I think I'd start with the meats and then go on to veggies and desserts after that. Actually, I'd probably go off from the Ideas in Food and studiokitchen blogs as they're doing all sorts of interesting flavour combos.
Rob
After perfecting short ribs on both the cook-top and oven, I would love the challenge of a new technique/appliance.
Ellen
First, I would take it with me to California when I start my first semester at the Culinary Institute of America- Greystone and be the coolest kid at school! Then I would experiment with the broad range of amazing ingredients out there in the Valley... I desperately want to try fruit in the sous vide, or perhaps macaroni and cheese? Of course I want to make hundreds (if not thousands) of perfectly cooked eggs and amazingly tender cuts of meat. PS- your books helped lead me to the CIA and down the path of writing/cooking. Thanks!
cloudydeb
mmmm, pork chops. I know that's a rather lame response, but the bar down the road (yep, that's right...the local bar just steps from my doorway...I'm a lucky girl) cooks thick, local chops sous vide and they are soooo meltingly tender!
Justin Ross
I actually tried doing a poor man's sous vide awhile back, with a ziploc and manually regulating water temperature by adding ice water. It turned out alright, but I'm sure I couldn't keep the temperature stable enough for optimal results.
One of the main reasons I want a legitimate sous vide setup is so that I can vacuum seal items ahead of time, then my wife (who doesn't really cook, and won't touch raw meat) can toss them in the water bath while I'm at work. Once I get home, I can toss the meat onto a hot pan to finish it up, and boom, we've got dinner ten minutes later.
Not even having any real sous vide experience, I've already sold my dad on the idea, too. He's gone from "so, you're boiling it?" to actively looking for vacuum sealers and immersion circulators at yard sales for me. I'd like to relieve him of this task.
-Justin
jacob
What to do with it besides *everything* in this book?:
http://amzn.com/1579653510
Emily
Wow. Happy as I am with my Sous Vide Supreme, my heart still longs for an immersion circulator...
Karin
That's a thing of beauty. It'd make the Momofuku hanger steak recipe a lot easier, too.
paul
great minds? see my post 2 below yours. good luck!
Joel
I'd use it to cook delicious food for my wife and family
paul
my brother did a version of David Chang's Momofuku Hanger Steak with a rigged up cooler -- came out really well, but would love to try and make it using true sous vide technique and equipment. here's hoping!
KC
This will be a great winter (and summer) alternative to the char of the grill.
DC
Medium rare chicken breasts with perfectly crisp skin, all the time. 140 degrees or thereabouts for however long it takes to sterilize them.
Ditto squab.
Not sure about confit, since I enjoy dealing with the huge pots of fat, but definitely any and all tough cuts of meat, with experiments with galantines and boned-out whole birds.
Would sausages work? Seems like a perfect way to never violate the Ruhlman rule of overcooking sausages.
Although it's tough to compete with someone teaching kids to cook...
Les DuLunch
One thing I'd use it for is to freak out my in-laws, who, when I met them, might have been the least adventurous eaters on the planet. They are better than they used to be but still a work in progress.
Robin N.
Mad science. Need I say more?
Jim
Steaks, Ribs, Turkey, eggs.... EVERYTHING!
Jeff White
One word: eggs.
Matt
Vegetable cookery, shrimp with basil and garlic, mushroom stock.
Thom
It would be just one more way to spend endless hours in the kitchen sharing with family and friends. Thank you for the chance.
Ed Funk
Seafood!
Denny Nustad
I would definitely do its maiden voyage preparing poached eggs and lutefisk -- but not together.
Chap Lovejoy
I'm sure it would see lots of eggs and pork belly and, most likely, next Thanksgiving's turkey. And between meals it would be perfect for holding the 102 degree water bath I need to develop color film.
Mark
Brisket, short ribs, and I would buy your book of course 🙂
dcrainmaker
I'd be cookin' anything that moved...or well, used to move.
I've played a bit with some home-made iterations of Sous Vide, but having something that wasn't prone to burning down my little kitchen would be pretty cool.
Joe
I am new to immersion cooking and this would beat any homemade contraption. I can make.
Lynne
I would give it to my daughter who is a wonderful cook and more innovative than I.
Peter D
Just in time for the holidays, I'd cook reindeer.
Ben
I'd use it to play with new ingredients to be used in sushi and maki. The immersion circulator would let me play with new texture and flavor combinations that would be much harder to achieve without the machine.
Victor Campos
Hello Mr. Ruhlman ,
I'm a current student at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
I for one have admired your dedication to the persuit of culinary awareness and teaching.
I love what you are doing and continue to support you're work through the purchase of book and most recently the iPhone app (save my life multiple times).
I would love to obtain the sous vide machine but currently do not have the means of purchasing one.
During my externship (in Chicago) used it and learned how to operate it. I find it to be one of the most interesting,if not, the most innovative inventions in our time.
I humbly ask you to consider me as a possible candidate in receiving the machine.
I will use it to continue my persuit of understanding and appreciating both local, sustainable ingredient.
It wil be both an amazing birthday/Christmas/graduating present. 🙂
Thank you
dee es
My goal for the new year is to learn to cook duck in different ways, starting with the confit so highly recommended at this website. The sous vide would be a great technique to move onto after that. Also, the idea of perfectly gelatinous scallops appeals to me, although, maybe I should just eat them raw for that. But what about an egg? Would the 65-degree egg work?
http://discovermagazine.com/2006/feb/cooking-for-eggheads/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C=
Janet
I'm a poor, poor culinary student who would love to have this Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. In school our instructor has a circulator, it was part of our curriculum and we done a few recipes using this device (pork belly, pork tenderloin, fennel, apples and maple cured smoked bacon). I included this process in my mid-term cooking exam. It's perfect for cooking meat, then all you need to do is sear the cut of meat before plating. I really like the way it cooks vegetables. Locking in all the flavours, keeping colours bright, and using very little oil. Keeping fingers crossed in Canada.
Sarah
It'd be a perfect present for my husband, who loves to experiment in the kitchen and makes dinner every night for me and our 1-year-old daughter. I foresee lots of perfect short ribs, poached eggs, stock... I honestly don't know what his brilliant mind will come up with, but I know I want to eat it.
Robert M.
I've rigged up my own with a simmer burner, a big cast iron pot, and a Taylor thermometer to cook steak (and it was fantastic) but with this baby I'll cook everything in it.
Tom Hoffman
I can't say I have any original ideas other than to cook delicious meals for my family and blog about it.
Marc Bouwer
I'd like to develop methods of cooking leaner cuts of meat such as wild venison and bison that, using traditional methods, can be dry and lifeless. I'm thinking that combining pre-seasoning, (à la Judy Rodgers), healthy liquid fats and suos vide could make a big difference.
Matthew Stein
I would do a cooking demo at work (Hubspot.com). Where we have plenty of people interested in food, but no other cooking appliances. It's Science applied to food, what could be better!?
Seth
Carnitas!
Fusilliyoucrazybastard
Oh, I might be inclined to long cook an octopus, whole, and then throw him on the grill with some mint and balsamic. Y'know, maybe spatch-cock some game hens and souvide 'em with soy and sambal only to subsequently flash fry ‘em and serve over a ginger-cucumber salad. And what of dessert you ask? Elementary my dear Ruhlman, espresso braised lamb shanks.
Shelby
I'm a pastry chef in Dallas and am looking to create some amazing new sous vide desserts! First, I'm am about to take a molecular gastronomy course at the Notter School, and second, trying to find a way to get some super high tech equipment that isn't in the budget this year! I would use this ALL THE TIME!
JSP
RIBS! STEAK! EGGS!
Lora Mesiano
My inlaws would also be freaked out if this showed up in my kitchen. They already think I have too many gadgets, as they are graduates of the Minimal Instrumentation School of Cooking. What they don't realize is everything has a function capable of making one's life easier and more delicious! I can't wait to figure out what my favorite use of this contraption might be!
Laura S.
As a FT working mom and basketball coach for both of my boys I have to get dinner on the table in short order on a regular basis. It would be great to have an updated 'crock-pot'! Good think I love to cook because my family LOVES to eat!
Pappy
Seems perfect to warm up some leftover carryout.
dee es
My goal for the new year is to learn to cook duck in different ways, starting with the confit so highly recommended at this website. The sous vide would be a great technique to move onto after that. Also, the idea of perfectly gelatinous scallops appeals to me, although, maybe I should just eat them raw for that. But what about an egg? Would it make the perfect 65-degree egg?
dee es
Sorry! I didn't mean to post twice, it just didn't seem to work the first time! Please notify the Karma Police, it was an honest mistake.
Sam
I would cook from 'Under Pressure' and 'Alinea' the right way instead of my lame ziploc in boiling water attempts (which still tasted pretty good, but lets be honest here... lame!)
kevin
got beat to the mad science, and to carnitas, so I'll just mix the two and say "Mad Carnitas!"
Tanya Hug
My husband has been after me to add this technique to my bag of kitchen tricks and as I am a very busy mom this beautiful piece of kitchen gadgetry would be of immense help to me. I am frequently out of the house for long periods of time taking/retrieving children from rehearsals, classes and performances preventing me from preparing foods for my family that are time sensitive in nature. With this little beauty my time dilema would be solved and my culinary creations would be endless!
Rex Roof
Could this be used to melt chocolate without getting it over 90 degrees? I've been dying to try sous vide sweet potatoes that are super-sweet.
Kate
I would love to do pork - and maybe attempt duck confit!
Melanie Friedlander
My best bud Arlene and I saw this beauty in action at a Williams Sonoma demo. We're both HUGE fans of your TFL cookbooks -- own them and geeked out and got TK to sign them on his last tour. She's the better cook by far, but those cookbooks have taught me better than a classroom could. Arlene works in retail but dreams of a career in the food and wine industry. I can't think of a beeter gift for her, and maybe, just maybe, it would be e final impetus to find a job she truly loved! And I'm not gonna lie...I would reap the rewards of being the sous chef and taster!
Adam
As baby #1 is on the way, it will make our lives so much easier! I mean, yes, of course, I will cook all manner of delicious eggs, and steaks, and chickens, and want to see about using it for various custards and ice cream bases, not to mention some larger cuts like standing rib roasts, but it will also be a huge help, allowing us to get meat cooked perfectly, sometimes over the course of a day or two even, while I am busy at work and the wife and newborn are otherwise occupied.
Jacqueline Willis
Well since my eggs and/or pig... will be in vacuum sealed bags maybe I can use it as a small hot tub as well 😉 - hmm... maybe I've been reading too much ruth bourdain.
lvwoodworker
I'm sure I could find a way to make some tricked out lunches for my daughter to take to school. Modern day bag lunch!
Nathan Black
I cant wait to try this out for big family gatherings around the holidays.
zach
Massive amounts of pork as well as any veggies growing in my garden.
J. D. McDonald
Eggs and bacon!
Adam
I would use the sous vide machine to try my hand at perfect pork bellies. I've had them at restaurants but have never been able to perfect it at home. Every time I've asked, they've explained it's because they cook it sous vide for 24 hours before searing it.
Matt
My wife's back to school after being laid off, and cooking at night for my two kids while she's away has become boring because there isn't time to cook like I'd like. I'd use it in my endeavor to experiment with cooking meals ahead of time on the weekends. I think we'd all eat better for it.
Jaemy
We hosted a Momofuku inspired dinner party. During our planning, I held up the page with David Chang's "ghetto sous vide.". My wife's reply: "fuhgeddaboudit!". I haven't!
Eric
All of the above!
Fusilliyoucrazybastard
Oh, I might be inclined to long cook an octopus, whole, and then throw him on the grill with some mint and garlic. Y'know, maybe spatch-cock some game hens and souvide 'em with soy and sambal only to subsequently flash fry ‘em and serve over a ginger-cucumber salad. And what of dessert you ask? Elementary my dear Ruhlman, espresso braised lamb shanks.
Hugh Anderson
Were I to win I would sous vide every fish and fowl and vegetable and fruit I could lay my greedy little fingers on.
Matt G
7-Bone roast ftw
Christy
I would use it to keep my husband busy in the kitchen while I relax on the couch with a nice glass of wine.
Matt
Sous vide corned beef for the St Patty's day. Seems like a great way to keep all the flavor in the meat.
Tina Sparkle
Bang off: Eggs and ribs. Then maybe eggs again. Then more meat. But then! I would probably start experimenting with fruit/veg for cocktail ingredients.
C. Wick
I would dip my balls in it (after I wash out the stock pot, of course): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR1hI_Ikuv8
and then I would cook all things pig.
PLPDX
I think it's about time I gave one a shot..
Elliott N Papineau
1. boudin blanc
2. carrots
3.pork belly
4.apples
5. beef cheek
I really want this thing. Send to Chicago!
Mike K
Cooking salmon to a custard-like consistency.
Mark
Make things out of cookbooks authored by Michael Ruhlman.
Laura
Perfectly temped meats. Eggs. Buttered potatoes!
Michael Forman
Aside from all kinds of meat and poached eggs, the first thing I would do is try to recreate the sous vide bok choy with cashew butter I had at Blue Hill a few years ago. It was one of the best vegetable dishes I've ever had
Michelle
Thanks for the chance to win such an awesome piece of kitchen equipment
Jim Colwell
God, I miss Coventry. I hope my old house is as kind to its present inhabitants as it it was for us. Were I to win, I'm stocking the freezer with Mangalista Pork and Sous Viding the shoulder and belly. Then I'm giong to win the next BLT from scratch competition.
Justin Belcher
Oh man the possibilities are endless: perfect poached eggs, edge-to-edge medium rare meats, food experiments (like cooking things in off-the-wall liquids like Cheerwine), and adding to my usual bouts of "Honey look how awesome this food gadget is!!" *indifferent gaze*
Brian J. Geiger
Sure, there are the usual cooking applications. Flavorful, multi-day braises. Eggs. Perfect steaks. All that.
Then there are some of the more experimental possibilities, such as seeing how a relatively constant temperature will affect extractions from vanilla extract to coffee.
Aside from all of that, I'd like to use it to thaw meats quickly and safely (who needs the constant drip-drip of the sink when we can circulate), and to see if I can adapt it to be a quick bread dough proofer (put the dough in a container, immerse all but the top, and set it to a yeast-friendly temperature until the dough rises; I'd probably need to cover the whole setup to allow the air to also come to temperature, as dough likely doesn't conduct heat well).
Brad S
Count me in! Besides showing my pescatarian girlfriend that other kinds of meat can be cooked fully while retaining a juicy, tender, flavorfulness, I'd combine the circulator with my cast-iron fry pan for perfect burgers, AND I hope to become the first person to successfully sous-vide chocolate chip cookies!
Daniel Buck
I've always been curious about whether the sous vide technique could keep chocolate in temper without exposing it to moisture. If it works, then this could be a component in my great Wonka/Goldberg-esque confectionery machine.
Alexander
I would cook food, and I'd do so for a community of eaters.
Time/opportunity costs are a prime reason people don't cook more. It's certainly one reason why I don't cook more--as a poor, poor graduate student, I spend my days and nights reading what it means to be human, and too often neglect actually putting what I read into practice--which is to say, I too often forget to cook.
I realized this not too long ago, and decided to start a community group: I cook for 8 or so people twice a week, and others in the group do the same on other nights. Taken all together, we each save much time and money.
The immersion circulator would fit well into this plan. We could circulate it (ha!) among the group, and it'd reduce our time barriers even more for more and more tasty food. Additionally, it'd give the bakers in our group--you know, those people afraid of actually cooking because it's too unpredictable--another venue to put their scientific minds to work. This seems to me to be a rather good thing.
Eric H
1. It will save my fiance the headache of me making one from scratch in our tiny NYC apartment.
2. It will allow me to use my horrible oven that doesn't even fit a 12" roasting pan even less.
3. I can finally make perfect soft poached eggs without babysitting a large pot of water for half an hour.
Tom
Immersion circulators make great holiday gifts!
Laura
I am hosting our first Family Christmas in our tiny townhouse with limited kitchen space. Fifteen people are already confirmed, and the meal is scheduled to be served at Noon. I was considering doing a roast, but sous vide sounds like the perfect solution! I have been wanting your book Under Pressure, but I was waiting to buy it after I could afford an immersion circulator. As many have said, it would open up a whole world of possibilities for my home cooking. I am twenty-eight years old and trying to lower my cholesterol; sous vide would be an amazing way to cook even healthier food. Fish, for example, is something that I would eat more of if I knew I could keep a constant temperature. The precision of the cooking is what I am most looking forward to.
Albert Yuen
It's super great to see equipment and techniques that used to solely in the realm of professional chefs migrate to the home. Here's to tastier dinner parties!
Meredith
Oh! I would use this to cook spare ribs for 24 hours, duck breasts perfectly medium rare, squab with herbs, what could I do with pork belly? something magical, I'm sure! maybe try liver and apples in a spicy marinade, and then hangar steak, as mentioned. How about fish? anyone ever try fish? I could go on, but in the name of brevity, consider these only a few of the life-changing dishes I'd prepare. I am thrilled at this possibility!
John Craft
I work in a retirement village and run a fine dinning restaurant there. Unfortunately we are not always given the time and money needed to cook certain things the way we wish to get the optimum product, and along with very picky eaters, it can pose a challenge. I would use it to help the process in making perfect roasts, amazing lobster, moist brisket, and juicy short ribs. I am only given a 4 hour gap before service, which makes cooking some of these foods a challenge, but this would make most of those woes go away and help bring the food I know they would love to their plates
Emma
I've been dying to try one of these. I don't have a whole lot of innovative things to suggest, but I know I want to try some kind of steak just to see it cooked evenly all the way through.
Susan
I'm thinking chocolate, moussy, something counterintuitive, ethereal and sweet. And foie gras, which I've never had the courage to tackle.
James B
What would I use it for? I'd use it as a gift to my girlfriend who is looking to study at the CIA in the spring.
We watched Bryan Voltaggio use one at a cooking demonstration in WI not too long ago. She'd squeal if I won and presented her with it.
peter
I'd work my way from one end of the pig to the other with it
Jason
As an engineer / home chef, I'd love to start truly understanding the issues surrounding temperature vs. flavor vs. texture. Sous vide seems to be the way to gradually test those limits.
As fara s what I'd cook first, I think I'd go on a burger binge.
Jason
I'd use it to cook proteins while my current pid-controlled rice cooker setup cooks the veggies!
Meghan McDonnell
Sous Vide French Toast. It is ridiculous.
Jason
As an engineer / home chef, I'd love to start truly understanding the issues surrounding temperature vs. flavor vs. texture. Sous vide seems to be the way to gradually test those limits.
As far as what I'd cook first, I think I'd go on a burger binge.
Jason
As an engineer and home chef, I'd love to start truly understanding the issues surrounding temperature vs. flavor vs. texture. Sous vide seems to be the way to gradually test those limits.
As far as what I'd cook first, I think I'd go on a burger binge.
ren nickson
I could finally stop looking at the photos in The Book, and start cooking. Venison and wild pig,prickly pear fruit, whole porcini , so many options. I've cleared a spot in my little kitchen, just in case...
DMc
Some of the best fish I ever had was cooked sous vide. Sign me up!
I recently read about cooking eggs this way so I think I'd experiment with custards.
Erin A.
Okay I have tried sous vide in a cooler, just trying to raise the temp and maintain it through the thermal mass of the water but that is pretty limiting. And you have to heat up a cooler-full of water (which is a lot). I really want to try sous vide veggies, the flavor is supposed to be out of sight.
Nate
Really thick pork chops!!
Diane
We'll have fun in the kitchen, as usual, but now we would have a new toy! The other Diane (my friend who is a chef at W&S) will make our husbands happy, once again!
Alex Papas
I would love to try using it for yeat productions and bread making. Seeing that yeast just need some sugar and a warm enviroment. It would be pretty cool to watch dough rise in a vaccum sealed bag. Might get messy tho. But the flavor would be pure to the yeast.
Anthony
I'd love to dive into Sous Vide and your book that comes with this thing. I think it would be cool to put together some meal ideas for tech folks like myself who love cooking but are putting in way too many hours at work.
Neville
Thanks, Ruhlz! Now the only question is, where can I get some good short ribs?
A. M.
It's freezing out, so first I would cook short ribs at a low temperature for 2 or 3 days, then sear to finish them. Pork belly, for sure, which I've been wanting to try to make at home but haven't been brave enough to do yet. Perfectly cooked eggs, finally! The braised veal cheeks, foie gras, rutabega, and turnip preparations in Under Pressure. I own the book because I'm a serious Keller fan, but don't own the equipment to make most of its recipes. Also, this would be a good excuse to prepare more fish, since I could use some healthier proteins in my diet. Then, onto hanger or blade steak, tricky cuts of meat to properly cook but simple with a sous-vide cooker. Tender chicken breasts. Desserts, like pear or apple slices with vanilla and bourbon. The list is endless. This would be so much better than Kenji's beer cooler hack.
Trent
I see this device as the Crockpot of the future. I’d us it to make everything from chili to eggs, and from fish to ice cream. With the new baby, “fix it and forget it” has become a way of life.
Susan
Don't count this as an entry. I'm too much a novice so a video demo for those of us that have never seen one operate would be an education. I'd like to see how is circulates the water to keep it at temp. All I can think of wanting to keep at a steady temp is chocolate for coating candies and it doesn't sound like this would work for that.
Jake Avis
We're having our first baby in February, what better way to feed the little one than with Sous Vide veggies and goodness (Not to mention that Mom and Dad sure do love a Sous Vide duck). We'll start the next generation of foodies off right! As a bonus, we'll get the baby thermometer back to what it's originally designed for... lol... Eat Well!!!
Andrew Lin
With a real immersion circulator, I could finally attempt more time-intensive low temperature cooking that you can't really do in a beer cooler. It would also work as a starting point in exploration of modernist cuisine. A free circulator would allow monies to be re-purposed towards purchase of the book of the same name.
Risa
I'd use this to take another step in the continuing debate with my father, who insists that there are some techniques and ingredients that should only be used in restaurants. He is, obviously, wrong.
Russ
No doubt the perfect poached egg would be the start. Where then? Maybe construct a take on Eggs Benedict with some braised pork belly, and whisking the hollandaise with the bowl partially submerged in the properly heated water bath, sans vide...
Erin
I can't think of anything I wouldn't want to try with it!
sara
I would love to use this to try out cooking pork belly - I have always been intimidated by this ingredient and I'd love to make it work with an immersion circulator!
Tracy
Salmon!
Michael Davidson
The thing I'm most interesting in doing with Sous Vide is cooking eggs. Besides that I'd love to use it for tuna steaks and duck breasts that get finished on a grill.
Michael
Long time listener, first time caller.
Working around the clock leaves me little time for many experiments in my tiny kitchen, but with the forgiving duration of an immersion circulator cooking, I dream of:
- sous vide risotto, for novelty's sake!
- a sous vide hamburger, a soft pillow to eliminate any need for 2-hour lines at Shake Shack.
- sous vide purple mustard greens, to experiment with whether they can ever be better than raw.
- sous vide head cheese??
And, oh! Tis the season:
- sous vide mulled wine? Why not! Here's to dreams!
Swarup Bandyopadhyay
i picture making some beautifully cooked chicken breasts and veggies for my wife. also, some nice short ribs for myself 🙂
Jonah
Pick me! Pick me!
Tammy
I want to make the perfect scrambled eggs.
Homare Yamahachi
Well, I have Thomas Keller's book, now it's time to put it to good use.
Dan Sully
I've been drooling over one of these since it was announced. Our household is ready to take the next step in food preparation.
With a 3 year old, and another one on the way, the ease of planning our meals in advance, vacuum sealing and freezing, ready to go for the immersion circulator is highly appealing.
Kevin
Right or not, I've always put cooking at home using sous vide in a slightly more attainable category than eating at el bulli. Whether I win this or not, it's clear that the new, more affordable devices are changing that - very exciting.
Matt T
I want this so I can obsess over giving myself botulism!
Ewan
Other than the regular cooking - of which: 'roast' beef at low temp is first up - I would love to use this in teaching food science to my son's third-grade class. We have talked about the effects of heat and e.g. the basis of browning - this would be a wonderful addition!
Tom Saaristo
SUH-WEET! If I win, maybe I can stop replicating the sous vide technique with simmering water and a Ziploc bag. If I ever get to truly sous vide a venison tenderloin, it will be too soon.
Dave W
Have done ribeye using beer cooler method...best steak I ever made. I am fascinated with the ability to do perfect eggs, fish, and non-dry poultry.
I really want to try out some longer-cooking items...pork belly etc... and higher temp things like vegetables. BTW, Bourdain non-offensive holiday special was great!
Laura
I would use it to become awesome.
Josh
I'm fascinated by traditional British steamed puddings (spotted dog, figgy dowdy, plum duff, etc.). It would be interesting to see what would come from mixing the very traditional ingredients and recipes with the modern technique.
Russell
I'd like to try and see what this thing can do for making beer.
The mash has precise temperature parameters. Even a single degree can impact which enzymes are more active, changing the final character of the beer. Using the bag you could lock in the temperature, thickness and pH of the mash, getting very precise results. Also, excess oxygen is to be avoided so the bag would help with that. Sous vide could be really cool for doing specialty mini-mashes of just a couple pounds of grain.
For example, it would be great to be able to do a step-mash at increasing temperatures of only the grains that actually need it. Finiky specialty grains like quinoa, buckwheat and oats. Or precisely control the mash on roasted grains to blacken a beer without adding astringency or burnt character. Or do a protein rest on a bag of roasted pumpkin, before adding it to the main pumpkin ale mash. Or a cereal mash on grains with a high gelatinization temp like rice or polenta without risking burning it on the stove (thus darkening the final beer).
Also, I've done Achatz' sous vide turkey and stuffing (with ziplocks in a big 7 gallon pot on the stove), which was delicious. So it's not a one-trick pony!
Janet D
This is great - I'd LOVE to have it!
Hannah
I would poach the eggs from my backyard chickens to perfection. I also want to see what this thing can do for cooking offal like liver and heart in flavorful sauces. I think it will prevent grainy liver and tough heart.
B. Miller
If I were lucky enough to win, I would annoy my friends with unsolicited testimonials about the wonders of sous vide and all the magical things I was going to do. Try it once or twice, stick it under the counter, and forget I owned it.
Alex Munoz
Wild Boar Carnitas! Rabbit, is a meat that is so lean that I would like to use the sous vide machine to perfect.
Dave
I want to replicate the beautifully-done-oh-so-fresh-moist-salty-tender chicken at Blue Hill Stone Barns that my father-in-law said was "the way chicken should be done" It would be a game changer for he and I. I would also love to see the results of a very dry aged steak in this thing. Oh the possibilities.
John Parker
Would love to have one of these!
N. Trandem
I'd love to use it for duck.
B.J. Lofback
In March I'm joining the food truck craze in Nashville during March Madness. My fellow chef from Barbados has a family recipe for Jerk that makes some amazing chicken and pork!! I would use that beautiful machine DAILY! Mr. Ruhlman please bless my entrepreneurial spirit!
Daniel
Initially, lamb and fish.
Bucky
Have been dying to try this method of cooking!
Adam
As a college student on a budget (fixed by my mom) i'd use it to save money; my weekly cash reserve dissappears at restaurants rather quickly. 🙂
Trinity
My boyfriend is a passionate line cook (and I'm a passionate at-home cook). This would be one of the best things we could ever win!
Doug Fawley
I think the first thing I'd attempt would be a perfectly poached egg over some asparagus. Then I'd dive into Keller's "Under Pressure." Thanks for the opportunity - I don't usually enter contests, but this is too good to pass up.
R. Dillon
I would use it to make an amazing anniversary dinner for my finally non-vegetarian girlfriend.
Karen
I think it would make fabulous fresh gulf prawns and help keep some shrimpers in business as well, a bonus!
Justin
We've been getting a lot of pastured/grass-fed meat and, while most of it is pretty tender, the bison has been less than spectacular. I think sous vide would be the way to go with this, duck, rabbit... Now I can't stop thinking of things to cook in a bag.
Dane
We have a whole steer in the freezer, I could cook the chuck, & short ribs for days to break it down, retain every flavorful bit and sauce afterwards so the meat would actually taste like what it is suppsed to, and not the sauce that the flavor has leached into by braising... I'm also intrigued by the thought of cooking a turkey sous vide for the holidays (or any day actually!), and would LOVE to do fish this way... Thanks for the opportunity to win one, I'm sure whom ever wins it will love it, it is a great thing to have in your cooking arsenal 🙂
Joey Meicher
I would love to cook cheaper cuts of high quality meat with an immersion circulator. I purchased a pig head a month ago with the hopes of creating a porchetta di testa the way Chef Chris Cosentino's prepares it. Chef Cosentino utilizes sous-vide cooking to prepare the porchetta, and I hope to use the same technology to achieve the best possible results with an amazing ingredient. The pork is hand raised by an Amish farmer who makes cheese, and he feeds his pigs whey, a byproduct of making cheese. He had no idea that some of the best ham in the world comes from pigs raised this same way in Parma. He just feeds them whey because the pigs love it, and then he marvels how the fat doesn't melt away in his bacon like it does in virtually all other bacon. It is a phenomenal product from an amazing farmer, and I want to do it justice. The immersion circulator would make it even easier to utilize everything but the oink from these awesome animals.
Chef Polcyn's and your book, Charcuterie, helps me out a bunch as well!
Thanks for this opportunity; I'm sure everyone here admires and appreciates your kindness.
August
I'd like to try this for grass-fed beef and venison. Also, I haven't heard of anyone trying organ meats. Obviously, I'd try everything- eggs, brisket, sweet potatoes, etc- possibly even coffee! Sustenance and entertainment in one package!
Al
Well, this would allow me to throw out the old rice cooker and eBay the temp controller (and maybe be great enough motivation to get one of those fancy chamber vacuum packers so I can seal liquid in the bag more reliably). Then I'd have no excuse for not cooking my way through the rest of "Under Pressure."
Of course, I'd still have to tinker, so the heater would probably find it's way into my mash tun for the next beer-brewing session....
Will
The coaches on my daughter's volleyball team are very conscious about nutritional factors for the athletes, and eating right "on the road" at tournaments can be expensive, difficult and BORING. Time, space and resources for on-site food prep is extremely limited. I'd like to prepare attractive and nutritious dishes for the girls using sous vide "cook - chill - reheat' methods. Meals could be appropriately portioned and cooked individually ahead of time, even accounting for personal preferences and allergies. Re-heating with the circulator would be ideal, but could be done with no more resources than hot water if required.
I've been eyeing the Sous Vide Supreme for this, but can't imagine how to cook for ten girls and coaches with that small volume.
Josh
Pork Pork Pork. I have a bunch of local frozen pork in my freezer that is crying out for some experimentation.
Stuart
Wow. I tested a Sous Vide Supreme when it came out, but I only had it for a bit over a week - not enough time to try out a tiny fraction of the things I wanted to try.
Things at the top of the list:
- whole poultry (not feasible with the SVS). Maybe bathtub turkey... because I'd get to call it bathtub turkey.
- experiments with how best to finish meats cooked sous vide
- sous vide beef tendon
- unwise experiments with sous vide (not so)quick breads
- sous vide corned beef? better than boiled?
- pretty much everything with fruits and vegetables that I didn't get a chance to try before....
I want this so much...
Joe
It's game season!
Venison loin filets bagged with a splash of Arbequina Olive Oil, a sprinkling of sumac and a couple espresso beans. 54C. Sear. Rest. Devour.
Shamus H.
I would love an immersion cooker to get a chance to try oust some new meaty sous vide dishes that even my picky roommate would eat!
Brian Beggarly
I would use the circulator to begin my catering business. I have been working with these wonderful machines for a few years now and it really frees up a lot of man power and that saves money!
Dee Pee
yay! another fun gadget! I can definetly see the value of something like this.
Oliver
Cook meat so delicious that my girlfriend will finally swear off vegetarianism
mrb
I'd like to start making food for my almost ready to eat solid food infant!
TheKnow
Im teaching my boys--7&9--to cook intuitively, using Ruhlman & Harold McGee as our guides. The addition this week of a digital scale and the Ratio app for the ipod hasn't hurt their math skills either. We've bought & butchered 1/4 of a pig for ham and bacon; 9 y old roasts two chickens a week; 7 y old made duck confit for Christmas dinner; currently baking our hearts out. This, simply, would rock our world.
Kayla W.
I would love to sous vide ANYTHING! I'm so amazed with this cooking technique, I would go crazy trying everything! I think lamb would be the first thing...a beautiful rack of lamb.
Chris
I would be honored to receive one of these fabulous machines. My familia is trying to recover from a serious blow to our finances. We were boarderline homeless a couple of months ago. Prior to our crisis happening, I was trying to teach my 4 children how to cook right and healthy. We don't eat out much, so trying to bring home the amazing food you have had the pleasure to eat would a dream come true. My familia loves your books, they are amazing and completely informative.
nossi f.
All types of meat - beef, poultry, and definitely fish...i wouldn't mind experimenting a turkey breast to see if we can avoid the all too often dried out breast
Derek Gray
Mr Ruhlman
I have wanted one for the longest time but living on a cooks wage is hard. I am currently enrolled as a culinary student in Vancouver b.c. and my nick name there is sous vide suzy. I am always thinking of inovative ways of using this machine. Sous 20 hour brisket till it's fork tender, would love to the see the out come of sous vide chicken stock, the perfect confit pork belly or sous vide tea. Yea I said it sous vide tea, these ideas never stop, and the possibilities never stop. Thanks again.
Dan
I've got a cook brother who has worked his ass off to gain the upper hand on an addiction. After selling knives and other personals to fuel the habit, as well as a stint in the county jail, he has finally stuck with his commitment to better his life for almost a year now. I have passed him all of your books as well as those from Bourdain and Keller since cooking, reading and music are now the things that fuel his life. I can't afford to get him such a cool tool, but you can trust that he would put it to good use if we were to win it.
John
The picture in _Under Pressure_ of lthe lobster station with liters of buerre monte in a tub with a a circulator has always fascinated me...
But that is not exactly practical in a home kitchen, even as awesome as it would be. Duck Confit and variations on Eggs would be the most immediate gain, not to mention the amazing things I could do with brisket, short ribs, lamb shanks, and other high-collagen meats.
adrian arandela
good opportunity to play on.. i wish i could win... anyway good luck to us and congratulation in advance to the winner.
Monty
This would definitely make the winter go by a little quicker.
Tory
I'm a college student in Texas, and fell in love with learning proper technique through Top Chef: season 1 (plus my travels to Spain). Along with my cooking partner (still trying to get her date me), I cook for our 9-15 person dinner parties on a pretty regular basis, and they usually go really well - when I don't overcook the meat. A machine of this caliber would definitely eradicate the need for making f**k-up sauces to cover up the dry pork, lamb, etc. Plus, the ability to lock in the marinades seems to good to be true. And of course, it's hard to mention sous vide cooking without the amazing soft-cooked eggs. I promise you this machine will be abused and loved in my kitchen.
Matthew Stec
I've gotten very interested in low/slow cooking and I see sous vide as a good way to get excellent results from difficult cuts of meat.
I'm also an engineer and I'm quite interested in tinkering with new ideas.
Kim & Akiko
With this thing, and our well worn copy of Charcuterie, we could really kick some serious (pork) butt in the kitchen! It's a "gotta have" item!
John V.
I would be able to throw out the ugly, tempermental, franken-sous-vide machine that has been taking up too much counter space for about two years now. This hacked together monster has been the source of much marital strife. Michael, please help restore my household harmony. Thank you.
Cods
Be a great opportunity to prove to my friends that sous vide is realistic and has benefits outside of a restaurant kitchen, and an excuse to complete my TK collection by picking up "Under Pressure"!
emmmily
oh WOW. The first two things I would cook would be eggs (also from backyard chickens) and elk (that my husband hunted this fall). Also, on a non-cooking, scientific tangent, I've been wanting to test different kinds of plastic for BPA and plasticizer leaching during sous vide cooking. So I would try that.
Justin
I would use it to cook 72 hour beef short ribs. And to heat the water used for brewing beer to the required temperature for mashing the grains.
Julian
Can you use it you heat and maintain oil at a constant temp?
I'd like to try using it for that to see if makes a difference not necessarily in sous-vide cooking but maybe poaching things (fish, veggies, veal, etc) in oil.
AmandaL
We're big coffee drinkers in this house, and have our own roasting set up for greens. I wonder if the outcome of roasting coffee in a sous vide would be like the outcome of aging wine in a steel barrel? Would you miss the smoke like some people miss the oakiness? only one way to find out, i suppose!
Eddie Dryer
Would love to give this a try have been admiring the Sous Vide Supreme for some time now but would prefer this.
PrixFixeOnline
Micheal, I for one would be able to put it to use immediately. I'll be closing a deal for my own restaurant at the first of the year - and something like this - while it's on my wish list. We're opening with a small budget and this would be a very useful piece of kitchen gear.
And being that I'll be a one man brigade this would be a wonderful tool to have at my disposal. And I know for a fact it would get used, and used well.
Jason
I'd really like one of these. My family grew up thinking you cook it till juices stop running, so it would be nice to show them a better alternative.
Peter Friedman
Yeah, we use these heated circulators in my lab. But I haven't dared use one for food! I'd try pork chops, which are otherwise easily dried out.
tm
I've played around with different ingredients and applications of sous vide, but sadly never had the pleasure of experimenting with one of these. While I've had mixed results, some of them were phenomenal! I would absolutely LOVE the opportunity to experiment with and produce dishes with the more exacting results this piece of equipment would provide!
Katya
Just what I need to really, really avoid doing my homework forever. Exciting. My guy will love all the increased large meat cust this will require.
pajo bruich
The fact that Polyscience has developed a unit I can use at home is awesome! I am going to practice making baby food in this thing!
cheryl Kloscak
Well Santa, I've been a very good girl this past year and I promise I'd clean it and take care of it and everything!
Mori-neko
Dealing with the somewhat tougher and flavorless (aside from salt) cuts of meat that I'm left with after the Kashering process. I've recently moved into a house that keeps kosher in the kitchen, and I've had a great deal of issue with cooking meat.....
Jonathan LaCour
My wife is currently seven months pregnant with our first born child. I would seriously consider a trade here. (kidding)
I would like to cook perfect eggs for breakfast every day for my wife and daughter. I would like to cook short ribs for days until they have the texture and flavor of what I imagine will be my first meal upon arriving at the pearly gates of heaven. I want to vacuum seal and sous-vide scallops, because I have never heard of it being done before.
For the love of all that is holy, I want to win this.
John
I would like to use it on shellfish -- especially butter-poached lobster -- to start with, and then move on to eggs and vegetables. The suggestion an earlier commenter made on grain mashing sounds interesting, too, since I'm an old home-brewer -- perhaps I could use this to mash specialty grains for a small batch.
Alex
Pork "baby" back ribs, I have a stash of wonderful locally sourced heritage pork back ribs in the freezer just begging to be cooked sous vide.
Vu
This machine blurs the line between need and want.
Anne
I would love to cook eggs and then it would be fun to explore all the other possibilities!
Kristian Bjornard
I can't think of something I WOULDN'T try cooking this way … but I'd probably start with all the weird pork parts no one else wants from my loveable pig farmer @ the baltimore market.
Aidan
This would be the perfect outlet for me to further annoy my wife with my over the top and annoying habit of making all my meals a little too much high maintenance.
Tyson S. Maxwell
Thank you for the opportunity to win one of these. Honestly, I have no idea, but would love to learn!
jayedee
i cannot even begin to imagine the ways i could use this in my kitchen! my vegan kitchen will rise to new heights of deliciousness! please throw my name in the hat!
Dani
eggs!
Christian
My first instinct was baby food...keeping all those vitamins and nutrients in the poach instead of the poaching liquid, but then my mind turned to the cooking school where I work. I have some very imaginative students who are obsessing over Alinea and would love to give some of the more complicated recipes a shot!
robert
I would like to use the circulator as a hammer... No, wait, I would use it to cook, mainly edible food products.
What else would you do with it???
Karine
It would make my husband so happy if we were take this home. He has been drooling over the many ideas he has for meals prepped with it.
Melisa Taylor
I have been eyeballin' this baby at Williams-Sonoma, trying to dream up ways to 'sous vide' desserts. So, if I were to win this bad boy, that would be my challenge - a challenge I would be excited to accept!
-not having played with one, I have no idea if that is possible or if it sounds appetizing to 'normal' people. 😉
James
Definitely would slow poach eggs a la momofuku, then try a few tougher pieces of grass finished beef.
Simon
I've been dying to try some sous vide lamb. The dish in the Alinea cookbook looks amazing. Sadly, my kitchen and bank balance are both too small for a Sous vide Supreme or an immersion circulator.
Daniel W
This may sound boring, but I would experiment with non-proteins. For example, I have never been happy with roasting spaghetti squash (I grow my own, which taste awesome but are large) because it cooks so unevenly. Could sous-vide deliver perfectly cooked squash? I'm also interested in experimenting with sous-vide for desserts, such as custards, making ice cream bases, and infusing fruits.
Stephen D
This would be the ultimate Christmas present!
Matt
I bet it would churn out an amazing brisket. Meat of any kind, really. And eggs.... The first thing that came to mind, though is that I would use it to quell my summer jealousy at having to cook in an apartment, which means no long oven use and no backyard for a grill or smoker. Perfectly tender meats then quickly seared...mmmmm!
Jarrett Freeman
It would be a saving grace to use a polyscience machine. I've been using a Lauda M20 for the last three months until the heating coil and display went bonkers. Lauda Brinkman wants hundreds just to look at the machine. As a line cook, you know that money just isin't available. I've been working my way through fruits and vegetables, as I find them to be the most creative way to cook with a circulator. I have been fond of changs "brick chicken" as well.
Help me continue to educate the foodies of VA at Circa 1918 kitchen and bar!
Jonathan
I can just imagine using this like a slow cooker... setting up the eggs and bacon the night before and walking up to a perfectly cooked breakfast. Or lamb cheeks and asparagus when I get home from work.
Stephanie
I just froze with how many things I want to do with this. Eggs, of course. Pork Belly. beef in bourbon with the advantage of both the vacuum and the cooking for a day....oh, my.
OneJap
i would like to use it to prepare Filipino stews that a paraplegic friend of mine who lives out in New Hampshire has not had in over twenty years. i could pre-cook the dishes and send them to her so that she can enjoy fork-tender meats without getting involved in the long process of preparing these dishes.
James in Oamaru
I've been wanting one of these since I first heard of them! There's loads I'd love to do with one, but short ribs would be at the top of my list. I wonder too if you could rig it to keep a bath warm. Don't you hate taking a bath and having the water get cold s you have to keep letting out some water so you can add hot water, but then you have to mix the hot water in to warm up the whole tub? Or is that just me??
Matt
I'd love to cook my way through "Under Pressure!" Then maybe they'll make a movie about it and get someone much better looking to play me. How about Bill Pullman as Ruhlman?
