In late January, GE announced it was bringing sous vide cooking to homes with its fancy schmancy induction cooktop. It was designed with GE subsidiary FirstBuild, and now that company wants to roll out a cheaper version to the masses.
That’s why it turned to Indiegogo to fund its Paragon Induction Cooktop. Unlike the GE model, it’s not something you need to install. The 12-inch device uses a wireless sensor to monitor temperature, which is constantly delivering feedback via Bluetooth to the cooktop. You plug the Paragon into the wall, and it cooks your food up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with induction heating.
Induction is a great way to cook, because it holds its temperature, instead of turning on and off to regulate heat. That precise temperature is imperative for sous vide. That technique uses water, kept a consistent temperature below boiling, to slowly cook food stored in vacuum-sealed bags.
It’s not just sous vide machine, though. The Paragon can also sear, deep fry, simmer, poach, and braise. You can use the accompanying iOS app, but the machine still operates without it. The app just makes it all easier; you pick the type of food, how done you want it, and hit start. The sensor and cooktop do the rest. It will even alert you when your meal is ready, so feel free to brag on Facebook about your sous vide feast whilst you wait.
You should note that the Paragon will only work with magnetic cookware, so no copper-bottom pans for this bad boy.
There have been lots of sous vide machines debuting on crowdfunding sites, but FirstBuild has the name and reputation of GE behind it. The subsidiary is all about its community participating in the process, and wants users to come up with ways to use the Paragon to brew beer and make candy.
Right now, Indiegogo early bird backers get the device for $149, $100 off the retail price.
