Sous-vide cooking times – it's that simple

Sous-vide cooked meat

Sous-vide cooking is becoming increasingly popular. No wonder, because this low-temperature method can be used to achieve professional quality cooking results. And it's relatively easy and stress-free.

In sous-vide cooking, the meat, fish or vegetables are first sealed airtight in a vacuum bag and then cooked in a water bath at a relatively low and constant temperature for a specific period of time. A sous-vide bath or a handy sous-vide stick is used for cooking. By keeping the water bath at a constant temperature, the optimal core temperature of the food cannot be exceeded. This protects the cell structure of the food which means that, in theory, overcooking is not possible. In addition, no flavours can be lost by cooking in the vacuum bag. Meat stays wonderfully juicy, aromatic and tender, while vegetables stay crisp and fresh.

Sous-vide cooking is easier than you think

All you need to know to prepare the perfect sous-vide dish is the optimum core temperature of the food, and how long it takes to reach this core temperature. Since these values vary depending on the type and size of the food to be cooked, we have listed some values in a sous-vide cooking table below:


The perfect sous-vide steak

Do you want to prepare the perfect sous-vide steak and don't have a cooking table at hand? No problem, with this simple rule of thumb your steak will be a success.

Rule of thumb for a medium steak: At a water temperature of 54 °C – cooking time = 1 hour per cm of meat thickness.


The right vacuum bag for sous-vide cooking

Vacuum bags are heated for a longer period of time during sous-vide cooking and are in constant contact with food during the process. Therefore, it is particularly important to use high-quality bags. All Lava vacuum bags meet high quality standards and are ideally suited for sous-vide cooking. For sous-vide dishes that are cooked for more than 2 hours at over 70 °C, we recommend our Lava cooking bags. These can be used like normal vacuum bags, but provide added security to the contents of the bag.

 

PORK:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Fillet/back (3-4 cm) Medium 56 °C 01:00
Fillet/back (4-5 cm) Medium 51.5 °C 01:05
Shoulder/breast (piece)*   58 °C 01:20
Ham (piece)   51.5 °C 01:45
Belly (piece)   58 °C 02:45
Ribs/spare ribs (2.5 cm) Medium 51.5 °C 02:25
Steak (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 02:50
Steak (3-4 cm) Medium 57 °C 12:00


*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.


BEEF:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Tri-tip cut   56 °C 01:00
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (3-4 cm) Rare 51.5 °C 01:05
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (3-4 cm) Medium 58 °C 01:20
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (4-5 cm) Rare 51.5 °C 01:45
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (4-5 cm) Medium 58 °C 02:45
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (5-6 cm) Rare 51.5 °C 02:25
Fillet/roast beef/prime rib (5-6 cm) Medium 58 °C 02:50
Flank steak Medium 57 °C 12:00
Porterhouse/rib eye steak (2,5 cm) Medium 56 °C 00:45
Ribs – short ribs*   65° C 16:00
Shoulder (1kg)   64 °C 48:00
Loin (7.5cm)   59 °C 00:45
Sauerbraten (1 kg)*   65° C 16:00
Boiled beef*   72 °C 03:15


*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.

 

POULTRY:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Duck breast (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 01:30
Duck breast (3-4 cm) Medium 58 °C 02:00
Duck leg*   80 °C 10:00
Goose breast (3-4 cm) Medium 58 °C 01:10
Chicken breast (piece)   65° C 00:40
Chicken thigh (piece)   65° C 01:30
Pigeon breast Medium 61 °C 00:20



LAMB:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Fillet (2 cm) Medium 55 °C 00:40
Knuckle*   72 °C 24:00
Shank Medium 60 °C 00:55
Leg of lamb Medium 58 °C 06:00
Saddle of lamb Medium 58 °C 00:35


*We recommend using the original Lava cooking bag.


GAME:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Saddle of venison (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:30
Venison fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:20
Saddle of venison (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:30
Wild boar (2.5 cm) Medium 60 °C 00:30
Rabbit leg Medium 62 °C 04:00



FISH AND SEAFOOD:

Cut Cooking level Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Trout fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 47 °C 00:18
Salmon fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 55 °C 00:15
Sole fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 52 °C 00:15
Tuna fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:30
Tuna fillet (3-4 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:45
Cod fillet (2-3 cm) Medium 58 °C 00:25
Halibut fillet (2.5 cm) Medium 59 °C 00:15
Cod fillet (2.5 cm) Medium 60 °C 00:11
Turbot fillet (2.5 cm) Medium 52 °C 00:20
Shrimps   50 °C 00:25
Lobster   59 °C 00:15
Scallops   47 °C 00:30



VEGETABLES:

Cut Temp. Cooking time (h/m)
Artichokes 85 °C 00:50
Chicory 85 °C 01:00
Carrots 85 °C 00:50
Potatoes 85 °C 00:50
Kohlrabi 85 °C 01:00
Pumpkin 85 °C 00:25
Corn on the cob 85 °C 01:00
Asparagus 85 °C 00:35
Beetroot 85 °C 00:50

 


Did you know?

Lava’s vacuum bags are manufactured exclusively in Switzerland, and are not only food-safe, neutral in taste and smell, but also 100 % free of plasticisers and BPA. In addition, no microplastics are used in the production process and no microparticles can detach from the bags during vacuum packing or sous-vide cooking.

 

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