Go to the Article: Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics Discussion
Thanks - a good topic!
Perhaps a little thin course - can't we bring Sous Vide further out than the best Crème Brûlée and livermousse?
I was expecting sort of a procedure, advanced cooking; For example, Lets pretend I am having a dozen or so people over for a steak night and each steak is cooked to the specifications of each of the guests but done earlier that day or the day before to be finished just before everyone sits for dinner; How do I go about that? What are the specific steps? You mention being able to sit and enjoy guests, when serving burgers because you can sous vide the burgers before hand and finish on demand but you don't say how thats accomplished. how about a video explaining the procedure.... like cook in the morning .. then bring to temp via the water circulator to be finished .....
yeah, its still a good course but its a bit generic, the reason i loved this site is because the recipes they published each week were something you dont see on youtube on amateur cooking channels, modernist or advanced. i dont know what is going on now, but this site has changed, and not for the good for me.it became like every cooking youtube channel. maybe its not true but thats the impression im getting.
Overall, a good class. There was a lot of technical information that I found useful. However, like Rene, I was a little disappointed by the course. I hate to complain, because I know a lot of hard work went into making this course. But I was expecting more. Beyond just the technical information, I thought there would be more recipes. I was expecting something along the lines of the "Tender Cuts" class, except using sous vide. Perhaps demonstrations of how the ChefSteps staff liked to sous vide different protiens and vegetables (ie, this is how we like to sous vide duck breast, this is how we would sous vide lamb chops, etc.). Not just how you would sous vide them, but get the best flavor out of these protiens using the sous vide method. (Yes, I know "best" is a subjective term, but I would be willing to trust your judgement.)The only protein that was throughly covered in this course with a deomonstration was pork shoulder. Of course, there was a discussion of time and temperature in another part of the course, but it would have been nice to see some demonstrations.
I was also hoping that there would be recipes that were a little more creative. Not necessarily something that looked like it came out of the Alinea playbook. But maybe something a little more advanced than a simple pork shoulder steak.
Again, I appreciate the time and effort that went into creating this course. I was just expecting a little bit more. Perhaps there were things left out so as to keep the course at a reasonable cost? I certainly would have been willing to pay more for more information!
Thanks guys. Keep up the good work!
As much as it pains me to say this, I have to agree with you, Patrik. I really love ChefSteps and I must visit this website at least 20-30 times a day. And I hate to sound ungrateful, because there's a lot of great content offered free of charge. However, this course seems to be another recent case where ChefSteps over-promises and under delivers.
I agree - i think it is a thin course. I have been following Chef Steps for a while now. Foaming class was great, for example. I don't feel that this particular class met my expectations, in that I didn't really learn anything I have not already seen on Chef Steps' free of charge content.
I don't want to be ungrateful or rude as I generally really enjoy and get a great amount of information and inspiration from Chef Steps and we are all part of the community, but in this instance I don't see what I just spent 20 bucks on. I guess it doesn't feel advanced enough or innovative. I think you guys set the bar so high for your own good.
I was a little disappointed - expected a deeper dive. The promise of "Beef Chuck 12 Ways" was the main reason I signed up since I love using this cut for SV. I was expecting some new ideas for preparing it rather than the results of time/temp experiments.
class was ok, not was i was expecting. most of the information was already included in previous free classes. would be great if we got more advice and info on commercial use of S.V rather than just home cooking.
Weak. I feel like I lit $$$ on fire. Not that fussed about it, I have gotten much more from this site than I have paid for (I think I am in for 3 or 4 paid courses), and that is still a bargain to me. My main worry is if refer people to this site (as I have in this case), I worry that they won't see the value. For this site to succeed long term, folks need to see the value, and then PAY for it, like I did. In this case, I feel my money went to subsidize my prior experience.
I must have attended a different class! I learned a ton. Got the "map" which is very helpful and wasn't overwhelmed.
In my opinion it was worth the money.
No one asked my opinion but I don't understand the complaints. First world problems.
I dont think we are complaining. Ive been on this site from almost the beginning, and when they started out, their vision was a lot different.this place was unique, it was something you dont see anywhere else. Not all the critiques were directed towards this course, but more like what has been happening to their vision lately.the recipes were all unique and awesome, now they are simple and to be honest a bit boring, it feels like they are trying to appeal to the masses. I think i can speak for most of the people "complaining" that we are not trying to take the piss, we are just trying to "push" them back to their original vision, the reason we love this site.just my thoughts though
Well, I think "their vision" is, well "theirs". It's obviously evolving.
