Sous vide machine or deep fryer?

Question

I really want to try both of these pieces of equipment but can't decide which to buy first, and I am overwhelmed by all the choices of brands! I am leaning towards a deep fryer because I don't eat a ton of meat and I like the versatility of a deep fryer (especially for parties) - but my doctor recently advised me to eat more red meat, so I would love to enjoy a perfectly cooked steak more often. Any input would be much appreciated!

Answer

I have both, I use the sous vide much more than the deep fryer. Not that I'm against frying food but I find the immersion circulator much more useful for my cooking. I run my Anova Precision cooker immersion circulator 1-3 times a week. I've cooked sausages in it, it's my favorite way to cook boneless skinless chicken breast, I've fermented yogurt, cooked pork shoulder, fruit, veg. So far I haven't tried eggs but I know it's great for them. We have an electric turkey fryer which can also be used for boils and steaming and we only use it a few times a year.

Answer

Deep fat frying can be done using a heavy pan and a thermometer.

I would lean towards a sous vide machine.

Answer

I have had a deep fat fryer for years and never use it. unless you get a big one, you have to do stuff in small batches so the first batch cools off etc., etc. Plus it smells up the whole house, and then you have to deal with the used oil. I just decided that I'll let the pros fry the oysters and clams I love so much.

OTOH, a sous vide circulator is inexpensive, doesn't take up much space, cooks your meat to that perfect degree of succulence edge to edge and holds it there until you are ready to throw it onto your grill or cast iron pan for a minute or two to sear it off. I have finally been able to successfully cook steaks perfectly medium rare (131 F), and now I've been buying these gigantic 1 lb pork chops, SVing them at 140 for 3-4 hours and then finishing them with a light coating of Memphis Dust and a quick sear on my grill and have chops that are so tender and juicy you can almost cut them with your fork. 

I caught my Anova on sale at Amazon for $139:

http://www.amazon.com/Anova-Culinary-Precision-Cooker-Black/dp/B00UKPBXM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1442265995&sr=1-1&keywords=sous+vide

Answer

I bit the bullet and just ordered the Anova precision cooker! I suspect it won't be long before I acquire a deep fryer too - I think I will put it to good use. Thanks all!

Answer

Looks like you've already made your decision. I own both and I use my sous-vide machine way more; the reality is I don't break out the deep fryer much at all, for health and laziness reasons. Having to deal with the oil to store/toss is a big PITA for me and that makes me want to break the fryer out even less.

I suspect for others in a similar boat, how much kitchen space available is important. Sous-vide machines are small and portable , while good fryers still seems to be relative counter/storage hogs. Sous-vide machines are also great for veggies. I love my veggies with a natural, clean flavor and sous-vide becomes the de facto method for cooking perfect carrots and asparagus with a little butter and salt. The one minus is the planning and patience factor required for a lot of sous-vide cooking.

Answer

I see you've purchased the sous vide. Good choice. I have neither as I use cast iron for my (infrequent) frying needs. The SV....want badly and trying to hold out 'til the holidays.

Answer

So my first try at sous vide cooking did not go as well as I had hoped. I bought striploin steaks, put a bit of butter, garlic and thyme in the bag and cooked it for 90 minutes at 54 degrees, then finished it on the stove in a bit of oil and butter. I think the steaks were too thin though, and I definitely seared them for too long, because they came out quite tough and overdone. Next time I will go for 2 inch ribeyes and sear for less time. I will also use a cast iron pan for finishing instead of the calphalon non-stick one I used. What was I thinking?!

Answer

Why not both! I have an Anova Precision cooker and a deep fryer. Last weekend I sous-vide'd thick bone-in pork chops (140F) and finished in the deep fryer for a great crust (4-5 minutes).

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Sous vide machine or deep fryer?

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