# Do you have to wait until the water hits the target temperature?

**URL:** <https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049>\
**Category:** Anova Precision® Cooker\
**Created:** [February 18, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049 "2017-02-18T23:54:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![agm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@agm](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/agm)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049/1 "2017-02-18T23:54:43Z")

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Hi

I’ve never been clear on this one… let’s say I’m cooking a burger and the water is at room temperature. Can I drop in the vaccum-sealed protein, set my target temperature and head out the door?

Or must I wait for the water to reach the target temperature before I drop in the protein?

cheers, Andrew

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**Author:** ![fischersd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/fischersd/32/5594_2.png) [@fischersd](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/fischersd)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049/2 "2017-02-19T03:24:43Z")

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You can just drop it in, but the “thing” about sous vide cooking is precision (which, you likely don’t care quite as much for, for a burger) 🙂  
The software should let you know when the PC has attained target temperature - then just plan your total cooking time on that (a bit of “fudge factor” for the ramp-up time, typically - if you’re tight on time that is).

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**Author:** ![agm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@agm](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/agm)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 10:07am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049/3 "2017-02-19T10:07:44Z")

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Great thanks. I mainly just wanted to check it wasn’t unsafe to do that.

As an aside, the only extra time the protein would be in the water is the time it takes for the water to reach the target temperature. I was assuming that wouldn’t make any real difference, but are you saying it would make a noticeable difference for a fancier meal? E.g. Fillet steak or whatever

Cheers, Andrew

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**Author:** ![fischersd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/fischersd/32/5594_2.png) [@fischersd](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/fischersd)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 10:42am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/do-you-have-to-wait-until-the-water-hits-the-target-temperature/5049/4 "2017-02-19T10:42:02Z")

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Well, the delta in the result could be pretty marginal with steak - but having reproducible results is highly desirable. Ramp time will (depending on how long it takes) make a difference in the tenderness of the end result. (your total cook time will) The longer your steak is in there, the more tender it will be (and some people really don’t like super-tender steak).

Much more granular data here:

> **[Sous Vide Steak Guide | The Food Lab](https://www.seriouseats.com/food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-steak)**
>
> Why sous vide your steak? Because it's the most reliable way to get perfectly cooked meat every single time. This guide covers everything you need to know, from temperature guidelines to FAQs to searing and serving tips.