Hi! I have searched all over the site, but I wanted to ask you folks: I like my steaks rare, and Anova SV has not failed me!! However, my husband is not a fan and he prefers his steak medium (I know, a bit of a heretic, but I love him just the same). Is there a way to cook both steaks together (one before the other for example), or does he just have to suck it up? 
M. this was discussed here in early January. If you need more details come on back.
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Simply cool the steak the way he likes it. After itâs fully cooked set the Sous Vide for the temperature you want yours cooked to and let the temperature come down. When it does cook your steak. His will be cooked the way he wants it and staying warm at the temperature you want. After yours is done finish as normal.
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Thank you!
my idea is make sure yours is done first and then after you take it out pump temp to mid rare. extra 20 min i guess will do just fine. if you want keep yours worm set owen to 40deg celsius to keep temp.
or just get extra anova;)) but you knowâŠ
M. youâll achieve superior results without guessing by using your single precision cooker as described to exactly meet both of your expectations.
Thatâs a very rare oven that can hold 40C.
Cowthuluâs recommendation works. Alternatively, a faster way would be to cook both together at rare temp, then give his steak a few more minutes in the pan when finishing.
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Josh, your faster method undoes the even doneness of the Medium steak leaving a gradient of doneness through it.
Thatâs true, but it will still deliver a much better result than cooking non-sous vide. And youâre talking maybe a 2-4 minute extra cook time for the medium steak, since youâre most of the way there, so youâre not going to get that much of a gradient. (And itâs not like the universe comes to a screeching halt if one of the steaks has a slight gradient to it, especially for someone who prefers medium steaks.)
On the other hand, cooking one steak at medium in the sous vide, letting the temp drop and then cooking the other at rare, will add at least another hour (maybe two, depending on your desired sous vide time) to your overall prep time. That method will certainly give you a better result, but thatâs a lot of extra time for a two-person steak meal.
As with many things in the kitchen, thereâs an âidealâ method and thereâs the almost-as-good-but-much-quicker shortcut method. Cookâs are free to choose.
Agreed that cookâs are free to choose, - and make compromises in quality.
Anova provides us with precise and exactly repeatable cooking results. This catâs been cooking too long to not do the best of his ability. He owes it to those he serves.
Since I have friends who like their steak medium, I have tried different ways and all were unsatisfactory. So I bought a second stick and use two pots. It is the best solution, in my opinion.
Kelley, nothing is better than serving your friends by giving them your best possible. Youâre special.
@kjudd This would be my first trial to cook steaks with different doneness, just curious if you have done this.
- Cook the medium steak first for 60 min @ 139
- Drop temp to 129 for medium rare
- Drop in the medium rare piece when temp is 129
- Cook both at 129 for 60min
- Sear both at same time
You said it would be easier to use 2 machines and I am not sure why the method above wouldnât work?