How to Hack Your Toaster Oven into a DIY Sous Vide Cooker

Introduction

I've been wanting to try sous vide cooking for a while now, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on an expensive sous vide immersion circulator. So I started researching DIY sous vide cooker hacks using materials I already had at home. The most promising hack I found involves converting your ordinary toaster oven into a makeshift sous vide cooker with just a few simple materials.

In this article, I'll walk through the complete process I followed to hack my old toaster oven into a DIY sous vide cooker on a budget.

What is Sous Vide Cooking?

For those unfamiliar,sous vide is a cooking method that involves vacuum sealing food in a plastic pouch, and then cooking it to an exact temperature in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath. This results in food that is cooked evenly edge to edge, and is incredibly moist and tender.

The key factors for sous vide cooking are:

• Precise temperature control - The water bath maintains the target temperature within about 0.1°C. This level of control achieves the desired doneness perfectly.

• Low temperature, long cook times - Food is cooked at much lower temperatures than typical cooking, for longer periods of time. This gently cooks the food evenly without overcooking the outer surfaces.

• Vacuum sealed pouches - Sealing food in pouches removes air and seals in moisture during the low and slow cooking process.

While specialized sous vide immersion circulators can cost $200 or more, it is possible to hack together a DIY sous vide cooker with common household items for cheap.

Materials Needed

To convert your toaster oven into a sous vide cooker, you'll need the following materials:

• Toaster oven - A small to mid-sized toaster oven with good temperature controls works best. You need one big enough to fit the water bath.

• Digital thermometer - Look for a digital thermometer with a probe on a long wire for monitoring water temperature. The probe needs to reach the middle of the water bath.

• Heat resistant container - This will hold the water bath. Good options are a metal bowl, pot, or container made of heat-resistant glass or silicone.

• Aluminum foil - To cover the top of the container and hold the thermometer probe in place.

• Water - To fill the bath. Distilled water is ideal to prevent mineral buildup.

• Ziploc bags or food vacuum sealer system - For sealing food in pouches for the water bath. Ziplocs work well for low temperature cooking.

That's it! These basic materials are all you need to start sous vide cooking with your hacked toaster oven.

Steps to Hack Your Toaster Oven for Sous Vide

Follow these steps to convert your toaster oven into a working DIY sous vide cooker:

1. Select a Heat-Safe Container to Use as the Water Bath

• Choose a bowl, pot, or other vessel made of metal, glass, or silicone. It should fit inside your toaster oven and be deep enough to submerge the food pouches.

• For a smaller toaster oven, a 2 quart metal mixing bowl or round cake pan works well.

• Make sure your container can withstand prolonged heat up to 85°C / 185°F.

2. Set Up the Digital Thermometer

• Get a digital thermometer with a long probe on a wire. The probe tip needs to reach the middle of the water bath.

• Clip the probe to the side of the container with aluminum foil to hold it in place at the center of the bath.

3. Preheat the Toaster Oven to the Target Temperature

• Fill the container with water and place it in the toaster oven. Distilled water is recommended.

• Close the oven door and preheat to the desired temperature, such as 75°C / 167°F for steak.

• Let it preheat for at least 20 minutes to stabilize. The thermometer probe in the water will show you when it's ready.

4. Seal Food in Pouches and Cook

• Seal food (raw steaks, chicken breasts, fish fillets, veggies, etc.) in Ziploc bags or vacuum sealed pouches. Remove excess air.

• When the water bath is up to temperature, gently lower the pouches in. Ziplocs can float, so you may need to weigh them down.

• Cook for the recommended time based on thickness. Monitor water temp and adjust oven settings to maintain target temp.

• When done, remove pouches and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Dry off and serve.

And that's it! With these simple hacks, your toaster oven is now ready to start sous vide cooking.

Tips for Successful DIY Sous Vide Cooking

Here are some tips to get the most out of your hacked toaster oven sous vide cooker:

• Preheat sufficiently - Allow at least 20 minutes for the water bath to come fully up to temp before adding food.

• Use good thermometer - Check that it maintains accuracy after prolonged heating. Confirm temp with another thermometer.

• Watch temps closely - Keep an eye on the thermometer and make oven adjustments to hold the target temp.

• Weigh down floating bags - Use a plate or extra metal bowls to keep pouches fully submerged.

• Stop cooking - Plunge pouches into an ice bath when done cooking to stop the process.

• Dry and sear - Pat protein dry and sear briefly on the stovetop after cooking to get a nice crust.

With a little testing and tweaking, you can get fantastic sous vide style results from your hacked together DIY toaster oven sous vide cooker!

Enjoy Responsibly Sous Vide Cooking on a Budget

Converting your toaster oven into a DIY sous vide cooker is a fun project that lets you start experiencing sous vide cooking without breaking the bank. Just be sure to follow all safety precautions when cooking for long periods at low temperatures.

Now get out there, hack your toaster oven, and enjoy perfectly cooked steaks, chicken, fish, vegetables, and more all made easily at home with your own DIY sous vide setup. Your kitchen skills will get an upgrade without upgrading your bank account!