Often times I want people or things to stay the same while I evolve and don't realize it.
Maybe the vision IS the same, but my needs have changed.
Speaking of needs, is 7:46am too early for a Bloody Mary?
Cheers!
no, thats perfectly fine time for a Bloody Mary! i understand its their vision and i have no problem with them changing their vision if its for the better, and as far as i know my needs are the same as well. i come here to learn something a cant get anywhere, if you search on youtube you find creme brulee, steak and so on everywhere. if you scroll back on their recipes to the very first one, you can see that it used to be very different.I guess i just got "attached"(not got a better word for it) to CS too much and dont want to loose their edge. Of course its up to them to decide what are they going to do, people write their opinions down and they can decide. maybe its just me, but this is how i feel about it lately.
I tried to make it clear in my comments that I appreciated the hard work and effort that went into making this course. With that being said, I'm sorry but I felt that this course did not live up to the way it was advertised.
Chris co-authored one of the greatest cookbooks of this generation (if not ever) and worked in one of the most influential kitchens on the planet. And Grant worked in L’Astrance with Pascal Barbot. With a team that has such an impressive resume, when I see a course titled, "Beyond the Basics" I have high expectations. As I mentioned, this course was great when it came to the technical aspects of sous vide cooking. But when it came to the recipes, they were a bit too simple.
There are so many websites out there that have simple recipes. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I think that most people who frequent ChefSteps are here because they feel that this website offers something that those others do not: professional-style recipes that will challenge them and help them to grow as cooks. That was something sorely missing from this class.
I have the chicken liver paté in the sous vide now, just 1 more hour to be ready=)
Update:
I think because almost everything on this site is free people expect paid content to be unique, surprising and different, Last week I paid in another well known and respected website (that I am not going to say the name) $120 for a profesional "Classic Pastry Course" they gave me two recipes and two videos 5 mins each and a 15 page pdf, it was SH¡T and I was pissed because they didnt gave me a refund! you can compare many other online cooking schools that charge hundreds of dollars to teach you how to boil lentils... so paying $29 for a sous vide course with high quality videos and step by step instructions is ridiculous... everyone that has made a professional video knows how much work and time it takes and the videos are really amazing, you can see all the work they put in every shot. I really don´t know how this website keeps running charging so little for each course. I think something that could be great would be a $1000 1 month step by step course teaching everything you need to know to be a chef with feedback and giving you graded assignments for people starting or home cooks and another course for professional chefs that own a restaurant showing advanced stuff like the modernist cuisine books but in a video format and with an online mentor, how cool would be that? Make a survey to see if people think that is a good idea. My philosophy: if you find something valuable and you can support it, do it. I don´t mind paying, I love Chefsteps, keep the great work!
you dont understand what are we saying, but its ok. Jason said it well, read his comment. i guess its time for me to start investing more into awesome books like one of Rene Redzepis or Alex Atala or you get the picture, and start working around that. i guess i just want something that excites me.
Oh wow yum.
Nice!!
Awesome, I like the wooden plate you served it on.
I dont know what the other guys are complaining about, this course was awesome! It happened to suit me perfectly as i am just starting to experiment with sous vide but even if you already knew most of the information on here its worth paying just to have it all collected in one easy spot to reference and with HD videos and downloadable Maps/Guides aswell it is a great class. Combined with the MASS amount of free content that Chefsteps have released i dont mind paying for anything that i might find relevant in learning new ideas. Thanks to all the Chefsteps team for allowing home cooks to adapt to higher levels of cooking!
This cheap cut of steak was better than any other i have had even a prime cut and paired with some triple cooked chips and aioli made from confit garlic oil it went down a treat!
It is interesting that one thread of complaint below is that there is a lack of complexity, I thought that was the whole point. As for value it cost less than a modest bottle of wine from which one will learn nothing. I think CS is a great resource, but I do not expect it to reinvent the wheel every week. For the record there was nothing 'new' for me in the SV course except for pointing out the toughness of cuts of meat radiating out from the centre, which with hindsight is obvious, but was worth the ticket price to have it pointed out to me.