Mike
I would cook a 36 inch striped bass unprotected directly in temperature controlled fat.
Kris
As a hunter, Im looking for new ways to take this years deer and make it into something more than it is. Everyone grills, pan fries, and crock pots. Not everyone can Sous Vide a perfect back strap for their family, and I'd love to be the first in mine to try...
Thank you for the offer, and keep up the excellent work on the blog.
Jamie
I've used a meat-thermometer and a crockpot with a buffet setting before and had promising results, the idea of getting a proper rig on my present budget is too good to pass up! I would use a sous vide setup to cook for my parents, and probably take it with me when I went to Japan to cook for my husband, who is in the military there. I taught basic cooking lessons when I lived on the base in Japan, and my students have asked me to teach when I'm back on vacation. This is a technique they'd love to see!
Erik
I would use it to impress my father-in-law who prefers McDonalds for most meals. No easy task for sure.
Lauren Edlund
My friends and I spent the entire time during dinner on Sunday, dreaming of the things we would cook sous vide if we had a way to do it. Eggs and artichokes have me the most intrigued.
Tom Coughlan
As a young aspiring chef access to an immersion circulator would amazing. Having only heard of a few things it can do, like cook eggs to a hard white but a pure liquid yolk, I would try all sorts of things with it and study up on the chemical reactions that take place while cooking to try out new stuff. All while driving my parents crazy with my kitchen experiments. Plus do not know when I would ever get access to one again because the cost is way beyond what I have now and the country club I work at would never get one.
Itai
Chef Achatz has a video of sous vide-ing an entire thanksgiving dinner, and to me that just sounds like the greatest thing ever.
Simon
I would love to do a whole lot of slow cooking for the whole winter. And this would validate my status as food nerd.
Jeff
I have an unnatural and probably unhealthy relationship with pork belly. I love pork belly braised for hours. I love pork belly sliced thinly and fried. I love pork belly roasted and finished, skin on, under the broiler so that the skin becomes cracklins. I love making bacon from pork belly (a la Ruhlman's recipe in Charcuterie). But there is a hole in my life as I yearn for the ability to sous vide that pork belly at home to create a sinful preparation that melts in the mouth and spreads its love (also known as fat) across the tongue. Only then will my life be complete. I will have reached nirvana.
James G
I've been wanting one of these since I first heard of them! There's loads I'd love to do with one, but short ribs would be at the top of my list. I wonder too if you could rig it to keep a bath warm. Don't you hate taking a bath and having the water get cold s you have to keep letting out some water so you can add hot water, but then you have to mix the hot water in to warm up the whole tub? Or is that just me??
Mantonat
An incredible and generous offer, Mr. Ruhlman! I've been trying to replicate recipes in Keller's Under Pressure and would have a greater chance of success with the precise temperature control offered with the Polyscience device. Right now, I use a digital thermometer and a stock pot on the stove top, which is not so bad, but so low-tech compares to the shiny gizmo in the photo.
An alternate use - while still within the realm of cooking - would be to replicate kuro-tamago by determining and replicating the specific mineral make-up of certain Japanese hotsprings and using the circulator to get the temperature and water circulation just right. Stinky black eggs made easy!
Todd
I envision a winter of experimentation that ends with me buying a T-shirt with an "S" on it: Sous vide Man! The possibilities are endless, but I would be interested particularly in seeing if my mother's goose recipe (pressure cooked, and the only way I will eat a goose) could be adapted. And the ribs....ahhhh the ribs.
Thomas Dohman
What a Christmas present this would be! I've been wanting to get into sous vide for a whole.
Daniel B
Hard to say! Would definitely start with eggs, and would love to try the whole fish immersed in oil ...
Matt
I would do various pig parts.
Victoria
What a treat for a lucky person! The reason I would like it is I love salmon but hate the smell left behind in the kitchen when I sear it so I don't tend to cook it that way. I generally bake it in the oven or poach it. I would like to try cooking salmon sous vide.
Jason
Hm. There are plenty of nifty uses coming to mind. Everything from rapidly defrosting (& cooking) to maintaining a just-right temperature for growing yeast, kafir, yogurt...
Aaron Adalja
I'm planning our annual "Festivus" dinner party on 12/23 with some of my friends in CLE, and I'd love to feature sous vide pork belly on the menu...glazed in a pan, of course, with sherry gastrique.
MStyer
I'd use it to keep myself busy as finishing up my last round of chemo. I've been going bored out of my mind sitting around the house and not having the energy that I used to have, at least I usually have an appetite. The only thing that has been keeping me sane has been reading lots of McGee, Ruhlman, Keller, Chang and tons of food blogs and the ensuing kitchen experiments that have followed. Until the spring I'm going to have lots of time to babysit batches of hard cider, hanging pancetta and making confits.
Ben
You, sir, are a very kind man for doing this. Ever since I've seen this circulator at Williams and Sonoma I have had this sort of pained excitement about it, knowing that it's probably an unattainable dream product for me. Of course there are blueprints for a DIY sous vide machines on web but I'm scared to death of electrocuting myself.
I have become so passionate about food in the past couple years that I'm convinced it's my calling - whether that means being a chef, I'm not sure, but I know I can't get enough. I live in western Massachusetts and there really isn't an outlet to talk about local food or restaurants. I've began the framework for a website that would encompass a few things: showcase local restaurants, not just with a review, but sitting down with the owner for an interview; showcasing all the amazing local farms we have and spreading awareness of their CSA's and farmers markets; 'cook the book' reviews, much like Carol Cooks Keller/Alinea; an articles on my experience with dry aging, making home made bacon, home made stocks, etc. Having an immersion circulator to cook the local products I use would be the absolute best way to showcase their products. I'm reading now through 'Culinary Artistry' and feel that combined with Ratio, I can start creating very flavorful dishes using all the good stuff from my CSA and having an instrument that helps cook things perfectly would be the ultimate.
Thanks for any consideration you give!
Joe Lavigne
Bone rack of lamb chops, duck breast, tenderloin, short ribs all cooked to perfection waiting to be seared off and served to anticipating guests is a dream made reality by the Polyscience immersion circulator. Do I NEED it? NO. Do I WANT it? YES PLEASE!!!
Erik
I love trying new things when it comes to cooking, but I also like to stay true to the classic approach. I feel that sous vide cooking is a great way to use new techniques to put a modern twist on classic cooking.
Chuck
On vacation in San Francisco a couple months ago, I had the pleasure of sampling the "tasty salted pig parts" at Boccalone. My favorite was the Porchetta Di Testa, which they told me had been cooked sous vide after curing. If I win, I'd love to try to make some porchetta of my own at home.
Nadeepa Ranasinghe
Way too many ideas flooding my brain... risking explosion.... thanks for the consideration!
JRB
Hmmm...the possibilities, the possibilities. I'm interested to see if I can get meat tender enough to feed my youngsters (texture-challenged, they are) while leaving enough flavor to please their dad, but I'll probably also dive into my stash of Italian regional cookbooks to see what can be recreated.
Alyssa
Obviously, most meats would be great in this. . . However, I'd really like to try rosemary poached pears with the sous vide immersion technique. I made these for Thanksgiving but was disappointed with the lack of rosemary infused into the pears (nice aroma, but taste didn't come through) - though it worked great for rosemary apple tart tatin I made using your "Amazing Tart Tatin" entry as a guide. But, pears, rosemary, some white wine, a little honey or sugar, tiny bit of water. . . with some fresh whipped cream (dash of vanilla and cinnamon) on top. . . brilliant!
Jesse Gindlesperger
I am a Soldier in the US Army and I live in barracks. I don't get to cook my own food cause we don't have a kitchen and aren't allowed to have appliances in our room that have flames. So no hot plates. But we can have Sous Vide appliances because that's just water heated up. So what would I use it for?...EVERYTHING! I would cook all my meals Sous Vide. Not only would I be in compliance with the rules, but I could make the best food for myself and my Army buddies.
Cruz caudillo
I am currently trying to start up a new business, a patisserie. Equipment is very expensive but a circulator is a must have. Anything from poaching the perfect pear to custards and ice cream bases. I would also use it to cook perfect meats for our lunch menu!
Michael Sweeney
Ever since I found out about the beer cooler method, I've been playing with sous-viding everything. I'd love to have something that could more accurately hold a temperature. I've even thought about using something like this for homebrewing.
Brian
Baby Octopus, Pork Cheek, Beef Tongue, Sweet Breads. The possibilities are endless. LET THE OFFAL BEGIN!!!!!!!!
Kevin Jeung
Well I have two theoretical recipes I would like to try out. One is a 36-hour pork rillette where the belly and shoulder are cooked separately in pork fat and then mixed with the concentrated liquids from within each bag
The other is my attempt at the perfect steak, pre-seared on a cast iron pan preheated for an hour on a max heat grill. Cooked sous videj to medium rare and then post seared again at 800F for the ultimate crust. And then rest it, of course!
The Amazing Dr. SCIENCE!
Wow, awesome!! I have been dying to give sous vide, but have been put off by the cost....
John
Aweomse...I'd use it to feed great food to friends and to teach us all a new way to appreciate the food we are lucky to have access to. I'd experiment with everything from meats to vegetables to desserts..especially the tremendous ingredients available to us here in the Hudson Valley. How about some infusions of beef or pork with those terrific Tuthilltown spirits!
Jeremy Bowers
I was going to build one of these -- but now, I can escape botulism! The company holiday party would never be the same -- sous vide mangalitsa for everyone!
Alex Woodruff
To get my mitts on that would be extraordinary. As for one use. In a word "wabbit season". Besides that there are so many possibilities.
Christine Smith
We're a family of amateur cooks who will jump in and anything and everything!
Xiao-Wen
a very merry sous-vide christmas dinner in my household this year
Eben Altmann
Finally found a source for pig's blood. I would love to use it to cook the boudin noir I'll soon be making.
Scott
I don't need this. I will just continue heating rocks in a fire and then throwing them into an old pig bladder filled with my tears.
Hema
I'd use it to make a riff on eggs benedict - sous vide butter lobster, sous vide poached egg, creamy hollandaise, and hot, freshly toasted english muffin. yum!
Mitchal
Upon receiving the immersion circulator, I can guarantee you that my wife would be sent on a roller coaster of emotions.
- Dismay upon learning of a new gadget to burn through my time.
- Overwhelming joy knowing I'm not going to destroy a third crock pot/slow cooker or, worse yet, her recently replaced rice cooker...
- Unbelievable shock that I can complicate sourdough starters...
- Happiness to see me acting like a giddy school boy when an slow-boiled egg 'inverts' between 64C and 67C!
Then again, overall I'm sure she would be just fine knowing I'll still be in the kitchen - she loves to eat!
Martin Bligh
I'd like to use this as a comparison device to develop my pet project - to work out how to reprogram a standard programmable slow cooker to act as a sous-vide cooker, so everyone could buy a sous-vide machine for about $50.
Min
I would love to make eggs that are just set.
Janet Stott
this would be like winning the lottery - by the way - your English Muffin recipe could be the holy grail also.
Trevor
I'd love to use one of these circulators to make soup purees that have a really precise, concentrated, and clean flavor. I also think that making infused liquors would be interesting with a circulator. Lastly, flavored-salts, flavored-sugars, and spice mixes could benefit from a run inside a circulator bath. Cheers. Trev.
Mike
Beyond the obviuous, I would like to give it a try with baby food. Our second child is just starting on baby food. Last time we made the fruits and veggies but bought meat. Souis vide could be a good way to cook meat to a safe-plus temp and still leave it easy to process into a delicious, baby frieldy puree.
Bob
Since I work an early AM shift and my wife works a normal daytime one, there's always the challenge of cooking something that works for my lunch and her dinner. A sous vide would offer more options than a standard slow cooker.
Brian Shaw
"comment"
Sheri
My husband would love this. He has been talking about getting one since we had dinner in Chicago.
Laurel
I would use it to make onsen tamago, perfectly cook meats, and complete my project of covering every last unoccupied square inch of counter space in my not-quite-big-enough kitchen.
JB in San Diego
I would start with seafood - probably lobster tail, shrimp and other meat that is easy to overcook the conventional way. Then I would try using local meat, especially unusual cuts or rabbit, goat, anything else I can find. After that, what wouldn't I cook in it? Veggies, grain... I also pledge to start a blog to record my experiments for posterity. I'll call it "Sous Vide N'importe Quoi."
Patrick
I always find the molecular gastronomy wizardry more PT Barnum than avant garde. I work in a pharmaceutical lab and have had liquid nitrogen and water bath in my life for over 25 years. These are tools, nothing more, nothing less. They do not make a bad meal better, they are still the tools and the cooks and chefs are the craftsman (or craftswoman). Let us not forget this simple fact while we stare at all the shiny toys.
But yes it is oh so shiny...
Adam
I've done some home sous-vide with coolers and hot water, but I'd love the real thing. Please put me in the running!
Thanks so much for what you. Happy Holidays!
Justin G
I am going to use it to cook our traditional holiday dinner, a good ole fashion melt in your mouth brisket.
Nick
First off, thank you for the generous offer. If I were lucky enough to receive the immersion circulator, I would convert my vegetarian girlfriend with a sous vide rack of lamb that not even the strongest willed veg-lover could resist.
Josh Hinkle
Thanks for the contest! My biggest reason I would like to win this immersion circulator is that it would help with preparing meals for the orphanage its children incuding Annie, Homer Wells, Fuzzy, Tiny Tim......OK that was a lie, but I would still like to win the thing! Keep up the blog. I look forward to it daily.
Myn
Ooo. I've been working my way gradually through Alinea, and hoping to tackle Fat Duck soon. This would *greatly* simplify things (versus stalking my stock pot and adding ice cubes, stirring it, etc) - Please put me in the running!
Cameron Borne
I am an exec chef at a small restaurant and this would help me bring more creative food to my loyal customers.
Ally
My sweetie hunts for us and I assume that game meat would be well suited to the "low and long" cooking this would enable me to do!
PhilK
If it's meat, it'll cook sous vide. Beans, too.
Otherwise, I'd like to try stock, sauces, potatoes... maybe some baking applications? Pie fillings? Caramel sauce?
Derrick Fisher
I once saw Rick Bayless sous vide a pork butt in pork fat for 50 hours and it come out ridiculously tender and delious looking, ever since then I was hooked. I guess you could call me a hi-tec redneck because I love to cook BBQ using the immersion circulator that I built from a web site that I found. Take a nice rack of baby back ribs and smoke them for a couple of hours then into the immersion circulator to finish. It works o.k. but I feel like I am going to get shocked every time I use it, but it is worth it. If I had the Polyscience Immersion Circulator could sous vide in style.
Demetrius
If fortunate enough to be picked, I would use the machine to help teach my two young daugthers how to cook. They (Isabella and Sophia) would probably choose pork belly as their first foray into cooking.
Gabriel O
Sous vide... I want to go to there.
Rivka
Exciting! what an awesome giveaway. fingers crossed.
Elizabeth
Well my husband does all the cooking so I would be the lucky beneficiary of many great meals. Plus this would save me some Christmas shopping because he would LOVE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE!
Annette
Ooohh. I've been wanting to try one of those....
Martin Schmutterer
Isn't my styrofoam cooler and hot tap water good enough for sous vide?
Cyndi
You would be helping the worst cook on the planet.
Matt
I'm a home cook and want to test the machines ability to do everyday things better and easier. I'm thinking about brisket that cooks while I'm at work; simple dinner parties where I can hang with guests and not worry about overcooking. I'll leave the foie gras torchons for others!
Cyndi
You would be helping the worst cook on the planet. I overcook everything.
Rich
I'm imagining game cooked sous vide to avoid drying...say a big honkin' moose roast. OK, maybe smaller cuts...
john v phipps
Please count my vote for Jesse Gindlesperger. I remember cooking and eating ramen noodles for the entire year I was in Vietnam, and know that he eserves it way more than I do.
DJP
I love to cook at home and entertain friends and family. I've always wanted to cook anything sous vide...much less eat a piece of meat cooked sous vide. Unfortunately, finances are tight and I'm not sure I'd be able to afford a circulator for years. Winning the giveaway would be an early Christmas miracle...
Matt Elliott
I would love to use this for everyday meals and experimenting with non-traditional cuts of meat.
Tim Alves
I have a daughter on the way-- my first child-- and I dream of making all her food from scratch. A sous vide machine would allow me to be creative and safe in doing so.
Scott
For me, the perfect egg would the first order of business. Then, pork and game meat (I have occasional access to elk and moose - two meats that I think could benefit from low and slow cooking but don't have the fat to stand up to traditional treatments). Also, a sous-vide setup would seem the perfect place to test small batches of extremely finely temperature controlled beer brewing.
Marshall Pahl
In addition to making myself perfect eggs every morning and moist pork chops for dinner, I could teach my daughters to cook with it... They'd love to be able to watch their food cook in an acrylic tub- it'd be like the fishtank...
David King
A machine like this would be great for someone who is creative and likes to experiment with food. That would describe my oldest daughter that lives in southern California. I haven't seen her in a long time, but We talk often and share a mutual interest in fine food and wine. As much as I would like to have this machine, it would make me even happier to give it to her for Christmas.
Josh
Oh snap! I definitely want my name in the running for this bad boy.
Josh
Elk! My father, the lifelong hunter, and I go elk hunting every Thanksgiving. I love the flavor, but it's so difficult to get it tender but still juicy. I think Dad would be amazed by his favorite meat, perfectly cooked sous vide. Maybe with a little black pepper and a blackberry reduction!
Gabe
I am a curious cook who loves to play with new techniques in the kitchen. I am also currently a student at the CIA, and I would love to have a shiny new toy to play with and build upon my knowledge.
Chris S
As someone with a busy lifestyle I would use it to have a nice sous vide meal waiting for me at the end of the day. I have also had some thoughts about using it for small batch beers that require precise mash temperatures...
Greg Towne
To put it simply, this would be a fantastic tool to use for my annual 'Duckathalon' with friends and family..
dave
I wouldn't mind replacing my DIY setup (crockpot and home built PID) by some fancy technology. My kids love sous-vide eggs, and I love chicken cooked sous-vide.
Jon Wong
coddled eggs and shortribs. maybe even together... mmm
devlyn
oh dear... I have these trotters that have been in my freezer for a few months that really need to be warmed so I can get that fantastic collagen from them! I'd love to basically make trotter jam with help from the immersion circulator, and then attempt to get the fiance to give up the microwave in favor of setting up a couple of hotel bins to have steak always at the ready. Oh, so many ideas!
Becky
My boyfriend and I LOVE experimenting in the kitchen--he was the first one to introduce me to molecular gastronomy and to the incredible restaurants in Chicago. He has wanted a sous vide cooker for as long as I have known him, and this year he is trying to assemble a makeshift sous vide cooker so that he can try to replicate some of the dishes from his favorite restaurants. The look on his face if I present him with the real thing would be unforgettable!
Coby smith
What I would cook with my new sous vide professional would certainly be wild mallard ducks from the great State of Arkansas!
Charley
I'd love to sous vide some steaks, and possibly even top them with some poached quail eggs made with the ame machine!
feltman
I have a little jar that I've been throwing my spare change in--in hopes of buying this very tool. It really adds up, but I have a long, long way to go.
If I win, I 'm going to buy some seriously prime meat and fish to sous vide with my change.
Know this: I will use the hell out of this machine if I win.
David
Eggs first, but I think It might be fun to experiment with pate as well
Jason
I am a chef de cuisine at a restaurant in Toronto. I have had previous experience with the older model at another job and would love the opportunity to gain some more experience. Not only to experiment with ideas I have (for possibly my own place someday) but to improve upon and expand our current abilities at the restaurant. I would love to be able to join the ranks of chefs like Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, Hubert Keller and even young stars like the Voltagio brothers.
Janet
I would like to try make a cheesecake with it. think that could make it really even textured. But I would also try to use it for fish for everyday cooking.
Dan
This would be a great machine to have! I am an amateur cook that loves playing around with new food and new cooking methods. I would use this cook short ribs and pork belly over and over again!
Molly Darling
Rats.
I've been a passionate fan of sous vide for a long time, talking it up at dinner parties, sighing wistfully every time its used on Iron Chef America, and even cornering vacuum sealer salespeople to interrogate them on their equipment's suitability with sous vide. (This invariably leads to me providing them with a brief lecture on the nature and value of sous vide, since the sales folks have never heard of it.)
I've read just about everything on the Internet about the method, have lusted after the Sous Vide Supreme and have longed for the day when the household finances rebound (the unemployment rate is 50% in this house) and I can finally, FINALLY, turn theory into practice by buying the needed equipment.
This contest gave me hope of a December miracle, until I read the other entries. What would I do with the immersion circulator you offer? I'd wrap it up, sigh, and then send it on to one of the several people on this list who clearly deserve/need it more than I do.
Good luck making your selection -- there are a lot of deserving folks here and you won't have an easy choice. For my part, it's just good to know I'm not the only person out there who is fascinated by this process!
Jon
At the end of a long, hard day at work, I would use it to cook some hanger steaks while also soaking my tired my feet at a sweet 135-degrees 😉
Dave
I added a comment once, but I don't see it so I am trying again. Please don't double count me or punish me if it shows up twice.
I would love to work with some of Aaron Miller's amazing short ribs with the immersion circulator. I am sure they would be amazing. Plus, if you pick me you are guaranteed to sell another copy of Under Pressure because I'd want to learn from the best how to properly us it.
Richard Neeno
I would love to be able to cook my way through the keller/Ruhlman cookbook, but more practically, I want to try a version of lobster poached in butter.
Michael Scott
This would permit me as a recent retiree to save my rice cooker and expand the scope of my kitchen.
ps: I want it offal bad
Jasmine
This is not particularly creative, but would be oh so good: I dream of using one to make prime rib. No one in my extended family likes quality meat (and when they eat meat at all, it's well done, sigh), so we can't have it for Christmas; therefore this year my mom and I are going to have a prime rib Christmas eve eve dinner for all of our friends who love good meat, and the prime rib will be cooked to a perfect medium rare. How fantastic would it be to use the sous vide to do it, and then blast it with heat at the end for a glorious crust? So fantastic.
Galen
20 minute no worry custard I think yes. Good luck to everyone
Henry
I just got an email from my local Community Supported Fishery letting me know that they are ready to start delivering sustainably caught lobsters. They are just crying out to be cooked sous vide with butter and garlic. When they come into season, I'd love to try a riff on the sous vide egg with haddock roe sacs.
Aaron
I would like to have this to replace the small, imprecise cooler that i have been using to make sous vide thus far. Surprisingly, monitoring it every couple minutes and dumping in hot water is not precise enough to result in good sous vide outcomes. This would greatly enhance my credibility with the wife, who is convinced that I am crazy to "cook" food in ZIplock bags
bgood
My dream is sous vide Salad Lyonnaise. Eggs and lardons ready to go at a moments notice.
Eric
Although I'm sure that having perfectly "pink-all-the-way-through" meat would be awesome, what I would mostly do with it would be to make my foodie friends insanely jealous!
Brandon
I would want to use this machine to see the different flavors you can get with herbs and sauces for different meat and poultry. Such as say a thyme honey dijon sauce sous vide with pork shoulder, or even better yet pork belly. I would like to take this and take something you would normally braise and see if I can impart a more flavorful finished product. Plus I love beef tongue and beef heart, I know one of the best ways to cook them is with a sous vide machine. Its a hot tub party and all animal parts are invited
Patricio Wise
You really giving this away? I have the old version at home and would love to try out the newer version. I'm sure it would be especially helpful when working on different ingredients for the same menu. Duck confit and potatoes at 80°C in one tub, and Ribeye at 56°C on the other at the same time... Count me in!
Rick Preston
I am an avid homebrewer. Part of brewing is holding your water-soaked grains at a precise temperature for a period of time (mashing). Even more complicated are multi-step mashes, where you hold the grains at one temperature, then step it up to another, and possibly another. The stepping-up is tricky using direct-heat methods, and even worse if you try to add boiling water to hit another specific point. This would be an ideal tool for solving those problems.
Adam
I would sous vide a whole corned brisket. Also, the pastrami style short-rib that I've been looking to perfect since first seeing it here. A few hours over cold smoke, and then a long, hot bath under vacuum would be just about perfect.
Berkshire pork cheek with sage and apples sounds like fun, too.
Drew @ How To Cook Like Your Grandmother
I was going to say I'd experiment to see if there's a temperature that will cook an egg white but leave the yolk liquid, but I see Tom is already aware that it works.
I'll bet it would work great for tempering chocolate.
Doctor Memory
Shiny! Er, I mean, I would use this primarily to further my obsession with short ribs. Even better, it would justify buying a blowtorch, so it would really be two gifts in one.
Degan Beley
oh I need to try this! I love slow cooking.
Mike
There are so many different ideas in my head right now. The only definite thing I would do is use it to teach my small children about safe temperatures for foods. Other than that I would have to experiment with everything.
Susan
How glorious it would be to experiment with this delectable machine! I have visions of salmon, chops, ribs dancing in my head.
Vivek Surti
This MAY just be the best giveaway ever. I've been telling everyone in my family to put all their money together and get me this and I got the same "are you kidding me?!?" response from all of them. Alas.
I have been a hardcore foodie for the past 7 years and have really taken the idea of learning techniques instead of recipes. I think the reason sous vide is so cool is because it's adding another technique that is rarely used in home kitchens and still barely used in professional kitchens. That in itself makes it fun to try out.
I would cook up a storm if I had one of these, not only making a lot of the traditional Indian recipes we make at home, but also all that great southern food I have grown up with in Nashville, TN. I would also be thrilled to read and make recipes from Under Pressure.
For me, getting an immersion circulator is the next step in me developing my culinary curiosity. I've intrigued by elements of molecular gastronomy and would love to just explore these new techniques and concepts that I always see on TV, but am never able to experience first hand. I hope you can make my holidays special by giving me the opportunity to grow as a lover of all things culinary. Thanks, Mr. Ruhlman!
David Dadekian
I've had pork belly sous vided and then seared and I really would like to try that myself with some different flavor combinations in the bag. Perhaps goat's milk and acorns. Please.
Susan
How glorious it would be to have this remarkable invention in my toolkit. I have visions of salmon, chops, ribs dancing in my head.
Karen
I continually (as in being obsessed) test recipes for venison, being the good West Texas girl who harvests and butchers her own. Venison deserves special care to preserve its delicacy and I believe sous vide would respect its integrity.
Ed
I have been wanting to try sous vide for quite a while and would probably start off with simple things like steak and eggs.
julie
I would use it by giving it to my husband. Then he will stop leaving magazines open to stories about sous vide cooking. And since it's our 10th anniversary in three weeks, I can prove to him one again that I am the girl for him (and that I still love to surprise him with wonderful treats.) He has given me the puppy dog look enough times that I am just about ready to start scouring under the couch cushions and the car floor mats to come up with the money to buy this for him.
Dave Monterroso
My fiancee doesn't eat red meat and I'm a true carnivore. It would be fantastic to be able to prepare some well flavored chicken breasts for her while I prepare some short ribs for myself without having to worry about creating extra pans to scrub.
Susan
dangit! didn't think the first post went through and now I'm disqualified for double posting. ARRGH.
pedro
To pay hommage to Joan Roca, the first to write an entire book --not without mistakes-- about sous vide in the context of modernist cuisine. Not a single mention to it in Keller et all book (sic).
Jeff in CO
One word; pig. We have half of a locally raised heirloom in the deep freeze aching for some new preparation methods. This fine piece of porcine perfection deserves my creative best doesn't it? Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope...
Rachel (Hounds in the Kitchen)
My husband (not so legally) hunts squirrel from our backyard. The most palatable way we've found to cook it is a nice long confit preparation. I bet that sous vide would be a healthier method to produce a similar result.
Joe
I'd try different flavor combination's with short ribs and would cook our weekly fish meal using it. I'd also use it to make perfect runny eggs for huevos rancheros. There are so many different options. Thanks for giving this away to one lucky reader Michael, very generous of you.
Jen
I'm not entering (I have absolutely no counter/cupboard space in my kitchen for anything cool). However, I just have to say that in my day job as a researcher (biology lab), we use an expensive version of a circulating water bath that is sold to labs - it allows us to control temperature-sensitive reactions. When I finally set up my own lab, I may buy a sous vide instead since it is about a third of the price, and would be just as effective (and with a company name like PolyScience, the folks in the grants office will not give me grief about justifying the expense. As they did when I budgeted for an item from Home Depot because they are the only place in the state that sells just the right kind of tubing for a piece of equipment we use).
Chris
At the risk of sounding low class I would use this on burgers and sausages. The best burgers and sausages ever!! Why? Because I could!
Max
I will have a 63-degree egg every morning for the rest of my life.
Julian
Always want to try using ommersion circulator, especially on large party prep like more than 15 portions at a time (Thinking of New Year party). Besides, I would like to do some oil poached fish (ideally a pretty good size whole fish) which I cannot do with my current setup.
JP
I can guarantee that this would get hauled from my current home in Florida to my parent's home in Minnesota to cook a venison heart and tenderloin (shot by my dad during season and awaiting me in the freezer) in a way that would make my salt-and-pepper-well-done-steak dad cringe.
Aaron Beckman
I would make anything in this, the real magic would be in using the tears of everyone who did not win though as my liquid medium!!! Seriously though, I know there will be tears either way for whoever wins/loses.
Tanvi
Wow! What a wonderful giveaway! I think it would be interesting to use it to try the recipes in Thomas keller's book! Also, there are several recipes in the French Laundry Cookbook that I think would be absolutely incredible if started sous vide. Also, I love making braised meats but sometimes get frustrated with the texture. Sous vide would definitely take care of that!
Steve
Me too! The fun I could have with this. I've got "Under Pressure" and can't wait to start cooking my way through the book.
Pete
me please! I desperately want to cook rare burgers sous vide.
The Amazing Dr. SCIENCE!
Ahhhh! My delightful (and most helpful) wife points out to me that it is not only necessary to post a comment, but to also specify how I would put the device to use. So not trying to double-enter here, just want to remain in the drawing! 😉
The 65 degree egg would probably be experiment number one. Followed immediately by a big slab of pork belly, cooked sous vide, crisped in a pan of hot oil, and served in chunks with some Korean BBQ sauce on the side.
Dan
With this circulator I will produce such beautiful food that my wife will beg me to stop taking her out to wonderful restaurants so that we can have more romantic, low and slow dinners at home. And we all know where that can lead...
Jeff
Great Giveaway! Keeping my fingers crossed... Would love to work my way through several sous vide books / recipes!
niraj s
Would love to try desserts with this! sous vide chocolate cake.. mm.
Jason M. Tor
I would use the immersion circulator for education. I am a professor at a small liberal arts college teaching courses on food fermentation, biochemistry and microbiology. This semester I started teaching a course called "Biochemistry of Food and Cooking" we were able to conduct a variety of interesting experiments and even delve into the world of hydrocolloids in cooking - the students were fascinated. However, immersion circulators are so expensive that I couldn't afford one for the class, even with a modest teaching budget. If we received the circulator students would actually be able to study the scientific principles underlying sous vide through hands on research. I would incorporate sous vide into the syllabus and disseminate our knowledge openly and freely on a course wiki page so that we might all benefit. Thanks for the consideration.
Paul Knipple
Bacon and eggs. That's all there is to it. Eggs cooked in their shell with a circulator are amazing. And of course pork belly with a little apple cider vinegar, a dash of raw sugar, and an ancho pepper. My Southern side requires my to finish the belly off in a hot cast iron skillet. The biscuits don't go sous vide of course. Thanks for the chance at a great holiday treat!
Michael Poompan
As a restaurant chef at a hotel, I would like to integrate the sous vide equipment into our catering kitchen and blow the banquet chef away at how easily a small tool like a circulator can help us out. Perfectly cooked veggies, banishing rubber chicken, sauces, I'm getting excited all ready!
Thomas H. Ptacek
Goose. Duck. Chicken. I'm going to bone out and skin the chicken. I'm going to bone out and skin the duck. I'm going to bone out and skin the goose. I'm going to take Activa RM (transglutaminase, a tasteless cornstarch-textured powder known marginally less deliciously as "meat glue"), which I bought off Amazon with one-click, and I'm going to use it to bind the birds, neatly arranged, together, square it off, and wrap it in bird skin, again bound with Activa RM. I'll cook my entire frankengooducken SV to ~158f while rendering the fat and skin left over to crisp the frankengooducken in when I'm done.
Also I'm going to make potatoes, but that won't need the circulator.
James Davies
Pork belly would be the first thing I'd try with this machine. A dry cure with some spices such as juniper, bay, thyme, then a sous vide treatment for a day.
I'd also be interested in using this to circulate hot water for beer making. One could set it up in a small heat exchanger that would keep the mash (enzymatic extraction of sugars from the malted barley) at a constant temperature to fix the fermentable/unfermentable sugars ratio in the final beer. It would allow very precise control of this process, which can sometimes be tricky in large batches.
Julie
I would use this for everything!
First I'd go classic and use this to do justice to the amazing happy lamb that I just got from my CSA farmer. There are some beautiful chops that I'd love to get perfectly rare before searing them off. Other cuts - shoulder, heart, tongue, liver - would also get the treatment to bring out their very best flavors and textures.
I've gotta satisfy my sweet tooth: I'd experiment to make my family and friends happy this holiday season with some ideas that I have for perfectly uncurdled creme brulee (using Ratio recipes, of course). Might also try pastry cream and creme anglaise, or custard for ice cream.
And the application that will make the love of my life happy: perfectly poached eggs for his toast-dipping pleasures. I could set them up before bed and have them ready when he wakes up in the morning. Heaven.
Thanks for the opportunity!
BrandonA
Would love to use this on the Elk loin I have. Pork Belly would be my second run.
Ron Sober
I have one thing to say.... Duck...Duck and more Duck!!!
Brandon
Pork Belly or Elk Loin!! be awesome - I don't think this is a second sumbission, had a weird message when I orginally tried to submit.
Logan
Hey, Michael
Long-time reader, first-time comment.
I would bring the immersion circulator to the Ledge Rock Grille at the Larsmont Cottages on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. I'm a cook at the restaurant and this would be an amazing tool to share not only with my fellow cooks, but with the community of people who stay on the shore. I know that sous vide technique is something not many people have experienced in this area and it would only serve to build awareness in the local restaurants. I would end up giving the equipment to the Ledge Rock Grille so cooks and diners after me could learn from it and experience all it has to offer.
Peter Chao
There would be so many different things I would want to try out. But one thing I would really like to do is sous vide vegetables. Seasonal produce with some herbs, butter and aromatics.
Cooking them so the flavors permeate, but still keeping the integrity of the original vegetable. I know it sounds basic, but I think there is so much that can be done with produce. I thought the Brontosaurus vs. the TRex challenge in the latest episode of Top Chef All-Stars was very interesting.
elra
Balinese water buffalo, I think that will interesting.
Ben Wolff
I would cook my way through Under Pressure (of course).
Marc
I'd primarily use it for ribs + roasts, but I'm giving thought to the squirrel confit mentioned above.
Joel Finkle
Two words: Short Rib.
I'm looking for that secret to tender inside, just-seared outside, and haven't been willing to shell out the benjamins for the real gear (I'm almost to the jerry-rigged slow cooker point). And yes I know the searing part is sold separately.
Carol
Help save a life or two and keep me out of the slammer. I would love to be able to hold prime rib-eye steaks, short ribs, etc.at the perfect temperature so I won't ever be tempted to kill my sister-in-law and her husband when they arrive an hour late for dinner yet again.
I own Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide and would love to be able to try the recipes.
irene
moose
Dan at FoodieLawyer
Spice-rubbed beef tri-tip, perfectly medium rare, finished in a searing-hot cast iron skillet. (Suddenly, I'm hungry!)
Mark
I'd try this with all my favorite meats.....pork chops, new york strip, ribeye, chicken,etc......
Joshua Buergel
We have a baby in the house, and I know it sounds crazy, but I'm dying to try out some sous vide techniques to try cooking for the little nipper. Something about texture has me convinced it's the right thing to do.
Alexander Deighton
As a person who is endlessly fascinated by egg custards, I would probably start with the idea of cooking custards just to the point of coagulation without overcooking the external surfaces.
That said I have been wanting to experiment with sausage mousselines (I had an idea for a sausage based on the Poulet a L'estragon I had at Pere Bise many years ago) and this would be ideal for that.
Good luck to all those throwing their name into the hat!
John
I would prepare veal tenderloin with morels in the spring.
This would be te perfect compliment to the pressure cooker I have asked Santa for.....even if I don't win, merry Christmas everyone!
Cody Lucchesi
I need this. I have 2 kids under four that refuse to eat meat but love to help in the kitchen. Something cool like this would definitely get them excited to help and taste their work.
Charles Deason
Cabrito. Slow cooked baby goat? Yes, I think so. Finish it off in the smoker for 30 min to impart that tasty, smoky flavor. Talk about the best tacos ever. Family meal would rock and my prep cooks and dishwashers would love it (after all, they're the heroes of any kitchen and they deserve to eat well).
Chris
Will use it to keep my venison perfectly cooked, rare and juicy!
john
This would be awesome - I would use it to introduce more fish into my diet.
Wendee
If I won it, I would experiment the crap out of it. I have never used one, but have seen it used before and seen the awesome results that come out of it. It would be incredibly exciting to discover the applications of this machine for myself and of course, share the results with my friends.
Kartik
Two words: Beef Cheeks.
What an awesome cut of meat: Tons of flavor, relatively inexpensive cut, sears easily, and plenty of silvery-white connective tissue just mooing for an $800 sous-vide machine (minus the $800).
And now it's time for the mandatory brown-nosing: Ruhlman Rocks!
RTaylor
I would love love love to have a way to keep water or milk at a constant temperature as I make cheese. This tool would work amazingly well, both for heating the milk initially, and for keeping a water bath at a constant temp over the long ripening, setting, and curd cooking stages of the process. It would be so much more energy efficient than using hot tap water or a low flame, and instead of 4 hours on my feet babysitting the milk to make a wheel of gouda, I could spend the time reading cookbooks:)
Also, a perfectly boiled egg with a runny yolk is my personal holy grail of cooking.
John
Lovely! It'll be like working in the laboratory again, only with delicious food as the reward 😀
John Lambing
Pork belly, slow cured over night...that's the ticket
Bob Y
I live alone and preparing meats and fowl involves lots of grease on the stovetop and multiple skillets and broiling trays and heavy duty cleanup - all for dinner for one. The sous vide machine would allow me to make a healthful, delicious weeknight dinner much more regularly and avoid the prepared foods I often have to resort to after a particularly busy workday.
Rob
I'd use it to try a ton of different recipes, but I think the three main uses would be: 1) chicken. I'd put up a bunch of skinless chicken breasts (brined, cooked to 141F long enough to pasteurize, then frozen) to provide a store of ready-made, quick-to-reheat-even-when-frozen, healthy protien. Great for chicken salad, vegetable & pasta meals, and sandwiches. I'd also prepare chicken thighs, cool them, then grill to get the skin nice and crispy without overcooking the inside. 2) medium rare braises, something that simply can't be done any other way. For short ribs, hangar steak and (at a higher temp than medium rare) pork shoulder and pork belly. 3) confit. Duck to start, but also turkey. That's for starters - I'd certainly add more as I learned.
Susie M
this machine would be to die for!! this would help me perfect my egg making skills!! there is nothing like a perfect 6 minute egg... drool.
Neil
This would be great for making in-shell poached eggs and allowing me to buy cheaper cuts of steak that can be sous-vided to perfection! Don't get me started on short ribs.
Matthew
What wouldn't I use it for? I would be very interested in using it for all sorts of fresh vegetables, since most methods of cooking take out the natural juices of the vegetables. I also think it would be very utilitarian to use it to simply heat malt extract to a uniform temperature before mixing with water to make home brew.
Chuck McLean
Have been playing around with this improvised sous vide cooker (http://www.cookingforgeeks.com/blog/posts/diy-sous-vide/#more-4931) but it isn't perfect and I'm still afraid I'm going to electrocute myself!
I'm actually very interested in trying out vegetables. What would it be like to assemble a pot roast with vegetables that hadn't given all of their flavor to the broth? Or what kinds of things could you do with a pre-sauced, vacuum packed artichoke (or just the heart)?
JDM
Would love to do some demos for my chemistry classes, but for myself, gotta be some sous-vide carnitas pork, homemade tortillas and fresh cilantro.
Raul
Sous vide Pork and Duck Pozole. I bet slow-cooking the meat and hominy on the guajillo and ancho broth will render an out-of-this-world flavor
Paul C
I have a somewhat ghetto sous vide setup with a PID controller and a rice cooker. It works great ( has even helped me create contest winning recipes - http://honest-food.net/2010/10/28/and-the-winner-is/) but is still a long shot from being the precise instrument that my yearning for technique mastery asks of it.
A real immersion circulator would allow me to kick up my sous vide skills to another level. It might be enough to encourage me to start to use my copy of 'Under Pressure' for more than just furtive sessions of culinary masturbation on the couch.
Hannah
I've never sous-vide-d anything, so I would start with some of the steak my roommate hasn't gotten around to eating yet, or maybe a slow-poached egg, to be deep-fried Momofuku style and eaten with a pork bun, and then move with leaps and bounds to Dave Arnold's bionic turkey... But I'd probably use it most often to keep yogurt-to-be at a constant 120 degrees while it cultures. My drafty oven does a terrible job at that.
Nancy
Eggs! Pork! Herb buttered veg! Short ribs!
Runonawkward
I was just staring at this on the William-Sonoma website for about 4 hours the other day. I either need to win this or buy a igloo cooler so I am not as tempted to drop $800.
Weston
So many ideas. Although I am a professional chef, the very small restaurant i work at can never justify the expense. my experiments with duck breast pastrami, pork stuffed quail, and turkey baollotine using only a hotel pan, thermometer, and a bucket of ice to maintain temperature have been fairly successful (i even pulled of the 63* egg once) but this would open up worlds of possibility
Wendy
Sounds like some kind of fun, possibly a new hobby. Or, a new branch of current hobby. Thanks!
Bonnie
My two 'boys' have emerged into adulthood... (thank goodness - those teenager years were murder) ...as awesome cooks. We all love to eat good food and stretching our culinary skills has become great fun. We had a few dishes prepared with a sous vide at one of the Culinary Vegetable Institute's Earth-to-Table dinners. We would LOVE to recreate those dishes and try lots of other things too! (one of the dishes incorporated sous vide cooked chicken that was used with risotto). The chicken was amazingly moist and flavorful. This sous vide would be a gift that will help keep my family enjoying our culinary journey for years to come! Thanks for this opportunity to enter the contest!
Bill Wolfle
Oh, this is tough. What to cook first? I think The Perfect Egg to start.........then a riff on Canard à la presse.......then a pork jowl and belly with foie gras terrine. Unfortunately after that I think my wife would inherit it because surely I'd die after three perfect meals.
