What Is An Immersion Circulator in Sous Vide Cooking?

Cooking food sous vide includes putting it in a sealed container or bag, removing all of the air, and cooking at a specific temperature while the food stays immersed in water with the tight seal in place.

When it comes to cooking everything perfectly soft, juicy meals, sous vide is the method of choice. Almost anything may be cooked sous vide.

One of the most tempting advantages of sous vide cooking is that it may give a carefree kind of cooking experience by using modern kitchen equipment such as a sous vide machine or an immersion circulator.

So we hear all the time that using an immersion circulator makes sous vide cooking a breeze and really successful. But what is an immersion circulator in the first place? And how does it help in sous vide cooking?

These are the types of queries that most individuals who are just starting with sous vide cooking have. But don’t worry, we’re here to answer all of your questions and clear up any doubts you may have!

What Is an Immersion Circulator?

An immersion circulator is a relatively new kitchen appliance for many home chefs, but it is already changing the way we prepare food in our homes.

Immersion circulators are becoming increasingly popular in household kitchens, despite the fact that they are a bit pricey. That’s because they provide a game-changing approach that allows you to get excellent results every time you cook sous vide at home.

Simply put, an immersion circulator is a device that warms the water up to a specific temperature and maintains that temperature throughout the process of cooking so that you get perfectly cooked food.

An immersion circulator is actually a small device that you can put in a container full of water. These devices remain halfway submerged in the water and sitting quietly at a side of the container, they perform their task of heating and circulating the water. 

Why you need an immersion circulator for sous vide?

Sous vide cooking involves the preparation of food in precisely controlled water baths at precisely controlled temperature levels, regardless of whether or not you are actually using a vacuum-sealed bag.

As you can see, the most important necessity for sous vide cooking in modern times is the ability to maintain precise temperature control.

Immersion circulators particularly are designed to heat the water in just the way that is needed for sous vide cooking. It is for this reason that they make sous vide cooking simple.

The use of an immersion circulator for sous vide cooking is a time-saving and headache-reducing technique. It enables you to cook your food at precise temperatures for as long as you prefer.

You will appreciate how well this piece of equipment automates the process in nature and lowers the need for your intervention.

See also: Breville Joule Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

How Does an Immersion Circulator Work?

Let’s dive a little deeper into what an immersion circulator does and how it does what it does.

A typical circulator has the following 3 parts:

• It is comprised of an electric motor linked to a metal shaft that is encased by an acrylic casing, with the motor hung in the water by means of a metal frame.
• Additionally, it has a thermometer and a heater, which allow it to sense the temperature of the water and heat it accordingly.
• Modern circulators also contain a user interface by which users can set the temperature and time they require for their cooking. Some immersion circulators also come with an app that allows you to control them using your mobile.

And this is how it works:

Consider your circulator to be similar to the hot water tap at your sink, except that it is considerably more intelligent than a tap.

They make use of sophisticated sensors to compare the water temperature with the temperature you set for it, and then it uses microprocessors to give instructions to the heating element to heat the water based on the temperature difference.

With Immersion Circulators, temperature control is taken to a whole new level.

Rather than merely heating or cooling the water to the required temperature, the circulator accurately sets the temperature and maintains it by sensing the water temperature dozens of times per second and making changes as needed to maintain the target temperature.

In addition, the water is constantly circulated to ensure that each inch of it is kept at the same precise temperature.

Steps to Use an Immersion Circulator

It’s easy to use an immersion circulator, just follow these simple steps:

1. Pick a container and fill it with water

Choosing a sous vide container that is spacious enough and adequate capacity for the quantity and nature of food you will prepare is essential to successfully make meals at home.

Once you have the right container, fill it with the appropriate amount of water.

If you are using a contemporary container designed specifically for sous vide cooking, most of these containers will include marks that indicate the amount to which the water must be poured before cooking can begin.

2. Time to use the circulator

Finally, it’s time to put the circulator to work. It should be placed in the container and then linked to an electrical outlet to complete the process.

Set the circulator to the right cooking temperature and time, both of which might differ significantly depending on what you’re preparing. Now just turn the circulator on and let it do its work.

3. Place the food bad in water bath

When the water reaches the right temperature, it is time to take your packed food and submerge it in the water.

Place the food in a sealed sous vide bag with all the spices and herbs you want to use and seal the bag tightly.

Be cautious to check the bag before placing it in the container to ensure that it is well sealed.

After that, all you have to do is drop the bag into the water.

4. Time to wait

It is now only a matter of time before it is cooked! Remove the items from the bag and arrange them on a serving dish. You are now ready to serve and enjoy your well-prepared dinner.

Final words

In the field of current sous vide gadgets, an immersion circulator stands out as a unique piece of machinery.

This is due to the fact that it is an all-in-one unit that concurrently warms and circulates water to cook meals for sous vide cooking.

It provides for the much needed precision in cooking and all that while being incredibly simple to use at home, which is a rare combination. 

You can obviously do sous vide cooking without it or by using other methods, but using an immersion circulator is really simple and provides flawless results every time. Definitely worth trying!