Sur La Table finally launched their sous vide line of equipment. They partnered up with Julabo, "The Temperature Control Company" to manufacture all the electronics. They have immersion circulators and heated water baths, both circulating and non-circulating, as well as many accessories.
I was surprised that the Sur La Table equipment had the same scientific look that all sous vide equipment seems to have, especially since most Sur La Table products are very stylized. I asked my contact there why that was and they explained that because sous vide equipment was so specialized, the cost to bring it to market becomes very high and this has so far prevented any company from making an exclusively home line of sous vide equipment. It's something they're interested in though: "We would love to see some sous vide equipment that has beautiful style it's just not an option at this time."
Sur La Table promises that this equipment will make sous vide cooking easier for the home cook, assuming you don't already have an immersion circulator or circulating water bath. From the Sur La Table website:
With the machines developed by Julabo, sous vide is easily accessible and attainable. These units are the most precise, easiest-to-use systems you will find. Maintaining the correct temperature of water in a slow cooker or pot is a rigorous and time-consuming task that can produce inconsistencies. Julabo has taken the difficult work out of sous vide, so you can serve exceptional, high-end restaurant fare in your home.
I hadn't heard of Julabo before so I looked up their website. They sell a wide range of temperature control products and according to the Julabo website:
JULABO North America is committed to being the leader in the Constant Temperature Circulator and Water Bath industry. This is achieved by our constant efforts to anticipate customer needs and to assist customers in achieving their goals. Quality will be improved and costs reduced thru dynamic innovation. Our equipment shall be of the highest quality with sales, service, and support delivered at consistent quality levels that exceed our customer's expectations.
Here's the equipment Sur La Table came out with.
Sur La Table Immersion Circulators
Sous Vide ED Heating Immersion Circulator
$999.00
It fits bath tanks of up to 13.2 gallons (50 liters) of water and has an immersion depth of 6½". This circulator's temperature range is 68°F–212°F (20°C-100°C) with a variance of 1°F (0.03°C).
Sous Vide ME Heating Immersion Circulator
$2,300.00
This circulator has 13.2 gallon (50 liter) capacity for bath tanks and an immersion depth of 6½. The heating element has a temperature range of 68°F–392°F (20°C–200°C) with a variance of 0.34°F (0.01°C).
Sous Vide SE-Z Bridge Mounted Circulator
$4,200.00
The most expensive of the Sur La Table sous vide equipment, this bridge-mounted circulator is for larger bath tanks up to 26.4 gallons (100 liters). The bridge extends 12"–26" and fits on both new and existing tank models. It has an immersion depth of 4¾"-7½". The circulator's temperature range is 68°F-572°F (20°C-300°C) with a variance of 0.34°F (0.01°C). It also has a built in cooling coil to quickly cool off the food if it's going to be used for storing.
Sur La Table Water Baths
Sous Vide TW20 Water Bath
$1,275.00
This water bath holds 5.2 gallons (20 liters) of water and has a temperature range of 68°F–212°F (20°C–100°C) with a variance of 6.8°F (0.2°C). It is a simple water bath and does not contain a circulator of any kind.
Sous Vide ED-27 Open Heating Bath Circulator
$1,900.00
This water bath has a circulator built in and holds up to 7 gallons (27 liters) of water. It has a temperature range of 68°F–212°F (20°C–100°C) with a variance of 1°F (0.03°C).
Sous Vide EH-39 Open Heating Bath Circulator
$2,800.00
The most expensive of the Sur La Table circulating water baths, this one holds 10.3 gallons (39 liters) of water and has a temperature range of 68°F–302°F (20°C-150°C) with a variance of 1°F (0.03°C).
Sur La Table Sous Vide Accessories
Sur La Table also is offering many
sous vide accessories that can be used with existing equipment. Here are some of the highlights.
Hollow Sous Vide Balls
Used to reduce evaporation, this package comes with 1,000 hollow balls, which will cover a surface of about 500 square inches.
Sous Vide Protection Grid
Sous vide protection grids are used with immersion circulators to ensure that the plastic pouch does not come into contact with the heating element on the circulator.
Sous Vide PT100 Core Temperature Sensor
A probe thermometer used to measure the temperature of the food as it is cooking. It was made to work with their ME and SE-Z immersion circulators.
Sous Vide RS232 Interface Cable
This cable allows you to connect your immersion circulator (designed for the ME and SE-Z models) to a computer where you can monitor and control the circulator. The manufacturer, Julabo also offers their EasyTEMP software for free.
Conclusion
All in all, the products Sur La Table is offering seem to be on par with the current scientific equipment available, for instance from PolyScience. The prices and specs are very similar and I doubt this offering will change much for the hard-core sous vide user. Probably the biggest benefit to Sur La Table launching this line is that it will increase exposure to sous vide cooking and begin to make it more mainstream. Hopefully at that point a company will be able to come out with a less-expensive version of this equipment designed specifically for the home cook.
If you happen to buy or use any of the new Sur La Table sous vide equipment, please drop us a comment and let us know what you think of it. Thanks!
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