System and method for sous vide cooking

Abstract

Food preparation includes utilizing food immersion into low temperature cooking fluids, high temperature cooking fluids, or a combination of applications thereof. Foods are generally closely wrapped in vented, pliable, formidable outer skins. An example construction of such an outer skin is provided, as are examples of food preparation processes.

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         11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the user input is configured to receive a specific time of day when the foods being sous vide cooked are to be served. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 9 , further comprising a first powered grill plate disposed within the cooking chamber, the first powered grill plate being configured to heat and thermally color exterior surfaces of the foods being sous vide cooked, before, during, and/or after sous vide cooking. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising a second powered grill plate opposed to the first powered grill plate, the first and the second grill plates configured to cooperatively heat and thermally color two sides of foods being sous vide cooked, before, during, and/or after sous vide cooking. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the controlled powered heat source includes a bare wire heating element. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein foods being sous vide cooked within the cooking chamber are supported on a plurality of vertical posts. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the cooking chamber includes a chamber floor and an underfloor disposed below the chamber floor and a front access door configured to swing forward and down to open and slide under the chamber floor between the chamber floor and the underfloor. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the back of the cooking chamber includes a transparent wall. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a duplicate cooking chamber stacked on top of the cooking chamber, wherein the pair of stacked cooking chambers are configured to rest on a kitchen countertop below over countertop kitchen cabinetry. 
     
     
         19 . A sous vide cooking device configured for initiation of the sous vide cooking process, comprising:
 a fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber,   a controlled heat source in thermal communication with fluid within the fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber,   a controller configured to direct the controlled heat source to heat fluid within the fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber in a contiguous or non-contiguous ordered sequence comprising at least: a period of pasteurizing temperatures which are at or below sous vide cooking temperatures, a dormancy period of flexible duration, and a completion period, wherein foods are sous vide cooked, and where foods being sous vide cooked are brought to serving temperatures.   
     
     
         20 . A device for precisely controlling temperatures within a sous vide cooking environment, comprising:
 a fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber,   
       a controlled heat source in thermal communication with fluid within the fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber,
 a controller configured to direct the controlled heat source to continually heat fluid within the fluid-filled sous vide cooking chamber with energy equal to thermal losses of the fluid-tilled sous vide cooking chamber, plus or minus small amounts needed to compensate for acute cooking chamber temperature variations.