New multi cooker makes sous vide simple for the home cook

This post is sponsored by Fissler.

Time-strapped consumers are increasingly turning to countertop appliances to simplify the cooking process and put a range of culinary tools at their fingertips. Nearly 3 in 4 consumers said they plan to use a slow cooker this year, and 25% said they plan to cook in a multi cooker, according to Peapod’s 2018-2019 planning forecast compiled by Engine. Slow cookers and multi cookers do much of the work for home cooks, allowing them to program a cook temperature and walk away — eliminating the need to stand over the stove to prepare a meal.

Multi cookers, as the name suggests, perform the functions of multiple cooking appliances, including slow cookers and pressure cookers. US sales of this versatile appliance doubled in 2017, according to data from NPD Group, and the market will continue to grow as more consumers discover the multi cooker.

In addition to their time-saving properties — and the hundreds of cookbooks dedicated to multi cooker recipes — advanced features available on newer models will also sway consumers to purchase a multi cooker. Pressure cooking and slow cooking are just the beginning for these multi-function appliances, which can also steam, saute and cook rice. The new Souspreme Multi Pot from German housewares brand Fissler includes 18 one-touch cooking programs, and it stands out for its integrated sous vide function.

“What the Souspreme does for sous vide is similar to what the original multi cookers did for pressure cooking, taking a niche cooking method viewed as difficult by most and making it extremely easy and accessible,” said Chris Robason, managing director of Fissler America.

The majority of consumers are still unfamiliar with sous vide, according to a 2017 Ipsos poll, but knowledge of the technique is rising thanks to cooking shows and the release of several at-home sous vide machines. The technique, which means “under vacuum” in French, uses circulating water to cook food to a precise temperature. While it’s long been used by professional chefs in upscale restaurants, sous vide also has many everyday applications for the home cook.

“The precise temperature control of the sous vide functionality allows for perfectly cooked meats, chicken, pork, fish and vegetables. Every time,” said Robason, who explained that the Souspreme can also cook poached eggs still in the shell. After cooking for several hours at 143 degrees, the eggs can be gently cracked and “poured from the shell,” he said.

In addition to the ability to perform the functions of several appliances, Robason said home cooks can also use multi cookers in conjunction with another popular cooking tool: the grill.

“A growing trend in grilling is the ‘reverse sear,’ a method of bringing up the temperature of beef and pork very slowly and then finishing it with a quick sear over intense heat to produce a perfect crust to pair with a precisely cooked internal temperature,” he said. “Sous vide is the original version of the reverse sear.”

In fact, a whopping seven in 10 US consumers own a grill or smoker, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. The ability to work in tandem with grills is one of many reasons that advanced multi cookers continue to be a growing trend.

Learn more about the Fissler Souspreme Multi Pot on Fissler’s website.

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