4 Expert Tips to Maintain Your Sous Vide Cooking Machine

Whether you have a large or small-scale commercial kitchen, chances are that you have filled it with a range of the top appliances and cooking machines. Doing this will not only help to streamline cooking processes, but also ensure that you and your kitchen staff can create quality dishes.

One of these innovative appliances is, without a doubt, the sous vide cooking machine, which allows you to create flavourful foods and sauces in bulk. If you have recently invested in a sous vide machine, then your next step is to ensure it remains well-maintained. Fortunately, this process is easier than you think.

A Quick Recap on the Sous Vide Cooking Method

If you’re still planning the equipment that you want to add to your kitchen, then here’s what you need to know about sous vide machines. For starters, this French term is pronounced as “soo veed” and is loosely translated as being “under vacuum”.

This innovative cooking technique involves food being sealed in vacuum-sealed pouches and then cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. Cooking food in this way ensures that food is cooked consistently and evenly. You can expect tender and flavourful dishes. With sous vide, you can easily cook everything from meats to vegetables, eggs, seafood, and even desserts.

Maintenance is a Breeze

When you first see a sous vide machine, and you have a look at its

various components, you may think that maintenance is going to be time-consuming and complex. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. We’ve compiled a few simple tips to help you keep your sous vide machine in tip-top shape.

1. Always Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions

As with any of your other appliances, the golden rule is to always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for use, cleaning, and storage between uses. While some of these may vary between suppliers and specific models, there are two general tips to keep in mind. These are:

• Never immerse or rinse the electronic head of the unit’s immersion circulator in any liquid or water.
• Ensure that the unit, especially the immersion circulator, is switched off and unplugged before doing any cleaning.

2. Know the Basic Cleaning Tips

As we’ve already mentioned, the sous vide machine doesn’t require a complex cleaning process. With this in mind, the simple cleaning tips for the basic components include the following:

• Use a clean, absorbent cloth to carefully wipe down all components. This usually includes the stainless steel skirt and head.
• Ensure that the cloth is damp and not soaking wet.
• Avoid food or ingredient build-up by cleaning the machine after every use or at least once per day.

3. Descaling is Essential

Despite the machine’s efficient cooking process, the occasional sous vide pouch can tear and leak, causing excess grime to leak onto components. When this happens, you will need to follow these steps to keep your machine clean and working efficiently:

• Step 1:Use your clean, absorbent cloth to wipe down all loose components.
• Step 2:Create a vinegar solution for a vinegar bath in a small container.  You can use a ratio of 50/50 of water and white vinegar.
• Step 3:Mount the machine’s immersion circulator in the vinegar solution without submerging the head.
• Step 4:Start by setting the temperature on the machine to 60° C (140° F). The immersion circulator can now be switched on.
• Step 5:Leave this component in the vinegar and running for a minimum of 60 minutes.
• Step 6:After an hour, empty the vinegar solution out of the container and add fresh water.
• Step 7:Keep the circulator at the same temperature in the clean water to remove traces of vinegar. You can do this for about 15 minutes.

4.  Maintain a Few Essential Tips

In addition to your regular cleaning, follow these additional tips to help keep your sous vide machine in tip-top shape:

• Descale the machine regularly:You will eventually be able to access this by seeing how often there’s a mineral build-up. This can vary depending on factors such as hard water
• Proper pouch sealing:Experts recommend always using high-quality bags and avoiding overfilling them. Be sure to double-check the seal. This reduces the risk of the bag bursting and causing stains and food build-up that add to your cleaning.
• Invest in a commercial descaler:Factors such as leaking bags and hard water can lead to excessive build-up in your machine. If your vinegar solution isn’t working to remove this, our experts recommend investing in a commercial descaling solution. Look for solutions with ingredients such as lime, calcium, and rust remover to ensure that your machine is descaled without damaging any components.

Final Thoughts

Keep your sous vide cooking machine in pristine condition, and you’ll have endless bags of flavourful, quality food without the mess. Speak to your manufacturer about additional cleaning tips and tricks to make the cleaning process quick and easy. This will keep your sous vide cooker working smoothly every time!