Out of the Bag

BY JESSICA JOHNSON

While sous vide bags are an essential piece of the sous vide puzzle, other vessels can be used for recipes that require more liquid or fat, or to finish off dishes with a crisp sear. Here, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite products that’ll help you go beyond the bag.

SEARZALL
Dave Arnold, a food consultant, podcaster, and inventor, recently developed an attachment that gives you even more control over your blowtorch. The Searzall’s benefits are twofold: First, its layers of flame-resistant mesh eliminate the smells that torches sometimes give off, and secondly, it evenly disperses the flame—giving your sous vide steak or crème brûlée a consistent crust. The Searzall is also corrosion-resistant and temperature-resistant, thanks to its palladium back screen.
$75, available at Booker & Dax

CAST IRON COVERED FISH PAN
Preparing fish sous vide results in a moistness you just can’t get on the grill. But for a flawless presentation, you’ll want to finish off the filet with a delicious, flaky crust. Enter Staub’s cast iron covered fish pan—the heavyweight pan with tight-fitting lid is engineered specifically to retain moisture. No two pans are exactly alike, but the imperfect nature of each results in superior browning.
$159.99, available at Zwilling J.A. Henckels

CAST IRON SKILLET
Though your steak may emerge from its pouch perfectly cooked, it still needs a crisp crust to really be finished. That’s where a high-quality skillet comes in handy. One to try: Le Creuset’s enamel-coated cast iron beauty, which heats evenly to give reliable results.
$120, available at Le Creuset

WECK JAR
Weck jars—used in European kitchens for more than a century. Simple to use and affordable, these jars offer an easy-to-seal alternative for cooking eggs, beans, and other small portioned sous vide dishes. Pro tip: Only fill the jars halfway full with batters, and up to two-thirds full with grains. Food will expand during the cooking process.
$24.95-$29.95, available at Williams Sonoma

RAMEKIN
Porcelain ramekins make delectable single-serving crème brûlées and puddings—just seal the filled cups inside a larger sous vide bag. One thing to note: The ramekin method is not for first-time sous vide cooks, because it requires skill to make a perfectly cooked dish with no spills using an open-topped vessel. Covering the top with a layer of foil helps contain your mix inside the ramekin.
$3.50, available at Crate & Barrel