My sous vide machine gave up right before a 50 person wedding tasting

It was a brand new Anova unit, only three months old, and it just stopped heating during the final protein test. I had to quickly pivot and poach the salmon in a hotel pan over two burners, which honestly gave it a better texture. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail at the worst possible moment and found a better way because of it?

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.zara3mo ago

Maybe we need more gear failures to remember cooking is about skill, not buttons.

oscarcraig3mo ago

That's the real test of a cook, isn't it? When the fancy tech fails and you're left with just heat, water, and a pan. Makes you wonder if we lean on gadgets too much for basic tasks. Your salmon story proves sometimes the old way is just the better way.

cameron_owens491mo ago

I get what you're saying @oscarcraig, but is it really that deep? Cooking with a basic pan isn't some ancient lost art, it's how most people still cook dinner every night. Microwave meals and air fryer hacks are for convenience, not like we've forgotten how to boil water. The salmon turned out fine because the fundamentals of heat and timing matter way more than the tool you use. Sometimes a gadget just saves you from standing there stirring, doesn't make you less of a cook. Are we really about to act like using an instant pot is cheating?