David
Having never experimented with this technique, I'd have a lot to think about regarding what to use it on.... but how I would use it would be twofold: 1) practically, to produce textures and flavors that would be difficult or impossible otherwise, and 2) academically, to really understand how food behaves at different temperatures. Seems to me that the controllability you get from this technique once you understand it gives you a huge opportunity to learn how heat affects things.
Alexander Ramirez
I would definitely use this machine to cook a way into a girls heart. Plain and simple.
Keith
Would love to experiment with that!
Anthony Walton
I would use this machine to simply attempt to perfect the cooking of kidneys, livers, and heart. Mostly pig, but I prefer beef kidney.
Cameron Young
Classic comfort with modern techniques. Bacon and Eggs utilizing the best that my area has to offer. Pork Belly sous vide from our local farm with Beer from our local Micro-Brewery. Sous Vide soft boiled egg from my neighbours backyard. Finish the belly in a smoking Pan, top with the egg. Perfection. Yam hash optional.
Best Holiday Wishes to All.
Cary Stein
Just because...a holiday treat to start the new year off with plenty of new test drives in the kitchen...
Ray Snead
Onsen eggs at will! I've been teetering on the brink of purchasing the Sous Vide Supreme but the lack of circulation has held me back.
Ana Quinones
Mmmm. Perfect eggs every time! I would definitely use this...
Bonnie
My two 'boys' have emerged into adulthood - - - (thank goodness - those teenager years were murder) - - - as awesome cooks. We all love to eat good food and stretching our culinary skills has become great fun. We had a few dishes prepared with a sous vide at one of the Culinary Vegetable Institute's Earth-to-Table dinners. We would LOVE to recreate those dishes and try lots of other things too! (one of the dishes incorporated sous vide cooked chicken that was used with risotto). The chicken was amazingly moist and flavorful. This sous vide would be a gift that will help keep my family enjoying our culinary journey for years to come! Thanks for this opportunity to enter the contest!
Andy
I would use this to introduce my friends and family in Nebraska (to whom a fresh steamed artichoke is novel) to the joys of sous vide meat and fish! Also to keep a bain marie for melted chocolate perfectly in temper... Christmas baking season is here, after all 🙂
Josh
I wouldn't have to use my convection oven, wired thermometer and dutch oven filled with water for sous vide chicken wings in duck/bacon fat any more. My wife would be happy! Thanks for the opportunity.
Chris Will
I would gleefully vacuum seal my way through our organic CSA box weekly - it's a year round subscription here in Silicon Valley, with a lot of winter veggies that are challenging to prepare in interesting ways. I would also like to experiment with items to precook, chill and take to the office to reheat for lunch and torture (I mean *share*) with my cube mates.
Peter O'Henley
I'm a tinkerer (engineer in the biotech business) but my wife hates the aesthetic of a PID controler/rice cooker combination sitting on the counter. Save my marriage please!
I'd also love to get a copy of "Sous Vide: A guide to low temperature cooking" by Thomas Keller since I'm an information junkie. Does PolyScience have these as a stand alone purchase?
Kyle Johnson
If I were to win this gastronomic swiss army knife, I would assure its daily use with two perfectly coddled eggs every morning but, more importantly, would make sure to experiment more with healthier cooking techniques of vegetables that get people just as excited as eating swine (try not to laugh too hard), as I have been recently intrigued by a movie called "Food Matters" which touches on using lower temperature cooking to preserve nutrient density in our under-nourishing, well-traveled food. I love the pig as much as anybody, but veggies are sexy too.
Brian Matheson
Pork belly is a duh! in this case.
I really want to experiment with vacusealing different sauces and experimenting with the different temperatures at which the compounds in different alcohols break down and how maybe through manipulation of temperature and keeping in a sealed environment, you could manipulate those things from being destroyed by heat or keeping the aromas within the pouch.
I also think this would be great for fat/oil poaching for confit.
Isaiah
Mangalitsa!
Pam
I don't have a lot of gadgety things in my kitchen so this would be a treat. Think of the possibilities-fish, fowl, leftover candy canes. Seriously, it would be such a blast to experiment with. There must be infinite possibilities...
Eugenio
Wow very cool, would love to play around with a real immersion circulator.
David Kronstat
I would love to cook sous vide: I'm stuck in a rental kitchen with an oven that behaves like a bon fire or a pock hand warmer: no medium rare in this house! Help me dissolve those connective tissues during these lean unemployed times and keep my daughter's taste buds on their educational path!!!!
Collin
Wow! Now this is a giveaway!
I'd have to figure out how to incorporate it into my small kitchen, but that would basically be for the larger Lexan tub that I'd need to get for it.
But Wow! Great giveaway! Cheers!
Kelly Laipply
I would love it so I could cook the perfect meal as I am running home from work and carting the teens to one event or another.
Patrick Schroeder
Holy Cow. Where to start? Pork Tenderloins. Beef short ribs. Fish of all sorts. For a kitchen geek dad who does most of the cooking, this opens up a world of possibilities, doesn't it? The mind reels.
Greg Smith
Steak.
matt
chicken thighs or rack of lamb. or maybe something crazy like potatoes a la alinea.
Ken
Haggis and Soylent Green
Trout
I'd try oxtail.
Shannon
So many things to try, I can't decide! Ribs would likely be the first. The husband is always looking for better ways to cook ribs but has yet to find just the right combination of cooking and spices. He even read all the forums and modified our smoker to try to get the best flavor. Alas they mostly just tasted like smoke. I'd love to be the one to make the perfect ribs. 🙂
Churchyard
I'd like to cook a perfect ribeye -- for lunch, at work.
Lisa
I'd love to try cooking waterfowl / roosters sous vide. I love strongly flavored meat, but it's murder trying to make a tough old bird tender with most methods. Sous vide, though, sounds VERY promising: even a surly old yardbird won't be able to stay tough after three days in a water bath!
Nathan Duran
I'd use it to make a chicken Caesar salad that'll put those clowns at Chevy's to shame.
David
There are two interlocking reasons for us looking to use a sous vide. One is that we have started buying grass-fed meat from a local farm, which sometimes means that we are exposed to more flavorful (but tough) cuts of meat that need long, slow cooking. The other factor is my wife's recent diagnosis with celiac disease. It is prompting us to look look at traditional cooking from a range of cultures whose food is not necessarily wheat-based, especially the Carribbean, Africa, and South and Central America. A sous vide would make this whole process a lot easier!
Adam
I'd make the most astonishingly succulent, tender suckling pig. Unless, of course, I'm lucky enough to have it appear on my doorstep before the holidays, in which case I'll try a goose. Either way, I'd finish with a few minutes over (under?) searing heat for perfect skin. Yes, I cook big, which is why I haven't bought one of those home versions. And perhaps most importantly, the next time I'm trying to serve ten guests a duck confit / frisee / fig salad (as an appetizer; cassoulet was the entree, it was Easter Sunday, and half the guests were Jewish), my poached eggs won't be overdone.
Laura
Wow this would be awesome....and the only way I would ever get to have one! The possibilities are endless....would probably start with some of the great meats I have access to here in the Midwest! I would be excited to learn this new cooking technique.
Priscilla
Oh baby, it'd be so awesome to be able to sous vide...the fake way we have to do it at work just doesn't really cut it. So many fabulous meals I could make at home....
Ian
I would use it for evil.
Mike
I'd use it along with the High Times smoke gun to make some pork bbq.
Andrew
I use it to cook fish to that perfect place when it is done but not dry.
Will
If I were to have an immersion circulator, I would be endlessly experimenting. One thing that has intrigued me about this cooking technique is the ability to precisely control temperature. What I would like to try is this level of precision on items that are normally not cooked en sous vide. In particular putting a metal bowl into a water bath should keep the interior surface at a very controlled temperature. I suspect this level of control would benefit delicate sauces in particular. I haven't seen this approach approach used before, but I believe it could be very effective.
Heather
I really can't think of anything particularly innovative - I'd just love to be able to try sous vide cooking without jury-rigging something inadequate and requiring nervous baby-sitting...
Jason Palmer
I would love to have this in order to share with my friends and family a dining experience that they would not likely have a chance to experience otherwise.
john haroskiewicz
wow! what a science project for the kids, and free samples to boot.
Russ
I would use it introduce my six year old to even more imaginative cooking techniques, much as Charcuterie has done. One of my favorite pictures of all time is my son pushing pork shoulder through the grinder attachment of our Kitchen Aid to make breakfast sausage.
Noah Musler
I'd do two things:
1) Personal: explore the world of mexican cookery with the addition of sous vide, what can you do with the vegatables to increase fresh taste? what about traditional meats like pork carnitas, but done in the water bath for 12 hours and then fried - same texture, but healthier perhaps?
2) Practical: My wife doesn't cook and I often work late which means my twin girls don't get a very diverse menu at dinner. I'd love to prep some food in advance using the sous vide so that my wife could take the bags out of the fridge, reheat and serve. I bet I could stock pile a variety of perfectly cooked veggies and meats in a weekend that would feed my ladies for a several nights during the week.
Scott
My obsession with perfectly cooked protein would probably lead to many sleepless nights of experimentation should such technology as this fall into my hands. Perhaps, it would be better if I did not win.
Matt L
I would use it to turn my tiiiiiny apartment kitchen into something more functional!
It would be lovely to be able to see how much one could get done with only an immersion circulator and induction hob. I wonder how long it would take for me to get all sad and forlorn about not being able to bake bread.
Rob
Would love to turn beef chuck roast into filet mignon! Would also sous vide flat irons and other tougher cuts.
Kim
Love it! Oh the amazing things that I could try!
Shawn W
I would use it to show my three children how to cook and eat well
Jim
I agree with many of the others that game seems to be a perfect use for the sous vide method. I would be excited to try it with both venison and elk, but then again using it on a thick cowboy ribeye and mixing old and new by finishing it in a screaming hot cast iron skillet sounds like a great Saturday evening meal.
Ais
What I wouldn't give to play around with one of these... I've played around with a fishtank pump and a slow cooker to make perfect poached eggs but it would be amazing to have the real thing
Famous J
This looks... amazing!
Henry
Honestly, besides using the immersion circulator to make interesting 3 in the morning food for my fraterinity brothers, I would test out as many different types of foods as possible to get a complete understanding of the chemistry of the food I use. Oh. . . and crispy pork belly, lots and lots of crispy pork belly.
Tiffany
I would love to cook duck. Mine always doesn't turn out quite like I'd like. And I'd like to try to incorporate it into Asian cooking.
Hayley
I would use it to learn how to cook sous vide and make unique stews with frozen liquids and sauces!
Matt
2 things: For cooking meat and I might try to use it to maintain stable mash temps in beer making. Basically, run the hot wort through a copper coil in the waterbath controlled by the immersion circulator.
Ed
Eggs!! 12 ways.
S Kennedy
The two things I am dying to make in a sous-vide setup are variations on portuguese torresmo and dominican chicarron (similar), as well as brazilian torresmos (the skin and the fat w/o the meat) done as a confit in the sous-vide then fried. The second would be doing a moqueca de peixe in a pouch, potentially with a type of eel which really soaks up flavor. That said on most days it would simply to allow me to start meat dishes while working at home and thus simply dinner making.
Ryan Fiore
Wow, first I'd like to say this is a fantastic gift that you're giving away. I've actually looked into one for a while, but they're so damn expensive. What wouldn't I cook with this if I won? Well I just read that this bad boy can heat up 30 liters of water, so I think first thing I would do with it would be to hook it up to an 8 gallon bucket and cook a whole ham. 🙂 Although after that the majority of the use I would get out of it is cooking rubbed ribs or brisket for long times, or even a nice steak or some marinated chicken. Mmmm...
ben kramer
I would love to use if for cooking classes we do on the road. We have one (larger and older) one in the kitchen, but with the smaller one, we could travel with it. We do food education with kids from the learning center who are in an after school program in our neighborhood. Check it out here: http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/news-diversity-fast-facts
John Morris
I would use it for pork belly cooked with sliced oranges and fresh herbs for about 12 hours.....
Loren Crannell
I would cook everything under the sun, but most importantly, I would cook healthy food for my daughter so I could quickly rewarm it on the day she eats it. For me, I have about 25lbs of mangalitsa pork belly that i want to sous-vide. I now have to baby sit a water bath with a bunch of ice cubes.
For a busy dad this would be a life saver.
Curtis
Wow, what a generous offer. I am a chemistry professor and wouldn't mind having this for my lab! Just kidding, my lab is really well equipped, but I would love a circulator like this for home. I have the Keller book and would like to work through more of the recipes. The DYI sous vide machines just don't cut it, at least in my hands.
Daniel
Everything, but Dang! I'd give chocolate chip cookies a shot in it.
Rick Higgins
I have a fisher scientific that refrigerates as well, but it has its own bath/tank that is only the size of a third pan. It makes me cook in really small batches. Yours looks totally pack and take-able to out of state events.
Rich Zanteson
I would use this as justification to buy the $1400 commercial chamber vacuum sealer that I've always wanted and ditch my trusty Foodsaver. Being able to vacuum seal liquids would open the door to so many opportunities with sous vide and other things like marinating.
Then I would re-invent barbecue. I would sous vide those tough cuts in a spice rub until the collagen begins to break down and finish them hot and fast on my smoker.
Next I would look to the ocean. Sashimi grade fin fish. Oysters, sea urchin, and squid. The possibilities seem absolutely endless.
Hali
I would use it to attempt to work my way through Under Pressure. Word.
Kristin Pinnatore
I would make my husband the happiest rib maker in the West. His ribs are already pretty dang delicious, but uber-science geek that he is, this would make his Christmas (and since we can't afford much else this year, it would make mine to be able to give it to him!)
Dave
Another kitchen gadget! Yea! I think I need a bigger kitchen.
Sandy
We are at high altitude, and it's devilishly hard to cook meats etc here! I'm hoping this might be the answer 🙂
Alina
I would love to finally be able to afford to build a sous vide machine and experiment with everything under the sun; especially fluids, gels, and potential uses in advanced fermentation (e.g. finding and maintaining the absolute optimal temperatures). Thank you for this generous offer.
Charles
Quite honestly I never heard the term “Sous Vide” until I read your blog today. Without knowing the name of the technique, my only exposure to this methodwas a brief youtube video of Robuchon explaining how to cook “the perfect egg.” The yolk was cooked to a slightly less than viscous form of silly putty. According to commentary, two degrees higher and the yolk would be chalk. Two degrees lower it would be liquid. I had never seen anything like it.
This past year I’ve started taking back control of what my family and I eat by tossing out the processed garbage and learning to really cook. I’ve made the perfect roast chicken, with a little help from a Thomas Keller video. Learned not to F-with my steak until it has rested. Made my own pasta alfredo (from one of your earlier blog posts). Baked a perfect boule bread and will soon attempt Robuchon’s sublime mashed potatoes. Each experience has been humbling and rewarding, drawing me deeper into the culinary world. I have no professional experience and many who have already posted here would probably think it a waste to give a serious piece of hardware like this to a neophyte like me, but I would truly love to see what I could do with this little beauty.
Bill
Fish, first and foremost. Short ribs, spare ribs, duck! I'd love to be able to share some great unusual meals with our family and friends!
Ian Sugarman
I would use this to completely delve into cookland nerdery!
Jeremiah Strotman
I'd like it to cook some of the dishes out of Under Pressure. Would also be nice to impress the wife with some perfectly cooked steaks, lamb, etc and turn her on to cooking more -- through the immersion circulator.
ECHU
If I received the circulator, I would make korean tacos, fried chicken, pork belly sandwiches, and gold label burgers...for my food truck, obviously.
Jason R
I'd start with fish, then move on to pork. From there who knows? This would open up a whole new world of cooking.
Keith Wilkins
I would like to clog my arteries using this glorious machine
Brian
I would modify the menu for my upcoming holiday party to use sous vide on every course, thereby ensuring that I'm able to intrigue and steal the guests from all of my acquaintance's parties, making mine the most successful. I guess to shorten that...I'd use it for spite?
Edsel Little
I'd love to have a new circulator. My ancient Lauda is getting rather flaky.
In addition to the usual sous vide stuff, you can do perfect soft-boiled eggs in them (Look behind the counter at Momofuku Ko.)
Andrew
I'm going to make pulled pork - but first, I'm going to mash grains for brewing beer with it. I have wanted to utilize step mashing (raising and lowering the grain temperature during the mash) in order to activate and deactivate different enzymes to end up with just the right starches and sugar that I want. A sous vide set up would be perfect for this operation. It would also help me in extracting flavors from hops, herbs and spices for use in the brewing process - getting only the flavors I want and leaving the others behind.
Dave P
I've always wanted to try one of these but never have the money. It would be great if I won. Perfectly cooked steaks would be the first think I would try. Maybe some fancy carnitas next.
amy
As general as this sounds, I would love to cook ALL types of protein (eggs, steaks, game...etc). I think after that I'd branch out....
Erika
Would love to win this! My boyfriend is the ultimate kitchen geek and has been dying to get one. I also work at a cooking school, and I know the chefs would love to play around with this bad boy!
dineindiva
Wow - that is some giveaway. Not sure where I'd start, but it would be fun.
Andy
I have a good friend who has been experimenting with budget methods of achieving sous vide results. He's used Michael Chang's 'ghetto sous vide' method (simply using hot tap water), and has also tried a rather tedious method that involves monitoring a pot of water on a stove with a thermometer. He's generously shared the fruits of his efforts with me and many other good friends, and while the results have been somewhat uneven they've always been appreciated.
Understandably, he's been a bit frustrated by his inability to control the process as precisely as would be ideal, and hasn't had the scratch to purchase something like this. Were I to win, I'd give the immersion circulator to him.
Sarah
I want to use it as an alternative to the crock pot so I can have something delicious hot and ready when i get home from work. It could also be used to re-heat pre-cooked and bagged veggies for Thanksgiving!
Bear
I'd love to explore the effects of time in sous vide cooking. The typical approach is to cook something at x degrees for y minutes until it's been cooked through, then pull it out (and maybe pan-sear it etc.) But a fair number of foods continue to undergo slow reactions at a temperature of x degrees, so it'd be really interesting to leave them in longer, for varying lengths of time, hours, days, and compare—do a series of vertical sous vide tastings, in effect, to get a handle on the effects of time in sous vide cooking.
Joy Burke
I would love to receive this item to gift to my amazing husband, Will, who is also a chef and a HUGE fan of Michael Ruhlman and friends! He would LOVE to have this tool in our homey Cleveland kitchen(and I'd love to reap the benefits of this wonderful gadget)!!
Conor
I'm a graduate student in English, so neither now nor in the foreseeable future can I/will I be able to afford an immersion circulator. The reason I bring up my "profession" is that one of the topics I work on is the intersection of food and aesthetics. A recent paper (hopefully to be presented at a conference in the spring!) is on the intervention of contemporary, science-based cooking in the producer/consumer dichotomy formulated by Walter Benjamin, Fredric Jameson, and Giorgio Agamben. As I see it, chefs like Adria, Blumenthal, and Achatz collapse the dichotomy and bring the consumer more and more into the role of the creator, while at the same time they defamiliarize food, creating a consumer who is also a producer of something that he or she doesn't really even understand.
Sorry for the crit-theory babbling; here's the point: as I can't really afford to eat at the restaurants that do this kind of work, owning an immersion circulator would allow me to experiment on my own with at least one of the kinds of cookery that has enabled these chefs to do what they do, and therefore to experience first-hand what to this point I've only been theorizing.
Also: steak! And braised bacon!
amanda
I am in the middle of making my own sous vide rig from a crockpot & thermocouple etc out of Cooking for Geeks, but would love love the polyscience one! Perfectly hard/soft 'boiled' eggs are my first target, but I am also dying to try this on the salmon we get direct from the fishing boats. I don't have a good sous vide book yet, but I'm also wondering if custards would work well in sous vide, if you could figure out how to get them not to stick to the bag. I am excited to experiment!
Aaron
I want one so I can be as pretentious as Marcel from Top Chef All-Stars and talk about "oh I never grill pork chops, I cook them _sous_ _vide_"
Seriously? I need one of these things desperately!
Andrew K
I'd just want to experiment to learn how to use it, then work on awesome skirt steak for fajitas and duck breast for, well anything I can get away with putting duck in.
Aaron
I want one so I can be as pretentious as Marcel from Top Chef All-Stars and talk about "oh I never grill pork chops, I cook them sous_
vide"
Seriously? I need one of these things desperately!
Sandra McKenzie
Dear husband, who is the ultimate kitchen gadgeteer, already has a PolySci sous vide outfit, and cooks just about everything this way. So I'm not entering for the give-away. Just want to say that to date his single greatest success (from my POV) is tri-tip, rubbed with a SouthWest mix, cooked rare all the way through, then smoked (with the PoliSci smoking gun, of course,) then flash-seared. Mmmm...heaven in a pan! Important to note, though, that there are serious cautions involved with sous vide cookery - food is held in the danger zone for extended periods of time, and care MUST be taken.
Ricky
Plain and simple...I just want to cook better for my family.
It's why I read this site.
Anne B.
I would like to start with doing fish and then try some of the many other things that I have read about. How fun to experiment! Thanks for the chance to win!
Roland B
Well, our son is due in March, and I bet I could make some awesome baby food with with this...baby. Of course, all of the other revolutionary things we could start cooking at home would be icing on the cake!
William
I'd love to try making brisket sous vide. I'm a plain old Catholic boy who missed the "able to make brisket like his bubbeh" gene. I attribute that mainly to the lack of a proper bubbeh... I just can't get brisket tender no matter what I've tried. This, however, seems like it'd do the trick! And it would fascinate the heck out my engineer boyfriend!
Martha
We're connected with a really innovative and - at times - underground artisan food movement in Detroit. I'd like to get this so other "food pioneers" can play with it and develop new techniques and delicious Detroit-oriented specialties (BTW McClure's Pickles is one of the group - born here.) A thriving community could experiment and share successes and bombs.
Thanks for the thoughtful giveaway! I think whoever gets it needs to be required to post their chow!
Andres
I want to cook eggs at all differente temperatures, and taste a whole rainbow of yolky deliciousness.
John
Although not that exotic or original, the first thing to go in there (probably before I finished reading the instructions) would be a pork belly. Then, maybe short ribs or the venison I've been trying to get my brother-in-law to share with me--vensison would do well in there, right?
Forrest Clonts
Hah, anything from Under Pressure. That beautiful book has been flipped through time and time again just waiting to offer up it's gifts to my kitchen table.
But Pork chops from my hometown heroes at Caw Caw Creek are probably first on my list.
Drew
Liver...with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
michael h
I would enjoy learning how to use it, and could leave behind family meals when I'm at my restaurant cooking for others!
Keith H.
Wow, never heard of such a thing but sounds awesome. I think the idea of cooking short ribs for days sounds intriguing.
Thanks!!
Casey@Good. Food. Stories.
I've already used the demo model at W-S to cook 48-hr short ribs, soft-boiled eggs, pork chops, wine-poached apples, potatoes in duck fat, a whole turkey breast for Thanksgiving, and a creme anglaise for good measure. Out of all of those, I think the pork is hands-down the most delicious. Never again would there be dry pork in the kitchen.
Dan
Beef, beef, beef! I'd love to be able long-cook the tough cuts. And it would be nice to finally put my copy of Under Pressure to use.
Annie
I have been dying for one of these units for so long, and we finally just redid our apartment a little so that there's tons more room in our kitchen for one! I want to try it with everything, from fish to lamb to vegetables to eggs!
MattW
As a chemist, I would use it as a heating bath for my rotovap. 🙂
Anh
oh man, this would be the first step towards actually using some of the more complex recipes in a few of the cookbooks i have, hahaha...i'm far too lazy for trying to maintain low temperature water baths in a stockpot, but far too enthusiastic not to have considered it...
Christian
I'd love to be able to do sous-vide ribs!
Kevin E Warren
I would donate the circulator to my school so that we could keep up with the cutting edge technologies in food preparation. I also would love to poach an egg in its shell and take the toughest piece of meat I could find and cook it for 2 days to see what kind of flavors I could develop.
hadley
I'd use this to get rid of my need to try to sous vide in a cooler.
Tom
I always thought that the perfect steak could be had by using a combination of a sous vide machine and a blowtorch - And I already own a blowtorch!
I imagine that Ruhlman's Corned beef (Shameless, I know!) would be even better sous vide....
Theo Chaojareon
I would buy Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, and make everything I could, if I won that Sous Vide Immersion Circulator!
Alex
Fish... steak.... pork..... I'd look forward to excellent steaks and short ribs. Do you think this could do a whole pig in a bathtub? Just wondering. I'd be happy to try it and take pictures!
Sharon Worster
I want to win it so I can cook my way through your book!!
Thanks for the offer!!
Judy
I would use it to bring peace, love & understanding to all the world.
And probably for preparing octopus.
Sam Chen
My fiancee has been enjoying my cooking a lot lately. Mostly been inspired from my parents when I had worked in their restaurant for many years and due in part to watching Top Chef & No Reservations. I think it would be great to learn a new technique of cooking and add a new skill on the belt.
I would look forward to making some lovely steak and pork tenderloin with it or even Sous Vide a turkey for holiday meals!
Yvette
I would start cooking healthy foods once I get my hands on one of those! Endless possibilities in cooking sous vide for a culinary student like me! I will be able to add and infuse flavors more efficiently.
Lee B
As a pastry chef, I am just dying to play with this thing! (Only the savory bad boys get to have all the fun.) I have heard about the 63 degree custard egg, and want to experiment with intensifying the flavor of sauces, creams etc, as well as trying it with tempering chocolate. Please Michael, this would be so cool! Give a sweet gal a chance!
Scott D Harris
I'd like a Sous Vide circulator to cook my eldest daughter a la Jonathan Swift. It would save me from a pre-teen and feed the rest of the family
Bayard Russell
Sous Vide is the holy grail of cooking.
Rosemary Kennedy
I want this for my son. Please! Please!
Sam Chen
My fiancee has been enjoying my cooking a lot lately. Mostly been inspired from my parents when I had worked in their restaurant for many years and due in part to watching Top Chef & No Reservations. I think it would be great to learn a new technique of cooking and add a new skill on the belt.
I would look forward to making some lovely steak and pork tenderloin with it or even Sous Vide a turkey for holiday meals! Whatever it is I plan on a sous vide version cooked meal!
Tom
I really want to see if I can come up with a way to make custard in a sealed container instead of dealing with the oven.
Mike Tremoulet
There's the obvious choices - amazingly succulent rare- to medium-rare beef (that my wife would enjoy immensely). I'd also be interested to see how a galantine or some other contained terrine/forcemeat would fare. Or traditional puddings (not the Jell-o kind, the moist cake kind).
Probably most importantly, to be honest, is that it would give me a way to cook and hold food while I worked on side dishes. That way, I could get my timing better and serve everything hot at the same time.
Matt
As an engineer with a mother and boyfriend who're both pretty serious amateur chefs, it's hard for me not to enjoy cooking, both as a venue for geeky chemical/thermodynamic experimentation, and as a great way to bond with the people I love. I would love to see their faces if I was the one to bust out a fun new gadget for a change. As far as specific dish objectives, I'm thinking it could make a pretty fantastic corned beef and cabbage - St Patty's at my place would never be the same!
Deanna P. Denk
The perfect egg. Then fish, fish, fish.
Matt W.
I really would love to experiment with my own circulator - Pork tenderloin sous vide with garlic and herbs sounds awfully good.
Matt
I would use it to step up my cooking game, make a perfectly medium-rare lamb loin, sear it with a woodsy mushroom crust, and impress my date so I can eventually get married and get my mom off my back!
(in the meantime, I'm off to try the hacked version with my rice cooker!)
michaela
This would be quite the step up from my beer-cooler sous vide...thing. I can't wait to cook up some pork belly and see if the fuss about the 65-degree egg.
John
I want to try using this machine to make some delicious brisket, that would be shared with friends and family in the holiday spirit. 🙂
Kevin O
I work part time in a small, casual fine dining restaurant on the South Shore of Massachusetts. It would be awesome to be able to donate this piece of equipment to the restaurant. I have moved on from ideas of living the life of a full time cook but have been lucky enough to still be able to be creative in my cooking a couple days a week at the restaurant. It would be amazing to explore some new techniques with this piece of equipment.
Ed Kowalski
What WOULDN'T I use it for!!! Aside from the applications in my workplace kitchen, being able to tinker around with sous vide in the confines of my home kitchen would be heaven on earth! I have considered the Sous Vide Supreme (more affordable, and I am a huge fan of Richard Blais...although not as big a fan as I am of Ruhlman!), and I have seen the book detailing how to turn a crock pot into a sous vide, but if you have the chance to get a PolyScience IC, why not go for the best?
Al B
I would give it to my sister and wait for the dinner invites to start coming.
Rusty Shackleford
It would greatly replace my DIY version scrapped together from ebay parts.
Ed Martufi
WHAT WOULDN'T I DO WITH IT!! I think it would be the perfect tool for the organic/locavore foodie. Already being friends with my local organic pasture pork and grass-fed beef farmers, I would be less hesitant in buying the entire animal, especially regarding the inclusion of offal. Appreciate and explore the Nose-To-Tail. As well as accepting the tougher pieces of venison from my hunting friends (cause how many really offer you the back strap?). Exploring all the pressed meat options with transglutaminase. Also completely intrigued about compressed fruit applications. As well as retaining nutritional value in my vegetables!
Keith
sous vide cakes! who wouldn't want to bake a cake underwater?
Josh H
I just loaded my freezer with an antibiotic-free, grass-fed half beef and whole lamb from a wonderful family farm here in Eastern Idaho. While I love the grass-fed taste and health benefits, the meat is lean and can be sensitive to direct high heat. This beautiful machine would be put to great use in my kitchen to turn the otherwise-impossible-to-cook cuts into a succulent, tender dishes. I'd start with the 'london broil' cut of beef, nearly inedible even when gently braised, and bring it 130F in the circulator before giving it a quick sear on a ripping hot grill. As for the lamb, I'd mark the chops with grill marks, lightly drizzle with oil, hit them with salt and pepper, and then place them under vacuum with a bay leaf. I am salivating at the thought of how awesome they would be coming out of the circulator!
Steve
I cook almost every night of the week and love to experiment with new dishes and techniques. I've been itching to give sous vide a try but don't really have the storage space for a sous vide supreme nor can I justify the expense of a proper circulator. I'd definitely give steaks, fish, and eggs a try. I'd also pick up a copy of Under Pressure and scour the web for other ideas.
Rob J
I have a list of experiments I would love to try with an immersion circulator. So far, I've been pulling off sous vide on a stove top with a large stock pot on a small burner. I've been messing around with steak, pork shoulder (143 f for 20 hours is amazing, but tough to pull off with my set up), poultry, eggs. I'd love to experiment with mollusks next - what works best for squid and octopus and clams. And I haven't even started with fruits and vegetables yet.
Stelltron
I would love to try the duck pastrami recipe...or perhaps some fingerlings with herbs and butter, some carrots and celery and some locally made sausge. Garnish with some creme fraiche with a little horseraddish folded in. I think I would end up doing a rack of lamb with rosemary for a nice Christmas dinner. Yum. Happy holidays!
Sean Moore
I'd use it to cook duck breasts, thick dry-aged steaks from Bryan Flannery, long cooking pork belly and/or jowl at higher temps.
Also- perfect poached eggs!
j.allen
i'm obsessed with recreating dishes i had in restaurants. currently, that means the soft poached egg from momofuku ko. so far attempts have involved coil immersion heaters and latte frothers, which works exactly as well as it sounds like it might.
Antonio Ramirez
Aside from using it for most meats, I might be interested in trying to infuse liquors... Homemade Aquavit comes to mind. Potato vodka, caraway, dill. mmmmmmmmm. or Gin!
Morgan Pierce
How does it work on baby seal? I understand that it can still be quite tough.
Kim & Akiko
Politically incorrect, but still pretty funny. My sister won't eat veal but beef is just fine. Hmmm, let them grow up and then kill them? And free range hotdogs .... no problem there for her either. I don't know. Either you eat other animals or you don't. Just be straight about it. Still, baby seals??? Gosh, even I can't go there. But I understand it in a weird way.
mel
As a stay-at-home dad I spend a great deal of time every afternoon driving our kids places when I should be home making wonderful healthy dinner and having a SV machine would go a long way in helping me keep great food on the table as my kids get older.
Currently, I use a big stock pot but I can't control the temp as well as I would like. If you google "sous vide turkey" and look at the images, my stuff is on the first page. I wlll be glad to sing the praises of this device far and wide if I win.
Walker Lawrence
I'd like to try making a pork boa sous vide rather than steaming. I imagine it would create a less sticky outside and possibly more tender filling.
sue
I would love one...always wanting to try new things....my son calls them food toys!
Kyle
An immersion circulator would help me overcome one of my biggest regrets: I don't get to use my blowtorch enough.
Chad
I'm a chef at a school and we teach cooking classes and a cooking summer camp. I'd love to use this for cooking classes and our cooking summer camp. This isn't something we could justify purchasing but it would be great to be able to use in our kitchen.
Aileen
this would be the coolest Christmas gift ever!! for myself of course. can't wait to cook everything in it!
Ian Eccleston
Sous vide sausage. OK, that was a suck up, admittedly. And it's on the brain since I just got my wine fridge, dehumidifier, etc. to cure some salami. OK, that was a suck up too, sorry about that. The real use for the circulator: Ribeyes, whole eggs, salmon, salmon, salmon, and lamb chops. Plus experimentation: what happens to shrimp or squid?
Trevor
My three year old son loves using the circulator I made out of spare parts and duct tape with me, and it's great for him because the low heats aren't as dangerous and he loves checking on things as they cook. Unfortunately, the one I made is lousy, so a real one would be really great for him - and for me.
Fran
My New Year's resolution for 2010 was to eat in a more healthy fashion. I'm weaning myself off of boxes, packages and pre-prepared foods. In the meanwhile, I'm opening up the world (and art) of cooking to my 10-yr old niece. Together, we explore and prepare meals for the family while developing the necessary skills to properly nourish ourselves. Simply put, I would use this wonderful tool to prepare healthy meals for my family.
Benjamin Lechlitner
It won't make me cook healthier or more often, but the cooking experiments... oh how they will get stranger and more exciting! Will it be the only thing i cook with? No. Will i use it to make things solely for the reason that it seemed like a good idea at the time and i hoped it to be delicious? Yes. Many times yes.
Irene
I'm totally going to make steaks every night.
William M
A nice constant, hot circulating foot bath comes to mind first. However experimentation with wild culinary ideas would be the main focus.
Chaz
I live in NYC apt. with a very tiny kitchen; it was once a closet.
It has a two burner cook-top and a microwave/convection oven.
I love to cook and the logistics get harrowing.
I do a lot of Dutch Oven, low-heat cooking and, I've been thinking about how sous vide could not just replace that but expand what I do as well as make life easier. I wouldn't have to do the sous vide at the kitchen counter but find space elsewhere in the apt.
Certainly, it could easily expand my repertoire.
Hilary
I'm thinking that my husband needs a gastronomy-themed Christmas this year. Cooking for Geeks, the molecular gastronomy starter kit, and the sous vide circulator. If that actually happens, I plan to experiment with novel applications for chocolate.
Josh Kantor
I have been itching for one of these ever since I did a stage at a restaurant this past summer. Sous vide rabbit ballotine: rabbit leg stuffed inside the saddle with garlic and rosemary, was my favorite dish at the place. Of course I didn't make it as a lowly stagier, which is exactly why I would like to get my hands on one, so I could try and recreate it at home.
I love this blog, thank you Ruhlman for all of your posts. They are invaluable to me.
Benjamin
I've put off cooking as a serious endeavor for a long time, but have recently been getting back to it. Especially some of the "less normal" methods, like charcuterie. I'd love to have one of these to experiment with. Thanks for doing this.
Traudl Foster
I grew up in Bavaria eating Kidneys and Liver and Sweetbreads and Tongue and I know that with this fabulous machine I could make them taste so sensational that even my American family will swoon and beg for more.
I love your blog.
Eddie Lakin
WANT!
Liz
I'm finally moving into a house with a bigger kitchen! Sous Vide me!
Todd S
just the ability to cook sous vide would be awesome. been wanting to do this since I saw it on iron chef america several years ago.
John
I remember the days of using a Daisy Seal-a-Meal for food saving and cooking a la early style sous vide. Would love to have one to use in my business as well as at home.
Anthony Spadaro
Sweet Jeebus, what wouldn't I do with it?! Cook some salmon with compound butter, tenderloins with wilted arugula, and start playing with my chemistry set with this bad boy! Happy Holidays dude.
Barry Campbell
My vegetarian wife who has not eaten meat in 25 years promised she would eat it if I won this because of how tasty the meat is after cooking.
PK
Anything I can. Must work better than my zip lock bag in a Dutch oven method.
Barb
I hear that it makes awesome eggs - would love to try
Aamina Masood
I would love a Sous Vide machine. I am busy mom and always at the edge when it comes to dinner time as I am usually returning from some class or other. It would be great not to have to rush and worry about dinner. I am also studying to be a pastry chef and it would really be a blessing to my busy schedule.
Carrie
I'm exploring the world of slow cooking as we speak. I was previously a great lover of the pressure cooker. It worked so fast, everything was so tender! However, last weekend it exploded in my face.
A hefty hospital bill and a crapload of pain meds later, I'm being drawn to a gentler, more subtle approach to cooking food. My raw skin and my traumatized psyche are only ready for the gentlest, calmest, most soothing activites in the kitchen. Some nice soft bread dough, some pillowy gnocchi, overnight stock slowly bubbling at the lowest possible safe temperature. All I've managed to cook so far has been waffles.
Sous vide would give me an entirely new avenue to explore. For instance, the steaks currently taunting me from my kitchen counter could be delicately cooking away in a vacuum bag right now. Instead I'm deciding whether I can tolerate a smoking, spitting cast iron skillet in order to sear them or my poor husband is going to be begged to grill them in the 40 degree weather.
Matt F
i would love this just to be able to give it to someone that loves to cook in my family
Sam Roth
I have been craving an immersion circulator for a while now. While I love the precision of the cooking, I'm also so inspired to try infusions with more delicate flavors a la the Ideas in Food blog. I would need a vaccuum sealer too, but this machine is the the key!
Joyce
Sous vide is amazing! I am a recent culinary school grad and am still haunted by an amazing kumquat-raspberry dish that a very talented fellow student had me try over a year ago (they had cooked meat, vegetables, and the amazing fruit in a make-shift SV circulator and baby sat everything for hours one weekend in the dorms). I would love to try to recreate it (and experiment with the sous vide method for custards, chocolate, cake...oh, the possiblities are endless)!
Cheryl raeside
Michael, I am currently a student at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas and I practice as many of my newly learned techniques at home on the weekends. Winning an amazing tool like this would afford me the opportunity to hone my skills in a classic technique which is being newly rediscovered. This would be a great reward for lots of hard work by an aspiring chef. As far as innovation, I think my first experiment would be a cowboy ribeye steak, with herbs and duck fat....then seared on a blazing grill.
Jim Davis
I teach 5-7 cooking classes each month, typically 10-12 students per class. We have discussed sous vide on several occasions and actually tried it but found that we simply could not control the temperature closely enough. This would be a great way to expose more people to the possibilities of sous vide and to experience the actual process in a hands on cooking situation.
Scott L
That device has go to make some seriously good popcorn! 😉
Jon
I used to work in kitchens, and have had to take a break. So, no circulator for me to play with! I'd love to have one so I can develop my craft while I'm away from the professional kitchen for a few years. In particular, I'd love to experiment with poaching things in different infused oils, as well cooking grains and beans sous-vide.
burk murray
I saw this circulator demonstrated at Williams Sonoma, and I've been scheming to get my hands on one ever since. I want to team it up with my smoker and grill to make the ultimate BBQ: first a warm (200F) smoke over pecan and hickory (or apple or maple or...), then a loooong bath in the circulator, then a quick pass over the grill (or under a torch), to develop a crust.
I'm talking smoky ribs that fall off the bone, but still retain their porkalicious charm. Hickory-kissed brisket so beefy, tender and juicy your knees will buckle. Rosemary-and-garlic-rubbed pork butt, scented with oak, that'll make your eyelids flutter and your grandmother swoon. Bacon.
Yep. (Checking Lipitor supplies.) That's what I have in mind.
Elizabeth
I would love to give this to my husband. When I am widowed during ski season I tend to eat things that are not so good for me and would really enjoy pulling almost ready dishes lovingly prepared by my husband. His love of cooking is right up there with skiing so I know he would enjoy using it.
Stefan Hakansson
I would love to try to first smoke some proteins for short period and then sous vide it... could also be fun to try to make preservatives like jam, marmalade etc. maybe even try making some different confit…and of cause perfectly boiled eggs…
Melissa K
Man, what working woman (or man for that matter) wouldn't want this?! The idea of cooking the perfect piece of meat and then just browning/crisping up the outside when it's time to eat is just too appealing. It would certainly put a new spin on cooking for the week on the weekend, that's for sure!
Nick F
I want to lie. I really do. But I have to be honest: the first thought that goes through my head is me reclining on the beach, a beautiful woman draped around each arm, sucking down caipirinhas like they're going extinct. All funded of course, by my chain of bang-it-out sous vide emporia -- hocking beef duos and "butter poached" Coho salmon to the rubes and rubettes in the DC Metro area.
Alas, it is not to be. Being too much of a nerd/idiot I would forego certain Kanyedom in favor of culinary integrity, God knows why.
I want this thing. I want to make food with it and feed people with it.
I want to be able to look at any protein, vegetable, fruit, nut -- whatever -- and be able to say, "I've tried cooking that in every way imaginable."
I want to debone a bird -- maybe one of the local Virginia pheasants I can get at this time of year, or grouse -- and I want to stuff it with a farce comprising its own innards, blood, junpier and chocolate in addition to the usual farce components. It'll cook beautifully and evenly in the circulator. Maybe I'll stud it with black Tennessee truffles. Maybe not, I don't know.
I want to do a chicken ballotine stuffed with swiss chard, the white and dark meat making a mosaic like a chicken yin yang. I'll roll it into a log, seal it, poach it and chill it. Then I'll deep fry the whole thing until the skin gets crispy. Maybe I'll put truffles in it; I don't know.
I do this thing which I stole from Ryan Farr where you debone a pig's head, trim it, cure it, inlay the toungue, roll it, tie it, poach it, cool it then slice it thinly. It's like pig's head pancetta -- phenomenal, porky, fatty, delicious. He sous vides it. I roll mine in cheesecloth and take up meat station's oven for 5 hours. Ryan Farr is the smarter, better man. I want to do it like he does it. Then when I get bored, do something else. Maybe with veal. Or lamb. Or goat. Or fish. I don't know.
Vegetables! I want to...
...I need this thing. I want one of my fellow cooks to ask me, "Have you tried so-and-so?" And I want to be able to say, "Yes. I've tried cooking that in every way imaginable."