Really enjoyed this course. I always prefer to learn a couple of techniques with wide applicability than a whole bunch of recipes for the sake of it. Each of the points on the map represents a recipe, so there is no shortage of cooking to try out from this course - I don't think we need a video demonstrating each one of them. I think the faux-steak technique is genius, and I think distinguishing between fork-tender and steak-like treatments for tough cuts is really helpful in prompting me to think about what I want when I'm cooking a tough cut. One thing I am keen to get some guidance from the ChefSteps team about (and that would make useful addition to the course) is how to integrate sous vide into the broader array of techniques. That is, what advantages and disadvantages can it and other techniques have? When should we use one technique over another? And are there ways of combining sous vide with more traditional methods?
Douglas, we are of course sorry to hear this course was a disappointment for you. We know we can't please everyone with every class or every recipe, and it sounds like this one was geared a little differently than what you had in mind. We'd be more than happy to offer you a refund; we offer an unlimited money back guarantee for all of our classes - just drop us a note at info@chefsteps.com.
That looks really great, Jesse. Thanks for the feedback.
Jason, George, René, Patrik, and Evren:
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you; I wanted to respond to you and any other folks that are disappointed in this class personally. I'm sorry to hear that the class was not what you expected. I really appreciate your feedback, and please know that our entire team reads it and uses it to help us keep improving.
Yes, ChefSteps is continuing to evolve. As a pretty small team, we're working at striking a balance between helping new people get started with our community, while still offering our most experienced community members something that is compelling. And also trying to improve and streamline the experience we can deliver on the website and mobile app.
As several of you have mentioned, we've been focused on helping people unfamiliar with modernist techniques and, specifically, sous vide cooking get started. But we know that we need to create some advanced content that pushes creative boundaries. It's coming, and we hope that you'll be patient. But, if you're really unhappy with this class, please drop us an email at info@chefsteps.com and we'll happily refund your money.
Hi Lucas, sorry the class did not meet your expectations. We've talked a lot about doing a sous vide class for commercial operations, but we haven't started working on one yet. We'll keep in mind that you are interested in something like that as we develop future content. Please let us know if you would like a refund on this class—we offer an unlimited money-back guarantee for all of our classes. Just drop us a note at info@chefsteps.com.
Meanwhile, please visit the forum if you have any specific questions about commercial sous vide; we certainly have tons of experience with that and we'd be happy to help however we can.
Thank you for your feedback, and thank you for being a member of the ChefSteps community.
Best, Karen
Dang. Yum.
VERY pleased with the course. My initial forays into Sous Vide have been promising, and this is just what I need to polish my techniques. I will be trying a lot of the recipes here, and can't wait to try the paté. I recently used the Mi Cuit Salmon at a party on melba toasts with horseradish cream and dill, and they all begged for more. They were all snapped up before I thought to photograph it !!
Also, as a pressure-canning fan, I know how important food safety is, and therefore was glad to find the food safety guidelines for sous vide too. 👍
I agree. The this class is great. In my case well worth the investment. That meat looks delicious.
I agree. What I find most valuable of Chef Steps is that it makes complex ideas easy to understand. Also I like the simplicity of most recipes. I have The Modernist Cuisine books, which are great, but I prefer to approach ideas from Chef Steps. Then, if I have more questions, I delve into the books.
Thanks Chris,
I would never ever get my money back; it's simply that we're spoiled (I am) with the top level of goodness that ChefSteps are, and therefore expected more...
And know I know that some more advanced stuff is coming, I will sit most patiently and wait...
If I serve sous vide which takes a long time to make, and serve it on restauarant.
How would you do it for the best results?
What is the disadvantage if one cooks the food before and when the food is done we cool it in ice bath. So into the fridge. And when the customer orders, we warm it in sous vide again.
Is there any meat, fish or vegetables I should avoid in this process?
I've seen the knowledge, methodology and the 'spark' on your writtings and I'm hopping to see character against the Sirens
as for this class i have to put it correctly:It was good but not Chefsteps enough
Ps:No refund from dreamers
I love what the team at CS is doing. I feel like the knowledge I gained from this class was well worth the money I spent on it. Considering everything else I've learned from the site, for which I paid nothing, I am more than willing to pay a few dollars to help keep these guys in business.
