Sous Vide Supreme Demi Review: Aesthetics

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It's funny.  When I first saw the announcement for the Sous Vide Supreme Demi, I really wasn't impressed with the size reduction.  Twelve percent doesn't sound like a lot, and as an NYC apartment dweller, I can tell you that countertop and storage space are the most valuable commodity in my kitchen.

After unboxing the Sous Vide Supreme Demi and putting it on my counter, I can say it feels significantly smaller than the original unit.  Since I don't have a SousVide Supreme handy, lets go to the chalkboardathon 3000:

SousVide Supreme Demi To SousVide Supreme Original Comparison
The third box is an overlay of the SousVide Supreme Demi over the original.  Maybe I just haven't seen the original in awhile, but this one seems significantly smaller.  My woman had a similar reaction to seeing the Demi.  Except her reaction was followed by the slight sadness that comes from knowing that the kitchen is going to be in the constant state of disrepair that is inevitable when a new toy arrives.

My demo unit is white, but as mentioned in my previous post, they have a number of colors:



SousVide Supreme Demi Colors compared to...

At first, I was kind of turned off by the additional colors.  But I think the color schemes are much more consumer friendly than just the brushed metal.  The SVS Demi looks a lot like other kitchen appliance standards.  For example, the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer:

... KitchenAid Stand Mixer Colors

Overall, the size and aesthetics are a plus for me.  Next up:

Well, hello there my old friend...

Also, if any readers have questions they want answered about the Sous Vide Supreme Demi, let me know.


Comments

  1. Chris BirkettNovember 16, 2010 at 5:26 AM

    The main thing most people probably want to know is how it stacks up against the original SousVide Supreme. On paper 80% the volume of the original for 66% of the price is fairly reasonable, though the company seems to indicate the usable capacity is lower with typical sous vide portion sizes.

    It's taken me days of searching to figure out the differences beyond this. Obviously the original unit is in stainless steel on the outside vs. some sort of stove enamel for the Demi. The cooking container itself is stainless in the original, but non-stick aluminum in the Demi. I wonder if this has any effect on heat stability?

    The other major difference I see is that the Demi appears to have a very basic "grill" to separate food instead of the nice rack in the original model. The rack and handle are listed as two separate optional accessories in the manual. This was very difficult to figure out, because the product photos show handles protruding from the Demi and there is no mention of a different rack system. Even the product video on Youtube shows the proper rack in the animated demonstrations, but the "grill" in the actual video portion. Does the omission of the rack have any effect when cooking multiple items? Both models only circulate heat by convection, so food item spacing is certainly important.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AndersonMNovember 18, 2010 at 4:28 PM

    We sous vide geeks always looking for a bigger bath. Demi is going backward.
    Any recommendation for a bigger bath (big enough for a whole turkey)without breaking the bank?
    Great site!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. pescolarNovember 18, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    @AndersonM:

    As mentioned in my Ask Pablo post, I think the FMM/SVM combo is a good value for larger baths.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 20, 2010 at 11:01 PM

    Thanks for taking requests! The questions I'm interested in are:

    1) What's the temperature stability during cooking?

    2) What's the overshoot/undershoot/settling time when you add food?

    ReplyDelete
  5. BobWSeptember 11, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    YouTube had a series of videos on how to cook a turkey sous vide. The presenter cut it up and cooked the pieces separately. You would have trouble with the body cavity if you try to cook the whole thing. Uncooked stuffing can be dangerous.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 22, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Neither model impress me. Cooking Prime Ribeye steak in a plastic bag dunked in water? I like my steaks charcoal grilled...the real way! I think this a waste of money...

    ReplyDelete

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