CanadaGoose
I have no clever ideas but I sure would like one of these babies.
joey
I have a wonderful friend who loves to cook and has had a really tough year. I know he's been experimenting with sous vide for a while. I think this might be just the pick me up he needs to end this bad year on a high note. I know he would get alot of use out of it and some really great dishes would come out of his kitchen because of it. (Plus, I would get the benefit of enjoying them the next time i visit ) Thank you! 😉
John Danby
I pointed this fine instrument out to my wife while at Williams-Sonoma, with one word: "Christmas". I've watched the various videos, already have a vacuum bagger machina, have "Sous Vide for the Home Cook" on the book shelf (the Keller text is on my wish list)...and then she tells me (with a smile) that she doesn't "think I'm ready for sous vide". What the heck is that supposed to mean? That she doesn't coveat a perfect prime New York, or phenominal short ribs, or pan seared chicken breasts that aren't dry at the edges? I think not! We must conspire to prove her...mistaken.
Bobby
I would use the circulator to cook lamb to perfection.
Claire Foster
I would love to have this to cook a wonderful and impressive meal for my boyfriend!!! He went to cooking school and follows this blog religiously. I would love to show him that I can cook something fancy too. It would take some work, but it would be great! ... and it would be so cool to win it from this blog!
_Mike R
I would love to try to make pulled pork another way. I usually use the crock pot, but that is really just a more crude sous vide.
Phil
As a budding home cook, it would be fantastic to experiment with and see what kinds of desserts could be made with a sous vide machine. The use for meats and veg is great and I would get tons of use out of it for that, but learning to use it for desserts would be spectacular!
peter
I would just cook with it. a lot...
Adrian
Well, it's either I win or I end up making a $800 investment in a kitchen appliance.
Brian L
Wow. Here's hoping for some holiday luck... Ever since I first heard about cooking sous vide, I've wanted to try it and now I have counter-space to use it.
The very first description of sous vide was of tender, medium rare beef short ribs. Having braised short ribs for a long time, the idea that they could also still retain some pink and still be tender has canvassed many pathways through the neurons in my brain for years.
Of course, there are so many things to do with an immersion circulator and short ribs may be a bit cliché and obvious, but that's the truth. Fish, veal, etc. will have to wait.
b.
Noah
Steaks. Lamb chops. Burgers. Would love to have one of these.
Christos Chios
I would cook everything in Under Pressure.
LESLIE SCOTT
I was having a hard time figuring out what to give the men in my life, both avid cooks. My son had asked if we still had a pressure cooker, which alas I sold at a garage sale. These two have one thing in common, cooking! Their discussions revolve around how to cook meat. My husband keeps falling short on the tenderness, fall off the bone scale, partially because he is a cheap Scotchman. My son, buys the best, Miles Market and Mister Brisket (which slays us since we help support him!) It sounds like this marvelous machine would guarantee success and create harmony in the Scott household.
PS-we live in Cleveland Heights!
Jeremy
Pork loin. Pork Chops. Chicken Breast. Perfect vegetables.
Gael
A big thing people neglect with sous vide is the convenient storage aspect. There are many meals that I could make ahead of time and then freeze the bags. Then when I want an instant luxury meal I just need to take one out of the freezer and put in straight into the circulating water. Normally I would thaw first to avoid overcooking the edges but that is not the case with sous vide where you set the temp you want it to be cooked.
I would also love to make confit de canard. You only need a spoonful of duck fat instead of several cups to cook it in. I can finally do Thomas Keller's recipe which calls for the legs to be cooked for a very long time at 190F but my oven doesn't really go that low.
Melinda C
What a great way to infuse flavors without adding(too many delicious) fats! I would love to experiment with it on many different meats and even veggies.
Belina Garcia
As a student at Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, I was fortunate to see Chef Rene Mathieu of the Chateau de Bourglinster, Luxembourg, presentation of Sous Vide dishes that he did at the school during the World Gourmet Summit, and were transfixed by the possibilities. He showed us Birch Bark Smoked Organic Eggs, Salsify Mousse, Cepes and Grilled Chestnuts (Amazing flavors and textures!!!!!) and Roasted Scallops with Bone Marrow and Herring Eggs, forgotten Vegetable, Chevril Roots Mousse and Bay Leaf Jus (Incredible!) which truly turned us on to the possibilities of Sous Vide style cooking. So Michael, while you are hanging out with Tony Bourdain over the holidays, please think of us poor students who will have so much in student loans to pay off and toil everyday in the hopes of being able to join the culinary world and choose me! I can assure you that magnificent dishes would be the result and would try to take it as further as possible to create new flavors and textures too!
As an older student who has had small Mom & Pops but desperatel y need a degree to compete in today's market, I can offer experience, a great palate and technique and unmeasured curiosity into all things culinary. Won't you help me go even further? It would be great.....
Also, would you be interested in a guest speaking engagement at our school? Need an intern, I am available! Want to be a mentor? Let me know, you'd love it at our school, we have great energy.....
John A
I've always wanted to try one of these for cooking pork, chicken, veggies... well, pretty much everything. Unfortunately, most of the ones that I would like to own are cost prohibitive.
Chappy
Well, my wife would say that I would use it to add to our copious supply of kitchen gadgets, but, more seriously I think I would use it to cook 'cheap' meats like flank and hangar. While I can generally cook these OK, they tend to benefit from marinades and seem to be a little less forgiving than, say, a dry NY Strip or Ribeye. (I find these easy and relatively forgiving to cook if you use the Francis Malman technique). I've also heard that sous vide can do wonders for exact cooking for vegetables. I think it would just be nice to plop a bag in water before I leave work and come home to a nearly fully cooked meal.
In addition, I'm a bit of a tinkerer, so I think I would try a few things just to see if they fail. Could dough work? Doesn't seem like it, but I'd try.
Charlie Russel
Pork tenderloin, stuffed with apricot. And so many other new things I'd love to try.
Alan Leizerman
I would use this machine to show my old fashioned boss what is really happening in the modern food world, and the benefits of what looking forward can do to the entire scope of a restaurant. I think his first serving of a sous-vide organic grass fed beef brisket would shatter the foundations of his frozen-beef-patty world. Please help me bring sous-vide cooking and modern kitchen techniques to TOLEDO!!
Greg Dendler
This would probably make quite a fine hot tub for my cats. 😉
Sebastian Nava
In recent years there has been leaps and bounds in culinary technology and what many call "avant garde" cuisine (or molecular gastronomy). While many of these technologies and techniques are new to most, the vast majority are still very approachable and within grasp. As technical acuity has gained importance in the restaurant world, this has been paralleled by the significant decrease of proficiency found in home cooks. I'm not saying that the two are related. However, the lack of technical prowess and even willingness to cook is something that is rapidly disappearing from our homes, mostly due to the outsourcing of family meals to fast food restaurants and frozen foods. And we are quickly seeing the negative effects on our health, families and society.
My goal, in winning the immersion circulator, would be to consider the home cook. As a young culinarian and gastronome I would ask specific questions, and then seek out the answer. What role would such a technology play in the home kitchen? How can immersion circulation be used to make pantry staples and make cooking an easier and more likely occasion? A circulator is a fairly simple contraption, how can we make it less frightening for people learning about this new technique? How can cooking sous vide inspire people to get interested in cooking?
I have had some experience working with circulators in restaurants. It is a great method for cooking many things. For instance, you are not likely to overcook your meat in a matter of minutes in a circulator like you are in the pan. For this reason, Sous Vide is something that should be particularly enticing to home cooks and beginners. it is also great for making things like flavored oils and vinegars which can help with other parts of the meal. This is a brand new frontier for home cooks, but it is one that we are seeing come to fruition very quickly. First with the release of the Sous Vide Supreme and now the more accessible PolyScience machine. On the horizon I can see an immersion circulator on every kitchen counter in America. it is something that can be used to intrigue, inspire and motivate people to cook. But not just to cook, to change their lives... for the better.
KristineB
I watched a video of Grant Achatz making turkey using the sous vide method. I would start there and experiment with meats at first. Mostly fowl. I love to cook and love to try new things. This would open up my options immeasureably. Thanks for being so generous with your readers. As if your words were not enough. (Anyone have any tissues? I have something brown on my nose.)
James
I'd use it for vegetables. I know that primarily, most SV techniques and recipes have used meats, but I would really love to try some interesting vegetarian recipes.
Chris D
I would use this machine for those 72 hour short ribs everyone talks about... I would resist every temptation to start UnderPressureatHome.com
Jason Lawenda
I just got Thomas Kellers Under Pressure book and I have been looking for a circualator, this would be awesome to have! Thank you!
Russell Wong
I'm drooling over the idea of cooking meat for 72 hours!! I would like to make osso bucco in an immersion circulator along with short ribs. The thought of cooking pork belly that's melt in your mouth perfection is making me drool as I type this. PICK ME! 🙂 Thanks!
Steven Peterson
I cook a fair amount of game (pheasant, grouse, venison, duck, elk) which are low in fat and so must not be overcooked. However older animals can be tough so it is nice to give them enough time to break down a bit. I imagine this would be the ideal tool for such a job...
David Gillespie
Married to a wonderful girl from Eastern Europe I am always trying to find adaptations for my recipes that she can enjoy. SO many of my techniques are based on American style "get in, get out, get on with it" preparations I need something like this to support me in my attempts to keep her here. So my marriage really depends on you sending this right away. No pressure.
chris carpenter
I'm a professional and I know my owner would never spring for one. Side note totally off topic...I made head cheese this week! Way too much fun.
Ken S
This thing looks amazing. Probably not everything tastes better after having been immersion circulated, but I really want to play with one and cook lots of different cuts of meat, and eat them very and perfectly rare.
chris carpenter
I'm a professional and I know the owner would never spring for one. Side note totally off topic, I made head cheese this week. Looked awesome. Little wierded out by pork jello, but I have never been prouder.
Alistair
Great concept. Something I would really love to try.
Paull Wilson
Choices, choices ... I think something different rather than something unique. How about makinge an inside-out carbonara. You know pasta with the egg still runny!
Scott Coleman
I've been studying this type of cooking for a year. Can't afford good quality equipment at this time, but would love to have this. Thanks for the chance at a quality device.
Jennifer McGann
I am a Culinary School Instructor in a school in the little old Midwest city of Columbus Ohio. I would love to experiment with this with my students! If I had the circulator, I could share it's love with hundreds of interested students and other Chef Instructors.
David
I recently had the opportunity to use sous vide to cook some salmon. The best part was that when it was finished and the fish was cooked perfectly all the way through, I then threw it skin-side down on a nice hot frying pan and it made the most brilliant crispy skin I had ever experienced. And it all happened so fast, the skin was crispy and beautifully golden before I even knew what was happening! It made me really understand why it was invented to sear foie gras without losing so much fat in the process. Caramelization in an instant. I'd love to play around with this machine more, just based off that one experience. I'm a culinary student in Vancouver, BC right now, so I'd definitely never be able to afford one of these contraptions on my own!
isabelle v.
Oh the possibilities....un petit plas magnifique? quelque chose pour la famile? ou un souper romantique???
Michele
I'm not a chef, so I can't whip out some grand ideas here. If I won, I'd do my best to be a mad scientist and kick things up a notch in my "normal" housewife kitchen. I'm always learning, even if I'm not the most talented student.
Justin West
Here at the restaurant we have been "cave man" sous vide cooking for 2 1/2 years... that's right, a hotel pan of water, stem thermometer, burners on the lowest setting and a bowl of ice just in case. I have been wanting to buy an immersion circulator, but refrigerators break down, ice machines stop producing, floor drains back up... But free is a kick ass price.
Paul Kierstead
I've been using the fresh meals solution (PID controller) for a while but truly would love to go further! I've been eyeing these and hope to see one while I visit Dallas over the christmas holidays.
Darren A.
Let's see. How about some 48 or 72 hour short ribs. Serve them as if they were a filet mignon---topped with a loving dollop of bearnaise and served along side a truffled cauliflower puree and homemade, handcut, love in each bite, frites.
Tyson Stoddard
I've been reading a bit about this type of device for a while and am itching to try it. The idea of doing ribs with it is enticing!
JoeW
My kids have been diagnosed with phenylketonuria, so finding creative ways to cook fruits and veggies will be crucial.
David Mutnick
The new model looks quite impressive. If I wasn't a poor college student, I'd buy one.
Sarah M
Lots of fun to play with!
JPi
Always wondered what the fuss was about - would love to play around with one of these...
Julia
OMG!!! Ever since I saw this being used by the chef at Piccolo I have been trying to figure out what kind of heist would be required to obtain one for my dear sweet roomie:) (he's a grad of LCB--and actually knows how to use it unlike myself. Juls = total kitchen disaster, I have flat biscuits to prove it!) Please PLEASE... PICK ME!!! (shameless begging is not below me haha)
Phil Allman
If you DON't win the giveaway, do yourself a favor and get a digital in-line thermostat. you should be able to find them for less than $100. hook it up to a crock pot full of water and you have a poor man's sous vide contraption
Laura La Bonte
I have been eyeing sous vide machines for quite some time but just can't seem to find the extra scratch to justify purchasing one. I put one on my Christmas list but I doubt Santa will be that good to me this year. Since I'm really into creative ways to cook with alcohol, the first thing I would try would be to cook something like rice or risotto in an boozy mixture. Ideally, I would love to create perfectly cooked rice with a tinge of alcohol, for example sake, that hasn't been burned off in the cooking process.
Jamie Nazaroff
I'm a cook at a 5-star restaurant hotel. Garde-manger specifically. I don't get to play much with the hot stuff as a regular part of my job. I make great salads, for sure. Cold seafood; I kick ass. Grilled chicken for that loosely-based-on-a-Cobb-salad; simple. But I honestly miss cooking hot (or even lukewarm) food. An immersion circulator has been on my wishlist for years.
I've used ICs before. My culinary school's co-op restaurant had one that we got to play with. It's hard to say what I wouldn't do with an immersion circulator. 65°C eggs would be fun. But the big thing that comes to mind, is that I'd love to cook a boston butt 'till it just falls apart. Trimmed, with a few herbs, perhaps a little cider vinegar and cooked sous-vide for hours. That pork would then be shredded and turned into a filling for a ravioli. Some reduced pork stock, tomato paste, shaved parm, fresh basil. Simple, but good.
Plus, owning a circulator would give me something to rub in my chef's face. We don't even have one at the restaurant. 😛
Dan Okin
So many possibilities, from cooking vegetables to making jellies to perfectly cooking meat. I'd love to get my hands on this and use it to make a "solid" soup where you infuse all the flavors of a soup into the original vegetable (I'm thinking butternut squash or potato leek). Then serving the vegetable a la ortolon, solo, would be awesome.
Justin
Ever since I saw a video, I think posted here, of Achatz doing a sous vide turkey I've wanted an IC. Played around doing it with electric roasting pans and such but was too much work.
Lily
If I won this I'd have nothing left to dream about at night and would need to come up with a new acquisitions fantasy-life.
Josh M.
I have been dying to expand my cooking experience by adding sous vide. Something as simple as a beautfully marbled ribeye that you then sear afterwards would be great. Short ribs of course would be classic. But, I think I would try something like osso bucco using lamb shanks.
Christine
I know close to nothing about this kinda stuff, but wanna try to make cake using the IC. I wonder if it's possible?
Nicole
This would be so much fun to play with in the kitchen! Admittedly, this isn't fancy at all, but the very first thing I would do is make a batch of perfect onsen eggs.
Lyndsey
My husband would absolutely love one of these! And I bet if we won this, he'd be cooking dinner a lot more 😉
Lyndsey
-SOrry, didn't really mean to post twice - can you delete this entry??
Kimberly Joyce
I would donate it to the culinary program at Monroe Community College in Rochester NY. I happen to work as the Lab Tech for the program and know the students would benefit from learning about Sous Vide. Our program has had 40% growth in enrollment since 2009 but tight budgets make new equipment a remote possibility.
Lyndsey
My husband would absolutely love one of these! And I bet if we won this, he'd be cooking dinner a lot more!! So, I guess getting my husband to cook more would be my innovation with the IC.
anne
I would make short ribs fifteen ways if I had one of those things!
Jenn Post (aka white chocolate)
I read a great article about cooking poultry (specifically turkey for your holiday dinner) and have been wanting to try the technique out! what a great giveaway! thanks!
Matt H
I live in an apartment, with a bottom, bottom, bottom of the line oven/range. It is impossible to maintain temperatures with any level of precision, but especially low ones. I would love to have this to do some slow cooking and braising.
Dave
I do menu & recipe development for healthcare - have long thought that using an immersion circulator for sous vide would solve some challenges we have in giving patients the very best possible & most consistent results from humble ingredients - but haven't been able to get buy-in to purchase one. I'd truly appreciate the opportunity to leverage the technology to improve what we're feeding to some patients who'd greatly value it!
Autumn
There is a tiny studio kitchen in Portland, OR and a modest cook with a love of simple, local ingredients that would love this. Willamette valley pork belly, rogue river salmon...
Debbie
I would use it to cook duck breasts. It would be wonderful to have evenly cooked duck, done to perfection! Thanks for the opportunity.
Matthew Frazier
I just love the idea of slowly poaching everything in butter!
Jason F. Burgett
always wanted to try one. hope i win
N. Lee
There are so many things I would love to do with an immersion circulator, its hard to pinpoint just one. My boyfriend is a very adventurous eater (my Chinese family is tickled pink that he is one of the few white boys they have met who enjoys durian and pork blood), but is convinced he doesn't like cooked fish. If I win I will use this to cook the perfect piece of fish, and convert him to a whole new world of proteins!
Aaron Lowen
I am a Culinary Student at The Culinary Institute of America and would love to experiment more with sous vide cooking. I do own the book Under Pressure and I would love to create some of these tantalizing recipes.
Becky Spencer
I've been watching folks use this tool on Top Chef for years, and have been longing to try it myself. I buy meat direct from local farmers, typically in very large amounts (1/2 a Berkshire pig, recently). I'd love to use this to experiment with some of the less familiar cuts that need long, slow cooking!
LW
possibilities are endless. Definitely a large hunk of meat, probably for some kind of entertaining.
Garrett
Sous vide sounds like a great way to cook oxtails--something old-school like Roman 'coda alla vaccinara'.
Lee Barth
After using it to make the perfect steak and eggs I will put it in our broken hot tub in the backyard and do a little sous vide of my own.
Terri
I have dying to try this. I would love it. I have all these ideas swimming around in my head.
tshaw6580@yahoo.com
Andy Matuschak
I'd like to experiment with hydrating pasta and dried grains with flavored liquids.
richn
a) I have been seriously contemplating building a sous vide from a crock pot after I ran across a "how to" site on the internet. The problem is I'm not very handy with electronics so I will probably burn my house down if I try. b) If I buy one my wife will throw me out of the house because after trying your bacon recipe I bought an electrical smoker so I'm on gadget hiatus for a while c) I'm a Cleveland native (I moved to California when I was 6 but that should still count for something eh?) d) I could sous vide some pork belly, serve it with some homemade bacon - smoke and silk. Can you imagine?
Cindy
I never win these sort of things, so I'll just say, please, please, please (to the power of infinity) will you pull my name out of the hat. Thanks. 🙂
Marios
I would sousvide everything. Really. Everything. (but especially a nice piece of tenderloin steak).
Charles
Only used Sous Vide once at work. It was pretty damn awesome. Poaching eggs would be interesting, or cooking fish in its own marinade!
Alex Boster
i will certainly put my hat in the ring for this... I need to eat more fish and I can't think of a better way to cook them. Not to mention eggs. I wonder if you can do those Japanese "hard boiled" eggs where the yolks are not QUITE set and are deep yellow and delicious...
Tony
I've been following Dave Arnold's Cooking Issues podcast, where he talks about low temperature cooking quite often. I'd love the opportunity to try some of his tricks like cooking sweet potatoes to a temperature high enough (I believe 55C) that they are soft and delicious, but below the temperature where the enzymes that convert starch to sugar break down, yielding an even sweeter sweet potato.
Chris
I remember using similar warm water baths in organic chemistry class in college, I thought back then it'd be great to make food in it. Little did I know then I'd be drooling over one now.
I would have to stick with the meat department on this one. I would go ahead and work on some Elk short ribs, I just butchered some myself last week, a little thyme butter, some cumin, pepper, obviously salt, and some crushed juniper with a little garlic thrown in. I've been working on some thyme hibiscus ice cream using dry ice and now I just need a solid roasted veg to top it off.
David
I'm a retired chemist who loves to cook and has too much time on his hands. As a chemist, I recognize that the independent variables of cooking and chemistry are the same: Time, Temperature, Pressure, and Composition. I've already worked my way through pressure cooking, its time to try vacuum.
Beau Guthrie
I just moved to Boise from SF about a year ago and my family here does a lot of hunting. I LOVE sous vide squab, and would like to try my hand at using the technique on other game meats. If I had an immersion circulator I would sous vide anything I could get my hands on.
jimmy
I'll give it to my mom and work with her so we can both learn how to use it. My mom is the person that inspired me to start cooking, and she is very talented and intuitive, but never pushes herself. I want this opportunity to spend some time with her and let her have some fun and do something she's never done in the kitchen. I think it could spark a creative streak in her. Thanks!
David Warren
I would love to have the oppurtunity to win this instrument. As I would like to try this method of cooking. I have heard of it and seen it used on the cooking channels on Food network.
David
Chris
I would bring it to my culinary classes so we could all try it out and learn new techniques.
David Porter
Oh my....where do I start? I would use it to make some insane tandoor-style chicken, marinating some nice free-range chicken in some masala, yogurt, and a little lime juice, cook to temperature and then finish in my rocket-hot big green egg to give it a bit of char.
Doug Hiza
I've dreamed of doing sous vide cooking. I would probably do something very simple like good quality local farm raised pork chops with a sprig of rosemary cooked to that fork tender perfection. Ahhhh...
Landon
Shamelessly salivating at the thought of all the food I'll be cooking for days with my immersion circulator, whether it's this one or not....
Sam
Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!!!
Dave
I want to eat a 63 degree egg every morning for breakfast.
Brad Robertson
I've used immersion circulators while working in some professional kitchens, and my favorite thing to do, whether at work or at home, is being able to poach eggs in their shells, and hold them there. It makes topping any dish you can think of with a poached egg that much simpler.
Debra Lane
Please put me in the running for this! I have been looking at various sous vide options for my small commercial kitchen, but this one looks versatile for larger quantities which the home version does not. Happy cooking everyone!
Katie
Definitely not an original idea, but I dream of perfect steaks cooked at home using one of these. And a beautiful dream it is!
Brian
My son, the engineer, built his own with spare parts and a rice cooker and he's always bragging about it. Winning this set up is my only chance of ever getting one since I spent all my money paying for his education!
Shad knapp
Let me start my shamelessly thank you for making of a chef and soul of a chef. This two books started me on my home culinary venture. If were not such a candy ass I would kick my current career and head off to culinary school. Anyway, Michael, please send me the immersion circulator. I would put to great use. I've been working on this recipe for duck with goat cheese ravioli that be finalized with this cooking method. Thanks for your great books and blog, happy holiday.
Jan Childs
Been following this method since you mentioned it some time ago.
I'm afraid my wife would kick my ass if I introduced another high price kitchen item since she ultimately foots the bill for my habits.
Adam
I would love to own one of these - and the best reason I can think of is because when I got home from work today there was Hamburger Helper waiting for me.
Priyanka Wadhawan
I would love to try it out on some classical indian vegetarian dishes, lightening up on the spices which is often the only thing you taste in the end. I think this method might preserve the true flavors of the vegetables. Cheers!
Grant
Eggs, eggs, eggs. And fish! Ribeyes! What would I not use it for?
Carolyn Zichterman
What I love about this contest is the conversation you have inspired. There are so many posts from people who want to try new techniques. I can't include myself to win such a cool toy, but maybe next time.
Good luck to you all!!
Carolyn Z
Stacey Ballis
My soon-to-be-finace and I love to cook together, and we both love to experiment with new techniques. He has been dying to try sous vide, and we have both come up with a million ideas. (beginning with duck and pork belly) I would love to get him this as an engagement gift, but as a self-employed freelance writer I'm lucky to make enough keep the water on, let alone circulating! He's shopping for a ring, and I don't have the scratch to offer something in return...this would be the PERFECT thing for him! Especially since we love to entertain so much that we are actively considering catering our own (small) wedding. If it matters....I'm 40, he's 50, and both of us had given up on the whole finding a soul mate thing.
Sarah Greene
I've been hearing so much about this lately and would like to try it but the chances of me affording one are slim. And, after reading through the comments and seeing the ideas people have for what you can make I'm even more interested in trying it. Thanks for having the contest.
Tim W
marinated long stem artichokes
Jesse H
I want to try it just to have perfectly soft boiled eggs.
Though I have to admit, rare and tender short ribs are highly appealing...
Michael
Basically I would continue working my way through recipes and texts and trying to learn the technique as best I could, we dont use SV at my current job but I have been working through Under pressure at home with alot of improvisation using crockpots, or ice cubes and hotel pans on an electric burner, so this would add to my notes and of course my friends who come over for my "experimental dinners" would greatly benefit as well. 🙂 We didnt do any sous vide when I was at the CIA, so if I end up at a restaurant that does it I would have more than improvised book learning. And who knows maybe I could sneak it into work for the special menu that night. Anyways thanks
Peter Horowutz
i am cooking for our 1-year-old son and he hates the crispy bits on the edges of some of the foods I make him - I bet he'd love anything I made in this gizmo. Also, we buy a quarter pig at a time from my CSA and this would help me cook some of those tougher cuts...nothing goes to waste in our place!
Hugh
Wow, I'd love to try this out. Me please?
aaron rishell
I would love to try anything with this. As expensive as they are I will probably never get the chance to use one.
Leigh Ann
EGGS!! Have been doing on stove and in slow cooker forever, but too much babysitting. MEAT! Duck, beef, pork, dear Lord where do I start? PASTA? CHOCOLATE CAKE? The possibilities are endless and I can't narrow it down to any one thing. I would try something new every few days! Can't wait to read about your experience.
chris k
Duck breast, eggs, short ribs... blah blah blah.
I have just four words: sous vide beaver tails.
Yes, honest-to-god beaver tails, trapped and cleaned by my good hillbilly buddy Tim. I'll send you pictures.
Gregorio P
Well, since I am a big egg slut... the first thing I'd do is make ethereal poached eggs for salads and benedicts. I bet the other chefs at the restaurant would like me to bring this toy in, but me thinks I'd be selfish.
Steve V
Ok, this one has been rattling around for a while. Think turducken something stuffed in something stuffed in something now think Brunswick Stew. Bone a chicken, skin on and stuff with a boned, skinned rabbit and stuff with a boned, skinned squirrel and stuff with corn, okra, tomato, potato, roll and tie, cryovac with a little tomato juice and seasoning and cook in my new Polyscience Sous Vide Professional Immersion Circulator. Reduce and adjust cooking liquid, sear chicken skin, slice and serve. This could be the next big thing and I would be more than happy to send pictures when my idea becomes a reality.
Andrew Hollister
My brother, an electrical engineer, and I, home cook, managed to rig up a machine using a schematic found on line. Worked well enough but required lots of tinkering. Made a number of meats, tuna, and salmon. The casing lost its seal and we are back to square one, it would be a lot easier to win a new one! Please.
Julee
I'm a home cook who likes to experiment with food. If I were to get a sous vide machine, I would experiment with using it to cook fruits. Since the fruit is sealed in, I would be curious to find out if cooking it sous vide would help intensify flavors. In the case of some fruits, berries (??), I would imagine that sous vide cooking would help retain the shape of the fruit. Adding some flavored liquer would also be interesting - pears cooked sous vide in a sparkling wine perhaps. Or maybe go completely wild and sous vide a fruit in a savory, spicy liquid - pineapple with chilis and bit of salt?? Yeah, I could go wlld experimenting with this machine so pick me!!
Kerry
I want to use one to infuse flavours into chocolate without losing all the aromatic components. And to temper chocolate!
Gavin Fritton
I have a theory, supported at this time by nothing more than my fevered imagination, that vegetables, cooked sous vide with the right spices, liquids and oils, could be sublime. It would be a way to try to "inject" the flavor of the sauce (I'm thinking vinaigrette right now, but who knows...) sort of "into" the veg instead of just having it coat the vegetables like a dressing on a salad. That's what I'd like to try.
Jodi
I would use it to impress my friends 🙂 The ideas for using it are endless, but I have to agree with a few other posters - I think the first thing I would probably do is eggs (using my fav local organic eggs). I have heard eggs cooked sous vide are phenomenal!
Jordan
I already asked Santa for the Williams Sonoma sous vide machine and I was planning to just use the ol' thermometer in a pan cooking technique. I'm curing a dozen duck legs right now and was going to braise them in time for xmas. Would love to use less duck fat and make a healthier confit that is already portioned out! Then I'm going to start braising pork belly with soy, mirin and daikkon until I've got it mastered. Then I'm going to do osso bucco, then moroccan lamb shanks, and then...........................
Braise all winter - smoke all summer!
A-Pow
As a culinary school instructor with a razor thin budget for tools I constantly get emails and questions from students who want to learn to use a proper immersion circulator or have some wild ideas they want to try out. This would let me do just that.
Oh and I would do a 24 hour oxtail braise. Serve it with some fresh papardelle pasta and the juices. Simple, delicious, perfect for winter if I bring it home to cook for the spouse.
Samuel Ludwig
Seeing as I am a student who cooks more than anyone else I know, I would use it to... feed myself and my friends.
Lily Spek
Soooo I hear these are utterly fantastic and having eaten food cooked sous-vide from one, I would love to try my hand...
Tamidon
Wow...I could get rid of my low rent cooler sous vide set up? That would be wonderful.
Gabie
Well, i don't have a heartwarming tale of why i would be deserving of such a prize. I'm a chef, i love cooking and i need to reconnect with my craft outside of a work environment. A friend has one and goes on about it. I just want to kick his butt at his own game. Please and thank you.
Michael B.
Hmm, pork belly perhaps? That and my fiancée doesn't want to hear about me spending more cash on "single purpose" cooking toys...
Joe Van Loon
Michael,
Throw my name in the hat for that slick machine. I want to try my hand at some sous vide. I wonder if a long slow cook of Bourdain's heart would taste like pork. It's surely been confited in pig fat by now!
Thanks for all of your great insight into the culinary world. Love "Charcuterie" and "Ratio". I find them both indispensable.
- Joe V.
Jason Kozlowski
WOOP WOOP I want a tepid puddle machine!
mpw280
Well for starters I would use it to get the four kids eating something other than 4 staples of childhood, hotdogs, burgers, chicken nuggets and pasta. Then I would have to work hard to get my wife eating new and adventurous foods including more fish (not really an item on her menu). After getting that going, I would work it into things that I would like to try as well. mpw
Murray
I'll be starting to raise a few chickens in the spring so I can't think of a better way to learn more about sous vide! Keep up the great work with your site.
Andrew
I've built my own coffee roaster, and have thought about rigging up my own sous vide machine, but this would be a much better way to go. I've got a freezer full of locally farmed, antibiotic free, pastured beef, poultry, pork, and bison and cooking them sous vide may be the best way to enjoy them at their very best. Would love to add this to my kitchen.
Al Webster
I want to experiment with sous vide and real wild game...not farm raised wild game. I'll never get a chance unless I win this.
Chris
I would use it to make the best breakfast ever. Pork belly in a pouch and a couple of eggs in there too at around 145-150.
Benjamin
I am trying to open a small dinner operation and build it into a culinary empire (in southeast Iowa). This would help get the ball rolling on some techniques that have not been done here before.
Phi Nguyen
I have the perfect dish that I want to first try with an immersion circulator - Thit Heo Kho Trung (Braised pork with egg). Imagine it, succulent, tender pork with a nice and runny soft boiled egg. This is just making me salivate as I think about it!
Beth
I've seen these in use for years. I'm not sure yet exactly what I would do with it, but I'm sure I could find uses!
Claire
I would use it to help involve my children in the kitchen. I have a three year old and 20 month old and they can be quite picky eaters. However when they stir, press the scale button, etc, they are much more likely to eat whatever is being made.
The other wish would be to recreate the steak and lavender dish I was lucky enough to try at Alinea.
Josh
I want to give it to my mom. She went to the CIA in New York in the late '90s but had never heard of sous vide when I mentioned reading about it on your blog. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to play with it myself when visiting.
JW
I want to replace my rice cooker contraption with something I can actually use for crowd!
Graeme
Because it saves me from having to build one myself and potentially electrocuting myself to death in the process.
Nick
Something I was recently thinking about was slathering a lamb shank with red miso paste before cooking it sous-vide.
Andrew Miller
I am very interested in experimenting with risotto. After achieving an acceptable result I want to start making individual portions of it and refrigerating them. Making a large batch would save so much time for me every week. Having good risotto available as a college student in a short time frame would be spectacular (especially in Winter in frigid Northern Illinois). I have also thought about a cookbook for students utilizing this device to show how it will recover its own cost over an educational lifespan in addition to saving money and eating better quality food in general. Convenience and quality are big preferences for the modern student and this has the potential to be a game changer for us, as it already has for the world of restaurants.
Rob S
It would help me cook millionaire cuts of meat on a paupers pay. ie short ribs, brisket
Rob S
It would help me make by modest cuts of beef taste like fillet. ie short ribs, brisket
Andrew
I would love to use it to test some recipes for a restaurant concept I am trying to develop. Getting the ball rolling with the sous vide equipment is expensive and this would help out considerably!
Swain
This is one of my favorites and takes a lot of time without a circulator. Eggs in shell at 62.5C for 1 hour, cooled, shell removed. Next roll eggs in a mixture of parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Fry in vegitable oil until golden brown. Serve for breakfast with the best toasted bread and a couple of thick slices of bacon! Or for dinner top the golden egg on your favorite salad. The yolk is amazing either way.
Swain
This is one of my favorites and takes a lot of time without a circulator. Eggs in shell at 62.5C for 1 hour, cooled, shell removed. Next roll eggs in a mixture of parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Fry in vegitable oil until golden brown. Serve for breakfast with the best toasted bread and a couple of thick slices of bacon! Or for dinner top the golden egg on your favorite salad. The yolk is amazing either way.
Thanks,
-=---SWAIN:;-----
Scott Lilley
I started making David Chang's sous-vide-hack ziploc Hanger Steak this past summer, which is awesome. But I'd be psyched to graduate from hack to legit sous vider. That, and along with many commenters above, there are a ton of pig parts waiting for the high tech hot tub.
Curt Hancock
Hmm, I'd be interested in trying this. I'd always thought that the amount of iron in a hanger steak would have it tasting like liver after a swim in a tank...
Peter Kaizer
Because I am a Kitchen Geek 🙂
Quincy
I would love to use the immersion circulator to map out the gradient of texture/flavor of steak and eggs (and other foods too, I'm sure) when cooked to each individual degree (and then savor the tasty results!). Yes; I'm that pedantic about exploring and understanding cooking.
David k.
Hands down, steak and chicken. It's something I've always wanted to play with.
Henry
I'm always game for a giveaway. The only thing better than a circulator is two, or more. I have been using the sous vide magic for a couple of years now, as well as a couple of old Haake analog type units that are accurate but take a half an hour or more to set to any particular temperature. Would certainly love a new one to be able to cook more items for a dinner at different temperatures without setting up all day for it.
Joe Olejniczak
I would use it to experiment and have fun.
jeff
use it for sous vide cooking!
Jon in Albany
It would definitely be a fun toy. First thing I would have to try is the perfect egg.
FoodBully
I would use it to circulate pork fat to make the pork belly confit from the most awesome cookbook "Charcuterie".
Scott
To cook the 15 lbs of yak chuck roasts I just got!
Bunnee
Honestly, I would probably not use it enough to justify it, but I know someone who has given me and so many others hours of entertainment with her blogs would love to have this, so I would give it away!
Derek
I always wanted to try Berkshire pork cheeks sous vide.
Marisa
I really don't know what I'd make with it - given how expensive these guys are, I've avoided reading too many sous vide recipes, since it just made me jealous (and hungry!). I'm sure I could make up for lost time quickly, though 😉
Marisa
I really don't know what I'd make with it - given how expensive these guys are, I've avoided reading too many sous vide recipes, since it just made me jealous (and hungry!). I'm sure I could make up for lost time quickly, though 😉
[apologies if this is a double post - looked like my last one didn't go through...]
Carolyn
I would cook carrots, radishes, parsnips, and other vegetables sous-vide. I'm big on finding fun, creative ways to do veggies. I always wanted to add that I love that you gave a shout out to WS in Beachwood (where I used to work). They've had that since this summer (if memory serves). I also loved that you mentioned Coventry. Things like these help the homesick Cleveland-Heights-er who just moved to Chicago.
John DiGiovanni
I saw an intresting article on cooking an omelete in its own shell, which I am quite intrested to try out. From making duck confit, to braising everything under the sun, to making killer buffalo wings for a Blue Jackets game, but most importantly would be to find some recipes or techniques to get the kids involved with cooking (They do love making a mess and using the FoodSaver)
Becky
I would love to get one of these to try out - I'd really use this on meat - nice and rare and perfectly cooked!
adoxograph
I would play with some sweet sous vide. yeah, there is eggs that would be divine and meats that would be insanely fabulous but think of the weird fun things you could do with fruit!
Julie Cunningham
I'm so glad those mad geniuses have made sous vide cooking available to the home cook. It is one of the best - and healthiest - methods. And I want one!
tony nguyen
I am currently a chef of a restaurant and banquet center. I would use it to cook 100 filet mignons perfectly @ 59 C ... It would be nice to not have to check the ovens every few minutes to make sure they are not over / under cooked.
Ricardo
I'd use it to prepare my infant son's first taste of steak, hopefully igniting a life long passion for food!
Lisa
I am a professional, working two jobs to make ends meet in a tough times; I am an adjunct faculty member at my community college teaching basic pastry to culinary students, and, working as the savory chef for a catering company. My degrees are in culinary and pastry. I take master level classes in pastry during my precious & few days off. I am a member of the Bread Baker's Guild of America and a certified pastry culinarian in the ACF. I freelance as a consultant whenever I can, usually for free or for a nominal fee. I volunteer two days a month cooking for low-income senior-citizens with special dietary needs.
I love food. I love feeding people good food. I want to constantly improve what I produce. I'm not in it for fame or fortune, I want to give people a great experience with every meal I serve.
At heart, I'm a pastry chef, on the cold side of the kitchen -even though I work both sides on a daily basis.
I've done a little work with some jury-rigged setups consisting of vacuum sealers, canning jars, and thermometers in steam-jacketed kettles. But, I'd like to do more, specifically more in the area of pastry as well as fruits and vegetables -areas not well covered in current literature.
I have plenty of space in a commercial kitchen to create a decent setup for the machine where it won't be disturbed, and, I have access to lab equipment to test results for pathogens, etc. (volunteering for the seniors has its benefits, especially when some of them are PhD-level scientists...)
I think I could do a significant amount of research and testing on the equipment, and it would be a great complement for my quest for better foods! I'd also be willing to be a guest blogger on someone's site, to document my journey.
dan
I used an immersion circulator in culinary school and haven't had the chance since. I would show this small predominantly irish town how good bar food can be with a complete sous video corned beef and cabbage special.
dan
I used an immersion circulator in culinary school and haven't had the chance since. I would show this small, predominantly irish town how good bar food can be with a complete sous vide corned beef and cabbage special.
Scott
I would use it to feed the orphans.
Adam Gianopolus
I would use this fine piece of equipment only as far as my imagination would take me – letting the stars be my ultimate guide. Anything from cooking vegetables for my 1 ½ year old son (he absolutely loves all kinds of food, especially vegetables) to testing out ideas for my future restaurant.
I’d like to try braising pork shoulder with corn husks (pigs eat corn, right) for several hours, remove and shred while still hot, compress, and chill overnight. Reheat by first coating in crumbled freeze-dried corn (staying true to the corn theme) and sautéing in a little butter and canola oil. Perhaps, sous vide would be a good technique for cooking polenta and a perfect accompaniment for the pork shoulder! In a bag, add yellow corn meal, frozen chicken stock cubes, mascarpone cheese, butter, and place in water bath for an hour or so.
However, if you do pick me, my wife might think I am a bigger nerd than what she already does!
Jake
I've been wanting to get into sous-vide cooking for a while, but being a grad student has meant that I can only gaze with longing at the immersion circulators in the lab. I'd use this to finally cook that perfect steak I've always wanted!
kate
I love salmon.
I had great salmon sous vide in Montreal - it was my first experience with sous vide- and I've been dreaming of it ever since. I think salmon would be the first thing I'd sous-vide (with dill, fennel, and olive oil) followed by pork belly with asian spices.
Brian
Sous-vide cooking has always intrigued me since I ran into aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean. They had a hundred-odd steaks cooking in this fashion; several cookers at different temps for different steak done-ness, with a quick sear afterwards. I've always wanted to give it a shot.
Marion Byne
I would love to win this. Love cooking at home and trying new things. Would love to try veal shanks...imagine they would be unbelieveable. Love your articles and blog items.
Harry Flager
I'm a sophomore at Columbia University in NYC and cook for a student-run lunch program on campus. We have no funding from the university and this sous vide machine would be a huge help (for evenly cooking meats, poaching fruits, vegetables, etc). Oh, and we're at a university, so I can't even imagine the wacky stuff we'll figure out to do with this machine at 3 A.M. in between problem sets.
Josh Berkus
Hey Michael, entering the lottery. We met in Cleveland, although I doubt you remember. We talked about "ratios", which was just an idea of yours at the time and not a book.
If you give me the sous-vide cooker, I'll give it to my friend Amy, a chef from Colorado, who is lusting after it and needs to cook holiday dinners for her family while her father is in intensive care. How's that for a pitch? Really, I will give it to Amy.
YC
Wow, every time I check back the page of comments jumps 3 pages!! Awesome. I can't say i'm more deserving than anyone else. But I cook every day, am a celiac chef, clever & slighty potty mouthed (in a good way, snort) local girl, small business owner, supporter of CLE economy, lover of the west side market and all stores (large and small) and restaurants who support the gluten free and dairy free movement to make our lives a bit easier. 🙂 GF can be so isolating and there is a huge social aspect of it that it bleeds into...an immersion circulator would be neat tool to have for my dinner parties and recipes. Entertaining "in" is a huge part of GF social stuff 2do because of food safety. I'd appreciate it & hope I get the luck of the draw!!!! Thanks, you ruhl. (badum bum. i'll be here all week)
Diane
I'd use this for beef, pork & wild game - yum!
Michael Long
I would use this in my blog as far as teaching others about Sous Vide cooking. And of course use it myself. But for teaching the techniques of Sous Vide and the positive of this style of cooking.
Gerald Lavish
I would love to braise short-ribs or some other tough cut of meat for a very long time (24-72 hrs) at a reasonable temperature (i.e. one that wouldn't dry out the actual protein) of 60C. The result should be nothing short of fantastic!
