Sous Vide Temperature Guide & Doneness Calculator
Find safe sous vide cooking times and temperatures for any meat, fish, or vegetable, including pasteurisation times for food safety.
Sous Vide Guide
How Sous Vide Works
Sous vide (French 'under vacuum'): cook food in a sealed bag in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath. Key principle: food cannot exceed the water temperature. Conventional cooking: food surface 200°C+, centre 50°C — gradient. Sous vide: entire food reaches set temperature precisely. Advantages: impossible to overcook (within reason). Edge-to-edge even doneness. Tougher cuts become tender with long cook times. Convenient: cook ahead, finish later. Equipment: immersion circulator (Anova,
Temperature Selection
Steak doneness by temperature: 50°C: blue. 54°C: rare. 57°C: medium rare. 60°C: medium. 66°C: medium well. 71°C+: well done. Sous vide at this exact temperature: perfectly cooked from edge to edge. No grey overcooked band around the perimeter as with grilling. Chicken safety: NHS recommends 75°C internal temperature for traditional cooking — but this assumes brief exposure. At 60°C held for 35+ minutes (or 56°C for 90+ min): equivalent pasteurisation. The Time-Temperature combination is what kil
Time Selection
Two factors: heat through time (time for centre to reach set temperature). Texture time (how long held at temperature affects texture). Heat-through times: 2cm steak from fridge: 30-45 minutes. 4cm steak: 1.5-2 hours. Whole chicken breast: 1-1.5 hours. Texture/tenderisation: tough cuts (chuck steak, brisket) become tender with extended cook times. Brisket: 24-72 hours at 60°C. Chuck steak: 24-48 hours. Pork shoulder: 24-36 hours at 74°C. Chicken: tender at 1.5 hours, dry after 4-6 hours at typic
Finishing — The Critical Step
Sous vide alone produces pale meat — no Maillard reaction. ALWAYS finish to develop crust and flavour. Steak: pat dry, season, sear in screaming-hot cast iron pan with oil, butter, garlic, thyme. 30-60 seconds per side. Or torch with blowtorch. Pork belly: chill after sous vide, then crisp skin in hot oven or under grill (broiler) for crackling. Chicken skin: crisp in pan after cooking. Skin must be DRY before finishing. Fish: brief sear (10-20 seconds skin side) to crisp skin. Don't overcook in
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