Some of the most drool-worthy tech coming out of IFA 2015 lets you whip you up delectable treats, like KitchenAid Chef Touch sous vide system. It’s a three-part set-up that includes a steam oven, vacuum sealer, and freezer.
The three built-in pieces stack on top of each other, forming a vertical row of shiny silver. Using bags made of a special plastic, users first vacuum seal in the food to protect it. Next, it goes in the steam oven, which slowly cooks the food at a precisely controlled temperature using one of 10 different settings. It’s a little different from the immersion-bath technique often used in sous-vide. The shock freezer can then instantly cool the dish, dropping it to about 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) in 15 minutes and 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) in an hour. You then have three months to consume you fancy feast, and upon thawing will retain its consistency.
Costing around $11,116 (10,000 euros) for the whole shebang, it’s actually around since 2010 but it’s been given a new design. Each piece is also available separately, with the freezer being the most expensive at $5,002 (4,500 euros); the vacuum sealer costs about $1,672 (1,500 euros), and the oven retails for roughly $2,779 (2,500 euros).
It took a while to catch on in European markets; consumers didn’t initially see the draw of the system, says Aurora Simon Zorrilla, KitchenAid category manager, but interest is increasing. However, it may be a while before the company brings the trio of appliances to the U.S.
However, we’ve seen a slew of Kickstarters for lower-priced options when it comes to sous-vide, and GE recently introduced an induction cooktop with a Bluetooth sous-vide adaption. Maybe Americans will brace the French tradition soon enough.