Mary
Wow! Seriously!??! This is an amazing give away. A treasure. Please enter me in your drawing. How would I use it? In every way possible. Thomas Keller is my hero. To follow in his footsteps, in your footsteps, that's a pretty special thing.
(I do live in the US with a US address, I am just abroad at the moment -- if you are checking comment origins.)
Noel Harrington
Would bathe myself in poached eggs, poached eggs, and more perfect poached eggs; probably with creamy egg sauce over them!
Ben
Your immersion circulator would single-handedly change my eating habits for the much better. As a first year phd student who loves to cook, but is nevertheless often on campus working 12-15 hours daily to avoid the 30% dropout rate, sous vide cooking would revolutionize my ability to enjoy home cooked food.
Mr Belm
I need an immersion circulator so I can stop borrowing one from my lab on Friday evenings and returning it on Monday mornings. I'd like to be able to cook sous vide on a weekday.
Kiran
A food science project which i'm keen to partake 😉
Eli
I'd cook perfectly rare sockeye for sure, and I'd be interested to try octopus, maybe a confit?
Erwin Chuk
I've done sous vide cooking in a professional kitchen and want to see applications for home cooking. Also, I'm interested to see how I can put it to use for preparing my baby's food.
Jon Brostek
the first thing I would do with that, is make some short ribs in it, to prove to my dad that they are worth eating. He just doesn't believe they are. Then I would start cooking sous vide chickens in it constantly.
Mike A
Aloha , My wife and I own a restaurant in Buffalo NY. and we would love to have a Circulator to further expand our menu. i have a great skirt steak technique that requires a steady tempurature before searing and slicing .
Next time your in Buffalo stop in and i'll make it for you.(whether you give me this or not!0
Mike Kropp
One overarching word: experimentation - new flavors, new textures, new ways of thinking about cooking. The possibilities are endless.
Curt Hancock
Wow, When I left ad hoc at the end of the summer, I was inwardly distraught at the thought of having to cook without one of these! Reading under pressure and ideasinfood has had me longing for one for years, but working in yountville I actually had a chance to work with one and learn to appreciate how brilliant they really are! As much as I would love to have this for myself, I would give it to my high school culinary program. They couldn't likely afford one on their own, and it would be a perfect thank you gift for my two years spent there. The chef there was the person who most influenced my decision to go to CIA (a close runner up would be making of a chef), and given the amount of high volume catering they do, it would, I'm sure, prove extremely valuable! I'm always trying to teach the current students about new techniques they may otherwise not learn about, and this could be a fantastic teaching tool!
p.s. I've been reading the blog for years, and I'm sure theres some technical reason for your doing so, but the change to the blog format where I have to click the link to jump to the rest of the article is extremely irritating. Given the amount of time since you made the change, I've come to accept it, but I figured I'd let you know that I preferred the old format anyways. And though the format is a pain, the content is as great as it ever as been!
Hans
My friend and I worked out a ghetto sous vide rig back in '07 using a styrofoam cooler, a scale, an excel spreadsheet, and a chart with the specific heat capacities of water and meat (very close, not surprisingly.) It produced remarkably tasty and tender results with short ribs. Not long thereafter (I guess it was a little less than a year when I first saw it used on TV) I was shocked that what we were trying to do was a legit, cutting edge cooking technique.
As for what I'd do with a real immersion circulator, my mom's home raised pork belly in maple syrup would be the easy answer, but what would I most like to do? Venison with elderberries, thyme, wildflower honey, and butter is my top choice. I'd have added lemon zest to the mix, but I think it would be better added after the venison was out of the vacuum pouch, as a post-sous vide & sear component when it's plated.
Daniel Kamel
have one at work, but would love to play with it at home =]
Matthew Ell
As an aspiring chef, I'd simply use it to to learn and build my cooking technique. A great piece of equipment like that would be a lot of fun in the kitchen.
Brian Elsbeend
The first time i had sous vide cooking was at Alinea where i was served a sous vide version of an escoffier dish. It redefined what beef can be -- both in terms of flavor and texture. Now. Know. Could not approach what Chef did there, but to even be able to try would be amazing.
James Farr
As a chemist, this is very familiar, its a constant temperature bath that we use all the time. With my food saver vacuum system, have all the elements.
Matt Swann
I'd use it to make perfect yams next Thanksgiving — sliced and cooked sous-vide at 185° with slices of orange and a couple tbsps butter until soft, then pureed with a bit of cream and salt. Served with nutmeg salted caramel — yum!
Frank Dragna
Love to cook. Love to introduce new techniques to my son(7 years old). Tomorrow is our first attempt at pepperoni. sous vide would be a great learning experience for both of us
Dave
Pork belly with kimchi - seared after. Infuse vegetables with truffle oil? 65 degree eggs.
JGD
I have been thinking about building my own for sometime. I would love the real thing!
Brian
I would explore the use of cooking things with an immersion circulator but no bag: traditional poaching but at a precise, constant temperature.
The first thing that I'd try to make would be veal stock. I'd be curious to see if there is a temperature at which the collagen breaks down into gelatin without making any of the proteins coagulate, thus eliminating the need for skimming the top of the pot. I really wish I had a copy of McGee in front of me right now.
Yvonne
I would love to have the Sous Vide Immersion Circulator because I do a lot of multi cultural ethnic dishes that require a lot of time to cook. I would like to experiment with these same dishes and more to see how they would taste with a different cooking method. I'm a kitchen gadget freak and collect all that I can afford. However, I've an adopted son that requires expense education support that make this circulator out of my price range.
Aaron
So many possibilities, definitely great for taking the guess work out of beer making. Rather than having to render two ducks worth of fat just to confit four leg/thighs, it's be nice to be able to achieve the same results with only a few tablespoons of that precious golden liquid. Making confit as I type actually, and duck stock, from birds I killed myself. Satisfying feeling, but it would be nice to be able to bring together the best of the twenty first century to update the traditions of yesterday. Not to mention all the fun things we could do on the farm...
Christopher Lucchese
Well first off, you did a fantastic job with Mr. Bourdain on his holiday special. While having a glass of scotch I really, really, really wanted to go out and buy a side of beef. Enough brown-nosing, and this is perfect for me. I can't wait to try a pork belly in it. I own a dutch oven, crock pot, an electric smoker and a real wood smoker. All on the lower range of price. So this is a bit out of my price range, but would love love love to own a one of these. I don't like to leave any of my other slow cookers going while at work, and this would be perfect! That London Broil looks fantastic. One of my favorite grilling cuts that is fantastic cut wafer thin. I can almost taste it now. My girlfriend loves when I slow cook different meats, and I would so enjoy to try my hand with this machine. AND, it would assist me with my wanting to get into cooking full time for a living. Being that this is all the rage, I could practice for my friends at home!!
Cheers, Happy Holidays
Keep up the great work
Andrew Griggs
I would like to use it to try out some fruit preservation techniques. I understand that flavors are not lost in fruits/vegetables when cooking sous vide and I think imparting some flavors like vanilla, thyme and lemon zest into some in season apricots that we grow here in CA would be amazing over yogurt.
Jason
this is going to sound strange but every morning I eat Greek yogurt, and I tend to add honey to sweeten it. But I've always wondered if you could caramelize the actual yogurt itself; so by using a immersion circulator I would love to try actually slowly caramelizing the yogurt (perhaps even marscapone for a pasta filling).
Austin
The very first thing I would do would be to cook about 10 different variations of egg dishes (65 degree egg, truffle oil poached egg, and several others), then I would immediately move to some different cuts of meat (I'm drooling right now at the thought of all the cooking I would do).
John
Well my mom and dad are about to be empty nesters with my brother moving out and it sure beats my previous gift idea of a Baster. The baster isn't the only thing on the list but it's a more pitiful gift idea than a sharkskin grater and pity is the only tool I have here.
As to what i'd do with it, I'd really have fun playing with my parents smoker to smoke something halfway and then sous vide it the rest. I have no idea if that would work but it might give something a subtly smoked flavor. Almost making it an afterthought on the palate that bugs people the whole night. I really enjoy messing with anyone who is brave enough to eat with me.
That also reminds me to go back to my idea of a fake pate that's actually raw cookie dough with a sweet fruit aspic on top. A sous vide machine might give it a better texture that I'm looking for and allay fears that they're actually eating raw eggs.
gary hoag
I would love to be able to play with this. I work with a non profit and run there coffee shop and small resturant on campus for the staff and students. This would open up so many fun things I could do and save me some time as well.
psn
oh god, the possibilities are endless. things i would do with it:
1.) squee
2.) hug it
3.) cook something super accurately with it
4.) gaze at it lovingly as i eat the food.
Robby Delosier
Not only would this be amazing at cooking meat, I would like to try using it to keep wort, (unfermented beer) at 155 degrees,
.
Mark
I have been trying to talk my wife in to letting me buy a Sous-Vide cooker so we can start to do more home cooking and less eating out. We are really not that different from any other working couple and trying to make time to do some good cooking each week seems to go out the window once despite out best intentions. Being able to prep meals in the morning and come home and to protein ready to finish and consume would be amazing start to changing life our lives.
AKP
i have long babbled on about how great i think sous vide is (so much so that a friend of mine sent me a link to this contest knowing i'd enter), but i've never really considered the implications of the technique on my own food history. dont get me wrong -- i want to experiment with eggs, short ribs, vegetables (break down those cellular walls!) and the like, but i also want to experiment with my inherited traditions, and think about the relationship between old and new - how can this relatively new technology open up possibilities for old flavors, foods, and traditions that i love? for instance, how could i modify the lamb curry recipe i grew up with to include a circulator, instead of a pot, or a slow cooker? would it make it better? worse? what would my parents say? my grandparents? is it worth tweaking their recipes to the point that they are no longer theirs, but mine? these are the questions i want to think about and the conversations i want to have, and they will (most likely) lead to all sorts of criticisms that will be fun and helpful to consider.
Ajay
I would use this immersion circulator as a means of communicating to my thesis committee the extreme intentionality with which chefs today approach food and cooking.
Most specifically, I am interested in creating a progression of desserts demonstrating slight differentiations in cook time and temperature and the implications of each.
Randi
After having had an unpleasant egg experience as a much younger gal, I swore off my ovoid nemesis. Now, 1/4 way through cooking school (and more specifically, after my first set of practical cookery exams during which I had to present a French folded omelet to a Michelin-starred chef who had come up under Alain Ducasse. My studying consisted of 6 dozen farm-fresh eggs), all I want to do is cook eggs. The possibilities are limitless: a perfectly cooked yolk with an ephemeral white, the Platonic poached egg... I would like to get my grubby paws on that immersion circulator, but mostly to work on furthering my relationship with the noble egg.
Charles Thorn
I'm a home cook who reads cookbooks at bedtime to help me go to sleep, and sous vide cooking has seemed out of reach for me as a technique for my domestic scale meals. I have an active group of dinner/cooking friends, and it would be more than way cool to have such a machine to use and experiment with, and see if the cutting edge of culinary tech is actually amenable to home cooking needs and scale.
Plus, it would be really fun to experiment with it.
Albert Hu
I have been wanted to start a food blog for a while now and I think that having a Sous Vide would be the perfect way to start! I even thought of a name, "a foodie with a Sous Vide". Your gift could not only help me but the also live on and share its wonders in the blogging world.
Jerry
Beef short ribs, pork butt, fish, cow tongue are just a few things that would get the bath. Such a cool machine! P.S. Happy Holidays Ruhlman and keep up the great work.
Max Raynolds
Everyone sounds so chipper in the comment. I just want it to do crazy booze infusions. And to speed up some home made bitters recipes. Also cooking fruits and vege without oxidation would be slick.
Jennifer Fry
I would say either eggs or pork belly. Mainly to impress an eleven year old who is my "souse chef" He loves to cook and will only eat "jen's bacon" which comes from your book. He earned his first chef's knife (a small global) and now is in charge of all chopping and sauteing. Sous vide would definitely edge out Call of Duty for him!
jen in SF
First and foremost, I'd use the circulator to get back in my brother's good graces. I cook professionally and December is crazy busy. So busy, I managed to forget his bday yesterday. A fairly minor infraction except that for my birthday this year, he and his wife not only flew in to visit me but they took me to the French Laundry. yeah. serious whoops. At FL, one of our favorite courses was a sous vide squab breast wrapped in chard with a chocolate truffle emulsion. Insanely good. I'd use the circulator to recreate the dish for him at Xmas. After that? 62 degree eggs for breakfast. Every day.
mike
I'm a small farmer and a food/farm blogger. Everyone talks about eggs and pork in relation to sous vide. But I'm more interested in it from a fresh and healthy perspective. I'd like to use it to work on more healthy, full flavor recipes. Low-cal, low-oil cooking is an emergent field but nobody is experimenting with it in relation to Sous Vide. That would be my thing. I'd even do the finish sear on a hot grill rather than in a saute pan.
Bin
I plan to use it in my restaurant, given that we don't have anything besides a 6 burner, an ice cream machine, and an oven, it'd be great to be able to get some new equipment!
Casey Angelova
This would be a great tool to further my culinary education! I am tweeting and FB-ing this too!
Remy
I've been staring at immersion circulators for years. I've rigged up a sous vide bath in a cooler and tried David Chang's "Ghetto Sous Vide" technique out of the Momofuku cookbook. I'd find endless uses for that baby.
Benjamin Parks
Wow! Incredible give away. One of my favorite dishes to cook with a circulator is pork belly with quince puree. The bellyia great when it's slow cooked, and the quince stay golden like butternut squash. I hope I win!
lana
attempting a hands-free chocolate tempering process.
owenfoster
pipe-able cream brulee.... pipe it, dust it.. torch it.
thanks for the shot. looks wicked nice.
scott
The best spot prawns you've ever tasted are cooked sous vide. I want to continue playing with infusing various flavors into spot prawns and other seafood.
mark
hello. my name is mark. i would like the immersion circulator to introduce the cooks in my kitchen to sous vide cooking. it is becoming standard equipment for kitchens, but is still a luxury item that most restaurants will not splurge on. also, i spent my circulator savings on helping feed malnourished albino children who live in tropical environments.
Rob
I cook at the spotted pig and we don't have one there. It would be a neat thing to play with. I would like to experiment with it to make terrines.
Chris N.
Is there anything you won't want to circulate if you had one of these at the house!? When i heard this was a giveaway the thought of lamb-shank confit flashed before me. Why stop there? Perfectly circulated green eggs and ham!
Linda
I was so cold and tired after walking the 4 miles home from downtown where I feed the homeless and work at a shelter, and then my 2nd shift teaching adults to read at the literacy project, that I almost missed Mark's comment about sending money to albino children. What a wonderful cause. I am currently saving for bus fare, but I'll be all right! Send the circulator to Mark!
(Just teasing. This is not a real entry.)
Jennifer
I've been intrigued by this method for some time and would love to incorporate it into my ever more elaborate and expensive attempts to get my small children to eat non-nugget animal protein. And also to tweak my mother, who claims sous vide is the craziest thing she's ever heard of. I'll show her! This is a very generous giveaway, Michael. Happy holidays.
Ken
I have been fascinated by sous vide for quite some time. Due to the high prize tag, I still a dream and not quite reality. Winning this piece of equipment will definitely start a new chapter in my culinary pursuit.
Amy
I love to entertain, and want to throw a soirée where the entire meal from the amuse-bouche to the chocolate truffle have been made with the benefits of sous vide. Doesn't tempering chocolate via sous vide sound interesting? Of course, now I'll need a chamber vacuum sealer, but hey, if you're supplying the circulator, it's the least I can do. 😉
Mark Stone
My wife and I are avid home cooks. We recently got married (Oct. 30) and this would make a splendid addition to our kitchen. Food has been a big part of our relationship and cooking together is one of our most beloved bonding activities. Over the course of our relationship, I've introduced her to many new foods and cultures and this would be another wonderful thing to introduce her to. She's never had sous vide and I've only done the poor man's version with a cooler and a thermometer but this would open up for me a new world of food experimentation. Plus, she said I could do all the mad scientist cooking and experimenting I wanted once the Thank You notes were done. They're done, so feel free to give me this machine!
Holden Rogers
Michael, old pal -- at least I feel like one having read most all your stuff which has helped elevate me from the state being an old but serious home cook to that of being an older, 77, and still serious home cook -- what a help it would be to have the circulator! I mean, no longer would I have to drag out a bee-keeper's temperature controller and 7 quart slow-cooker or even a bigger stockpot-and- hot-plate combo and make space-age electrical connections to produce high-class lamb shanks and briskets for 25 grandchildren and great-nieces and -nephews. The device would have a good home and frequent use in Chestertown, MD!
And win or lose, Happy Cooking to You and YoursToo!
Holden
Brendan "BIG B"
After seeing your video and reading Catching Fire, my wife and I have been having more success in getting together with family and friends. We have been luring them to our house with food. I want the immersion circulator just so I can prepare great food, and spend more time with the people I love.
I wish everyone happy, healthy holidays.
Jamie Samons
What a nifty giveaway! I want to sous vide pig trotters!
John G
Should I be so lucky (and have never won anything except the hand of my lovely wife), I would prepare pork shoulder with three distinct flavor profiles. 1) Rosemary, thyme and lemon/lime with pasta; 2) Sweet-n-Sour Korean style w/ homemade kimchee and rice flour tortillas; 3) Hot and spicy pulled on a 7 grain brioche bun.
Mark Boxshus
OMG...... It's "Santa" Ruhlman to the rescue! LOL. Wow.......what a magnificent gesture. I can't think of too many things that this "somewhat" accomplished cook and baker wouldn't attempt with this great cooking device. I already vacuum pack most of the meat, fish, poultry and other perishables I buy in bulk. Now, I'd have a valid reason for this vacuum packing frenzy. A juicy brisket sounds delicious right now.
LynneM
OMG, I've been enamored of this exciting technique ever since I experienced it at a DC restaurant a few years ago. I'm thrilled to know that the equipment is now available for the home cook, even if I'm not lucky enough to win it.
Thanks for your blog. Reading it is always a nice way to end my day.
Todd
I want to attempt to recreate the "Buffalo chicken wings" dish from Moto. All I need is an immersion circulator. Well that, and a capon. And edible printer ink.
Jessica Lee Binder
A Sous Vide Immersion Circulator or machine is at the very top of my X-mas wishlist but since we have a baby due in Feb, I know I'm not getting one. =( The first few things I'd sous vide are duck and lamb because I've had them at restaurants and it's just divine. After that, I'm dying to try whole fish sous vide, maybe a Chinese style, in a new way. Fingers crossed!! Happy Holidays!
Jan Polex
Thank you for the chance to win this, I can not help but think that this would make a mighty fine Pork Canitas, slowly cooking a Pork shoulder in Pork Fat. I can almost taste it
Tracig
eggs eggs eggs!
Bart Bowling
What perfect timing for this giveaway, not because it's the holiday season, but because just yesterday I picked up a copy of Douglas Baldwin's Sous Vide for the Home Cook. I definitely see sous vide used for custards and confections in my future. And meat. And vegetables.
Michael Miller
I've been trying to modify my crock pot electronics to do sous vide cooking with dangerous results. Something like this could potentially save my family! I can't think of much I wouldn't try to cook in this thing except green salads. But tradition PA dutch bacon dressing would probably come out of it pretty spectacular, with lovely bacon flavor infused throughout. Man, can I eat a salad for breakfast?
Josh
I'd use it to make my wife's life easier. I'm a baker and work crazy hours, and she usually finds herself having to cook dinner - something she rarely enjoys. I'd use my day off to pre-package meals, then all she'd have to do is pop the package into the water. There'd be fewer dishes to clean, and it'd take a little stress out of her life.
Of course for dinner parties, long braised, medium-rare short ribs would go over very well, too. That just sounds stupid good!
holly
I've been curing my own bacon, making my own cheese and growing more and more of our produce while making a concerted effort to keep these traditions alive by sharing with family and friends. What fun to be able to go in the other direction technologically and create new delicacies! Pork! Butter poached royal red shrimp! Where to start? or stop?
Andrew Mansky
I've been really wanting to get a decent sous vide unit, but my girlfriend WILL kill me if I spend $800 on one.
Rachel Wingfield
I am a young cook hoping to open a gourmet sandwich shop in the Shenadoah Valley of Virginia and plan not only to store my proteins in cryovac bags, but I want to cook with an immersion circulator to offer my customers with a new and delicious way to enjoy a sandwich. This would be a huge cut into opening costs. Any dollar, ANY CENT, would help.
Steve
I would love to upgrade from my rice cooker sous vide rig 🙂
Kara
We're expecting our first child in early March and will be a working mom after maternity leave. My husband's idea of cooking a "nice meal" for me is opening up a can of "chicken a la king" and putting it in puff pastry shell. 🙂 Therefore, I'm the cook of the family. I normally love to spend hours in the kitchen, but just with this pregnancy, I've been restricted from my marathon cooking sprees and I know my time in the kitchen is only going to get even more restricted once the baby's here. I don't want to sacrifice quality food in our house due to the inability to dedicate hours in the kitchen...the sous vide machine to the rescue!
I'd love to use the sous vide machine not only for delicious healthy meals after a long day at work, but also to make baby food for my child once he starts on solid foods. I've heard it's a great way to turn your baby on to how delicious veggies are while keeping all of the nutrients in...maybe I could blog about it too! Is http://www.sousvidebaby.com taken?
pat anderson
I want to use it to poach liver in duck fat (I love making paté). I think that liver done that way wouldn't need to be turned to paté. Also want to do oxtail in sherry. Cubes of venison that are sold at my local farmers' market for stews, sous vide them instead. Myriad tough and tasty cuts of meat.
Peter tompkins
Save me from standing at the stove with a thermometer and a pot of water my fennel, I could be doing so much more!
John Bailey
There are so many restaurants using conventional braising and then holding-in-an-oven methods with bad results such as the indifferent lamb I had at a Greek restaurant last night. Leg of lamb for 24 hours at 145F resulting in tenderness via sous vide would be so much better to serve. Bison/buffalo rib eye steaks at 150F for a couple hours giving center to edge consistent doneness, while still moist and connective tissues and fat melting. 48 hour St. Louis ribs, smoked with the PolyScience Smoking Gun before presentation. Rack of lamb a la minute sealed in the bag with a schmeer of mint jelly and spices. Then next summer, corn on the cob with a drizzle of butter and thyme vacuumed and done at 185F.
Ah, so many dishes, so many different temperatures, but so little time to test them individually! This PolyScience SVP could help expand horizons and further the variety of dishes served at home for dinner.
JimD
Short ribs. I have heard rumors of a meat so rich and tender that it is the stuff of dreams. (my dreams may not be like other people"s dreams...) I believe the recipe (from T. Keller) says 36 hours at 160 degrees. I really need to do that!
Jewel
Eggs. Thousands of deviled eggs! Possibly even millions. Ooh, and Jon Bailey's corn on the cob sounds wonderful!
Dawn
I don't think I've eaten anything cooked sous vide before, so I'd be like a kid in a candy store! I'd start with short ribs, then to chicken, steak, pork, and on, and on, and on
Jimmy Tran
I'm currently an apprentice at a hotel/resort and aside from having a tool that would really refine my technique in my culinary study, I'd like to also experiment with forms of aerobic and anaerobic forms of fermentation for uses of making vinegar, cultivating yeast strains at optimal temps for homebrewing, enology, etc.
Stephen Bolech
I want to try cooking a brisket with this and then smoking it for the most wonderful Texas barbecue ever!
intheyearofthepig
Well I certainly want to cook a nice ribeye, but I primarily want to use sous vide techniques to cook vegetables. Aki and Alex at Ideas in Food always have such unique vegetable preparations compressing the ingredients and cooking sous vide. I would like to try some myself that don't involve me setting up my cooler on the dining room table.
thanks very much
Loraine
Oh the things to try
ray christopher
The three P's Perfect eggs, Pork Belly and Polenta !!! Yum
Chef Jim A Traveling Culinary Artist
OMG! As a personal chef I am always challenging myself to learn new recipes, new to me methods and techniques, unfamiliar ingredients. It's what makes my job exciting! I've been lusting for the opportunity to work with this machine since I started reading about it ! What an absolute awesome way to do a myriad of bone-in protiens--shanks-ribs-etc! Oops, have to wipe up the drool! Thanx for the opportunity to win one, I promise to use it to it's fullest ability! A loyal fan!
Terri Haley
My son, amateur chef extraordinaire, directed me to your blog. Prior to reading your compelling comments and description, I didn't even realize how much I wanted or needed this wondrous Polyscience Immersion Circulator. Beats the heck out of the Salad Shooter that is on my Christmas Wish List! But just between you and me, if I win, I will give it to him for Christmas.
T
Chef Jim A Traveling Culinary Artist
OMG! As a personal chef I am always challenging myself to learn new recipes, new to me methods and techniques, unfamiliar ingredients. It's what makes my job exciting! I've been lusting for the opportunity to work with this machine since I started reading about it ! What an absolute awesome way to do a myriad of bone-in protiens--shanks-ribs-etc! Oops, have to wipe up the drool! Thanx for the opportunity to win one, I promise to use it to it's fullest ability! A loyal fan!
I seem to be having trouble posting this, if it posts twice please ignore second attempt!
Sara
I don't think there's anything I wouldn't try making, but duck tops my list. I adore it, but I don't have the budget for it (and possibly screwing it up). A surefire cooking method would enable me to treat myself at some point.
Jake Schmidt
I will try and further my pastry cooking by circulating things like custard, jams, tapioca and ice cream bases.
Dan
So many options, so little space! So many things that could be subtly infused with flavors with this little wonder! I think I'd start with finding ways to hook a heritage pig from snout to tail! (starting with the cheeks!)
Brian
Pick me! Pick me!
Anthony
Thanks for this terrific opportunity Michael, very cool! I am a chef in a small restaurant that is trying to show our guests the importance of slow food. We have introduced a charcuterie program, and are now focusing on braised items. Slow cooked cheeks, trotters, confit pork belly and the like. We would really love to be considered for this.
Thanks for the opportunity. Happy Holidays.
Nick
For me, it's all about trying a full Thanksgiving dinner sous vide...turkey, stuffing, everything (inspired by a YouTube video of Grant Achatz doing just this!).
Rob B.
I think a simple lamb shank with tons of garlic and rosemary would be a great start, fall of the bone easy weeknight meal with this tool. Maybe poaching some yukon golds in some truffle butter then crisping them up real nice. Even infusing some chicken with a nice hoppy beer then frying to golden brown perfection. The possibilities are endless!
Maxim Pettersen
Hello Mr. Ruhlman,
I am a student at the Culinary Institute of America and I would like to start experimenting with sous vide cooking for a number of reasons: I would like to start understanding how accurately controlling temperature truly improves the flavor and texture of many foods. I would like to experience with circulated eggs vs. standard method poached eggs, proteins, vegetables, terrines, sausages, and pates. I am currently in Garde Manger and we are going to start making terrines, pates that require water baths and poaching and that will be interesting to see what the circulator can do. One more thing - I was in Chef Pardus' class and he is truly a great teacher and we spoke about you in his class. Thanks a lot!
Edamame
I had the eye opening experience of learning about sous vide via a lengthy phone conversation with philip preston for a show a few months ago and was drooling as he described the uses for this technology and the differences in appearance, taste and texture of foods the sous vide can accomplish. But he had me at carne asada--and carnitas...and I'm thinking pho...and all the delicious curries! This is a pretty generous gift--but isn't always great to turn people on to new ideas in food...thanks for you blog--love your books and now enjoying the wonderful posts and pictures.
Edamame
I had the eye opening experience of learning about sous vide via a lengthy phone conversation with philip preston for a show a few months ago and was drooling as he described the uses for this technology and the differences in appearance, taste and texture of foods the sous vide can accomplish. But he had me at carne asada--and carnitas...and I'm thinking pho, galbi shortribs...and all the delicious curries! This is a pretty generous gift--but isn't always great to turn people on to new ideas in food...thanks for you blog--love your books and now enjoying the wonderful posts and pictures.
Yael
lots of things I'd like to try but eggs are what I really want to toy around with.
J Freeman
Two words: pork belly.
Paul
Okay, this may not win creativity points, but the thing that I find myself really wanting to do first is cook some of the highest quality steaks that I can get my hands on. I do pretty well with steaks, but I'm just inconsistent enough that I don't feel comfortable plopping down the big bucks for a piece of meat I still might ruin. So I'd love to buy some really good beef and sous-vide+sear to perfection.
Other than that, well, I'd be interested in trying just about everything. I love learning new techniques and I'd be interested in trying it out on anything that comes under my hands.
Michaelb
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, all the creatures were stirring, even the mouse. The stockpots were hung in the kitchen with care, in hopes that Santa Ruhlman soon would be there.
The cookbooks were nestled all snug on the shelf, while visions of Wellington delighted myself. And mamma in her apron and I in my chef's cap, had just settled the beef for a long water bath...
Alex
I've had my eye on one for some time. My thoughts for sous vide experimentation are two fold. First I'd be experimenting with some infusions of different liquors and to see if I can some up with some interesting combinations ... Mesquite tequila anybody? To pair this I'd hope to do long slow marinade/infusion of javelina shank with a local mole porter.
james skouras
I'm 65 years old and have a continual love affair with food and my customers,ilove the feeling i get now more then i did as a teenager,it would been and honor and a lot of fun to cook dinner for you and donna.
Jericson Co
Away from the typical large format roasts and more economical poached fish dishes. I would love to use the circulator for sous vide offal like beef tendon and tripe. I won't have to check my pot every hour for 8 hours just to get that slightly firmer, sliceable consistency for the offal that you can't get in regular braising because braising just has everything melt away.
Santa Ruhlman to the rescue!
Rose
I just started to eat healthier and cooking sous vide would be an alternative to steaming or baking where the flavor of the food will not be lost and hopefully the need for sodium will be reduced with the use of various spices and herbs. I also love bbq, it would be interesting to experiment if the smoke flavor from liquid smoke would permeate the meat if it is cooked sous vide.
Calvin Carlisle
I wish I had a good story to tell. I don't. I'm not a chef. I'm not unemployed. I've got no names to drop.
Last year I bought a Big Green Egg (ie a kamoado oven) in January. 2010 was pretty much "The Year of the Big Green Egg". In the middle of the Cleveland winter I'm easily capable of cranking this mother up to 800-900 degrees. A souse-vide steak with the perfect sear on the outside? Match made in heaven. 2011 would be "The Year of the Immersion Circulator".
Andrew S
I am a huge fan of yours, and a fellow Duke grad. I do all of the cooking for our family, and would love to win. Just one question - any recommendations on a vacuum packer? The one I have now just isn't up to the task
Andy
I'm a cooking instructor and I want one to be able to share this technique (whose time has finally come) with others. Duck confit, wagyu, poached eggs, creme anglaise, turkey etc. The question would be more what wouldn't I try cook in it.
Gina F.
How this would expand my horizons - I love attempting new cooking methods.
Ajay
I would use the immersion circulator as a means of creating dishes based on progression: changing the cook time and temperature slightly between the cooking of the same thing.
I would also like to show my thesis committee that some tools today allow chefs to produce an intensely specific result with each dish.
Sharon
We have a grassfed beef ranch in town. I've been cooking the meat with guidelines from Stanley Fishman's book and as I've seen chefs on TV use sous vide, I think this technique would be perfect.
Graham
I'd use it at home, I'd use it on the line at work, I'd use the heck out of it. But what I really want to try is using it to circulate perfect temp water for pulling mozzarella. No cycling water, breaking the curd, just perfect temp to work the cheese all day long. That'd be swell.
Erika
First, venison. Then cheeks, cod & beef. Next we can move into veggies... I'll start with artichokes there. Maybe make delicious pasta fillings? Hmmmm....
Karen
Where would I start? Goodness all around.
Anne
Duck breast. Chicken. Eggs...
Mo
I play a lot with smoking and curing meat. I inject brine and/or cure into meats with great results. I would love to play with this machine.
I'm not a pro, just a humble home cook pushing the limits to the delight of familly and friends.
Amy (Minimally Invasive)
The first thing that popped into my mind was trying shrimp in an infused olive oil. It's quite good cooked on low heat in the oven, but I'll bet it'd be spectacular prepared this way. And then wrapped in thinly-sliced prosciutto, naturally.
Patric
Rabbit.
Amy (Minimally Invasive)
The first thing that popped into my mind was trying shrimp in an infused olive oil. It's quite good made in a cool oven, but I'll bet it'd be spectacular prepared this way. And then wrapped in thinly-sliced prosciutto, naturally.
Cortney
Short Ribs! and a separate bag full of mulled wine to just sit in there ready.... at all times.
Alex in Cincinnati
Perfect poached eggs and lean bison steaks cooked to a perfect medium rare. Then I'd probably try out anything and everything that can be vacuum sealed.
Let's keep this machine in Ohio.
jdw
Of course, I would use a sous vide for meat. But, that's expected. I can't think of a better way to cook egg-based dishes -- imagine cooking a custard with absolutely no risk of curdling!
Heck, you could even use it for effective, reliable, home pasteurization -- worried about salmonella? Put in your homemade cookie dough, hold at 135 or so for a while, and let it cool in the fridge. (Of course, I'm not worried about salmonella, but it would make cookie dough safe for my great-grandmother again!)
I think I would try to use it for damned near everything.
psiman
My wife and I sponsor a culinary endowment at a local college in memory of our late son, who wanted so much to be a chef. He intended to go to the CIA, but never was able to realize his dream.
The Nils Andrew Johnson Memorial Culinary Arts Scholarship at Harper College, Palatine Illinois. Criteria: Enrolled in Hospitality Management classes with Culinary Arts Interest.
The Sous-Vide Machine would be donated to Harper College and put to good use furthering the education of potential chefs.
Michael Greenberg
Cooking what meat and game I have perfectly---I eat so little, I can't risk failures. The idea of a precision slow cooker is pretty appealing in general, beyond meat.
David
I'm a teacher with a busy schedule, but I love to cook. I'd use this to cook up some proteins on the weekend that will be ready to go when I get home on weekday nights. Maybe I can actually have dinner parties again!
Chris Perkey
A whole sous vide meal with the friends. Start with olive oil infused Halibut (in season of course) on poached hierloom tomatoes then sous vide balsamic glazed baby beet salad with a perfect poached egg. and then duck three ways, confit of leg, poached and then grilled duck breast and sous vide foie gras with thyme infused cauliflower. finish the meal with Michigan Cherries (I live in MIchigan) macerated in a Michigan Riesling over home made vanilla Gelato. I will send you pictures of the dinner I promise. For that matter your invited as well!!!!
John Maraist
The reason I haven't looked into sous vide cooking before (well, aside from cost) is the use of plastic. Aside from cranking up our generation of plastic bags going into landfills, my wife and I have doubts about the less wholesome chemicals that can out-gas from plastics under heat. Even though the food-grade plastics are more stable than others, we're leery of cooking in plastic regularly at home. We've enjoyed an occasional sous vide-ed treat at restaurants, but making it more regular as a home technique hasn't seemed like a good idea.
So with this circulator I'd work on ways to use it without the plastic bags - with mason jars, for example, for long poaches in a nice oil or fat or court bouillon. I suppose safety's an issue there too, but we have good places here to call for advice - the local university (Minnesota) has a great extension service, for example.
Sam
All I keep hearing about is the egg-yolks... so I'd start there!
Denis Cole
First off, I love your site, thank you for it.
As for the giveaway, there are a ton of things I would like to try cooking sous vide, but most of all, I would like to try both salmon and short ribs. It would be great to be able to cook salmon that is perfectly done throughout: not just overdone at the edges and right in the center. The idea of a medium rare short rib just sounds amazing. Thanks for the opportunity and the for your site.
Brian Kirkbride
I've been dying to make Rick Bayless's carnitas (sous-vide, sliced, sauteed). But oh, the eggs...
*susan*
I don't really want an immersion machine, but I think this is an extremely generous offer. It will be difficult to choose a winner I would think. Best of luck!
Dan Swartz
I would love to replace my hacked coleman cooler with this immersion machine. What an awesome prize.
Thor
Michael,
This sous vide machine could contribute to educating hundreds of students at the Cascade Culinary Institute at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon. As an instructor at this small school, I have had the honor of seeing firsthand how this program has changed people’s lives. Most of our students pay for the program themselves. They include disabled veterans and other young adults with disabilities who will not be deterred from seizing their passion to pursue the culinary arts. The institute is growing in size and reputation, however, it does not have the budget for a machine such as this, which would add an important dimension to the molecular gastronomy course offered there. Your donation of this equipment would be a vital part of helping these students become professionals, entering the working world as prep cooks, line cooks, and in some cases sous chefs.
Thank You,
Thor Erickson
Mike
I think that I would first try duck confit-It would be a blast to cook a ton of items with it!
Julia
I'd love an immersion circulator. It would keep my husband busy making delicious food that I'd get to sample! I suspect he'd start with some type of fish.
Brian
I want to try to make my own bitters. Immersion circulator to the rescue! A chef friend of mine has been playing with it in his kitchen lately, alas, I have no access
Seth Hamstead
The possibilities are endless. Butter or olive oil poached seafood. Meats. Perfectly cooked sausages. Low-temp pasteurized dairy.
chris
Beyond the now-obvious uses of sous vide (in effect, highly accurate braising) I think I'd like to try melding flavors that long cooking might allow. Think of a (small) terducken made sous vide, with the individual proteins flavoring each other and harmonizing. What if one were to cook both steak and potatoes together? Would the potatoes absorb some of the yummy meat juices and become the epitome of the tatty soaked in gravy? Infused custard desserts?
Oh my. I have to go for a lie-down now.
Nutria
I'd really love to try sous vide cooking for lean meats. Especially game birds, chucker, pheasant, and quail. Yum.
Rebecca
I'm really interested in cooking plants sous vide; veggies don't get as much attention as meat & seafood, but I can think of a number of vegetables that would benefit from long slow cooking that doesn't either dry them out of leave them totally waterlogged- parsnips, celery root, burdock, salsify, the stems of broccoli and cauliflower, leeks, winter squashes of all sorts.
Peter
I would want to sous vide ribs then deep fry them. Perfectly cooked and tender with a nice crunch on the outside
Jeanne
I had sous vide samples at my local Williams-Sonoma and the technology fascinates me! I would use it for perfectly cooked rare steaks - something I can't manage on the grill!
mark
Hi,
My name is Mark. I've just moved in with my brother and sister in law, and nephews, while relocating. THe great thing about this, is getting to teach my 13 and 10 year old nephew how to cook. We have been working our way around the world in terms of cuisines, and have been having fun trying various methods of prepairing foods. I would love to teach them the concept of Sous vide, and show them how fun science and cooking can be.
Thanks,
Mark B
Matthew
I don't want the immersion circulator, but if I had one, it would up the ante in many of my home preparations. I have a fairly large amount of venison sitting around in a freezer somewhere that would be amazing served rare, cooked delicately with some herbage. A supply of eggs cooked in the shell at exactly 64.5, waiting in the fridge for a cold Sunday morning preparation I have only just begun to play around with while writing this comment (of course, I doubt I would ever have a chance to eat that on Sunday, since I will probably be cooking brunch from now until the end of time). I'd love to try cooking fish in a circulator, at low temp. And I wonder about other things: we all know how to make headcheese, but what if the head was cooked at a low enough temperature that the meat stayed medium rare instead of the usual well done? I'd love to try that out. One of my all-time favorite things to eat, my death row meal, is tongue tacos, and I'd love to try that in an immersion circulator, too. The possibilities are really endless, but like I said, there's probably someone who has a better entry, or who gets to spend less time playing around in the kitchen than I do. But it would be awesome.
rich sims
Michael, ive been on a duck roller coaster ride, some really good and some okay. I would cook duck sous vie every way possible, and thanks to your kindness the less fortunate would experience confit.
Anthony Conard
I'd love to do a "beef wellington" type of dish, but put it into a canning jar and then use the immersion circulator to keep it at that nice medium rare.
Love your blog and thanks for the chance!
Donna Adler
Maybe the odds of winning are in my favor if everyone's too busy holiday shopping? Wishful thinking 🙂 The 3 day short ribs sound spectacular, and that is where I would start with this big boy!
Jamie
I'd love to use this for cooking delicate fishes perfectly and evenly throughout. I grew up on fish that was just bludgeoned from overcooking; this would be an amazing way to prevent that from ever happening again!
Scott
I would give it as a wedding present to my good friend who is the most dedicated and adventurous home cook I know. We would then cook our way across the meat and fish spectrum, starting with our good friend, the pig.
Cera
I would cook our duck breasts that are sitting in the freezer right now. I've heard it's bacically the best way to have duck.
Katie
I would love to give this to my brother in law so he could create wonderful masterpieces, and hopefully invite me over to enjoy!
Dave Frary
I'd love to try the Sous Vide Immersion Circulator for BBQ. Low and slow is the way we cook (IQUE BBQ team - we won the Jack Daniels' in 2009) and this would be fun to experiment with.
I love your blog and own most of your books.
Melissa
I want to make the Madagascar Vanilla bean cake , from Under Pressure. I also want to make scrambled and poached eggs like I've seen Wylie Dufrense make on Top Chef Masters.
missygrhm at aol dot com
stephen
Cooking via low heat immersion will finally allow me to cook up that perfect dish to land a serious relationship. What woman could resist delicate Catfish au Lait cooked to perfection?
Dan
Eggs! I'd love to play with sous vide egg cookery. Truffle infused yolks, different shape configurations, replacing braised meat for the yolk, inside out scotch eggs, I could go on and on. On the geeky side, I really really want to try to make a giant egg, wherein 30-40 eggs are separated, the yolks wrapped in a pig bladder (or plastic bag) and cooked until firm at which point they are inserted into a larger bag/bladder with the whites and cooked until set.
CTR
i have no idea how i'd use it, but would love to find out. work with the basics and then get creative
Derek
I would like to stick my feet in it! Sounds like a great foot warmer....And by my feet, I mean a couple pigs feet turned into some Zampone!
Kin
If I had an immersion curculator, I would take it to the Women and Children's shelter and make them the most divine scrambled egg breakfast they'd ever have. I'd also like to use it for their holiday meals-- turkey dinner, brisket, etc. Essentially I'd use it to share the love.
Jeffery Mickelson
Hi, im a chef in the Yukon Territory, Canada. I would love to use this to cook wild game (moose, elk, bison and grouse mostly) in all sorts of different applications. I would also use it for slow cooking pig heads, spleens, tails and other delicate items to intensify there natural flavour. I would be STOKED to be using this to say the least!
Teddy Conte
Where I live, the fish we catch is Red Snapper. I would love to Sous Vide some Red Snapper with some fennel, rosemary, garlic, and a lemon. Getting a fish to the exact temp of goodness sounds like heaven to me.
sarah v
pork ribs, hands down. my husband has been dying to go to french laundry for ages, but maybe experimenting with this would quench his craving for a bit til we can save up!
