If you’re trying sous vide cooking for the first time there are certain things you need, and other things that are really just convenient extras. For seasoned experts in low temperature cooking, the most essential sous vide item is a good quality bag. We take a look at the best options for sous vide bags and other useful accessories, as well as DIY improvisations that could make a difference to your day.
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BPA Free Plastic vs Silicone Sous Vide Bags
Sous vide has always equated to basically cooking your food in a (BPA free) plastic bag. Some people may naturally feel aghast at the very concept of ‘cooking in a plastic bag’. For a long time though, it was thought that as long as the bag was sanctified against the devilry of BPA, your indulgence was good to go.
Recently, however, waves have rippled again through the sous vide community concerning the issue of EA activity, or the estrogenic activity of plastics. A study back in 2011, already found that most plastics can leach estrogen mimicking compounds.
Some people are still on the fence and feel more concrete scientific data is needed. Fortunately, however, silicone sous bags have already been making inroads as a viable alternative.
Silicone Cookware as a Viable Alternative
Silicone is a synthetic rubber that is produced from silicon (abundant in rocks and sand) which is bonded to oxygen. Chemically inert, silicone is also flexible, and heat resistant with non-stick properties.
It’s now used in popular bakeware, and it’s gaining popularity with microwave cookware (in-house reviews) as an alternative to polypropylene. It can be used for food storage, and is also resilient to low temperatures used in refrigeration.
Silicone is a more recent fad in the home kitchen. There have not been any concrete studies to date concerning its overall safety and efficacy. Some recent research, however, shows that small quantities of silicone particles, or PDMS silicones, are released during heating, especially into fatty foods.
Whether this poses a health hazard is not fully researched yet. For the time being at least, silicone seems to be a viable alternative to so-called BPA free safe plastics. Food grade silicone is certified as safe as long as there are no extraneous fillers used to cheap the production process.
Pros and Cons of Silicone Stasher Bags for Sous Vide
SIlicone bags are more expensive than typical sous vide bags. Both types are reusable, but silicone can be reused for a much longer period of time. It’s easier to clean oily residue from silicone bags and they can also go into a dishwasher.
One key disadvantage is that silicone bags do not completely vacuum seal. This is because the bags are thicker, but it doesn’t seem to affect the overall results compared to more tightly vacuumed bags.
Because the bags are thicker, they take less food, and because some air remains, they are more buoyant. You can clip them to the side of a pot, or place them in a special sous vide rack.
A useful tip is to add a little more oil into the bags than usual. To see more about cooking sous vide with silicone, you can view this video:
See Our Sous Vide Guide and Best Sous Vide Cooker in Japan
Reviews of the Best Sous Vide Bags and Starter Kit
Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags
These high quality silicone bags are a popular choice for sous vide. They are made from 100% pure silicone, and are leak proof using a pinch locking system.
They can be reused up to 3 000 times. However, for sous vide or either boiling or microwaving, you may not want to push the upper limit.
Stasher is an Californian brand, but the bags, like most others, are manufactured in China. The only silicone food bags not made in China, but in the USA, are the Zip Top brand (price link). They are slightly pricier, and the bags don’t seal as well as Stasher bags.
Kai Corporation Best Sous Vide Starter Pack
These Kai Corporation bags and hand help pump are all you really need to get started with sous vide cooking. These products are distributed in Japan and you can buy more bags without the hand pump when you need to.
The more fancy looking kits that come with clips and a handheld USB electronic vacuum pack ship from abroad and cost almost twice the price. As nice as the rechargeable vacuum pump is, they often break down and a mechanical pump does exactly the same and will last you a lot longer. For clips, you can easily find a substitute.
These bags come in three sizes, and they have an additional silicone zip or extra anti leak security. They work well, and you can write notes on the bags.
Best Sous Vide Rack and Container
Some people like their sous vide set-up to look neat and professional. In addition to this, experiments have shown that cooking sous vide in a container with a lid, and additional insulation, can reduce running costs by almost half or more. The best choice depends on how much you want to spend, and whether you just need a container or a rack or both.
HomeNote Insulated Sous Vide Container and Rack
This container comes with the rack pictured and also a black neoprene insulation sleeve that the container pops into. If you don’t have room in your kitchen for this kind of set-up, it can just as easily run on the floor in any convenient place near an outlet.
It’s basically designed for the Anova sous vide, but it should fit most other sous vide machines, or you can customize yourself. It comes with a small cookbook as well.
This item is bulky and ships from abroad. You would probably be better off choosing a Japanese seller who is specifically serving the domestic market.
Everie Silicone Lid Cambro
Designed to perfectly fit the Anova sous vide, this Everie can easily be used with most other types of popular sous vide cookers. The silicone lid is a plus in that it’s flexible and can easily be cut if you need to customize it more to your type of cooker. There is no insulator sleeve for this container.
The item ships from stock held in Japan, so you should be able to receive this more bulky item in top condition and within a few days.
Trilock Collapsible Sous Vide Rack
If you feel confident with your own DIY skills, you can just as well buy yourself a suitable plastic container from your nearest home center. If the hole you make isn’t perfect, you can easily just wrap a tea towel around your sous vide machine. In this case, you can get yourself a foldable rack at little cost.