Regarding people's concerns about this particular class, it appears the disappointed remarks are mostly due to what people's expectations about the class were and what they actually received. Perhaps better explaining what exactly will be covered in the course and what people can expect to be able to do by the end of the class would help to set more realistic expectations and ensure a more positive response.
More importantly, I'd like to emphasize what I appreciate most about CS. Instead of just providing everyone with tons of killer recipes (which they do), I think CS provides us with something much more valuable: the tools, techniques, and inspiration to come up with OUR OWN killer recipes. Isn't that what this is all about?
It is for me, at least. I intend to continue learning as much as possible from the CS team until I can start creating recipes that are even better then what they can do. Until then, keep the classes coming, CS team! Keep them coming! Mwahahaha!!!
Hello from germany,
any ideas for a goose breast sous vide? Time, temperature, searing before or after sous vide?
With oil ir goose fat...
Looking forward to your suggestions!
Nice pre christmas time to everyone,
richard
HI Chris, first of all thank you for the reply. The class is still very good, with all kind of information, but i felt like the recipes slightly let it down. I am not going to get a refund as i got a lot lot more from CS than the price of the class and its still worth the money, and dont get me wrong the information part is still very very good, i just raised my concern about the very simple recipes we have been getting recently, thats all. Cheers, Patrik
So disappointed in the course. Was expecting this to be a bit more elevated -- lots of the basics that anyone who has been cooking sous vide would have already mastered. Up your game, guys.
This is all good information, just not certain it was really "beyond the basics". To me this was the basics, but I guess this is designed for the home cook. I don't know what was really covered over the free classes. I even the free time/temp chart I feel is more useful then the map. Anyway, I enjoy chef steps a lot so I am not that disappointed in spending the money (i got it on sale). I guess for me this was a bunch of common sense stuff, a couple case studies on the proteins but all in all a restating of the information in the free course. I am not certain if I even came across a video that was used that wasn't available for free.
Anyway, you guys do good work. Keep it up. Video quality is top notch and you explain things very well.
I just want to give a quick "good job" to you guys. I'm always recommending your website to people. It is a refreshing different from the "chop and drop" shows. I watch your basic entry level stuff that I've done before just to get a fresh perspective, and this has taught me to think differently about things I've done for years. I watch so many of your videos my wife rolls her eyes when she hears the "elevator/porn music" as she has described it.(no offense intended). Keep up the good work
Thanks Chefsteps. You launched my foray into sous vide. It was a simple progression- I stumbled into one of your vids while searching for a recipe. Mesmerized, I spent the next two hours watching you make things I wanted to eat. Fortune smiled on us both when I saw a sous vide kickstarter. I supported the project, waited 10 months, and burnt the thing out making your recipes. Thank you for producing this class. Honestly, I do not know of any other source providing this quality of information in such an approachable package ie. "I can probably do this" and "I can afford to risk the tuition if I can't".
Which device did you purchase?
Thank you for the pork shoulder recipe, it is really great. I just made it with a really good country pork shoulder and it was one of the best pork dishes I have had. Cooked it at 62C for 24 hours, chilled and sliced and served it the following day.
GREAT
Leif
In Thomas Keller's book "Under Pressure" he refers to using "low", "medium", and "high" pressure for packing. Does anyone know what the pressure percentage is for these settings?
They are not all that usefull. But I would say high is about 10milbar. 100 would be med and 200 low.
This is a great course. I have done a lot of sous vide cooking but still learned a lot.
Terrific update to the course!
Thanks Jason! So glad you're happy with it.
Great Course!!!, Thanks guys and gals
Thank you!
I have a question what is the tips to keep the color for the purple asparagus ?
It took me forever to finally get through the course (my issues) but, WOW, I know i'm going to be revisiting a ton of this material in the future. Another home run from the amazing CS Team! Congrats!
Hi! I'm having issues cooking tough cuts: after that long cooking time the meat gets a little greenish. Taste is good and all, and mostly the problem is solved drying and searing it, but i can't help thinking if something is wrong with my sanitation procedure or with my meat dealer... Any suggest?
cryoblanching
I am making sous vide steak, but am wondering if it is possible to presser the meat, vacuum seal it, and then freeze it for sous vide in a couple of days?
Do you have any tips or advice on using an Alto-Shaam Cook and Hold as a sous-vide?
