How to sous vide for beginners?

To cook sous vide, you will need a sous vide circulator, a vacuum sealer or zip-top freezer bags, and a container for the water. You can use a pot, of course, even though it's the circulator and not the stove that provides the heat. A Dutch oven works well since its cast-iron construction helps maintain a consistent temperature. You can use any container that is safe up to a temperature of 212 F. The circulator is essentially a stick you can place into any vessel of water to heat the water to the desired temperature. The device maintains that exact temperature, while also circulating the water around the vessel so that the food cooks evenly. To produce a brown crust on the outside of your meat, you need to sear it afterward in a hot skillet for a couple of minutes on each side. You don't want to skip this step, because while your steak might be perfectly cooked on the inside, there is nothing perfect about a limp, gray-colored steak. You can always set your immersion circulator to 125 or 130 F instead of 135 if you're concerned about maintaining that medium-rare. Note that chicken breasts may need to be cooked to 155 F in an immersion cooker, while chicken thighs require 175 F. Keep in mind when planning your meal that foods with different target temperatures can't be cooked together.