MW
My husband, the worst non-cook I know (I say non-cook b/c he rarely sets foot in the kitchen for anything other than to refresh his drink) assures me he would be a master chef if only he had a Sous Vide Immersion Circulator (his confidence comes courtesy of the machine's appearance on episodes of Top Chef and Iron Chef). If I were lucky enough to win your contest- I would set the Sous Vide Immersion Circulator on our kitchen counter with a bright red bow and a side of beef, take a picture of his gorgeous smile, then watch him go to town.
Luanne Iwan
Holy Christmas Batman!!!! Very first, I'd take the curing pork belly out of the fridge and make some serious Bacon! Whole Salmon, Shortribs, and Duck for Christmas Eve followed by Pork Cheek (to be turned into apps) for New Year's Eve served atop sweet potato chips with a sidecar of Brisket. For Mardi Gras we could prepare Boudin and Crawfish while Easter I'd break out some Lamb. During the summer I wouldn't have to turn on the oven and heat up the house and in Fall we're back to the Swine with some apples.
On a side note it would definately give me an edge in our Neighborhood "Iron Chef" Summer Challenge!
I do believe in Santa, I do believe in Santa ....
Christine Huang
I would break down some ducks and use the circulator to cook the breasts the first night. On the second day, I would then use it to make duck confit. Currently, I confit my duck by sealing them in vacuum pouches and putting them in a giant pot filled with water brought to heat. I then put the whole thing in the oven at 180 degrees for 7-8 hours. It would be great to use the circulator instead!
Dustin Hummel
Confit. Confit of anything I want! (Thinking possibly frog's legs first.)
Victor
Immersion Circulator short ribs, that's living.
Rick
When I was in school one of our instructors made a Porchetta Di Testa using an immersion circulator. I would love to make one at home.
Cynthia D.
I would love to win this sous vide circulator to give as a gift to someone special who really enjoys the latest gadgets.
Chris
I would try corned beef. Think that would work well in one of these.
Sara R.
Personally, I would not cook anything in this. But, my husband, he would cook EVERYTHING IN IT! He has been talking about how sous vide for a couple of years now. How amazing would it be to win this, and give it to him as a gift....
Matt
Hmm, I'm sad you won't send it internationally. Sous Vide cooking is relatively unknown in Germany and I'm pretty sure I would be the only college student in the country with such a device.
For the record I would experiment with local heirloom pork (Schwäbisch-Hällisches Landschwein). I don't think pork is generally considered suitable for sous vide treatment because of its sometimes peculiar flavour but a well-butchered high-quality cut would be heavenly!
John
Michael:
What is your take on the Grant Achatz sous vide turkey video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM3O1xRJ4XU
Is his technique feasible for the occasional foray into sous vide for a home cook?
Thanks,
John
JD
I'd use it to cook the most perfect soft boiled eggs ever. Just until the whites are set and the yolk is a beautiful golden yellow of runny goodness.
NancyB
OMG, you mean I could cook meat again??...I love to cook & I love to try new things but (no joking!) my husband's dentures are so bad that no matter what kind of meat I cook, aside from beef tenderloin, & sometimes even that, he says it's tough. Now I'm chastened almost to the point of vegetarianism. Already I'm having fantasies of cooking meat again! Imagine!
Darcie
An immersion circulator has been on my wish list for quite some time. I'm a geek at heart and have even investigated buying a PID and rigging up to a crockpot, but my husband prefers that I don't burn down the house (let's just say I have a history with some of my experiments).
Other than obvious (short ribs, roasts, steaks, eggs) I would like to explore the uses of sous vide on the pastry side. I think the most luxurious custards could be made, for starters, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Tom
I would carve off about a pound of the fresh bacon that I am making (in the oven currently, first time attempt) and try to braise it sous vide. I don't really know what would happen--perhaps I would perfect the dish that Jennifer was trying to make on this week's "Top Chef".
I would then slice a piece off of the braise and top it with a fried quail egg and set everything on a small piece of fresh brioche. What a great way to start a dinner.... perhaps Christmas dinner!
I am a native Clevelander, so please let that bias your decision!
jeremy esterly
I'm looking to do a stuffed pigs foot dish with the skin fully intact. I want to basically just slide out the bones and make a stuffing with chestnuts, prunes, and whatever meat is left inside(definitely gonna supplement with other pork).
Daniel
For my first dish, I'd sous vide apricots and lemon zest for two hours and then puree that with pectin, sugar and water to make an Apricot Membrillo with Malvarosa cheese, peppers, compressed fennel, Marcona almonds and some aged balsamic vinegar. In the future I'd focus on fish dishes but I really like the idea of returning to cooking simple stuff with the sous vide.
I had the pleasure of working at Per Se when it first opened and boy do I miss having access to a Sous Vide machine! I'm in the background of this pic: http://bit.ly/gYCQzR What an amazing life experience.
AlexN
My biggest reason for wanting an immersion circulator is pretty simple: I'd love to be able to spend more time with my family during holiday meals and less time in the kitchen. (Though usually I love spending time in the kitchen!) Other than that the possibilities are almost endless, but I think it would particularly help achieve that holy grail: consistently perfect steaks! (I'm thinking flat iron.)
Carolyn Manning
Oh, man ... living in Oregon gives me tremendous access to excellent seafood and wild ingredients, like sorel, mushrooms and berries. Watching the chefs on TV use Sous Vide, I've decided it's time I got one. The flavor immersion that is produced with this method is hard to replicate. I'd LOVE to have one! And if you choose me, Ruhlman ... I'll send you a really good bottle of Oregon Pinot. Just let me know whether you prefer the big, jammy California style of Pinot, or the more elegant style of Burgundy. Oregon is making some killer juice these days! 🙂
Steve W
Seems like fun to try some variations on old favorites like stuffed cabbage using some fresh ground meats and fresh herbs.
Jennifer A.
Something off the wall. Maybe . . . sous vide meatloaf that's finished under a broiler to glaze it with a sticky sweet ketchup sauce or some kind of chutney.
Anjali
So since I don't have the scratch, I hope I win! The books I've collected on sous vide would love to get used 🙂
chef gui alinat
I would definitely sous-vide something, say a previously seared 8-oz piece of beef tenderloin, submerge it in the water bath at 135 F, and leave it for a very, very long time, say 1 full year... just to check if it really still is medium-rare after 1 year in the bath!
T.J. Hanify
The first thing that comes to mind is experimenting with brisket, but I'm excited to think of all the sorts of really tough meat and offal that could become a more viable option with the ability to sous vide!
The CFT
I'd sous vide just about the entire contents of the North Union Farmers Mkt.
Vincci
My boyfriend made the moistest chicken breast ever using the cooler sous-vide hack on Serious Eats. We would probably use the circulator for all sorts of different meats, and also cooking for parties (holding food at the exact temperature before serving)
Paul H.
Like most, I am new to the concept of Sous Vide, but if Mr.Keller and you like it, then it must be good! I'd start with the basics of course, and expand from there. Perfectly cooked meat! What else could it be used for? Haha.
Alyssa
I get local grassfed beef in vacuum sealed packages, this would be great for cooking it, especially the weird (to me) cuts that I sometimes get.
Kay Calkins
I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment where we grew, and harvested our own vegetable, dairy, and meat products. My husband and I try to continue this, as much as possible, by gardening, animal husbandry, and local purchasing. We smoke, cure, preserve and experiment with cooking methods with zeal. We would love an opportunity to expand our journey with sous vide!
Ashley
Wow...I would have so much fun in the kitchen with that! Right now I'm craving some comfort food...I'd sous vide short ribs and serve it atop some polenta with Parmesan mixed in, and to top it all off--a 63 degree egg made in the circulator. For dessert some sort of fruit compote--I can only imagine what a difference it would make to sous vide more delicate fruit that you still want to keep some of its original texture (strawberry rhubarb perhaps...I sometimes wish I could time travel solely to jump through farmers markets in different seasons).
Javaholic
I've been meaning to try the ghetto sous vide set up described in Momofuko, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I can't find a way to justify spending so much on something I don't know if I'd use that much, but I'd love to have one. I've enjoyed your site for some time now, almost as much for the interchange your posts prompt as for your writing and Donna's photos.
Max Campbell
I would sear the thickest rib-eye my butcher will cut and then sous-vide it to a perfect rare/medium-rare.
-dsr-
I can't think of just one use for a sous-vide circulator, so I would have to try as many as possible -- and I promise to blog about each and every use.
Laurence
I will use it to perfect my recipe for liver and fava beans.
Brooke
Oh my husband would love this!!! He sous vides at work, and would LOVE to have one at home! Thanks for the post and opportunity 🙂
Sean
Would use it on my Prime Rib Roast I have dry aging in my homemade kegerator. That or im sure I could find some evil way to work it into my homebrew experiments.
Craig
I'd love to get one of those. I'd play with how it can combine flavors. Sous vide eggs and bacon together?
Rare beef stew?
MikeyC
What would I do with it? What wouldn't I do it with? Since I've never had one, I'm honestly just gonna start with the straightforward stuff--meat. But once we get through a month of perfectly cooked steaks, then we can try some other funky stuff, like maybe try making a cake with it or something. Who knows? I'm sure a lot of my attempts at things won't work, but that'll be the fun part. Maybe I can come up with some new way of using it...
WallyYT
Regulating temperature by hand is such a drag. I can almost imagine radishes done perfectly instead of close.
onelimb
To bond with my too smart son, we discovered molecular gastronomy as a level playing field. We would love to take it to the next level with an immersion circulator - he has discovered good food and I am getting better at math.
CharlieB
I currently have an abundance of Canada goose breasts in the freezer. I'd love to slooooow cook them with curry, coconut milk, and dried cherries. Damn, I'm drooling!
iliana
There are some really exciting & deserving comments already, but I reckon I'll try too 🙂
I've never cooked sous vide, but I've been fascinated for a long while. Here are some things I'd like to try:
Sous vide pig's cheeks with shaoxing, dark soy, ginger, chilies, etc --like chairman Mao's red-cooked pork. I just harvested a dozen pig cheeks!
I like to catch mackerel and striped bass and trout --all of these seem like perfect ingredients to sous vide. I have a small generator.. I wonder if I could do sous vide while camping on Casco Bay. Perfect mix of uber rustic & techno-cooking 🙂
I'd like to try sous vide on fruits: sous vide apples, or pears, or strawberries with wine & herbs, then dehydrating them to make crispy sweet-savory chips.
Sous vide insta-pickles! Wow, my grandmother's pickled beets seem like a great candidate.
I also recently harvested six curly Tamworth tails --how about sous vide them with aromatics, and then slather them with mustardy egg and breadcrumbs (a la Henderson) and deep-fry them? Yum!
Okay, off to look for the VacMaster giveaway now 😉
ChrisK
I would have fish every night for a month.
Jeff
I'd like to make a luscious duck breast, too, with this device. Or Heston's Sole Veronique (sole with black truffle and parsley foam purée). Sous vide immersion cooking is super-slow cooking; and the best things come to those who wait.
Robert Rode
I would make a disintegrating packet of NY strips and serve it with week-long cooked vegetables. The possibilities are endless.
Randi Lynne
I would LOVE one of these; I am currently using my cooler when I cook sous vide.
ian
i would give this to my son in law the family chef then i could try more fab dishes
RM
I would do short ribs and ox tails. Yum!!!! I would also try to do pork loin and brisket! The possibilities are endless. DUCK! I'm so hungry now! I'm ready to go cook! Love the blog, and love your appearances on No Reservations.
Dustin
I'd perfect my liverwurst recipe. The venison liverwurst I made from this fall's buck was good, but the saran wrap/simmering water was a ghetto-ass setup.
Andrew
Duck, duck, and more duck! I want my duck as tender, flavorful and barely cooked as I can get away with. This is the way to do it--and I want to do it! Go Duck!
Paula
Okay - this is embarrassing to admit, but the first thing I'd use it for is to make perfect hard boiled eggs for my deviled eggs. I'm nearing my 'golden' years and have tried everyone's advice for perfect eggs and have yet to achieve consistent results. Other than that, I'd be happier than my granddaughter with her Easy Bake oven to learn new ways to cook everything.
Heather Marie
Our first baby is due early in 2010, and I hope to be able to cook sous vide for him/her (don't know and want to be surprised) when we introduce foods beside breastmilk, esp. starting with farm fresh eggs and meat. My husband grew up hating eggs (b/c his mom didn't know where to buy them or how to cook them) and now he loves them... but I know he, and our baby, will love them even more cooked in a sous vide machine.
And... couldn't you do some amazing desserts? hmm... guess I need to buy the book.
This machine would get a lot of use at our place - not just for our family meals, but for having guests.
Daniel
I would use it too help me to be a better Chef. I have been cooking for about nine years. i would love to make a sou vide short ribs with a creamy truffle polenta,roasted brussle sprouts and red wine sauce thanks for your consideration
erp
Am I crazy to want to try making chocolate cake sous vide? I think it could be really good if done right.
Tammy Coxen
I run an underground supper club and donate the proceeds to charity. An immersion circulator would help me improve the pacing of my meals by keeping proteins at the ready! And let me experiment with even more Alinea cookbook recipes!
Phil
I'm new to the sous vide cooking world, but I've been using David Chang's "ghetto rigged sous vide", but I want to try the real thing, namely because it's not so sketchy.
Some beautifully cooked short ribs would be ideal. But in reality, there would be a lot of things that would be cooked in there just to try it out.
Zuhayr
I would use it in my quest to use a whole cow nose to tail when I buy the animal directly from the farmer.
Ryan
I have no idea, but I'd like the chance to figure it out. Right now, I'm thinking pork belly...
Tony
I would love to Sous Vide Egg in duck fat, Short ribs, Duck legs, Pork Belly. And just play with the endless possibilities
Bluedots
For my husband, who had duck prepared this way once and has never recovered -I'd cook first for him. Then for me, SHORT RIBS.
Nicholas
I am a chemist who practically learned to cook from reading Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, so I really get how elegant and beautiful sous vide cooking can be.
The first things I'd do with my own sous vide would be:
1. Making a perfect egg.
2. Cook a beef roast, and serve with my favorite cheery sauce recipe using cherries from Door County (Wisconsin).
3. I make my own yogurt (I buy my milk from a family farm in southern Wisconsin), and a sous vide would allow me to ferment my yogurt more reliably and consistently than I can achieve now. I like it really sour, but I often have to give up before it gets to that point.
4. It would be an awesome experience to have perfectly cooked charcuterie that I made by hand.
Thank you so much for the offer!
Josh Lane
The ability to slow cook pork and beef with herbs and spices sounds amazing! As it is I have to smoke meats, which despite imparting amazing flavor, tends to dry them out. With this sous vide machine I could sear the meats on the grill, and then cook them to perfection 🙂
Jay
I think I would try cooking pork belly with maple syrup, rice vinegar, cracked black pepper, and a touch of juniper berries. Heavy on the maple of course, I have a sweet tooth.
Juan Brandt
I'd start experimenting with fried chicken. I'd try cooking the chicken with herbs and spices until it's perfectly done and moist.Then I'd bread with Panko and deep fry for a couple of minutes.
cherie duda
I always wondered how restaurants make the "perfect" short ribs...I have spent days going over recipes and trying them and never achieving that perfect dish. I want to successfully make an excellent short rib with creamy polenta...(then I can move on to the bread they have at bouchon, let us know if you can help with that one too)
Matt
Maybe a new take on bo ssam with pork shoulder...could do the kimchee in the circulator as well.
Len
Sweet! Perfectly medium rare meat could now become an everyday treat!
Allen
i think i would start with eggs (of all kinds) and duck, but then anything that could and should be sous vide would.
Alex
I'd start with a 3-hour egg, and I'd move on to some duck confit, and finish it off with 48-hour short ribs.
Mark
Pork, pork, pork! I love it cooked low and slow and what better way to do it than sous vide.
Allen
Smoke gun, ooohhh, something to do with weed man, Cheech and Chong festival in the works.
Just kidding, too high tech for me, I wanted to chime in about aged eggnogg. I just opened this years batches made one with cheap Jim Beam and Meyers rum and a batch with Booker's bourbon and premium aged Rums and XO cognac. Could I tell the difference in taste? Fu$%#ng A right I could. Oh man this is the shiznit, and I made enough for gifting too, the Jim Beam batch is going to my best friends.
Deb
I dream of making beef short ribs under pressure......ohhhhh --- I need a cigarette!
linh
ooh ooh! pick me!
Jonathan
I do a radio cooking show out here in rural Kentucky, so I can introduce sous vide to the sticks!
Pete from MD
I'm a dessert guy who is starting a second career working at a bakery: I would use it to always have perfectly tempered chocolate.
Cseychew
eggs and beef to start, for certain. duck confit to round out week one, i'd think!
Kathleen
Oh, I would love to win an immersion circulator--I'm not sure exactly what I'd cook first...short ribs, beef roasts, chicken...I'd try it all!
David B.
I want to poach the perfect egg!
CHEFLVR
I enjoyed reading the Sous Vide book you did with Thomas Keller et al. but don't have a machine to try out all the enticing recipes (the watermelon story is especially interesting) so this new piece of equipment would be most welcome in my kitchen. Thanks for the offer. Someone will be very lucky just in time for Christmas!
Janet
I would try to use it for dessert items, perhaps try to make a cheesecake or a custard. And probably fish.
Bryce
I would make:
Chikcen eggs 63.5C/45min
Wild Halibut 50C/15min
Baramundi 118C/15min
Short Ribs 62C/22hr
Pork Jowl 71.1C/36hr
Terrine of Chicken 75C/25min
Figs 79.4C/1hr
Amongst other things. Trust me whn i tell you it will be on quite constantly.
Bryce
Derrick
Anything and everything. But let's start with some perfectly cooked salmon.
Russell
After reading through all the comments I feel a little worried about standing out. Wouldn't it be great if the device was cheaper and more of us could have one? I've wanted one for so long now that it is funny I can't think of a particular first dish. What wouldn't I try? Probably attempt to recreate some of the memorable dishes I've had at French Laundry and Per Se. Or Momofuku Ko...or...WD50...or...
Paul
Got the book (Under Pressure, of course), lost my job. Plenty of time to learn how to cook sous vide but no money to buy the equipment...
Carlos
I'd cook things in a water bath for days at a time if I had one. Shortribs for 3 days, pork bellies for 2... For shorter term type meats I'd do chicken breasts and certain fish/shellfish in butter.
David
I would give my mother a crash course on it and teach her to sous vide a turkey so when she cooks Christmas dinner, everything comes out moist and succulent. Never underestimate the scaring effects of poultry that tastes like paper and has the consistency of shoe leather.
QuarryLaneFarms
Aloha Ruhlman!
Did the research (nerd alert!). Dying to try out a TON of stuff. But just need the cool sous vide machine to do it. Looks pretty fun and esp since you can take it slow and really regulate the temps. Super cool science and food all in one sweet gadget.
If we are choosen, no worries, we'll pick it up from you!
Thanks for the op!
Crossing our fingers!
dink
Well,, here it goes, I've been using these for over 7 years at different restaurants I worked at and I now am at a hotel that has some fear of this "space-aged" equipment. For nearly 2 years now I've begged for one from my F&B Dir. but he considders it "boil-in-a-bag." My line cooks are excited and motivated to see it in action and one of them even gave me some money to buy the circulator(he had no idea where to buy one himself, this was right before williams-sonoma teamed with poly-sci) at one point, but the timing couldn't have been worse as I was leaving the nexy day for an innocent trip up north..... to a casino. Great trip, but guess what... I don't have a circulator. My plans for it are simple, proper chicken, pork shank, beef and lobster. 63 degree eggs for tastings, compressed fruit, agar filtration and not to mention gentle veggie cooking top my mind's list of uses for this vital piece of restaurant kitchen equipment. Although, this would be more than just a new piece of equipment for the kitchen it is a teaching tool, inspiration and a motivator for a staff in dire need of some positivity in a kitchen under a F&B tyrant. I do want to try a "coq au vin" with the circulator, it being a cylindar of chicken with bacon, dark meat and confit forcemeat wrapped in chicken skin all held together with TG and poached with our new circulator and finished by pan-roasting with some thyme and whole butter. Help me to repay my kindhearted line cook with an education in sous-vide. Sorry to be long winded but I feel so strongly about this and I thank you for this oppurtunity.
dink
Josh
Where to start!?!
As it stands I'm not, nor will I ever be, an employee in the food service industry. I am a home cook and foodie at heart. When I'm cooking for my family and friends I usually don't re-tread previous recipes. Instead I prefer to expose those who are able to attend a meal that's varied and appreciated. So far I've been fortunate to satisfy every time whether the food is Asian, Hispanic, European, etc (tomorrow is a Portuguese Salt Cod Stew entree).
If I were ever so fortunate to be chosen to receive this amazing home cooking device I'd plan for an wonderful meal for my in-laws who love me very much. The meal will be a sous vide porterhouse with tamed onion salad, glazed carrots, and blue cheese risotto topped with toasted pine nuts.
Later on I'd like to host a get together for friends on St. Patricks day and treat them to some excellant brisket as described here: http://nikas-culinaria.com/2010/03/09/stpatricks-sousvide/.
Josh
Where to start!?!
As it stands I'm not, nor will I ever be, an employee in the food service industry. I am a home cook and foodie at heart. When I'm cooking for my family and friends I usually don't re-tread previous recipes. Instead I prefer to expose those who are able to attend a meal that's varied and appreciated. So far I've been fortunate to satisfy every time whether the food is Asian, Hispanic, European, etc (tomorrow is a Portuguese Salt Cod Stew entree).
If I were ever so fortunate to be chosen to receive this amazing home cooking device I'd plan for an wonderful meal for my in-laws who love me very much. The meal will be a sous vide porterhouse with tamed onion salad, glazed carrots, and blue cheese risotto topped with toasted pine nuts.
Later on I'd like to host a get together for friends on St. Patricks day and treat them to some excellent brisket as found on nikas-culinaria.com.
Josh
Where to start!?!
As it stands I'm not, nor will I ever be, an employee in the food service industry. I am a home cook and foodie at heart. When I'm cooking for my family and friends I usually don't re-tread previous recipes. Instead I prefer to expose those who are able to attend a meal that's varied and appreciated. So far I've been fortunate to satisfy every time whether the food is Asian, Hispanic, European, etc (tomorrow is a Portuguese Salt Cod Stew entree).
If I were ever so fortunate to be chosen to receive this amazing home cooking device I'd plan for an wonderful meal for my in-laws who love me very much. The meal will be a sous vide porterhouse with tamed onion salad, glazed carrots, and blue cheese risotto topped with toasted pine nuts.
Later on I'd like to host a get together for friends on St. Patricks day and treat them to some excellent brisket.
Josh
Where to start!?!
As it stands I'm not, nor will I ever be, an employee in the food service industry. I am a home cook and foodie at heart. When I'm cooking for my family and friends I usually don't re-tread previous recipes. Instead I prefer to expose those who are able to attend a meal that's varied and appreciated. So far I've been fortunate to satisfy every time whether the food is Asian, Hispanic, European, etc. As a side note - tomorrow family dinner entree is a Portuguese Salt Cod Stew.
If I were ever so fortunate to be chosen to receive this amazing home cooking device I'd plan for an wonderful meal for my in-laws who love me very much. The meal will be a sous vide porterhouse with tamed onion salad, glazed carrots, and blue cheese risotto topped with toasted pine nuts.
Later on I'd like to host a get together for friends on St. Patricks day and treat them to some excellent brisket.
Lou
My beginning thoughts are with duck. The long slow confit of the sealed duck in it fat. I imagine any meat would be succulent with the process but I think I'd play most with poultry and game.
I would also try poaching fruit in the vacuum sealed pouch initially working with pears, apples or peaches so that the wine or spice permeates through out - slowly but completely.
Heather G
If I had one, I'd never leave the kitchen.
David
i finally get to move back to the USA after 10+ years abroad without fresh produce and veggies available. I will sous vide all the bounty i find in my soon to be neighborhood market.
Steve
Wow, Michael, nice offering. I've been looking at sous vide for some time. A bit intimidating, but what the heck. I'd have to go first for pork belly.
Micah Sharpe
Ruhlman, I am thinking beef brisket, mushrooms and onions in a demi glace.
Micah
Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)
I have never used this method and have been dying to try it. I would love to make a nice fish dish of some sort.
John Pusey
I've wanted one of these for a long time. I'm a buyer for seafood distributor and have access to the most amazing selection of fish. I'd use this all the time, experimenting with every kind fish imaginable.
Eric
I would love to use one of these. Meat and fish would be the first two things to try. Really spice up the holiday dinner.
Jeremy
I would use it to finally be able to tackle some recipes from under pressure.
Aaron
We just got our first whole calf so I've got plenty of new cuts of meat I've never had a chance to try out before. The butcher balked some when I asked for the short ribs boned, but not in the ground beef. I would use it to try all these new cuts out.
Can you use it for rapid thawing?
Johnny K
Pork Belly and Short Ribs!!!
Jae Caza
I am obsessed with Sous Vide cooking....I live in Minneapolis and we are under mountains of snow from the worst storm in 20 years. Good thing the UPS man made it through with the Charcuterie Book. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, and I am stuck in the house, so of course I had to open and dream of meat! My first sous vide project would be the pastrami and then David Chang's short ribs. I think that it would be totally appropriate to do a custard for ice cream next! The dreams are endless when you're stuck in the snow and it's one below outside with a -22 wind chill factor......
Teeks
I recently returned home to unemployment after working abroad for years. With a gadget like this, nothing in my mom's fridge, freezer or pantry would be safe from my science-crazed gaze. Anything that can fit into a plastic bag is getting immersed and circul-fied. Speaking of which, where is the family dog...
Ellen Malloy
First, thanks for the generous share. And as to why you should share it with me: because this year I am buying and butchering a whole pig, half cow and lamb and with all this butchery, backyard chickens to tend, a yard farm and a serious canning habit, I could use a seriously awesome time-saving device. My goal is to learn from the hoof up about the various bits I am generally leery of and also learn once and for all how to make all the delicious charcuterie that can come from these animals (yes, using your book!). Plus, I'd blog and tweet about all the things I learned with the circulator, sharing the love with others.
Angie
First thanks for your generosity! I my first thought was trying to do pudding of some kind in it. I have no idea if it would work or not, but it would be fun to experiment and it is an out of the box idea. Or maybe I am just craving some good homemade chocolate pudding right now!
Jeffrey Mason
Talk about a launching pad for new fun from the kitchen! the favorites have been mentioned: duck, pork belly, short ribs. I will throw in that it is great for grass-fed meat (which can be leaner than "regular" meat). Very cool stuff.
Di2
I would stop using the homemade circulator I made using Grubhacker's instructions!! No more aquarium pump!!
Dianne
Right now we have a large quantity of apples in our refrigerator, because a local orchard was giving them away before they spoiled. I would love to try to cook the apples in a cinnamon sauce to use for an apple pie filling. Would the apples retain their crispness? Might this be the best apple pie ever? Thanks for the opportunity!
Laurence Mate
I've cobbled together a small sous-vide cooking set up that consists of a crock pot filled with water, a temperature controller, and a 12-volt bilge pump. I've used it to cook bacon after curing, instead of the traditional hot-smoking, and the results have been fantastic. It would be wonderful to pursue these charcuterie experiments with the extra power and precision that this unit has!
Melinda Thompson
I would love to try this with small game birds or duck breast.
Matthew
I'm going to keep this nice and concise. Firstly, I am absolutely determined to become a professional cook, nothing will stop me, and the experience of using one of these baby's will most definitely be useful. Secondly, I am currently a college student, and if I could just put my foods in while I'm in class it would make cooking in my tiny dorm much easier and better!
James Temmel
Would love the opportunity to sous vide the right way. I've tried the ghetto sous vide rig , courtesy Momofuku cookbook, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I develop a serious illness 🙂 Mr. Ruhlman, please save me from future food born illness.
Cheers
Michael N.
I would use it to run scientific taste tests to compare sous vide vs. other cooking processes and help move beyond "it just tastes better" to "why does it taste better?"
Ryan F.
Hello Food People,
I am a NYC sound engineer & extreme food nerd, born and raised in Chicago. I have never had any formal training, although I have many friends who are professional chefs. I bought one of the original circulators a little over 3 years ago, and it has been the most important tool I own ever since. My older brother, who is also an extreme foodie, has 2 kids and hasn't been able to justify the splurge. For the past several years, I have actually driven home to Chicago with the circulator to be able to share these recipes with my family. If I win the contest, the 2nd circulator with reside in the midwest, and I may be able to fly home once again without the fear of looking like a lunatic trying to get one of these on an airplane!
I have included my own recipe for sous-vide BBQ, which I created after years of smoking my pork using a Big Green Egg with great results. This technique yields an identical flavor, and an even better and more consistent texture than the version cooked in oxygen. I originally included a recipe for a dry rub and BBQ sauce to accompany this, but have abbreviated it for this posting. You can use your favorite rub and sauce instead: ENJOY!
Sous-Vide BBQ Pork Shoulder - Serves 4
1.5-2 Lb boneless pork shoulder roast
Apply a generous amount of your favorite dry rub all over the pork shoulder roast and press into the meat.
Get a container with a lit just large enough to hold the roast, or use a small pot or pan and cover it with plastic wrap. Using the smoking gun (by Polyscience) light some applewood sawdust and insert the connected tube of the smoking gun into the covered container with the meat to fill it with a light smoke. Once the container is visibly cloudy, remove the tube, and cover tightly. Place the container in the fridge, and allow it to cold smoke for 30 minutes. During this time, set your immersion circulator to 179.8 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a long cook, so it's best to use a covered food bin to minimize evaporation. If you don't have a food bin with a lid, using plastic wrap will also work by sealing to top as tightly as possible.
Remove the pork from the fridge, and open the container to release the smoke. Take the roast and vacuum seal it in a bag on the highest setting. Keep the pork chilled, and once the temperature of the water is at 179.8, insert the bag into the water. I like to tape the bag to the side of the bin, and use a small bowl or glass as a weight to keep the roast submerged fully since this is a particularly fatty and buoyant piece of protein. Just submerge the bowl or glass, and place it alongside the bag to hold it in place. Sous-vide for 12 hours.
During this time, prepare your favorite BBQ sauce recipe and any side dishes you will enjoy with your typical BBQ.
After 12 hours, remove the bag from the water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Next, remove the pork from the bag and add the juices from the bag directly to the BBQ sauce and reduce to your preferred consistency. Cut the roast into 2" squares, and place the trimmings aside (these will make excellent pulled pork style leftovers, simply shred the meat with 2 forks). Roll the squares in some more dry rub in a small bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
To serve, remove the prepared pork squares from the plastic wrap, and sear in some grape seed oil over high heat in a small cast iron pan. Sear all sides of the squares to reheat them and give a bark-like crust and to the meat. Remove from the pan, and serve with the BBQ sauce, and side dishes.
As a person who used a big green egg for smoking pork shoulder for many years with fantastic results, I adapted this recipe to do in the house, and have achieved stellar and consistent results with it. The pre smoking process works very well, as the flavors develop and intensify in the bag during cooking. Your mouth will not know the difference. Thanks for reading!
PS- I have been a big fan of Michael for many years, and have read all of his books. It was my brother who originally turned me on to the book Ratio, and I thought this would be a great way to pay him back for that. Thanks, and happy cooking!
Aaron R
I would make the best brunch ever. I would sous vide braise lamb necks after they are seared and deglazed. Once soft and tender I will dice up wtih fennel, carrot and any other root vegetable I find. To utilize the machine, I will cryo each vegetable with EVOO and seasonings and cook at 84 till soft. Next I will dice up the lamb neck and in a hot pan with duck fat, I will sear the root vegetables with the lamb neck until I get a deep golden crust. Turn the circulator down to 62 make a batch of mi cuit eggs, and when the hash is done crack some mi cuit eggs on top, a little hot sauce and fleur de sel. Serve with favorite brunch cocktail or wine and friends.
Enjoy!
A
FORDDY J
nom nom pork belly pork belly pork belly pork belly pork belly
Kate
I'd wrap the circulator in a bow and give it to my husband, recently promoted head chef of a fancy pants restaurant. He's been an executive chef before, but never of a joint that expected quite this level of food. While he's found the challenge exhilerating, it's also daunting, and seems to sap a little of the joy of cooking from daily life...
Only one other chef in our region uses a circulator, and we dine at his restaurant often. My husband (let's call him B) orders whatever he fancies, knowing the result will be insanely good: tender, moist, perfect. B spends hours deconstructing our meal, comparing textures of a rib-eye cooked sous vide versus the steaks he can turn out at his restaurant, short ribs that have spent hours in an oven versus those immersed in a water bath...
It's not that the circulator would dramatically change the way B cooks at work--it's unlikely they could use it on a regular basis with their volume of covers--but the machine might add back a bit of the magic in cooking that the daily grind has been chipping away at. 'Tis the season for magic, after all...
Tim
I think if I start now, I should have my turduckin ready for Thanksgiving of next year.
Phillip380
Thanks for sharing some of the toys. I only know of a few basic applications from hearing about Sous Vide from T.K.'s book but i can easily see Mind Blowing Filets coming out of this thing at the next dinner night at my house. Plus this would justify me going out and getting another TK cook book to add to my collection. Have my fingers crossed.
Gavin
My kitchen still has the residual smell of bacon, so I'd be remiss in not mentioning pork belly first and foremost. What I'd really be looking forward to though, are carnitas, cooked to perfection. I guess you could say if I won the contest I'd really be....pigging out [yeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh]
Celeste
Oh this could be great because my fiance has been talking about these things for the last year. Now he can start teaching me about it while enjoying this submerged fare instead of blog pictures and descriptions. Come on Rhulman Lottery, Momma needs a new set of Trotters.
Susana Cordovi
What can I say? I've never used them, but keep watching all the cooking shows where they use the immersion circulator and I think it's awesome! Wow . . . the possibilities! Good luck to everyone! 🙂
Daniel
I'm a home cook and I'm always looking to try new things, I'm a nerd about gadgets but my budget would never allow me something so amazing and coveted in my kitchen as a sous vide machine.
First order of business would be some 63-degree-eggs. I love the texture of poached eggs and I have never experience an egg slow cooked sous vide. I feel that it would really change my perspective on one of my favorite foods but also food and cooking in general.
I love making meals for people and I would really want to wow them with pork belliy and short ribs slow cooked int his machine.
I'm also curious of how this can be applied with something like tamales, I love tamales and have grown up with them every holiday. how great would it be to figure out the perfect temperature/cooking time to be able to get perfectly smooth soft, springy tamales with a moist filling? Steaming works well but how can we change the tradition to make something truly different.
Mehdi
I would sell the sous-vide and buy a lot of other kitchen gadgets i need and would use more frequently.
Karen Berith
I would love to win this Immersion Circulator! What fun I would have cooking with this with my 4 daughters. You gotta love a family that, if we are not cooking and eating together we are talking about food.
John
I'd prepare a weeks worth of meals on Sunday night and pull them out ready to eat each day. I'd take it with my to my mother's house in Vermont where a local farmstand has their own organic meat frozen in vacuum sealed pouches and prepare weekend feasts for family and friends. Here's hoping!
Kevin Carlson
Very cool. The short rib idea sounds awesome. Looking forward to trying this one day!
NYCook
I could use it for all types of applications and it would be great for Le Couchon my on the side catering company. It would really allow for quality control for meat cooking temps at large parties, but personally I love to eat and cook eggs at 62.5C/1hour and would finally be able to do it at home.
Adrienne
I would love to cook differently seasoned meats at the same time (for a party). I would also love to experiment with sweets--a custard, perhaps?
NMissC
I want to have a circulator because I want to play with it-- my experience with cooking methods is the best way to understand them is to try things, over and again, to see how they work. And my experience with slow cooking / low temperature methods, like cooking pork for 20 or so hours over a low wood fire, tell me that there will be a large pay-off in the results. I've eaten the results in restaurants, but want to learn for myself.
Daniel
the possibilities are endless for this great machine! I would love to have an opportunity to play around with one, and would write a few posts for you about my success and failures in creating superb cuisine! I think a compressed malto hollandaise with 24hr sous vide pork shoulder would be my first thing to attempt! cheers from snowy Wisconsin
Bill
My 17 year old daughter is the foodie in our home, so she is the one getting me involved in trying new things. We have attended a couple of Loretta Paganini's classes together and I really enjoy our time in the kitchen. As a chemist I understand the concepts but would never venture into this new world of cooking without a lot of support, including the right tools.
I can not clain to have a good plan for such a cool device, but we would experiment with it a lot.
Thank you for a great web site, we love reading your story.
BrooklynQ
Oh man, I'd love to have one of these machines! Thanks for the chance.
If I had one, I'd figure out how to use it to enhance my barbecue. Think about pork shoulders sou vide until tender and smoked for the final burst of flavor.
Richard Mockler
Mangalitsa belly. Over and over.
Paul Zonfrillo
I cook competition BBQ - I would try the entire suite, Chicken, Pulled Pork, RIbs and Brisket. MMMM
Peter Klein
I own an orchard in Michigan...we grow apples, peach, pear, plums, nectarines, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, fraise des bois, figs, goji berries, we have planted apriums, pluots, paw paws, persimmons...we love to use our fruit (and have others use it) in fun & interesting recipes ...
Would love to experiment with all kinds of preperations with all kinds of fruit!
Chris
I would start with a simple chicken breast. I am seldom pleased when I cook them, and a sous vide breast is said to be perfect.
Justin
This would make it much easier for me to daily re-enact Top Chef season 6.
jms354
I have been thinking about trying to build one of the contraptions, but the real deal would be nice.
I would probably start with local slow poached eggs served over mustard greens, arugula, and parsley (from my winter garden). I would top it with some rustic garlic croutons and my homemade duck prosciutto (made from ducks I raised and slaughtered recently). It would be finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and some really good balsamic vinegar.
There is nothing better than making a big meal for friends and family. I like to do it for 12 or so of my friends at least once a month. This would make a great course for an upcoming french meal I am planning.
http://jonmstyer.weebly.com/3/post/2010/12/rustic-french-dinner.html
JoshWED
i've been thinking about a 60 degree egg nog.
Erik
I'd like to use an immersion circulator to try some of the recipes in the cookbooks I have. I could write guest posts for this site so people can follow along with a novice learning how to use it. Plus I grew up near Cleveland. That has to count for something, right?
Karri
What a great thing! I have so many things I would want to make with a Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. The "perfect" poached egg, short ribs, duck confit...
Jeff
As a Culinary Student this would be a great tool to learn and expirement with while in school. Not to mention my brother who is a Chef would be extremely jealous! But I would share with him.
Austin
Tender juicy mid rare shortribs...
also id be interested in experimenting with fish to cook in marinades or essences but to retain its 'barely cooked' texture.
Jackson
I'm posting in hopes that this expensive kitchen appliance will be given away on behalf of a quiet family I know who lives and struggles in the small northeast Iowa town I have grown up and currently reside in. The recent economic burdens have greatly impacted their family life as parents, but they have gently concealed and bandaged their own struggles and continued to breath life into their children's lives, while still being committed to their marriage. I find that heroically inspiring in the present world we live in.
The beauty of their story and this opportunity lies in their devotion to family meals and the current Christmas Season. Due to their hardship, and my own privilege, I've invited them join my family for dinner a few times. It amazes me, they're Always "present" and tuned in at the table--not mentally focused on the bills to be paid or the chaos to maneuver once they leave. It's clear they love food, and I'm sure there are plenty of posts previous and to come that will claim an affinity to food and restaurant business and cooking with incredible recipes and executive chefs and pork belly and all kinds of "juicy ideas"....this family loves food, for the basic life sustaining quality it provides them, no matter what quantity or form it comes in. And they love being together.
It wrecks me to witness such devotion to LIFE, juxtaposed to what will be a very difficult winter for them. Their Christmas isn't going to have an extravagant meal and bright lights and presents galore, nor will it be banging on the heater and hoping it miraculously turns back on. They may not even know how to use this as well as some executive chef may, but I know that they would receive this sort of a gift with the reverence and gratitude that the Christmas season is about. And probably with a bit of excitement too!
In writing this, I've realized it's not that their family is more deserving than anyone else who will post. Or that they "need" this. I just want this gift to be given with a higher motivation and purpose, and I think their family or a family "like theirs" might be the best recipient.
Thanks for considering Michael,
Admirer from Decorah
Michelle
Hm...where to start?! Short ribs are probably my favorite thing in the whole world and I would absolutely love to try making them in the immersion circulator. I would definitely try some pork belly or duck confit as well. Oh, the possibilities! I can tell you that this machine would not be wasted on me!
Allen
Hey everyone, there's a sale at J. C. Penny's!
Joanna
I'd use the machine to make something I've never tried before - like venison - provided by my grandpas who hunt.
Mary
I would give it to my brother-in-law, who is a wonderful cook, so he could make short ribs. I've always thought he needed one.
Brian Carter
Would get plenty of admiration and exercise in a busy Buddhist retreat center kitchen (yes, we are omnivore) .....
Angela
What the hey, I'll throw my hat in the ring. I'm just a home cook, but I'm fascinated by sous vide and would love to be able to incorporate it into my regimen!
Nadiya
steak, the best, most beautiful, super thick, medium rare stake you can imagine (finished in a super hot 100+ year old cast iron pan from my great grandma).
Mark B.
This would be perfect for a dish for my "Seven Courses from Seven Chefs" dinner party planned for early next year. I'd love to do something out of the sous vide cookbook (we've done the French Laundry from Keller many times) or perhaps something from Alinea. I would be so excited to add this to my home cooking repertoire.
Lee
I wouldlove to win an immersion device. 🙂
I only buy kosher meat, and I find it drier than the non-kosher meat I remember, probably having to do with the kashering/salting process. I think my first attempt at cooking sous-vide would be a beef brisket, and serving it with some sort of mustard or pepper sauce on the side. I remember in one of your books, when you talk about Thomas creating a bag of crunch to serve on the dish because what's cooked sous vide is without that caramelized texture on the outside, so I'd have to think about what I would use for my crunch here.
Thank you for the opportunity to be chosen.
brad barnett
I will use it's powers for Good. I promise. I will benevolently unleash it's magic upon family and friends. Probably break it in with pig tails to be then skinned and crisped under the broiler...glazed in a thinned sweet chili sauce.
Thanks. Brad.
Sean
Every time I walk into a bookstore, I generally head straight to the cookbooks, to pick up and fondle a copy of Under Pressure. I couldn't even imagine how sublime the short ribs I could make with this beauty. Great stuff as always, Michael.
Maybelles mom
Mmn, I love the idea of taking indian food immersive.
Brian
At this point I'm going to have to cryovac and sous vide my CIA textbook and copy of McGee for my next meal because I'm broke and sleeping in a 5'x6' closet while looking for an internship at a NYC kitchen. I'm sure a hollandaise would go nicely with the papery notes of the books. Of course I'm not going to be able to accomplish this without the sous vide professional... so...
