Best Accessories for Your Joule Sous Vide Cooker in 2019

The first thing you need to sous vide is a container to create your water bath. While any old pot will do, if you’re taking the sous vide thing seriously, a specialist product is worth the investment. Everie’s option is designed to fit the Joule perfectly. You don’t need to use the clamp as the perfectly proportioned lid will hold the wand in place while keeping your water levels healthy.

A vacuum sealer is an essential accessory for sous vide cooking. This model is easy to use with soft-touch digital buttons and LED indicator lights. It has two sealing modes, one for dry food and the one you’ll likely use with your Joule — a moist mode. The unit’s housing is stain-resistant and wipes clean with a glossy black finish.

You’ll be needing bags to seal your food before you put it in your water bath. We like these as they are BPA free and FDA approved. They are boilable, freezable, dishwasher safe and technically reusable, although we wouldn’t recommend that if you’re using them for meat. This five-pack is a great starter set as it gives you various sizes for different food types.

One option to keep your food under the water are these clever magnets that secure your vacuum-packed food to the side of your sous vide container. They keep your food safely submerged during cooking. When you’re not using them, simply stick them on your fridge ready for next time.

An alternative to magnets are these weights. Place them in with your food before you vacuum seal the bag, and they will keep food under the water. They are made of food-grade stainless steel inside and have an FDA approved silicone shell. They are non-toxic, have no smell, and are high temperature resistant.

Another way to keep your food where you want it to be in the water is to use a rack. This has a crossbar at the top to keep food bags from floating to the surface. It also keeps food bags nicely separated for more even cooking. This size fits most 12-quart containers, but other sizes are available.

You should always protect your kitchen surfaces when sous vide cooking. This good-looking set of trivets will do just that. When you’re not using them with your Joule, they can also help as hot pot holders, jar openers, spoon rests, drink coasters and even for peeling garlic.

Another way of protecting your surfaces is a neoprene sleeve. They are also energy saving as the insulation will help to heat the water bath faster. Plus, it helps to keep the water temperature steady, hopefully making for less re-heating cycles.

A decent pair of oven gloves are useful for removing bags from the sous vide water. These flexible silicone options are heat resistant up to 446 degrees for up to 10 seconds, so they should definitely cover you for some sous vide action. They are also dishwasher-friendly, so cleaning them is a breeze.

Sous vide cooking makes for super tender proteins, but with no attractive finish. That’s where a searing torch comes in as a great way to add color and a tasty caramelization to food. This is an affordable butane-powered torch that is designed for simple one-handed operation.

A meat thermometer is handy when sous vide cooking as you can’t easily access the sealed up food. This foldable option works within five seconds, has a highly accurate probe, an easy to read display, and boasts a magnetic design so you can store it on your fridge door.

If you use a probe-style meat thermometer with vacuum-sealed food bags, you need to get some sealing tape too. Add a small strip of the tape to the side of the bag and then use the thermometer through the taped area. When you remove the thermometer, the tape expands to cover the hole and protect your food from the water.