Does exactly what you'd hope ... for a price
EDIT: Still enjoying this machine after more than 1 year. I tend to use it at least once a week for fish. I also occasionally use it for (not-so-good) steak. Oh, and it excels at leg of lamb. I do want to note that the difference between tenderness and juiciness has never been more apparent to me than when I used this device - there's a reason it's recommended to serve sous vide meat with a sauce or jus. I note that there is a sous vide machine available through Amazon that's about half the size and half the price. I've never used it, but it looks like it might be a way to try this method of cooking without spending a fortune, although I question if the size is large enough for a small family. Finally, there's an excellent comment about cooking meat to two different levels of doneness in the comments section that I encourage you to check out...
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This review is for the SousVide Supreme Demi. I've never seen or used the larger Supreme model, which is about 50% more...
Excellent little device
These were available for a limited time at costco and I'm very happy I jumped when I saw one (costco's return policy = no risk early adoption). I've only had it a week, but have cooked a few things in it. Chicken breasts @ 140f for 2 hours was delish, carrots with a little butter magnificent, scrambled eggs were custardy in a way I thought impossible. The critical thing it does well that a lot of hack sous vide options can miss on is the constant temperature. Various levels of water have fluctuated no more than 1 F for this first week of use. I'm looking forward to doing to some longer cooks with beef this weekend.
If you're the type of person that thinks "ok tonight I'm shooting for a michelin star dinner at home" this is a nice weapon to have in your arsenal. Is it necessary? No, but the hands free consistency that it provides, especially for proteins frees you focus on other details that can really elevate your food to new levels. There's a lot of cook ahead uses...
A great addition to my cooking arsenal
I've had this for 2 months now, so I feel ready to give it a review. I started with a primitive crock-pot hack, and quickly decided I wanted the real deal. If you have the counter space, this looks a lot nicer than a crock-pot with a bunch of wires everywhere. As an appliance that I use about twice a week, it merits a prominent spot in my kitchen.
I've done pork chops, pork and beef tenderloin, short ribs, Delmonico, whole chicken, chicken breasts. All of these early experiments have ranged from decent first attempts, to amazing.
Chicken (145 with fresh Rosemary)is the tenderest ever - white meat that explodes with juices when you poke it. I'm looking forward to trying some free range birds, hoping for some real intrinsic flavor.
Pork loin (134) has been especially good. I get local meat that isn't pumped with liquids. Prepared simply and cooked all day. Ready to sear when I get home from work.
I've also used it to keep liquids at 105 for a yeast based batter...
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