Who am I kidding, I'd have to douse the shit out of it with hollandaise. But seriously, please don't let me get to that point. Maybe if I have one of these I can wave it around at the next place that I trail at as a means of getting them to let me stay around longer.
Seriously. Please.
Lynn Pilewski
I own and drool over both Under Pressure and the Alinea Book. I would use this wonderful gift to go all Julie and Julia and cook my way through both books! While I'm not a professional chef, I am obsessed by fine food and cooking techniques and really want to get to both Chicago and Yountville to experience these delights in person. Until then, cooking their recipes for myself is the only way I can experience the food. So...please sir, may I have your help?
Chase
Chipotle burrito. Just because I could.
Veron
I want! I want! I have both Under Pressure and Alinea, but I would like to use this first to make duck confit. Also might try to make dessert sauces with it. please please...let it be me...:D
Robert Faucette
^ Chipotle burrito... woof. I would make tons of stuff better than that guy. First thing for diner would be the Pumpkin, Roasted brussels sprouts, kKng trumpet mushrooms, and Black truffle syrup dish from "Under Pressure". From their the world is my oyster.
liza smith
I would cook beef tenderloin sous vide, then sear the fire out of the loin. Yum Yum!
Cali
Ooo I'd love one! As a graduate student there's NO way afford one but my decompression/procrastination approach centers strongly around cooking! I'd be so psyched to have this and make my procrastination fancy and perfectly cooked!
Derek
Huge fan of all the interesting tools polyscience is creating. I think the first thing I would use it for would be to cook an egg at the "perfect temperature." Thanks.
Todd Wolcott
I would experiment with cooking cake dough sous vide. Not sure how I would shape it, but that is what experimentation is for!
steve crandall
This would be an easy call. I would give it to our young friend Colleen who is crazy passionate about food and cooking, but not wealthy. Then I would have to buy one for myself to keep up with the discoveries she would blog.
Tom
I'll tell you what I would not do:
1- poison my family with foodborne illness from my crazy home made sous vide experiments
2. burn my house down with above experiments.
The major thing I would do is to start getting my money's worth out of the vacuum sealer I purchased without my wife's permission. Yes, my marriage may just be at stake here 🙂
Geoff Deakin
Mmm... Sous-vide pork belly... Please don't deny my daughters this healthy snack! 😉
Tom
I've been trying for 2 years to convince everyone that this would not be a frivolous purchase. I would love to get my hands on one for a variety of reasons but the first one that springs to mind....duck breast.
AP
I'd use it for duck, duck, duck.
Ann
I think it would be an amazing process of discovery to learn how to use this tool in the average home kitchen. Having just finished a (yummy IMO) dinner of fresh vension with mustard caper sauce, and always trying new ways to convince my husband to enjoy game more, I think I would most like to experiment with different cuts of venison!
Punctuation Mark
i can't believe you're giving this away... i love it!!! i have a friend who used it to make the thanksgiving turkey... a great way to reinvent it!!! think of me when you give it away!!! by the way, are you coming to Miami for South Beach Wine and Food Fest?
Kath the Cook
Talk about taking your cooking to the next level...... I would use this fabulous device to explore the many possibilities of all things meat! Yum!
and then branch out to other food groups as well
AG
My best plan for using the immersion circulator? Giving it to my husband, the chef. (He only lets me use the dull knives when we are in the kitchen [seriously], so I doubt he would think it a good idea for me to experiment with this.)
Excellent giveaway. Cheers to whomever gets to enjoy this.
Daniel
Oh my goodness would I love one of these. It may sound simple, but I think I'd love to use the circulator to cook burgers made from fresh ground beef that comes from some of the tougher-yet-flavorful cuts, so I could break down the connective tissue before finishing on the stove top.
Chris B
I'm a 27 year old single guy who works way too much. I'd love to sous vide dinner for girls who I want to impress. I can't get much more honest than that.
Justin
I'd confit everything. Duck, pork belly, whatever I can get my hands on. Then I'd finish it in the smoker, on the grill, in a saute pan--anyway to mix up the terrific flavors involved with smoke, direct heat, oil etc. with the tender perfectness of sous vide.
Kathryn
I will never leave my kitchen if I get this! I will sous vide anything and everything!
Mark Riccardelli
For years my wife got on me for all of the assorted kitchen 'toys' that seemed to be collecting in our kitchen. Two major things in our lives changed that influenced my collection of 'toys':
1) I reached a point that I didn't think that I wanted to continue homebrewing. This allowed me to sell off all of my equipment to someone that clearly wanted it more than me, at the time.
2) We moved across the United States and just couldn't afford to ship everything; therefore, a lot of my toys didn't make the trip.
While I've said many times that I don't mind having fewer toys hanging around the house, nor the decreased clutter that they caused, I do really miss having fantastic cooking implements that inspire experimentation. I know that an immersion circulator will inspire me.
The first thing that I would try is something involving salsify. While meats do sound like an obvious first choice I want to see if I can find a way to make this underutilized vegetable tender without destroying the structure of it.
James G.
I'm still learning and studying the Sous Vide technique and, partly due to cost, have not used the equipment......YET. I like to think I'm fairly accomplished in the kitchen (home kitchen) but would love to experiment with this crazy-cool piece of technology. First course? Guinea fowl....something I'm really fond of and have been experimenting with a lot lately. A date sauce I've been working on to accompany.
James
Jesse
I would love to play with an immersion circulator! Not only am I very keen to experience its possibilities at home (is it /really/ a suitable and/or reasonable tool for an at-home cook..?), if I had one, I'd to use it for at-home amateur biology! (Yes, it's a real hobby these days!) Guess I have too much free time...
Allison Bojarski
Just want to make the best steak EVER.
Matt
Mezaluna and ravioli filled with perfectly cooked custard, mostly savory but perhaps sweet.
Matt
Mezzaluna and ravioli filled with perfectly cooked custard, mostly savory but perhaps sweet.
Adam
Living up in northern VT, an immersion circulator would be an amazing addition to my small kitchen. I am finishing up a masters degree this week and starting a new job leaving me little time to cook. As a foodie with limited means I would love to have different proteins perfectly prepared waiting for me when I get home. I would love to make perfectly cooked pork chops or split chicken. This would be the focus of my foodies obsession!
Kristen
Some perfectly cooked eggs, compressed melon, and succulent lamb would be on the top of my list to try!
Greg
I want to try and recreate an amazing saddle of lamb I had cooked sous vide at a restaurant 5 years ago. I've dreamed about it since!
rich sims
I would do justice to the culinary world by honoring the pig and duck. I will spend the entire winter and spring using the imersion circulator for the benifit of man kind. And of course, i'l share all with you.
Dave
My grandma and I always cook together. I've been telling her about molecular gastronomy and other developments in the food world. I'd love for the two of us to fiddle with one of these new fandangled contraptions.
Emily
I'd love to give this to one of my best friends, a former chef, as a gift. He misses the professional kitchen, and would be unbelievably excited to play around with it. I can't imagine the possibilities!
Sean
I can't wait to try this out, and my first experiment will be with ice cream.
Cory
My wife and I have gone to great lengths to learn to cook proteins properly, both coming from homes where fears of food poisoning usually resulted in dry, inedible, and occasionally unrecognizable meat on the table.
This is one technique I've been wanting to get into, but the cost has been prohibitive. Steak, fish, tenderloin, etc...here I come!
Tim
This would be the perfect way to honor my first home raised organic Mangalitsa pig. He is at the butcher being processed right now. A perfect pig deserves perfect cooking!
Jonathan
I am dreaming of:
Pork loin with bacon fat and apples
Beef tenderloin with pear juice, dark soy, ginger and garlic chili
Grandmas short rib cabbage soup with raisins done sous vide style
Brette
My five year old would love this. She tried to cook in the bath tub with ziplocks after seeing sous vide cooking on TV. Not to mention all the fun I'd have with it too.
Adriane
I love slowly cooked foods because they are succulent and deeply flavored. My husband does not like "wet" food. Because these two gastronomical ideologies are often (always?) mutually exclusive, I have long believed that the sous vide would be the answer...foods slow cooked in water, but not wet. I think the first thing I would do if I had one would be to go to the butcher and get a brisket. And then cook it for a llllloooooonnnnnggggg time. And if my husband is lucky, I'll share it with him!
Adriane
I love slowly cooked foods because they are succulent and deeply flavored. My husband does not like "wet" food. Because these two gastronomical ideologies are often (always?) mutually exclusive, I have long believed that the sous vide would be the answer...foods slow cooked in water, but not wet. I think the first thing I would do if I had one would be to go to the butcher and get a brisket. And then cook it for a really long time. And if my husband is lucky, I'll share it with him!
Adriane
Umm...this second post was an accident. Oops.
brian
I'd love to try some fish in this for a more delicate flavor infusion!
Elaine M
Something sweet. I am a pastry chef.
Jeff
With an immersion circulator I would attempt to do the following, and perhaps put the results on a blog called Sous Vide Sundays.
I would love to cook boudin noir or blood cakes and terrines sous vide. I imagine a country pate would be taken to the next level. I would also like to try cooking pigs trotters gently to be able to easily pull out the bones while keep the integrity of the trotters and then finally stuffing them. Having a sunday lunch and cooking a Cote de Boeuf sous vide before searing it in oil/butter garlic and thyme would be be amazing. I would also like to make Carbonara filling and cooking it sous vide then fill it into raviolis. As well as corned beef brisket. On a less protein side I would also like to try cooking nuts sous vide then blending to make nut butter. I would like to try cooking fruit at very low temperatures with aromatics to infuse flavor but keeping the almost raw texture of fruits. Infused olive oils would be nice as well. Thanks for you consideration. Love your books!
Justin
I would make a really thick, medium-rare burger.
Janine Z
Would like to do a little dabbling in the world of sous vide but never had the $ to buy a device that would enable me to do so.
Tom
I would do a three day beef chuck with chilies, cumin, etc to make chili... Chicken tagine... Lots of egg experiments at different temps (61c, etc.)
Nick D
Oh, the meals I could prepare for my family with this little guy. My deep freezer would hold cook-frozen meats and vegetables, all ready to be brought back with short notice. Cut open the bags, sear the meats, and serve family dinners to be rivaled only by fine-dining restaurants.
Eventually my kids wouldn't even have the patience for fast food 🙂
Matt
I love to cook and read your book,
so I thought it cool to go to school.
What it is I won't try?,
You'll see, as I graduate the FCI.
Pick me, Pick me you'll understand,
when I sous-vide my way around this land.
I always want a perfect dish,
so winning the circulator is my christmas wish!
Henry
Short ribs and perfectly cooked sausages every time.
Eric C
I dream of this device, I do hope Santa smiles on me.
Rob
i would love the chance to try and make long slow simmered recipies like rogan josh and other curries with it. I also have a dream of port spice infused whole plums and scallops poached with a carrot and coconut curry .
Matt
I would love the ability to cook sous vide in my apartment. You see, I'm stuck with an oven from the early sixties. While it does look "classic", the calibration is horrible. I actually have to prop a chair against the door to keep heat from escaping. As you can imagine, most of my cooking consists of sauteing, boiling and poaching. I'd love to throw sous vide into the mix.
Of course I'd try steaks and roasts, but I keep hearing that vegetables are where sous vide really shines. And I just happen to have a vegetarian girlfriend who takes the fact that my signature dishes are nearly all meat to mean that I can't cook.
I'd even be glad to save you the shipping and drive up from Peninsula to pick it up!
Thanks!
Maureen in Oakland
I almost always see it used for meat, but I am curious to discover how to use this machine, specifically as a vegetarian.
james brooks
I am a cook and work long hours, so when I get time to spend with my son he likes to cook with me. This would be a great tool for us to spend a little more time together in the kitchen, so I can continue to show him that food doesn't come from a box in the store.
Chris L.
I would love to make Chris Cosentino's version of Porchetta di Testa that he has posted on gourmet.com. Additionally, I've heard that turkey cooked sous vide beats anything that mom ever made for Thanksgiving. I'd like to see for myself.
Christie Ison
I'll have to admit that the immersion circulator has both frightened and fascinated me at the same time. (The frightening part is the low temps, having been brainwashed by ServSafe...) As a culinary student, I would love to have the opportunity to learn this and practice in my own kitchen.
R J
I would use it to make Swordfish with lemon verbena, mint, thyme, and butter
Elaine
Can't wait to get one of these contraptions one day!
Sheri
Eggs, which will then be rolled in panko and flash fried
Tony
I would use it to experiment with many meat and spice combinations; playing, testing and trying to find that magic combination of spice, time and heat to create that 'magic' piece of protein that makes you think you have died and gone to heaven.
Greg freeman
Stove conked out. Thought about trying to sou vide with hot water and a coleman cooler. This would work so much better.
Simon
Eggs would certainly be the first thing to go in, but I'd probably have to follow that up with a few different types of meat and/or fish to see which is most improved by cooking sous vide. After that, well, I think I'd have to see if I can't use it to make beer with. I always have trouble with mash temps, this thing might just help.
Bradley
oh boy, i want this baby so bad I can taste it. I would use the circulator for confits and other poaching but what I would be most interested in is fish cookery sous vide. Also medium rare short ribs sound pretty amazing.
simon
I just tried to post this and got an incomprehensible error message, so I'm hoping I don't get disqualified. That said...
Eggs would certainly be the first thing to go in, but I'd probably have to follow that up with a few different types of meat and/or fish to see which is most improved by cooking sous vide. After that, well, I think I'd have to see if I can't use it to make beer with. I always have trouble with mash temps, this thing might just help.
Maja
The best salmon I've ever had was cooked sous vide. I'd love to experiment at home but don't have the cash!
Joseph Linville
I would like to test the method on lots of things to determine which foods are best suited to the technique. It's likely that there are some dishes prepared using conventional methods that can't be improved, while I may find some that really make sous vide cooking worth the investment of time and money.
PS
I can't believe you did the Holiday special with Tony after your account of the last shoot. That was cheesy! You both are too cool for school, but it seems like you attended anyway (he skipped). Nice recipes.
Val
I'd like to use the machine to make amazing steak and eggs.
Brandy W
Oooooh. My husband would love me for this. And I would get juicy meat. I wanna have one! 😀
Val
I'd like to use the machine to make amazing steak and eggs. And then I would start working on some kind of sous vide barbacoa - that's right, a whole cow's head.
corey
Would use it at our restaurant . Chef won't buy one due to cost and is not keen on using them. I would like to show him the possibilities if we had one. I can't afford one.
Eddie
I would love one for two reasons:
1) My girlfriend sneers at scientific cooking and I think I would blow her mind with eggs.
2) I have a good source for a grass-fed standing rib roast from my butcher friend and I have a crappy apartment kitchen. This would allow me to cook said roast *perfectly*.
tommy
I'm opening a restaurant and need this equipment!
Jennifer from Chicago
Where shall I begin?
Sealing in the flavors and textures and time/temperature precision! How much closer to perfection do you want in cooking? If I had a chance to get my hands on one of these I would make everything from duck roulades to potatoes I would sous vide with the remains of the duck fat. I already know this would be my favorite kitchen gadget! At this point I can only imagine, trying to get my son ready for school and no worries as to how long I leave my halibut filets. I can pull them out when I want and sear them off to perfection and then use the juices to make a nice pan reduction. This is only the beginning of my need for a sous vide immersion circulator. I began my own catering business this year and have very high standards when it comes to what I serve. I put love in every dish, I don't just pop a can, I like to keep it local and care about what goes into my dishes. This is really an intricate part of the equation that could help me become even more innovative. I could play with this thing all day, whether its custards, compotes, hollandaise, or just some really tasty and fortified vegetables.
* Please note every sentence should actually have an exclamation point, just how I feel typing this!!!!
Thanks for the opportunity & keep up the great page!
Jennifer
Tim
Two words. Hot Dogs....or is that one word? Then I'll ramp it up and impress the new gf's chef parents with something meaty.
Nick
I would make the perfect 63C egg - I've only had the opportunity to enjoy this once and would love the opportunity to recreate it within the confines of my own kitchen!
Tim
I've got a bag of bambi guts and a head that I'm trying to figure out how to make use of... usually it's tossed out the window into the nearest state park on the way home. Will this thing render out anything edible/usable?
Heather
I was just watching a show where the chef was using one of these to cook a pork steak. It looked so delicious. It's probably the first thing I'd want to try.
Michael Zubik
You actually mention in this post what I would try: the med-rare short ribs. Next up after that would be the lamb shanks in my freezer, and then some duck!
Michelle
My brother has a pig, Ernie, who will soon meet his demise. After paying him our utmost respects, we would give him a nice rub and sous vide his belly, his butt and his ribs. We might even try immersing some sausages, some feet and some ears. Every one in my family would enjoy this fresh succulent pig. Except Ernie's buddy, Bert, who resides in the pen. We won't tell him about our little "spa" for pigs. But I might threaten the old mean rooster, Ivan The Terrible. I wonder, however, if any contraption is capable of tenderizing this tough old bird. Ivan would be the true test for Sous Vide.
Deb B
I would love to try carnitas using sous vide to replace the braising step before browning the pork in the traditional recipe. Imagine the silky tender pork shoulder chunks permeated with seasonings from the long slow pouch cooking with a rich brown caramelized crust from browning in fat. Bliss! It also would be a fabulous way to cook a galantine.
I would use it to cook brined turkey, chicken breast, or pork loin to use for making sandwiches for brown bag lunches because the bland chemical laden deli counter meats barely qualify as food.
What also excites me about the cooking technique combined with the enhanced food storage properties of vacuum packing is exploring ways to use it to make high quality from scratch “convenience” foods so my family still could have a great meal if I can’t be home or when there isn’t a breath of energy for cooking at the end of the day.
DonR
I bought the Sous Vide book last year, and until now, the ability to do it correctly has only remained a dream. I don't have any one thing I want to use it for--I want it for everything. I have the book beside my bed and listen to Dave Arnold on my iPod in my car. It's time for me to get going!
Celeste
I still don't get the hoo-ha over sous-vide cooking. Owning a unit might change my mind. I'd probably unleash it on a thick hunk of red meat...
Mandy
scrambled eggs, steaks, salmon and short ribs. I went to culinary school (for fun, just to learn) and am always looking for ways to further my education at home since I graduated. An immersion circulator would be fantastic for it and would open up a whole new world to me.
Kevin Bishop
After years as a line cook and sous chef, I will be in charge of my own kitchen in January. It's a small place that does a ton of covers due to a 9 to 10 month tourism season. Having the ability to prepare foods sous vide is something that would really open up what I am able to accomplish in my first time being THE Chef.
Davidb
Sous-vide is a mystery to me. I would try anything. But my first project would be to sous-vide some short ribs with a spanish/chinese mix of flavors.
Zack
ANYTHING that Thomas Keller cooked with that magical machine that magical night at Per Se.
Andrew
well my post from friday looks to have disappeared, but I'm going to mash grains with this for making beer. hope its not too late to re-enter
Brad
Let me count the ways I would love to have a sous vide machine, short ribs, flat iron steaks, flank steak tacos, pork of all kinds, chicken, duck, grouse, pheasant, walleye, salmon, halibut. I want to try them all.
SimplyForties
I'd love to give it a whirl with some fish
bunkycooks
I've had beef tenderloin prepared this way and it was fabulous. I would have to try that out first!
Ma'ayan
I wrote my college entrance essay as an abstract recipe for myself that involved sous vide cooking. Though I'm not planning to cook myself, I'm really intrigued to experiment with egg-based dishes sous vide.
Monica
Want, want, want, want!!!!
Jeremy Busey
Yeah the food geek in me desperately wants one, yet this version appeals to my sense of self preservation as it's size ensures I will not suffer the wrath of the wife for adding more kitchen paraphernalia to our lives. Totally awesome!
Don Herron
Love it for vegetables. They are perfect every time.
Huge
would love to say goodbye to overcooked meats and hello to a new immersion circ~
*fingers crossed*
Pete
I captured my fiance's (also a food blogger) through a series of post I did on Sous Vide cooking I was doing at home through the Sous Vide Supreme. I would LOVE to have this beast to cook alongside her after we're married for our friends and family. We've talked about sous vide cooking a lot and we're really curious to sous vide offals.
Rebecca
I'll be honest... it'd probably be something simple like eggs until I get my immersion circulating feet under me and learn what this thing can really do. But boy, would I EVER love the opportunity to learn!
Michael
I would like to try making all kinds of things--this would open up a whole world of new experimentation!
Ridongculous
Hope to have one of these someday. Nerdgasms will ensue.
Scott
I am dying to cook my through an entire pig sous vide. I have a friend that raises Berkshires and am dying to work my through the whole animal and this would be the perfect mechanism to do that.
Starre
I have some darling chickies that give me beautiful fresh eggs. I would love to honor them and cook the perfect egg
JACQUELYN
The ciculator would allow me to make less expensive cuts of meat more palatable for soup kitchen guests. Thank you.
fahad mayahi
Awesome gadget, come on santa.
Paul Loman
I'd really like to get into sous vide - and if it's good enough for Thomas Keller, its good enough for me!!
Steven
I'd love to give this to my friend that invites 70 people over for Thanksgiving. She works, has a five year old and she does the whole dinner from scratch.
Dan
I would use it in my bathtub to keep the water warm for longer.
Then I'd sous vide pork butt for two days in a variety of mexican spices (allspice, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, etc.) until it was melting. Then I'd form the pork into square-shaped blocks and fry them in lard until the outside was crispy. Finally, I'd serve them on a plate with an avocado and a squeeze of lime.
Molly
we have a group of friends that have been discussing a group purchased one to continue to perfect the various culinary treats that can be cooked here-steak, duck, pasta, eggs, the list goes on. If I won this, it would get put to great use, not just for cooking but for experimenting and celebrating food with friends.
Josh Preiser
My inner food geek is yearning for this temperature controlled contraption. 36 hour pork belly....here I come.
Russell
I want to experiment with sous vide-ing just about everything, but in particular breakfast: Just imagine dropping eggs and veggies in just before bed and having the perfect sous vide "omellete" ready in the morning.
matt
i'd cook a filet mignon in that thing!
Kristin Lubben
I always find something new & exciting on your site Ruhlman! This would be an outstanding gift for my CIA trained Chef/hubby... it's something he's never done/used before and I think he would have a blast playing with it on Christmas Day while the kids lightsaber each other to death on the PS3.
Thanks for blogging.
Kristin
Rob
Sweet contest! Fingers crossed...
Andrew Beck
This will replace my ghetto setup of a PID, a crockpot, and an aquarium pump.
Jacqueline
I amabout to get some venison from a neighbor I just love the thought of being able to prepare it with a Sous Vide! And, short ribs are my all time favorite...!
Jon
Wow, appreciate the give away. I would probably never buy one of these things, but it would be awesome to dive into a whole new side of cooking.
JasonW
Looks amazing.
Lucia
I think my crazy book club pals would be happy to allow me to serve them a few sous-vide experiments! I'm pretty sure there would be some pork and duck involved ... after that, who knows? Sounds like a great way to keep me happily occupied this winter!
Lori
The real question is what *wouldn't* I sous vide? I have friends that experiment with various methods of at-home sous vide-ing, and it would be so excellent to have the real thing to share. Oh, the parties we'd have!
Kelly
Ooh, I have one last roasting hen in the freezer from my friend Baron's farm in neighboring Brimfield, Ohio. I would love to see what can happen to one of these amazing birds in a sous vide.
It would also be deeply satisfying to experience this style of cooking because my friend, a catering chef in Vegas who I nearly romantically and professionally partnered with ten years ago, is always sending me photos of the food I'm missing out on. Sous Vide is his method of choice for so many Torture Kelly in Ohio dishes.
Randall
One word, eggs. Oh my word the eggs I've seen people produce out of immersion circulators. First thing I make would be pasta with pancetta, cheese and a perfect poached egg.
Mary Ann Rusnov-Hagans
The first dish I would make is Sauerbraten Bison. Can you just imagine how that meat would melt in your mouth using a cooking process like Sous Vide? I can. It would melt like butter in your mouth. Absolutely no need for teeth.
Chris Spear
I'm a working executive chef and would really like one of these. I don't have one at work or home. I've taken a sous vide course and have the Under Pressure cookbook, as well as the Alina, Fat Duck and El Bulli cookbooks. I'm a dedicated follower of Cooking Issues and Ideas in Food. I'd really like to start putting some of my knowledge to use. Thats my plea. Merry Christmas
Allison Hines
Frustration would be my answer for wanting this. I'm a corporate chef who works for the largest family owned foodservice company in the US. A wonderful company but so far behind the times technologically, I have accounts that don't have a computer and still do P&L's by hand. I am trying to introduce them to new culinary
technology but they are unwilling to invest in unknown practices as we are debt free and struggling to stay that way in this difficult economy. I could show them all of the benefits of a piece of equipment such as this for use in our vending operations as well as our dining facilities. More importantly how to not only improve quality but introduce infinite cost saving measures while also solving many of our accounts storage and space concerns with one piece of equipment. We already have a fantastic commissary that puts out incredible food that could be sent packaged to our accounts ready to go in the immersion circulator and easily handled by our account managers and our more skilled chefs could prepare incredible items with less costly items to produce much higher quality culinary creations. It makes financial sense and I would like to have the opportunity to take this right to them and show them how this innovation can not only takes us into the culinary future but also let us maintain our cost saving philosophy. In this economy, nickles and dimes matter. I love my family owned company and I want to help them and my wonderful staff to jump to the next level. This amazing piece of equipment could help us all succeed. And I really want to see us all succeed. Thank you for your consideration. Chef Allison Hines
Jay C
I would use the circulator to test new coffee brewing methods under controlled, low-temperature (relatively speaking to 'normal' brewing temperatures) and potentially long-term brew specifications.
Jeff Dalton
I would create a re-invented "Green eggs and ham". The egg is separated, the white whipped into stiff peaks and mixed with spinach puree. It is then re-molded back into an egg with the raw yolk in the middle and cooked sous vide at 70 C for 20 minutes. Finished briefly in the oven until the outside is crispy and inside is still runny. Served with home-cured pork belly cooked sous vide in lard and crisped with a blow torch.
Stephen Cohen
The circulator will add efficiency and elegance to my six-course new year's eve dinner for 10, which won't only have 10 adults but three children under 18 months. The more advance work we can do while still serving incredible food, the better. All that, and I think sous vide is generally fascinating.
Carol Schwaner
How cool is that? I have never heard of it. A new "gotta have"
baker_bear
Meats, veggies and fruits - Oh My! Anything you could think of to give this Immersion Circulator a try. ;D
Sam Boyle
Perfectly cooked eggs I'd and go to town with some veggies
Lisa D
I would use it to cook the white asparagus in an asparagus rissotto
Troy Banks
I'd love this tool. I've already dreamily looked at it at my Williams and Sonoma last month, but $799 is too high for me. I am a ever expanding home cook and would love to cook with this. My first endevour would probably be short ribs or a nice beef cooked to a perfect medium rare. Then I'd love to try for the 62 degree egg. This would be the perfect christmas present. Merry Christmas Ruhlman.
tiptup
oh my my. we have similar baths at work (scientist, not chef) and seriously considered cooking some salmon but that would break a litany of rules. first up would be eggs followed by fish followed by steak. nom nom nom
Andy Burns
I'd love to get my hands on one of these, and it's a completely selfish reason: I need to teach my wife and her family that eating "Well-done" meat should be a sin. I've cooked it to medium for them, and with this, I think I can finally convince them to try medium-rare (by pointing out the EXACT temperature of the meat while it's cooking).
Thanks!
Tam
How fun - I'd like to try out one of these! I'd love to try doing different Vietnamese dishes in it just to see what happens!
John G
I do not have one, therefore I need one.
dave l
i'm blinded by the science! count me in
Alex Fortney
I'll be picking up my beef share in about a week and while I should love my slow cooker, I don't. Every time I leave it unattended I come back to something not quite as gloriously tender as I envisioned it. I've always wanted to try sous vide and I have almost #200 pounds of grass fed beef to experiment with!
David S
I've been looking at getting one but mortgage payments seem more important at the moment. Having both in hand would be great.
James Gordon
Besides using the immersion circulator for cooking the perfect egg, I'd love to be able to cook some of the recipes from The French Laundry Cookbook.
Bonnie Deahl
A new toy for the kitchen...I wonder if you could make a vaca frita sous vide? Happy cooking to you Michael!
Wilbur Cox Jr.
I would love to have a circulator at my house for further research and development. I use one at work, but due to company guidelines I am unable to take it off property. This would help further my career and allow me to experiment in my off time. Happy cooking friend.
Carl D
I'd love to start experimenting with short ribs, steaks and fish, but especially pork!
Phoenix Kasten
I would love to use this device in my latest foray into sausage-making. After reading Charcuterie, I have had inordinately too much fun with making different varieties and unique sausages. My favorite to date would be “Thanksgiving”: turkey, fatty pork belly, sage and cranberry. The immersion circulator would help me create my next idea. My vision is kind of like a mini tureen in tube form. Spicy pork, inside a Garlic/Wine, inside a creamy outer shell. It would look like a bullseye. I would use the immersion circulator to poach my new creations without overcooking and breaking of the emulsified sausages.
Wilbur Cox Jr.
i would love to have one for further research and development to help my culinary growth
stephen ullrich
OMG. This is on my christmas list. I'm in Sir thanks for the generosity.
Pamela
What a way cool tool to have! I would do a lot of experimenting! What I have read about them sure makes them sound like a 'wonder' device'
Happy Holidays!
Erica
I have been DYING to try cooking sous-vide, ever since I saw Grant Achatz do a turkey a few years ago. I would love for this technique to become a regular in my repertoire...so simple and clean but with fantastic results. Thank you for your generous offer!
Jim M
Two things:
This would allow me to finally cook some of the recipes in Keller's book, which a friend gave to me as a birthday present not knowing the specialized equipment necessary (just that I was a big fan of Keller and it was the only one of his cookbooks that I didn't yet own).
Secondly, this would be another thing I could use to continue teaching my young daughter that imagination and fearlessness (and access to the necessary equipment) are the only things limiting what can be accomplished by the home cook.
J
This would be great to prep for parties
Jenny Boomershine
Duck eggs, baby!
John
I'm thinking some BBQ type items like ribs... Oh, I could really go for some slow cooked ribs right now.
Jessy
Short ribs! One of my favorite foods and the very first thing I would make with an immersion circulator! Though the list would be outrageously long... I have to do things out completely!
Jessica
I cook for an extremely picky eater and this would do wonders for me getting the meat just right!
salamooch
First order of business would be to fine tune the lamb shoulder I use for my Lamb Pot Pie (w Harukei Turnips and my friends' tiny carrots)...I serve that w Romaine Hearts dressed in a Sherry Vinaigrette. Simple. Slammin. Me Love Sous Vide.
jaybee
Please enter me in this drawing. I'm on board for the short ribs -- or any meat that would benefit from this kind of long, slow cooking. Am I the only one who drools at the words "melt the tough connective tissue"?
Eben Altmann
I just found a source for pig's blood. I'd love to use it to cook the boudin noir I'll soon be making.
MattyB51775
Short Ribs!!!!!
Johnymac2
I'd like to try making candy. The sugers in making candy have to be at specific temps at specific times for specific durations, and I think I can get the Sous Vide to help with making some honey candy. (I'm a beekeeper and chef)
Darrell Eager
I would use it to cook the proverbial goose!
Arthur Lupkowski
I would love this machine so I can really put Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide to use the proper way. Thank you for the opportunity to acquire this tool.
Josh Dorfman
Dear Chef Ruhlman:
This is a great cooking tool, and a solution I've been looking for!
I've been thinking about my new business, a company that delivers prepackaged, healthy meals to customers around the country, but I hated the microwave route. (Restaurant Depot testing has been extensive!)
This machine would make the reheating process into a simple process! No need to mess with power setting on a microwave, or get that soggy, nasty result. Sous Vide to the rescue.
I wonder what it would cost to have each member rent one of these devices...
Select me for this give-away and watch my budding business grow!
Thanks for your consideration!
Rick Dowlearn
bison short ribs and wild boar loin.
Tori
I am so eager to try one of these! I would use it to cook lots of local meats, perhaps even Christmas Eve dinner, which for the first time, is at my house this year. Best of all, my boyfriend is a scientist, and has never been really into cooking. But we now cook together, and he is an eager and apt sous chef and is excited to learn more techniques. I find that explaining the science of cooking really helps him understand and enjoy what we're doing in the kitchen. I can think of very few things that would excite him more than learning to cook using this awesome machine!
Janice
I would cook my family's favorite new dish Salmon marinated in asian marinate.
A.J. Voytko
I would love to have this machine. I can just taste the coffee and porter braised short ribs that I would cook for 4 days at 138F. I have tried to do it before without a circulator and its almost impossible. Thanks for the opportunity!!!!!!
Luke
I don't have anything especially complex in mind at first, but I'd like to ramp things up as I get better at it. I'd love to start with steaks and chops, then maybe move to something with more connective tissue.
Steve
I'd be very excited to have an Immersion Circulator in my kitchen! Besides all of the great food I could prepare, just imagine how geeky it would look on the countertop! 🙂
Bekgirl
I would gift the immersion circulator to my sweet husband who is a professional chef. He has had to make some sacrifices lately in his career and I would love to provide him with the tools to create and inspire him back to the amazing level I know his soul craves. Plus, I would reap the rewards of his tantalizing creations!
Perry Hicks
I saw this once and I'm dying to try it....burgers sous-vide to a perfect rare in a bath of butter, then plopped on the griddle for a quick sear. Damn, that just made me really hungry.
Jennifer
I'm thinking lamb riblets or shanks done sous vide would be amazing!
jake
Must...make...48 hour...shortribs
Andrew
I'd give it to my brother, who has a freezer full of elk meat, that he hunted this past October in Jackson, WY. Elk is very lean, and notoriously dry if in the least bit overcooked, and this is exactly what he needs to honor the animal he killed, to enjoy it most fully.
Heather
I'd give it to our son (the future chef and food truck owner) so he can make us some dinner! Hopefully some ribs or a nice brisket. ^_^
Michael Odom
I'd learn how to use it.
Tim Bereika
We have this exact machine in the kitchen at work so I am very familiar with it's excellent craftsmanship, precise control of heat and ease of use. As much as I'd love one for the house $800 isn't in my family's budget. I work long hours and am rarely home at night to prepare dinner for my wife and 18 month old son and I think the quality of the food they consume suffers because of it. My wife has her hands full with the little one as well as handling her own business (she's self employed) so spending the time to prepare a quality meal for dinner gets little attention. The PolyScience Sous Vise Professional would make it effortless to prepare a nutritious, well ballanced, perfectly cook meal using a "one pot cooking" method. I'd be able to prep meals ahead of time and vacuum seal them. Then my wife could turn the machine on, let it reach a desired temperature and drop dinner into the water. Winning one of these machines would help my family tremendously.
Kalun Lee
I'd like to try making Hainanese chicken in it. See if I can infuse the dipping oil into the chicken.
David
hmm yeah.....sous vide
Hayden
I would be able to do enough ahead of time to not have my wife do all the dinner cooking - and she won't starve waiting for me to cook once I get home from work!
Melissa
My husband and I have been experimenting with pineapple and gelatin, learning exactly what it takes to denature the pineapple enzymes so that gelatin will set. This would help us immensely with that process, as it's more precise than a pot on the stove.
Cat
Sous vide eggs! I love warm runny yolks. I would have to make every egg variation possible before I moved on to meats. Breakfast sous vide every day. Yuuummmm
Evan D.
I recently purchased a programmable rice cooker for having at least part of my dinner ready when I get home from work. An immersion circulator would make the perfect addition so I can do as much of my prep/cooking ahead of time to ensure there's a great dinner waiting when I get home.
The first thing I would cook is lamb chops which have a small window of perfection to make sure it's the correct temp inside. A quick finish in the pan or under the broiler and I'm a happy camper.
Thanks for the chance to win! Lots of blogging about what I make with the sous-vide machine would follow, of course
Shaphan Markelon
I am a candidate for an instructor position at NECI. Needless to say it would be pretty bad ass to have one of these set up in my classroom/kitchen!!
Betty Devine
Nothing ventured, nothing won?? As a home cook who loves messing about in the kitchen, I am certainly not the most qualified person in this group of hopefuls... but I want this as badly as everyone else! I am most interested in doing meat/seafood preparation SV, both for our usual meals for two as well as the big family dinners for 30 plus which far outstrip my kitchen's ovenpower. (as a plus, I have enjoyed reading the ideas in these comment)
Brian
I make a lot of ice creams. I would cook my base at 82.5 C until everything is nice and ready and can coat the back of a spoon. That way I'll never have curdled eggs that I'll have to strain out.
Mattias Morrison
Aside from cooking our farm's fantastic cuts of meat and veggies to perfection, my innovative use could be precise rewarming of frostbitten feet/hands! I'm a wilderness guide by profession.
Mattias Morrison
oops! I couldn't find this original comment so I just entered another one! Please delete this one and see Monday 11:02pm Pacific.
Stanley L
i hear sous vide eggs are particularly amazing! eggs, 63C, one day.
Vertie
Can't think of a better way to prep some foods for my 9-month-old! may also be delicious for his parents.
Christian Donovan
I could finally put my samples of transglutaminase as well as the alinea, fat duck, and under pressure cookbooks to good use.
Marty steinke
I have tried so many ways to Jerry-rig a sous vide system and every time it's such a pain in the ass fraught with lots of monitoring the temperature. I must say that I have enjoyed some great results. The perfect cooked egg, wonderful 12 hour trotters, creamy sweetbreads, really flavorful headcheese and tender artichokes. I would love to take my sousvide cooking to the next level. There are so many possibilities I can't wait!!!
Brady Vickers
Wow, so many things are possible. But the never-ending pursuit of the perfect "roast chicken" (via the Bionic Turkey technique of Dave Arnold's) would be my first project.
Lexie
I would like to experiment with tough cuts of meat, and this will encourage me to put the idea of using 'the whole animal' into practice.
Thank you Michael, you are very generous.
Fred M
In life - as in cooking - nothing ventured, nothing gained. I WANT this immersion circulator! I may actually NEED it. Like a child on Christmas Eve, I have visions dancing in my head...but rather than sugar plums, I see souse vide pork belly. I just might not sleep tonight.
ryan bissell
I want a second one!
Paul
I don't eat seafood, but I'd love to poach a lobster in butter for my wife.
Hunter M
I would use this piece of equipment to perfectly cook eggs, vegetables, and of course pieces of meat and fish.
Jack A.
I'd have the only one on my island, so first and foremost, I'd call up all the other chefs and mock them mercilessly. Then I'd eat even more eggs than I do now.
Eric
I've always been fascinated by sous vide, but have never had the opportunity to use the machinery. The first thought that comes to my mind is slow cooking every cut of meat imaginable. Roast beef, lamb shank, short ribs, venison back strap. After that, exploring the possibility of curing meats. That might be completely crazy, but I think its worth a shot.
Kimberly D
I am very excited to give it a try! I would cook meats, fish and vegetables. It would be an especially cool technique to teach my almost 2 year old. I work in the science field so this technique is just very exciting for me.
David Pearl
If gifted the immersion circulator, I and several friends would make it a fixture in our annual Festivus party here in Cleveland (among other uses throughout the year). And of course we'd invite you and a guest to attend... here's our invitation this year:
Friends, friends - it's time for Festivus!
Yes, our version of the Seinfeldian Holiday. Here's a brief history of our tradition:
2005 and 2006 were gourmet feasts served way late to 15-20 family and close friends at my parents' house.
In 2007 Tom turned us loose in his live/work space called "the Base." We served about 45, played a rousing ol' match of Snapdragons (an oft-forgotten parlor trick of which Shakespeare wrote), had a 15-foot pole assembled by a disheveled white-haired man (my ~godfather), and saw who could hold up two folding chairs the longest in Feats of Strength. I played a 100-song soundtrack of my favorites of 2007 (which we gave away on mp3 CD), while Tom created a video. And the Festivus Miracle, you ask? Well, all that happened and as I recall the food still came out pretty decent.
So, this year Festivus is back - on account of our good friend Brian, who's lending his kitchen and house in Tremont for the December 23rd holiday. Aaron, who has since gone to CIA and cooked at Per Se, is head chef. I'm helping Aaron coordinate while cooking up a new soundtrack. And TK is going to be involved, somehow.
Starting at 7:30pm, we're planning a series of canapés (I guess that's Aaron's fancy word for gourmet finger foods).
We're asking that folks bring wine, seasonal beer, or other beverages to help defray our costs.
There will be an aluminum pole, but feel free to bring your own. NO TINSEL PLEASE, it's distracting.
Parking will be on the street - grievances on this will be accepted but not expected.
We have limited space and will want an accurate headcount, so please RSVP by THIS FRIDAY, December 17th. And please RSVP "yes," because we don't want to make an already-long list of grievances even longer...
Adam
i already have been cooking sous vide without an immersion circulator, so having one would make things way easier. duck confit, olive oil poached fish, green tea poached fennel, duck fat sunchokes. i have been using pots of water on the stove and the rationale at work to do these things and would appreciate an immersion circulator.
Nathan W
As a young culinary professional, I dream every day of a benevolent higher-up doing the same thing you are: giving away the surplus tools we slave labor are only allowed to make magic with on the clock. I would love to bring sous vide precision home, to be able to enjoy the fruits of the machine as much as our guests in the restaurant. It would really make me happy to recreate what I've been taught and have the freedom to explore the technology further.
sam rosener
Since Thanksgiving at the in-laws was a bust (canned green beans in canned gloop, etc), I'd use it to recreate the Achatz/Kokonas Thanksgiving in a bag from a few years back.
Kenneth Lee Foon
I would use it to begin exploring the great possibilities of tough cuts of beef and pork along with long low temperatures.
And now for the creative part of my submission 🙂
** ** ** **
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
The sous-vide was stirring, quiet as a mouse;
The vac-paks were hung in the water with care,
In hopes that the Ruhlman soon would be there;
The stages were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of mise-en-place danced in their head;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the prep table to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature volkswagon, and eight tiny sous chefs,
With a paunchy old driver, waving an opener and can,
I knew in a moment it must be Michael Ruhlman.
More rapid than vitapreps his sous-chefs they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Bourdain! now, Keller! now, Delgrosso and Pardus!
On, Symon! on Ripert! on, Donna, and Kelly!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the sous-chefs they flew,
With the sleigh full of goodies, and Michael Ruhlman too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little clogged foot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney that Ruhlman he came with a bound.
He was dressed all in checks, from his head to his foot,
And his apron was tarnished with gravy and soot;
A bundle of signed books he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a cigar he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a long face and a paunch little belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And smelling the stock with deep whiffs of his nose,
He gave me a nod then up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his volkswagon, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
kim
this is really great. thanks for sharing. 🙂
Kenneth Lee Foon
I would use it to begin exploring the great possibilities of tough cuts of beef and pork along with long low temperatures.
