I’m curious what hooked everyone here. For me, it was the first time I made steak sous vide — the edge-to-edge doneness totally sold me. What was the one food or dish that made you fall in love with sous vide cooking?
I did steaks at first and spent some time getting a good sear.
Steak was my entry point too, and I still think it is the clearest demonstration of what the method does. The even doneness from edge to edge is noticeable in a way that is hard to argue with. For me the bigger shift came with chicken breast, which I had mostly given up on because it always turned out dry. Holding it at a lower temperature changed that completely. The sear step matters as much as the bath, though, and I am still working on getting that part consistent.
The chicken breast point hits close to home. I mostly stopped buying it because it was so easy to overcook, and the idea of holding it at a lower temp is what got me interested in the method at all. Since you mention the sear being the harder part, what are you finding inconsistent about it — the pan heat, drying the surface, or the time it takes before the interior warms past where you want it? That seems like the step where the even doneness can get undone.