Sous Vide without a lid

Marale_Garabetian_205311

Why is it that some cook sous vide in a beer cooler and/or Cambro plastic container with a lid? You cannot cover the pot with a lid so does it matter if you cook using a vessel you can cover or one you cannot?

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Comments

coryhansen78

No, it doesn't really matter much. The only thing the lid does is decrease evaporation of the water bath (and also helps the water heat up faster). I would definitely cover the pot/cooler/etc for longer cook times and/or higher temperature cooking.

Marale_Garabetian_205311

I see. So if if I plan on cooking something for an hour, no need to close but if I want to cook longer then I should cover it? The problem is I will not be able to cover it completely because the joule will be in the way. Have you tried using the joule clip with a cambro container?

FrankM_3301

Plastic wrap as a cover works just fine and can be fit around Joule.

coryhansen78

Sure, that one hour limit sounds reasonable. I basically always put a cover on, more out of habit than anything else-- it does seem to heat up quite a bit faster, which I like.

I use cambros for most of my sous vide cooking. Works great with Joule. I have covers for the cambros and just cover up as much as I can... It doesn't need to be a complete cover, in my opinion-- even a partial covering helps out quite a bit.

I know there are a lot of folks here that cut out holes/notches in the cambro lid so they can completely cover with the Joule in place. Maybe I will do that someday, but for now, if i'm really worried about evaporation, I just cover all of the open space around the Joule with plastic wrap. Works well enough for me.

Marale_Garabetian_205311

That yogurt looks good! When I have more space I'll get containers. For now, I'll stick to cooking in pots. I'll try the plastic wrap around the pot that Frank suggested.

Marale_Garabetian_205311

Thanks!

wolfiegirl

The easiest answer is that you use a vessel that will accommodate enough water to cover and circulate whatever it is you're sous vide cooking. You can use nearly any container that fits that bill. As for a cover, most likely nine times out of ten you won't need one. A lid/cover/plastic wrap is typically only necessary when you're cooking something for an extended period of time (like a 24 hour cook) -or- at a high temperature, to eliminate evaporation. When you do have to cover, the small opening around Joule will not cause any issues. Handiest thing to do during a long cook is to check the water level say before you go to bed so that in the overnight hours you can rest assured your cook will continue seamlessly.

Buon Appetito!

malcolm.mccaffery

I only cover when cooking longer than 8hrs or temps over 70c, I usually use aluminium foil. Heats up faster and don't have to worry about water levels dropping