And now for the creative part of my submission 🙂
** ** ** **
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
The sous-vide was stirring, quiet as a mouse;
The vac-paks were hung in the water with care,
In hopes that the Ruhlman soon would be there;
The stages were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of mise-en-place danced in their head;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the prep table to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature volkswagon, and eight tiny sous chefs,
With a paunchy old driver, waving an opener and can,
I knew in a moment it must be Michael Ruhlman.
More rapid than vitapreps his sous-chefs they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Bourdain! now, Keller! now, Delgrosso and Pardus!
On, Symon! on Ripert! on, Donna, and Kelly!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the sous-chefs they flew,
With the sleigh full of goodies, and Michael Ruhlman too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little clogged foot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney that Ruhlman he came with a bound.
He was dressed all in checks, from his head to his foot,
And his apron was tarnished with gravy and soot;
A bundle of signed books he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a cigar he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a long face and a paunch little belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And smelling the stock with deep whiffs of his nose,
He gave me a nod then up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his volkswagon, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Joel
I just went to a wild game hunt & cooking class last week & I have a couple of racks of venison and a whole wild boar saddle looking for a home on a plate. The venison will get sous vide to medium rare finished on the grill over pecan. The boar saddle would get a little lard added to make a confit, then seared on a hot pan to crisp the thin layer of backfat.
Kim S
As a culinary student, I would be the talk of the class. The things we could experiment with!
Snow
Perfectly cooked fish of all varieties!
Also great for pasteurizing eggs, making yogurt, and other low temp applications. I want one!!
Ron
I have wanted a Sous Vide Supreme for over a year now but do not have the counter space. This would be ideal!!
Ian Rucker
My eventual father-in-law is an excellent "home" chef, with lots of disposable income to waste on kitchen gadgets and such. Most of the nice kitchen implements that I own are hand-me-downs from him, and I would love to wow him with an implement we have just spoke about in passing. Sous Vide Envy as it were! That and I have been tasked by most of my family to produce food above and beyond what they are used to for holiday dinners... I'd love to see what this can do with a lean piece of bottom round.
kim
oh man! i know this doesn't win points in the "creative" arena, but just your writing about short ribs has my mouth watering!
Kathrine
I would give this to my husband, who uses our crockpot to sous vide all sorts of things. Having the real deal would make him very happy. We are having sous vide steaks tomorrow night for dinner!
Miguel Marino
Well, I never seem to win at these things. Let's hope this is the first one ever. I can imagine all the wonderful meat that will pass through this gizmo. Mmmmmmm.
Jonathan Power
I'd use the immersion circulator to help open my own small restaurant. One more piece in the puzzle of delivering great food.
LESLIE SCOTT
I just checked back to read all the other comments since I posted one ate last week and was dismayed to see my comment had disappeared. (Perhaps because I had mentioned 2 stores by name?) I'll leave my comment again as them men in my life could benefit greatly from this marvelous tool. My husband's cheap cuts and freezer full of venison would taste better and our son, who likes to spend money he doesn't have, would learn that it is possible to eat well on less!
Rodney Hartwig
This is way too much power for a man of simple means like myself, but man oh man, it doesn't mean I am not salivating at the chance!
Grover
I have used a Sous Vide Supreme for one year now and would love to take it to the next level. I like 63.5C soft boiled eggs and making out of this world easy apple sauce sous vide for my baby.
TONY
Sounds like a wonderful invention...would love to have one.
I would christen it by injecting lamb shanks with a wine(port or a pinot grigio, etc)-garlic-rosemary marinated, before sealing the bag! Tender, medium rare and flavorful!
PS: they are available for about $450 at a few retailers, like Sur la Table and Amazon.
Bill Martin
As a geeky in all directions guy, with a girlfriend in culinary school, what *wouldn't* I do with one of these? I wonder if you sous vide barley for homebrew? Hmm...
Frank
A Sous Vide Immersion Circulator: can you think of a better way to utilise a whole beast from nose to tail! Pig's tails, trotters, sweetbreads, slow-coooked tongue, beef and pork cheeks, brain, pig-head pseudo-pancetta, and on and on.
Can you think of a better way to put a sous vide immersion circulator to good use?....I didn't think so.
P.S. Not really offal, but did I mention pork belly?
Lisa Donovan
This would be a great addition to our kitchen!
Dave R
I've made a couple of attempts cooking sous vide on the stove top with mixed results. I'd love to revisit the technique using this machine.
Brendan
I want that. Gently cooked fish. Perfectly cooked beef and chicken finished with a hard sear.
Michael
First I'd re-create a meat course I had at Le Chateaubriand in Paris a couple years ago. Beef cut into the exact shape of a filet mignon, but actually being from the short rib or round, and still pink inside due to the controlled low hear magic of sous-vide. Served with baby carrots, and potatoes (which may also have been cooked sous vide), it blew my mind when I had it. I was dining solo, and got some funny looks from the French dinners when I started laughing out loud after I got the joke/point of the dish.
Next up would be a re-invention of the cassoulet I make a couple times a year. I think almost every component (duck leg, pork belly, garlic sausage, beans) could be cooked sous vide separately, then browned and layered into the cassoulet pot for final cooking and melding of the flavors. The (Bourdain inspired) puree of browned onion, garlic, with duck fat would be a separate non-sous vide item. And, the crackling garnish might still require a sheet pan with a lot of parchment.
Ian McCarthy
What can I say, brother? I need it.
Matt
Breakfast! Eggs, pork belly...
how about pork and kraut for new year's?
Bill Martin
As a geeky in all directions guy, with a girlfriend in culinary school, what *wouldn't* I do with one of these? I wonder if you sous vide malted barley for homebrewed beer? Hmm...
Nathaniel Garcia
My wife is ill. I have had to learn to cook for our home. I love it!! I would appreciate having a immersion circulator. As for creative uses: Put it in our bathtub for a precise jacuzzi experience. Maybe heat my shaving cream to exact temperature and consistency. Or read your sous vide book and make delectable meals.
Josh
I'd love to have this and finally get to start cooking some of the recipes from Keller's books!
Phil
I made a homemade version over the summer and have been enjoying lots of sous vide food. Unfortunately the homemade version has some issue at higher temperatures. It would be great to have a professional one that I can crank up high enough to do veggies.
Pat Morgan
I would donate it to our County Career Center Chef and Restaurant Management program. Giving the students the chance to work with a piece of equipment that I know the district cannot afford would give me great pleasure.
STAN PHILLIPS
Having tried "amateurish" sous vide cooking without the benefit of the proper equipment (it really doesn't work very well), I really, really want an immersion circulator. Having just spent over $10,000.00 on a new range, ventilation system and dishwasher, I am not going to run out and buy an $800 appliance. Winning one in a drawing....well that would be nice. In the event I don't win, I will be saving my nickels to purchase what I know will become an indispensable tool in my kitchen arsenal.
Craig Smith
Hi Michael. I'm really curious to see how the use of different fats, or even citrus, would infuse the protein/vegetable being cooked. Duck fat with rabbit? Why not.
Ely
I've heard eggs cooked sous vide have no equal, and would undoubtedly be the first thing tried. I have nothing original or innovative to add, just that a 22 year old kid deciding between a lifetime of cooking or a lifetime of computer programming could use a strong push to the low pay, high reward life of a chef.
Charlie
I know it may not be creative, but it's delicious -- short ribs.
Todd T. Hicks
I'd rather win something from Bourdain, but I guess you'll do.
Chon
Pork Belly and (separately) perfecting the sleeping person's hand in warm water trick.
Mikey
Am I the only vegetarian who wants a sous vide machine? I'll share it with my carnivore brother and make some awesome sous vide artichokes.
Beth
Dearest Santa,
I would like a Sous vide appliance for Christmas. I don't have a sick wife and I'm not going to give it to a charitable organization. I don't have a big fancy expensive kitchen to show such a luxury off but if I receive this I will love it and kiss it and make it my own... oh, and make delicious eggs.
You're the best.
Your pal Beth
David Morrison
To be able to own such a unique piece of equipment would really boost my arsenal of cooking tools and allow me to add a technique that opens a huge door of creativity. This would separate me from the rest of the Chefs in my area.
Keeping my fingers crossed!!!
Jeff
Very generous indeed. Would love to take this on the road in St. Louis. Just beginning to see the trend catch on here. I know many local chefs would love to get their hands on one of these and have fun and experiment. Local charities and women/childrens' homes would certainly benefit. Thanks for this opportunity.
David Mata
I'm learning to love sous vide right now, my first experiment was a veal tongue confit in a crock pot with manual adjusting.
I'd like to get into exploring the precise heating of gels to allow stacking one within another, as well as trying vaccum packed desserts. I've been meaning to try sous vide flan balls, filled with a truffle core - the precise heating will allow that custard to set without ruining the chocolate.
JC
I showed one of these to my wife at Williams Sonoma and she gave me that sidelong "you crazy" look. So my first order of business would be to show it off to her, doing my best 2nd-grade "haha I got one!" dance. In my pajamas.
Mark Wright
Have been using sous vide for about a year at work would love to have one for use at home to expand my catering business
Helmuth Rueckert
I'd use the circulator to do what I like to do best... Entertain family and fruwndsat home. I'd use it to try new methods of cooking, to discover new tastes and textures... Thanks for the giveaway!!
Jason
This would give me an excuse to spend the money on the Keller book and a way to use it.
Derrick
I'd use it for some venison shoulder I've got in my freezer. I could get the perfect texture with sous vide.
Joe
i've been using the cooler hack on everything i can think of for a while now. the opportunity to use the real deal would justisy how much money i'm spending on meat...
Joe
i've been using the cooler hack on everything i can think of for a while now. the opportunity to use the real deal would justify how much money i'm spending on meat...
Sandra Crum
I would love to be able to cook perfect eggs every morning!
max garcia
i propose a simple tribute to michael ruhlman a la sous vide... i would take the recipes from the making of a chef, the formulas from ratio, and take sous vide in an unexpected direction: "sous vide baking."
zak
this would be the perfect Christmas gift (amortized over the next several years) for my French friend that's always talking about his latest culinary creations.
Matt
I have half a cow (from a local farm) in our chest freezer and twins who are almost 2. I'd love to be able to put some of the tougher cuts into a bag and into the circulator in the morning and have dinner ready that night while still keeping track of the little ones!
E. Nassar
Of course I want my name in the hat for this "Bemer"! Pretty please.
I would love to use an immersion circulator (other than to cook with obviously) to control fermentation (eg: proofing bread). A tall tub of dough can be placed in a circulating water bath with it's opening a few inches over water of course, and the water regulated precisely for ideal proofing temp. I'd be interested in the effects of different temperatures on the rising dough.
Steven Visscher
This would be the perfect answer to my wife saying the sous vide supreme takes up too much counter space.
Johnny Mendoza
I will upgrade my tiny kitchen into a lab room where the mission is to seek the truth of cooking from an elemental perspective. The first experiment is sous vide coffee which will provide the fuel to tinker with the perfect egg. I will develop a lab poster showcasing the egg temperature scale so I can ask my guests--"How do you like your eggs?". Then I will experiment with the avocado! And if you're looking for compassion.. I have plans to distribute food for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to the recently foreclosed who are stove-less and living in parking lots. Imagine handing out yummy cooked food in a bag!
Bryan
I would cook my way through every recipe in Under Pressure. Now, it is just a coffee table book.
Steven
We love bison in our house. Done to a medium-rare... This sous vide would be perfect! And all of the many other things that could be done with it!
Keith Martin
I'm the sous-chef at a cafe/job training program for adults recovering from mental illness (cafe54.org). I would bring it up to the store for some training I know they can't get anywhere else in Tucson.
K
thai-chili-butter poached beets, perfect midrare calotte de boeuf with pickled red onion/cilantro "chimichurri," that sort of thing. prepared in my casket-sized brooklyn galley kitchen and served to heavy-hitting new york city chefs by their self-educated, non-professional-chef buddy. accompanied by good wine, bad weather, and a loud soundtrack. also: eggs.
Keith
Not sure if I have any clever uses - I just want to use it to make delicious food!
Anthony McBride
Definitely want my name in for the drawing! I have been wanting to get one to use to prepare family dinners and see how it works.
mark
One word (well, two): Pork Belly.
Victor
Great food...great friends....sous vide style
john
Enough of the short ribs.
Vegetables! Low-temp cooked marina. Butter/stock braised winter vegetables (parsnips, turnips, potatoes) maybe served over vacum cooked polenta? Could you add a smoke component? Maybe even oatmeal or other grains. Can you make oatmeal perfectly creamy sous vide?
P. Camargo
What would I do... I mean besides making my brother in law jealous. I read that you can extract fruit juice with one. Probably not the most difficult thing I could do, but sounds interesting. It would also be nice to be able to cook fish without it being dry. (If you can't tell I need all the help I can get!) good luck to all, but I hope im the lucky one.
Nick Mallon
I've had my eye on this circulator for a while now, ever since I did my weekly stroll through Williams-Sonoma a few months back. I'm a professional cook in SF and even with my 2 jobs (yes Ruhlman, you know how much we cooks are swimming in money these days... Especially with rent in SF!), I can't afford to buy this sleek PolyScience beauty plus bags and a vacuum sealer. Maybe Santa can bring it to me?
I will be using it now to practice and then intend on pursuing my dream of teaching kids(elementary-highschool) how to cook and not be afraid of knives, fire, and in this case technology. Kids these days eat junk because they don't have the training my parents used to learn in Home Ec. Unfortunately these programs have been cut from most every school in the country and with some help, I plan on getting it back on track. One sous vide poached egg at a time.
Thank you.
Karl
Very cool. I've been thinking of trying the dyi method.
Joe
I'd sous vide MikeKrzyewski - Go Heels!
SJ
I would prepare beef short ribs
RVA
Greetings Ruhlman-- A circulating water bath is a social mammal.
Sue
I'd love to try one of the recipes in the French Laundry cookbook!
Cannonball
I would use it to cook for my wife and baby girl. It's an efficient way to raise the quality of cooking at home, with the added flexibility of holding. A godsend for busy parents.
Ed
I'd wait until Christmas Eve and when Santa and his reindeer land on my roof, I'd poach Rudolph! Reindeer nose done via sous vide- I'll bet that's something Bourdain hasn't tried yet.
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best
I would use the sous vide to make perfectly poached fish.
Michael Miles
I have many things I'd like to test out with an immersion circulator. First would be some sea bass poached in a bit of bacon fat. Short ribs would be an absolute must. I'd also really like to try my hand at using sous vide to infuse flavors into vodkas and oils.
Chris McD
I plan to sous vide a piece of pork shoulder until tender, cold smoke it, pan sear it, the serve it along side cheese grits and butter beans..
Maria del Carmen
The restaurant were I work as a prep cook recently got a sous vide machine and it has been mindblowing to say the least to have the chance to play with it. We no longer make our creme anglaise like we used to, we use Keller's sous vide recipe instead. And what amazes me is that paradoxically this hi-tech machine is allowing us in some way to get closer to the essentials of cooking: the ingredientes required are the absolute basic. No "tricks" needed. I would absolutely love to have a sous vide inmersion circulator at home to be able to experiment and learn more of my craft. I'd love to recreate hawaiian imu cooking (cooking under the earth): heat up some rocks to certain temperature, keep them at that temperature and then cook some meat and vegetables wrapped on ti and banana leaves on them, maybe covering it with rocks again. No digging needed!
DougOLis
I bought Thomas Keller's 'Under Pressure' pretty much as soon as it came out and I've since marveled at the ideas and pictures wanting to explore sous vide coooking myself. But due to the lack of equipment and fear of taking too many liberties on what is a very precise science, I've yet to actually experiment. My friends and family often ask me what piece of cooking equipment I want most now and a Polyscience Immersion Circulator is always my first answer. As a young 26 year old who keeps getting more and more into cooking, I can't wait to try one of these out.
Patio Daddio
Oh, pick me! I've been wanting to try sous vide.
Tracy Chang
Hi Michael,
The first thing I would do is attempt to impart meaty flavors into dry shiitake mushrooms by cooking them sous-vide in my boeuf bourgignon marinade or perhaps duck fat. I love the texture of similarity, the taste of familiarity finished with the aha! of innovation.
Thanks for your consideration!
Warren Woodward
My kids have reluctantly, through years of badgering, coercing and outright bribery, learned to appreciate flavorful meat. Unfortunately, it cannot have any char, grill marks, browning or marks of any kind if I want it to pass though their lips. I have to sneak flavor into pork and chicken by brining, and they love it. I have dry-aged beef, but have to cut off the outside char before plating. Sous vide - Oh, the possibilities. Flavorful beef, pork, chicken, fish and vegetables that I could give to the kids before finishing on a grill or browning in a pan for the wife and I. It would be a dream come true. I might, just might, be able to cook one dinner the whole family would eat.
Lori
I used one of these immersion heaters to do science experiments when I was a grad student at Case Western. We now have fancy heating and cooling machines that do the same thing, so I am glad to see they have repurposed this design for a more universal use. I would love to try it out the Wild Bass recipe from the Alinea cookbook.
steve sauer
This being the end of deer hunting season in upstate New York, I would use it to make venison ribs. Because venison is so naturally lean, it is practically impossible to cook ribs low and slow enough to break down the collagen without drying the meat out completely. Therefore the ribs either get slathered with a variety of nasty sauces or they simply get tossed in the stew pot. Sous vide might save this cut. Plus, the dichotomy of a truck-drivin', beer-drankin', flannel-wearin' hunter cooking his buck with such a fancy contraption is just too juicy to pass up.
Andrew Tam
As a an engineer interested in cooking this would be a great addition to the kitchen gadgetry. As a student this device would make tasting the delectable sous vide goodies, that I've read about on sooo many blogs, much more affordable. As a boyfriend this could up my potential to the level of awesomeness! And as a foodie it would let play in the playground with the big boys. I'm thinking of the perfect steak. I've read about it and dreamt about... all that's left is to cook it!
Thanks Mr. Ruhlman and to the nice people at Polyscience for the give away!
Cheers and Happy Cooking!
Henry
I raise grass fed cattle and partner with an ethical butcher. Currently, this is a side project but my goal is to cryovak the meat and sell it wholesale in 2011. I would love to try to sous vide some young lamb and offer future customers tips on how to prepare this fine meat!
CK
This thing would be used for all my pork roasts. Start it in the smoker, finish sous vide.
Valerie
I have always wanted to learn to sous vide!
Brad Nordeen
My goal is to start a small market in my area making available to the public ingredients, quality, & techniques that restaurants use. I would use the immersion circulator at the outset to sous vide things like tri-tip steaks, pork tenderloin, duck, etc. that the public could buy and easily finish at home. This way a person could experience sous vide cooking at home while impressing their friends and family, not having to make a large investment, & and it all is easier than making hamburger helper. The market would also focus on getting produce directly from local farmers and giving people access to the variety and quality fish & seafood that restaurants source. Thanks.
BenJ
Would love to try and figure out how to combine Sous Vide with backyard BBQ smoking for the ultimate in smokey and perfectly textured meaty goodness.
BA Garcia
I tried entering on another site and got an error message stating the time was past to enter, Michael, please don't consider this a duplicate entry and bar me, ok?
I am older (57) yet have a experience in small restaurants which I've had in Las Vegas and Mexico, I also bring back the old classic dishes of Mexico which no one wants to make anymore because they have too many ingredients and are too labor intensive (but are fabulous!) and I am now attending Le Cordon Bleu (I never had formal training and now I need it)- but we are learning about sous vide and we had the Chateau's Chef from Luxemburg also come show us some of his recipes and it blew us away!!! What I could do with this would be amazing! The proteins, the presentations, the flavors, the experimentation would be awesome!!!!! Delicate and tender ingredients preserved perfectly and magnificently, just wonderful. Please consider me for this and I can demonstrate a world full of great cooking to you! Since I won't be getting anything for Xmas (been wicked and poor you know...) this would be the maximum happiness gift of a lifetime.
By the way, you interested in having me intern under your direction? I need an externship too so I can graduate and I'm pretty amazing!
Henry G
I'm terrible at cooking steaks to desired doneness, hopefully this machine can help me out!
Andrea
Corned beef sounds good for a start. I also think i would use it to prep for all the tailgating food for Browns games. It would be great to have a head start in food for the cold weather I am expecting at the Steelers game.
I-Wei Feng
I would like to sous vide fresh-off-the-vine hops, to see what kind of flavors can be extracted this way versus traditional ways of 1) adding to the boil or 2) dry hopping. Perhaps make hops extract to fine tune beers for individual tastes or even use as bittering in cocktails.
Nilam G
I would love to try to make a brisket that is both tender and juicy.
Matthew Grover
Fresh Trout, and Ramps with a couple of lemon slices
Jamie Holte
I'd fly home with it so that my family of enthusiastic cooks could retire our kluge electric skillet sous vide rig and cook some scrumptious holiday meals.
Michelle
Because I love the conjunction of art and science.
Dan Lin
Wow, I'd use this to spread the gospel of sous vide to my non-foodie friends, family and neighbors. Think of all the poor folks out there who don't know what a properly cooked egg tastes like! First thing I'd try is Chinese tea eggs. Grew up eating them, but think it's a crime that restaurants sell them with the green tinge on the yolk. Blasphemy!
Let's bring sous vide to the masses, not just folks who can afford to eat at The French Laundry and Per Se. The more people who want one of these, the more affordable they'll become. Think of the possibilities to get people to cook themselves. No excuses to opt for processed and fast food!
Thaddeus
Ice cream. I need the precise temperature control to perfect my ice cream. It should also allow me to save some time by doing larger batches without turning the anglaise base into scrambled eggs. The circulator will help me start my boutique ice cream business as well.
Bill
pork cheeks, or maybe even fromage de tete if possible. skip paying for shipping, i'm in the neighborhood.
Matt
i'd give it to my little brother, who's been using a cooler and hot water (to good effect) for his sous vide experiments, but i'd like to see him step up his game
Matthew Mckenzie
I would absolutely find innovative ways of using a sous vide machine. Charcuterie being my passion, I imagine my first experiements would lean towards blood sausages, swwetbreads and zampone.
Naturally, I'd start eating a whole bunch of farmers' eggs as well. 😀
Tim
I braise short ribs, pork and chicken for my 14 month old daughter's lunches all the time. This thing would save me time and mess!
Pam
I'm one class away from finishing culinary school and my son has recently started. We've tried a few culinary "experiments" with molecular gastromony ingredients and often talk about sous vide -- he even used a basic sous vide technique in a cooking competition about 5 years ago, while he was in high school. Our area is a culinary desert (ironically, we're in Nevada) and I've found that very little creative, out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged in our culinary school and in our area, as a whole. It would be wonderful to be able to encourage a young, chef-to-be with such an amazing device. Heck, it'd be a two-fer ... he and I!! 🙂
Keith
I am a working dad who enjoys making great meals and doing so in the new and creative ways, but I don't always have time. This would help me put the main course in before work and be able to finish dinner in no time after work.
S.H.
My mentor purchased his own restaurant last year. He makes evertthing in-house with a real care and attention to quality and detail and a passion for his craft like I've never seen. He's looking for new ways to evolve and improve his menu, and sous vide has been at the top of the list. With such a new operation things are tight so it isn't looking likely to become a reality any time soon. I can't think of any person more deserving of such a Christmas surprise!
William Walton
I want to take the sirloin end of a pork loin and cure it like you would Canadian bacon. Then vacuum seal it with a small amount of smoke inside and cook to maybe 141 degrees. Chill it, then sear it hard in a cast iron skillet and serve them like ham steaks. Maybe infuse some other flavors in the vacuum bag as well( sage, molasses, etc.)
John Stuart
Ah a sous vide pork butt is calling me....calling me.
AS
dinner for mom & dad in bag #1, dinner for the under 1-yr old crowd in bag #2 🙂
Julia Stretch
I would find ways to make trouble with this..
Joshua Fagans
Was just (re)inspired by a visit to the French Laundry (see the web site). I have cooked extensively from three of "Saint Thomas'" books and am ready to take on "Under Pressure" but am lacking equipment. I would be hard pressed to say I am the most needy but I will say given how much I like to cook this device will get a workout here and will be appreciated by many guests. Heck, I'll even be so foolish as to through in an invitation to dinner the next time you are out this way (Bay Area)!
Mattias Morrison
We're committed small farmers raising meat in our small community-- we would cook our goat, pork, lamb & chicken to perfection! CSA only harvest dinners!
Jonathon Clark
I would love to try sous vide BBQ! And to work my way through Keller's book.
Jarrett Hann
Always wanted to experiment with offal and see sous vide effects on it (Namely tendon, tongue, tripe). Imparting flavor in vegetables & legumes; possibly even for soups, sauce and purees. Mixing proteins (meat & vegetable or surf & turf) see how they flavor one another. Attempting various curries (a short rib nihari and beet/carrot green sag paneer comes to mind) and of course...confit! (wastes less immersion fat per quantity and saves money. Overall a useful tool with reliably delicious results. (also very useful in restaurant setting or for dinner parties)
Nan@tastingoutloud
I think a home cured hunk of corned beef would be right at home in a sous vide hot tub... that's my plan anyway! In February I have friends coming from Tuscany and they love anything "American". I always make them a down-home, typically American meal. A sous vide corned beef would be perfect for my happy Italian friends and me!!
Jim
For safety and versatility, I would like to graduate from Chang's 'ghetto' method.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Fred
As a Chef Instructor at a small community college culinary program, this would allow my students an opportunity to experiment with new equipment. Of course it would be an eye opening experience to create ant taste near perfect duck galantines, artichoke barigoule, veal cheeks, pineapples (the list goes on). Then take away the immersion circulator and have the students cook the items using the classic techniques.
jordan
Dane Alton
I have wanted one of these for years. I would use it to cook recipes from the Alinea book, and attempt to do an 8-10 course meal.
Joe F
I'd like to work my way through the Keller book and I'd also use it to make fixing dinner on gym/meeting nights more convenient!
Paul
I've got a couple projects I'd like to work on:
-I think homemade pastrami would be even better when cooked sous vide rather than steamed. (Yes, I use the recipe from Charcuterie)
-I'd like to use it as a really smart double boiler for the reduction of things like tomato paste. (Tomatoes lose their fresh flavor when cooked at too high a temperature, so I think something like this could be used to reduce them into a dense paste without necessarily giving them the cooked flavors)
Byron Ham
I would feel so blessed to win this piece of equipment. I currently work in the dining hall of Oxford College through Sodexo in Oxford Ga. An immersion circulator would allow me to transform the food that I serve. Our kitchen is 90% from scratch. On any given day, I may cook 8 whole briskets, 4 cases of chicken, or 10 whole pork loins for one dinner. I am in charge of preparing dinner 5 nights a week for anywhere from 900-1200 people. I think that being able to sous vide such proteins or fresh vegetables would allow me to lift our already quality food to the next level and put our cafeteria on par with a restaurant. It would also allow us to truly WOW our guests that we serve through our catering services.
Christy Brennand
Wow. I'm all about the veggies so I'd love to put this to the test and see if it is as much fun for non-carnivorous foods!
Jerry Kubrak
Since seeing one used on Iron Chef America, I have wanted to get one. Just haven't been able to justify the cost. So many possible uses. Coming from a large family, I am fascinated by the idea of being able to start something cooking and not have to worry about it overcooking, yet coming out nice and tender. I am also an experimenter and would love to try all different things with it!
Winniekimmers
I would use it to replace fast food drive-throughs because it would allow me to make healthy, delicious meals because I could prep ahead and come home after work & kids' sports and have most of dinner finished.
Tim M.
In the spirit of the season, I would give this "Beamer" to my friend, who has made some phenomenal meals with his "Datsun" IC. I'll give him props too for publicly defending sous vide when a young, misguided, rookie restaurant critic published a review in which she disparaged the technique. His rebuttal was published by the paper's editors the next week.
Continuing the car analogy, I'd ask for the Datsun in return, so I can learn to drive. I am really challenged in cooking fish. It is practically a crime what I have done to some beautiful cuts of salmon and tuna. I'm hoping the IC will save me from overcooking another piece of fish.
Diana
I'd see if I could possibly make Sous Vide jam, jelly or marmalades using fruit off the trees in my yard. And if they gelled, if they were any good.
Elmer
Call me a barbarian, but I want to use it to make the perfectly braised beer brat. I think this could make for a very interesting backyard barbecue season. But that's just me....
Tommy
Pork belly and steak to start, but the possibilities are endless. Would be great to get home from soccer practices in the evening and have good food waiting - and not in paper bags from the drive-thru!
julieako
I would give it to my brother, who loves to cook and try new things. I am sure he can come up with awesome uses for it.
Bea
i really really need this!! i want to try this with my father in law's venison 🙂
Ryan Santos
I'd use it to make my grandmother, who's never gotten to taste my cooking, her favorite dish which she hasn't had in years, beef tongue. and to teach her at 85 and an avid cook, the concept of sous vide.
gretchen M.
My 15 was drooling over these machines when we were in NYC last weekend....this was after me drooling over it online for the past 4 years.
He told me he gladly be a more attentive son and cooking student if I ever bought one....bless the words from babes...lol
Will Smith
I would use the sous vide cooker to teach people how easy it is to prepare meat using the sous vide technique. We do a fair number of cooking videos at Tested, and I get a lot of questions about this, but I can't really justify the cost to buy one for the amount of content I could use it for.
I'd also try some crazy experiments with temperature controlled cooking--preparing everything from eggs to sauces in vacuum-sealed bags.
Finally, I'd compare the commercial sous vide cooker to more homegrown attempts, such as the DIY project described in the O'Reilly Cooking for Geeks book.
Eric Leath
Love the blog. Recent Culinary Graduate; would love to cook my way through Keller's book while I apply for jobs and start my career.
Nic C
I would use the circulator to cook marinaded meats in cryo sealed bags, and experiment with making sauces
Roby
I would like to use the sous vide contraption for cooking meats. My dream is to one day open up a gastropub/burger bar type joint. I've read about cooking burgers sous vide, but I've never taken the time because, face it, the cooler method seems like a small pain in the ass. (Guess I'll have to try it out if you don't pick me). Anyways, I'd like to play around with the machine to see if you can cook burgers sous vide since there is nothing better than a perfectly medium rare burger...and no matter how experienced you are it's pretty hard to attain that perfection every single time.
Plus, the sous vide machine would go really well with the smoker I hope I can pick myself up for the holidays.
Arlene
I want that. It's the high tech slow cooker! Put it in the night before and when I get home I sear it and dinner is ready. Perfect for people who "don't have time to cook."
Kim Foster
I totally want in. Have been dying to sous vide something.
Sometimes, it takes something like this to take a cook to the next level, inspire them to do more. Love that. I hope that happens for whoever wins. Thanks for this.
Kim
Diana Hsieh
I have (and LOVE) a Sous Vide Supreme already, so this would be overkill for me, undoubtedly. Nonetheless, I often think that I'd love a second sous vide device in order to cook a different meat at a different temperature or to cook veggies for the side of my sous vide meat. I tend not to do long-term sous vide projects, because I simply must have my sous vide eggs (whether scrambled or in-shell) every morning. But I really want to try pork ribs sous vide, something that I've not ever seen discussed. And I'd like to do more roasts and the like sous vide.
John
I've been curious about sous vide cooking for quite sometime and think it might be time to get it a whirl, so to speak.
Tristan Willey
What a beautiful machine! So many things to experiment on from sauces to fish to meats. What wouldn't you use it for!? How cool it is to see just how many different foods you could throw in it. What would I do with it? Have a blast in the kitchen!
Dan Padilla
I would slow cook eggs to sit atop slow cooked pork belly which would be sitting atop a nice piece of toasted home made brioche. I would do this at least once a week. Maybe not the most innovative, but hey, I'm being honest. Hope that's enough. Happy Holiday to you Ruhlman.
Daniel Klein
.... let me count the ways.
I currently have some venison road kill in my fridge, longing to be cooked with the help of polyscience. Would it be the first roadkill sous-vide?
I host dinners at farms and in my home, showcasing the latest harvest -- a circulator would elevate and simplify that whole process.
I have backyard chickens and would I ever love to cook one of my eggs at 62.5 for an hour.
I can't afford to buy one!
jyee
I need a new IC because... have you seen the nasty looks people give you when you tell them you've cooked their dinner with old lab equipment you bought off ebay?
Steve @hokieguy1996
would use it on short ribs and pork belly. Then off to more experimental type things to feed my wife and daughter. I really want it so that I can shut my mother-in-law up. She thinks that the only food that can be ready after work is something out of a can or fast-food bag.
Melissa Hamm
I would love to try some custard recipes or a brisket in a sous vide. This would be a fun addition to the kitchen and just one more reason to have guests over for meals!
Barry Grossman
I would use it to simplify and expand my food universe. Similarly to my slow cooker, I can set it up and let it go. Delicious proteins finished over an open flame. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.
Tim Allman
Looks like a great device for cooking sous-vide. I would give this to one of my sons. He got me interested in sous-vide cooking with a homemade 'rube goldberg' setup. He would appreciate the device and put it to good use.
Ryan
Having read all the amazing things here and elsewhere that have been made, I'm hoping to try your short rib pastrami recipe with one of these! Beyond that, the possibilities involving infusing alcohol would be fun to try, along with the "regular" tasty things that can be made. Visions of butter poached lobster tails and superbly cooked rib-eye dance in my head....
Chase
I'd like to see the look on Chef's face when I brought this in to the kitchen I think more than I'd enjoy actually winning it.. Ok, maybe not.
Kelly
I would have Chef Michael Foster give me some serious lessons and then I would sous vide the wild duck and goose my boyfriend keeps bringing home. Love it, but the wild ones have no fat to play with so it is dangerous protein!
Sean
Well eggs, obviously. But really I'm most interested in playing with seafood. My husband doesn't care for it much, but I suspect a little sous vide action will bring him around.
Dave Weinstein
Like Diana above, I bought a Sous Vide Supreme when they first came out last year.
I've primarily used the machine to work with proteins that are either very prone to overcooking, or are in need of a longer cooking time to render them tender (particularly some very active free-range chickens).
I'm hard pressed to argue why I should deserve an immersion circulator when I already have an effective Sous Vide setup. The only case I can make is for the ability to work with larger volumes of food when cooking for friends, or to do multiple different-temperature Sous Vide dishes simultaneously. Or, I suppose, to compare the two.
Cleveland Joe
This cooking method looks REALLY interesting! My MIL gives us a nice cut of beef a few times every year so that we can enjoy a date night in, and I know that cooking it in this would make it unbelievably flavorful.
Eric Alderton
I just began Sous Vide cooking, I built my own setup you can see it at http://www.cheferic.net It does o.k. but being a proffesional Chef I'm always trying to improve my technique. With this I would feel comfortable in using it in a proffesional work enviroment. I would really love one of these.
Drew Brown
I don't have a vacuum sealer, so I would try circulating beer instead of water around sausages or lard around pork belly or duck fat around duck legs.
Ryan K avanagh
I'd love to try those sous-vide scrambled eggs everybody is raving about. And a sous-vide steak.
mrfreddy
wow, I'd be making breakfast, lunch, and dinner with that thing seven days a week!
I would use that thing for all sorts of stuff, mainly anything I can't do in my sous vide supreme, like:
cook very large chunks of meat (big roasts,etc.)
cook foods like grass fed cuts or short ribs that require a day or two or more, while using the SVS for shorter term jobs, like tonight's steak or pork chops, or vegetables to go along with whatever I am grilling...
mrfreddy
wow, I'd be making breakfast, lunch, and dinner with that thing seven days a week!
I would use it for all sorts of stuff, mainly anything I can't do in my sous vide supreme, like:
cook very large chunks of meat (big roasts,etc.)
cook foods like grass fed cuts or short ribs that require a day or two or more, while using the SVS for shorter term jobs, like tonight's steak or pork chops, or vegetables to go along with whatever I am grilling...
Alyssa
Every time we go into Williams and Sonoma, my boyfriend ogles this fine piece of equipment. But since I am paid in warm fuzzies (thank you, non-profit work) and he cooks on the line, the price tag on this baby is about the same as one of our paychecks making it ever so very much beyond our teensy-weensy budget. I could very easily bring my boyfriend to tears if he opened this surprise on Christmas morning. That's hard to do and an admirable undertaking, I think.
Seattlejo
I would try making Turkey in it, after seeing a fabulous video showing it done
Tom
I would use this badd mamajama to experiment with offal cooked to tender perfection. Imagine a deconstructed haggis without cringing or nose holding, or gizzard "stew" on buttered pasta, or fork tender menudo for the morning after. Boggles the mind.
Christopher
Perfect timing as I'm starting up my charcuterie shop in a month and was shuddering at the prospect of cooking off pates in the oven and poaching sausages while constantly fiddling with the burner heat.
Tracy
As a brand new mom, I'd love one for how much less continually attentive I'd need to be to cook such a wide variety of delicious foods and have them be tasty. I want to experiment with what I can do with the half hog and quarter beef I plan to get after Christmas. And a turkey for the holidays!
Kary S
My Baltimore chef friend has been gloating for months over his new sous vide and I'd love to show him up. Thus proving once and for all that Cleveland has been and will always be better than Baltimore. 🙂
Beth Kirby
I would use it so that I never, ever attempt to "sous vide" a ribeye in a ziplock bag whilst fussing with a pot of water with a thermometer in it again! I've fantasized for years about experimenting with some of my favorite chef's sous vide recipes (Keller, Achatz, Dufresne.. etc), and would love to work with everything from short ribs to eggs to butter poached lobster and everything in between. A sultry, custardy sous vide egg is probably my number one fantasy though.
Bob
This looks like fun, have been imagining what I would do with a sous vide cooker for a couple of years now...
Jarvis williams
I really need that machine. Xmas present for 10 years
Jean Dough
I'd invite cooks & food enthusiasts from all over to experience this awesome gadget that allows food to cook in its essence. People would teach what they know so others could learn. All over drinks and food made with it. If I don't win, I hope whoever does will invite me over to check it out.
GregK
To be honest, I've really been wondering how to combine charcuterie with sous vide. I'm thinking really tender pastrami, or super juicy brats....
Mike
I would use it for so many things. Cooking after a long night on the line, for the holidays, to make eggs so I can have David Chang style ramen. So many things I could do with this.
Sean
My sister and I (non-chefs but cooking fiends with day jobs) are shortly beginning a blog, cooking our way through The Professional Chef. With Keller's "Under Pressure", Iron Chef, etc, sous vide has become a critical culinary technique. I think it would be amazing to include sous vide as we go through the CIA curriculum (I know, a very basic edition) since the entire idea is to explore techniques. However, I shudder at the thought of trying to replicate this with a pot on the stove. I have a hard enough time keeping stocks at the right temp.
Ken
Would be able to exapnd out of my home made contraputation that I am using as a teaching tool for low income students. Using the homemade tank we made the Voltaggio turkey featured in the Dec William Sonoma catalog. Great fun and a learning expereince for them, and me
SteveQ
I would get to play with Tranglutaminase and this tool for one thing. Have been toying, but would really like to push it to the next level. But for me I guess the main joy of having a circulator would be the expansion of my skills as well as to expose all my family and friends to the neat world of Souse Vide!
Christian Irabien
This sounds amazing. I would apply the circulator to different types of Mexican dishes I prepare. sous vide duck in mole negro comes to mind. not to mention perfectly acquiring textures on chiles and salsa components for variations in colors, textures, and perhaps even flavors.
Christian Irabien
actual website: http://growingupeating.tumblr.com
Patti Guerra
I would donate it to my alma mater, Walla Walla Community College, for their ACF accredited Culinary program. We would have loved to play with such an awesome tool. Chef Jay and Chef Robert have always tried to introduce new and exciting techniques to us but due to the constraints of state budgets, they werent always able to provide the depth of experience that they wanted to. I would love to put that thing on their desk and watch them pass out..."hey Chef, look what Michael Ruhlman gave me...." They work so hard with limited resources and I love those guys so much, I would love to be a blessing to them, thanks for considering my entry 🙂
Janis Tester
I would use it to try and sous vide stuff like marshmallows. I would also like to use my hand held smoker and smoke something and sous vide it at the same time. I would also like to see what happens to a marachino cherry when you sous vide it and then put it into a Manhattan. No, I am not joking.
Adam Fields
My favorite thing I've discovered how to make sous vide is French Toast (I'll hesitatantly say that I came up with the recipe, as I've never seen anyone else do it):
http://www.aquick.org/blog/2010/09/22/sous-vide-french-toast/
I'd love to be able to make that for a bigger crowd.
Josh Nanberg
I've been dying to try sous vide cooking for a while. David Chang's "white trash sous vide" in the Momofuku cookbook is intriguing, but still seems to leave a lot of room for a dangerous error!
I think I'd rather have the real deal!
Doug
I'm working my way through the Momofuku cook book. While his suggestion for sous vide in the sink sounds interesting, I would much rather have a Polyscience.
eyehrtfood
If I won this I would move to the vaunted "Columbus" from fading Cleveland because they have such a superior food scene and pretty much everything else down there, says Ruhlman, that staying in lowly Cleveland couldn't possibly provide me with the quality ingredients and cutting-edge environment necessary to do this device justice...
Kelly Valenzuela
For steaks and eggs! Yum!
Richard Chepeus
There is so much potential for the application of this cooking technique not sure where to begin. Initially to use for various proteins, as I listen to Dave Arnold's Cooking Issues podcast, the more I think that the potential uses are endless limited only by ones imgination.
Richard Chepeus
There is so much potential for the application of this cooking technique not sure where to begin. Initially to use for various proteins, as I listen to Dave Arnold's Cooking Issues podcast, the more I think that the potential uses are endless limited only by ones imagination.
Glen
Oh how I have been waiting one of these forever. I cannot wait to make short rib tacos sous vide the short ribs for 48 hours. Really, really, really would love one of these but can't see myself being able to fork over the $700-800 to get one at my local Williams Sonoma.
Glen
Oh how I have been waiting one of these forever. I cannot wait to make short rib tacos sous vide the short ribs for 48 hours. Really, really, really would love one of these but can't see myself being able to fork over the $700-800 to get one at my local Williams Sonoma. Yes I am also following Ruhlman and Polyscience on Twitter (kiss ass, kiss ass).
Rich
I want to use it for any protein I can think of, most vegetables, some desserts, and a foot bath that doesn't cool down (kidding about the foot bath part)
Greg
Mmmmm. I would use it to make the PERFECT steak, and French-style scrambled eggs...
Corbin
I would use it to create amazingly flavorful food with the focus on healthy, local ingredients and with less stress for the chef/cook. I can imagine utilizing the machine for a variety of proteins and vegetables/fruits. This will be the "simmer in a sack" compared to my Mom's "boil in a bag"!
Bonnie
The sous vide machine will be in my RV slow cooking my escargot and beef rib cap. The meat will be seared on a pan in my RV's front yard. Checkerboard, candles and wine in a box to serve the meal. Who said mobile parks didn't have class?