Best Vessels/Containers for Precision Cooking

True, but I now only need one cooler and don’t need to spend time cutting and sealing.

I thought it was worth flagging up another way to go.

It can also be used to make a blanket around and over pans.

Be well :slight_smile:

I would agree with the idea of using a can of spray foam insulation. Cant go wrong there adding that extra layer of insulation.

My rig.

Ingredients:

1 Stockpot from Aldi
1 Sleeping Pad (foam mattress for backpackers, I had one lying around, but available from Halfords for £2.00)
Pack of A3 Foamboard
String
Kid’s PVA Glue (Literally. Morrisons call it “Kids PVA Glue” Apostrophes cost extra.)

Method:

Side: Cut sleeping pad to height of stockpot and twice the circumference with scissors. Wrap around twice and tie on with string. Cut notch for the precision cooker’s clamp.

Base: Cut two disks from sleeping pad, glue together and compress until glue sets.

Top: Cut five disks from Foamboard with a craft knife, three slightly larger than stockpot, two slightly smaller. Cut notches in each for precision cooker clamp. Assemble with the smaller disks underneath, glue together and compress until glue sets.

Tips: Use the original stockpot lid as a frying pan lid. Temporarily remove the foam sleeve to use the stockpot as a stockpot.

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I can’t quite see who makes this. Can you give us a hint?

Not sure I understand the question. I made it, as described, but I don’t think that’s the answer you’re looking for.

The pot is a Crofton 12L Stainless Steel Stockpot purchased from Aldi.

The reply function on here is a bit odd, it’s more of a threaded reply function yet the forum is displayed chronologically.

To me, it looks like @Sam is actually asking about the setup from @AVENGER posted back in January

If you look at the upper right corner of the reply, you’ll see an arrow and the name of the person that is being replied to when the function is invoked. If you click on it, it will take you to that post.

Like I said, a bit odd and confusing at first. To embed a quote, you have to manually highlight the post you wish to copy.

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Thank you. Noted.

Best container…anything you wish. Cover= bulk ping pong balls available at Amazon et al. Three or four lavers deep, and no steam, no evaporation, no cutting. use your little cooler, big cooler, whatever. Plus, after you are finished, dry and put them back in the box they came in. keep a couple out for beer pong! Cooked the St. Patty’s corned beef for 60 hours with no extra water needed.

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It doesn’t matter since the Anova circulates water 360° via several openings.

I use and antique Esky brand cooler that I found in the shed. Cheap is good, but free is better.

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Why not just leave the water in it unless you don’t use it often enough

@pzettle: I’m sure you’ve figured this out as your post was in August, but I’ll weigh-in none-the-less. I have the Rubbermaid 12-quart container and position the Anova in a corner with the opening in the water pump cap facing the opposite corner. I did this after reading a number of comments that suggested a diagonal water flow would produce optimal circulation. I’m a SV newbie and used my setup for the first time last night (experience posted under appropriate category); so perhaps my opinion will change as I have more experience. I can offer one more suggestion: I used a permanent marker to ink a downward arrow (:arrow_down:︎) at the top of the “removable skirt” to denote the placement/orientation of the opening for the water pump in the translucent cap. The opening is not directly in line with the face of the cooker, and with the container filled with water it was hard to see the direction of water flow. The arrow now allows me to orient the cooker before securing the adjustable ring clamp. (While I was at it, I also used the permanent marker to ink the “min” and “max” lines on the skirt so they’d be more readily visible when adding water to any cooking vessel.)

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Lot of interesting info here, thanks for sharing will come in handy.

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Here’s my down-and-dirty setup. My hole-saw is in storage while we’re overseas, so I used a Leatherman tool to cut the opening. When I’m back in the U.S. I’ll fill the lid with insulating foam to keep the water out of it.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3nr9irmmlxg4g80/2017-01-11%2009.03.37.jpg?dl=0

Absolutely - A nice thick Yoga mat was the way I went.

And the remaining piece makes a lid and a wrap around to go on my stock pot when am SV’ing smaller amounts.

Yoga mat cut to size is perhaps easier to manage?

There are several good cover ideas that have been posted. I use bubble insulation (such as Reflectix or Infra Stop) cut to fit two sizes of cooler I have. I have cooked over 40 hours at 150 degrees F with no noticeable water loss in a Coleman 20 can cooler, and heat loss is much reduced.

Any vessel that doesn’t leak is the best way to start. Don’t go spending a whole lot of money until you’ve had some experience with the device and work out the sort of things you’re likely to cook. The super clear Cambro containers are pretty and all, but do they really warrant the expense? Have a look in the garage, you might find something useful there. That’s where I found my ratty old cooler. Check out second hand shops. For regular cooking I use a 10L plastic food storage box that I bought for $5 from the local tight wad shop. I turned it over to look at the base and it is microwave and dishwasher safe. Bingo. Most dishwashers heat water to higher temps than you’ll use for most sous vide.

I’m sure some folk are just looking for excuses to spend money. Me? I’d rather save money here and spend it on ingredients with which to experiment.

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To add to @Ember point, I personally have a deep pot at home that I use for all of my little sous vide experiments. For now, it works. I sometimes borrow a Cambro from work if I am cooking there, which I might mention - does allow for much more food.

But I also think there are lots of benefits to using a cooler, or a really cool container like a Cambro, especially if you’re really going all in right now, and you’re looking to cook large cuts/ many servings.

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Heh, yep, I’ve spent too much on accessories - especially when you see people having such success with that IKEA pot stacker. :slight_smile: Where the clearness of the Cambro really comes in handy is when you are cooking something that is prone to leaking (creme brûlée anyone?) :slight_smile: (yes, I’ve had really bad luck with those little jars).

Still, I like being able to check on it just by walking by (doing an outside round roast at the moment for 48 hours). Nice to be able to walk by it and see that the roast is still firmly planted on the bottom of the rack/container (ie. hasn’t wiggled free and floating about). More prone when you’re doing items from frozen. I’ll buy several roasts when they’re on sale, prep them, seal them and freeze them, so I can just pop it into the sous vide right from the freezer. They don’t have any give when frozen, so prone to lift out of your rack when they thaw.

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