Sous Vide Time & Temperature Calculator

Sous Vide Guide

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide (French for 'under vacuum') is cooking food sealed in a bag, submerged in precisely temperature-controlled water. The food cooks to exactly the water temperature — never overcooking. Why it's brilliant: precision — set the water to your target doneness and the food can't exceed it. Edge-to-edge perfection — a sous vide steak is the same doneness throughout (no grey overcooked band near the surface). Forgiving — leaving food in slightly longer rarely ruins it (unlike pan-frying). Repeatable, precise results every time, since the water bath temperature — not visual judgement — determines the exact doneness achieved.

What's the key thing to understand about Temperature = Doneness?

In sous vide, the water temperature determines the final doneness exactly. Beef steak: rare: 49-52°C. Medium-rare: 54-57°C. Medium: 58-62°C. Medium-well: 63-65°C. Well done: 68°C+. Most people target 54-56°C for a perfect medium-rare. Chicken breast: 60-65°C (lower than the 74°C of traditional cooking — safe because of the time held, see safety section). 60°C gives very juicy, almost silky chicken; 63-65°C is more familiar texture. Pork: 58-62°C for medium — juicy, slightly pink, safe and delicious once held for the correct pasteurisation time.

What's the key thing to understand about Time = Thickness (and Tenderness)?

Two separate roles of time in sous vide: 1. Time to heat through (depends on thickness): the core must reach the water temperature. Thicker = longer. A 25mm steak takes about 1 hour; a 50mm one takes 2-2.5 hours. Roughly, heating time scales with thickness squared. 2. Time for tenderness (tough cuts only): tender cuts (steak, chicken breast, fish) only need heating through. Tough cuts (brisket, short rib, pork shoulder) need extended time (12-72 hours) to break down collagen into gelatin. Minimum time is dictated by thickness alone, but longer times beyond that minimum, up to a point, continue to tenderise tougher cuts without overcooking them.

What do I need to know about Safety and Finishing?

Food safety — pasteurisation: traditional cooking kills bacteria instantly at high temperature. Sous vide pasteurises at lower temperatures held over TIME. Chicken at 60°C held for the right time is just as safe as 74°C instantly — it's the combination of temperature AND time that ensures safety. This is well-established food science (the basis of milk pasteurisation). Key safety points: hold poultry and pork long enough for pasteurisation at your chosen temperature (the calculator's minimum time figures are built around this pasteurisation principle, not just heating the food through to a pleasant temperature.