Gaggenau BS 470 611, Use And Care Manual

47

Sous-vide cooking

Sous-vide cooking is a method of cooking under a 
vacuum at low temperatures between 120 - 200°F (50 - 
95 °C) and in 100% steam.

Sous-vide cooking is a gentle, low-fat method of 
preparing meat, fish, vegetables and desserts. A 
vacuum-packing machine is used to heat-seal the food in 
a special air-tight, heat-resistant cooking bag. 

The protective envelope retains the nutrients and 
flavors. The low temperatures and the direct transfer of 
heat allow precisely controlled cooking in order to 
achieve the desired cooking results.It is almost 
impossible to overcook the food.

Portions

Use the portion sizes listed in the cooking table. For 
relatively large quantities and items, the cooking time 
must be adjusted accordingly.

The portions given for fish, meat and poultry correspond 
to a single serving. A portion size sufficient for four 
people has been selected for vegetables and desserts.

Rack levels

You can cook on up to two levels. Place the cooking 
containers on levels 1 and 3 to achieve the best cooking 
results. When cooking on just one level, use level 2.

Hygiene

9

WARNING

Health risk

Sous-vide cooking is a method of cooking at low 
temperatures.As a result, it is important that you 
always follow the application and hygiene 
instructions below:

▯

Use only fresh, good-quality food.

▯

Wash and disinfect your hands. Use disposable 
gloves or cooking/grill tongs.

▯

Take extra care when preparing critical food, such 
as poultry, eggs and fish.

▯

Always thoroughly rinse and/or peel fruit and 
vegetables.

▯

Always keep work surfaces and chopping boards 
clean. Use different chopping boards for different 
types of food.

▯

Maintain the cold chain.Make sure that you only 
interrupt it briefly to prepare the food, and then 
return the food in its vacuum-sealed bag to the 
refrigerator for storage before you cook it.

▯

Food is suitable for immediate consumption only. 
Once the food is cooked, consume it immediately. 
Do not store it after cooking – not even in the 
refrigerator.It is not suitable for reheating.

Vacuum-pack bags

When using the sous-vide cooking method, only use 
heat-resistant vacuum-pack bags designed for this 
purpose.

Do not cook the food in the bag you bought it in (e.g. 
portions of fish). These bags are not suitable for sous-
vide cooking.

Vacuum sealing

Use a chamber vacuum-packing machine that can create 
a vacuum of at least 99% to vacuum-seal the food. This 
is the only way to achieve even heat transfer and 
therefore a perfect cooking result. 

Before cooking the food, check whether the vacuum in 
the bag is intact. Make sure that:

▯

There is no/hardly any air in the vacuum-pack bag.

▯

The seam is perfectly sealed.

▯

There are no holes in the vacuum-pack bag. Do not 
use the core temperature probe.

▯

Pieces of meat and fish that have been vacuum-
sealed together are not pressed directly against 
one another.

▯

As far as possible, you avoid piling up vegetables 
and desserts when vacuum-sealing them.

If in doubt, place the food into a new bag and vacuum-
seal it again.

Food should be vacuum-sealed at most one day before it 
is cooked. This is the only way to prevent the escape of 
gases from the food (e.g. from vegetables) which inhibit 
the transfer of heat, or to prevent the texture of the food 
from changing, and thus altering how it cooks.

Quality of the food

The quality of the cooking result is 100% influenced by 
the quality of the ingredients you use. Use only fresh, 
top-quality food. This is the only way to guarantee a 
consistent cooking result that delivers impeccable 
flavor.

Preparation

Sous-vide cooking prevents flavors from escaping, 
intensifying the food's natural flavor. Please note that 
the usual quantities of seasoning and condiments, such 
as herbs, spices and garlic, will have a much greater 
effect on the flavor. Start off by halving the quantities 
you usually use. 

If the ingredients are of high quality, it is often sufficient 
to enclose them in the bag with just a small piece of 
butter and a little salt and pepper. Generally, the fact 
that the food's natural flavors intensify during cooking is 
sufficient on its own to produce a flavorful cooking 
result.