Kuraidori Precision Cooker FAQs

Convenience, quality, consistency. Your food is done when you’re ready for it, as you can never overcook your meal. You simply set it and forget it knowing the sous vide cooks to an exact temperature every single time.

The sous vide cooking technique has been used for decades in Europe, as well as in high end restaurants in North America for its consistency and efficiency. There’s a very good chance that if you have ordered steak in a restaurant, you’ve had food prepared using the sous vide technique.

While it may seem like this, it’s actually a little different. The water never comes to a boil, but is rather set to a specific temperature to optimally cook the food. This precise temperature of the water prevents overcooking while also being a healthier option than boiling, as the food does not lose nutrients to the water.

Vacuum sealed bags are not required but do form a water tight seal that gives your meal more flavour. A good quality zip-top style bag can also be used.

Bags made for cooking sous vide are perfectly safe. The same holds true for oven bags and popular brands of zip-top bags. These bags are made of a plastic called polyethylene. It is found in containers used for the food industry and has been studied thoroughly.

Some like the challenge of cooking on an open flame. The downside, however, is most barbecues have hotter zones and cooler zones, which can make achieving precise temperature control difficult. Different thicknesses of meats and vegetables can also lead to more challenges when guessing doneness. The Kuraidori Precision Cooker takes the guess work out of it. You simply finish the cooking process on the grill. So even if you aren’t a barbecue expert, it tastes like you are.

There are three different options. The first is multiple Kuraidori Precision Cookers set to separate temperatures. The second is to cook the steaks at the lowest temperature (excluding rare), and when it comes time to finish them, place the steaks you want more well done on the grill or pan for a longer period of time. The third method is to begin the cooking process with the most done steak first (excluding well done). Once it has reached the desired temperature, lower the temperature to the next desired level of doneness and then add the steak that needs to be cooked to that temperature. Repeat this until each steak is done. The steaks that are cooked earlier will stay warm in the water bath as the other steaks cook.

Yes. Vegetables cooked this way will not give up their nutrients to the water like when boiling or steaming.

Any vessel that is heat resistant and that allows the Kuraidori Precision Cooker to clip onto it. It should also be deep enough to allow for the minimum amount of water to run the unit. Vessels such as stock pots, large food prep containers, plastic totes and even coolers work well.

A lid is recommended to prevent water evaporation and heat loss especially on long cook times. If a lid cannot be used or modified, plastic wrap or aluminum foil can be used. Some people have even used ping pong balls to cover the surface of the water.

Warm water from your faucet can be used to reach the desired temperature faster. Water can also be heated in a pot or kettle to speed the process up but care should be taken to ensure the water doesn’t get too hot as it may damage the unit. A basic rule of thumb is to not heat it up past the desired temperature for cooking.

Yes, food can be cooked right from frozen. This will defrost the food quicker than most methods but the time it takes to cook the food will have to be adjusted to account for it.

The Precision Cooker will work with up to 20L of water. A vessel that is large enough to hold 20L and allow for water to circulate around each bag of food is the limiting factor. It is not the quantity of food but the volume of water that needs to be considered.

This film is a result of hard water being used for the water bath. Consult the cleaning and care instructions in the manual.

Do not use an independent timer to control when the Precision Cooker comes on. Leaving food in a room temperature water bath for a long amount of time is not a good practice of food safety. The water must be at the cooking temperature to be safe.

Batch cooking or precooking is a great way to use the Precision Cooker. It allows for quicker cook times the following day. Food cooked using the sous vide method should never be stored in the same bag it was cooked in. Use a new bag or container for storage to ensure proper food safety.

Absolutely. Seasoning the food before placing it in the cooking bag is a great way to maximize flavour. Take caution when choosing your seasoning as the flavour added is usually greater than through normal cooking techniques and it may overpower the actual taste of the food.

Sous vide cooking does not allow for the food to be browned. Browning requires high heat and a surface for the food to stick on, neither of which occur using the sous vide technique. Foods like steak and chicken should be seared after cooking to give it that finished look. This searing provides a better texture and flavour as well.

They are not features that offer much benefit when it comes to sous vide cooking. Once the temperature is set and the Precision Cooker is running there is no need to monitor or change the temperature. You simply set it and let the unit do its job.

Individual packages are preferred over multiple items in one bag. There will be greater water circulation compared to three steaks stacked on top of each other. Multiple items placed in one bag would require a longer cook time.

Salmon contains enzymes that when cooked in this method bind together. Either package the salmon in individual bags or use a good olive oil on the surfaces of the salmon that are touching to prevent the bonding from occurring.

By all means try different recipes that you are familiar with or would like to test out. Please make sure that the temperature and time chart is followed for food safety.

Even after using the water displacement method or using a vacuum sealer, food may float. Lighter foods or food that consists of several smaller pieces such as green beans or broccoli can make it difficult to remove all of the air from the cooking bag. Adding a small amount of liquid (oil or water) to the bag may help. If the bag still floats a weight such as a small ladle can be placed on the bag to help hold it down.

A wire cooling rack can be placed on the bottom of the vessel to elevate the food and allow for better water circulation. The food bags can also be secured to the sides of the vessel using a simple binder clip or even a magnet.

Yes. Food will keep warm at the temperature that the water bath is set to. There is a maximum amount of time that is given in the temperature time chart that food can sit in the water bath before it begins to lose its texture. It is recommended that the food not exceed these maximum times.

Cooking torches, frypans heated to high heat, super-hot barbeques and even an oven broiler are all great options. Use what you find works the best for you.

The water never reaches a boil so things such as grains and rice may not cook well using this method.

The precision cooker can make a gurgling type noise as the water is being circulated within the cooking vessel. The amount of noise can vary depending on the water level. A water level that is too low can cause air to “suck” into the unit. Adding more water to the vessel raises the level and will lessen the gurgling noise. Please ensure that the water level does not exceed the maximum water level line on the precision cooker when adding more water.

The precision cooker must be immersed in a water bath with the correct level of water in order for it to operate properly. The precision cooker’s sensors will not allow it to operate if it is not immersed in water as a safety measure. Ensure the unit is immersed in a cooking vessel with a proper water level prior to attempting to turn the unit it on and/operate it.

The temperature of the water bath may fluctuate slightly due to the varying temperatures in the environment around it and/or cold food being placed into it and possibly even the type of material the cooking vessel is made from. The temperature can fluctuate momentarily when food is initially placed into the water bath but it will return to the set temperature shortly thereafter. The correct cooking vessel should be used and the external temperature around the cooking vessel should remain consistent.

The timer function does not act as a countdown timer. When working properly, the set time will remain unchanged. The right hand side of the display is where the working time is indicated and it is designed to count up. Once the work (cooking) time reaches the set time, an alarm will sound to signify that the cook time previously set, has been reached.

The precision cooker is not designed to shut off after the set time has expired for food safety reasons, an alarm simply sounds. Food should remain in the water bath at the cooking temperature rather than have it sit in a bath of non-heated water. The food will not overcook. It will simply remain at the set temperature.

The Sous Vide cooking method is not a quick process. It is a slow, precise cooking technique that allows you to consistently cook foods to the perfect temperatures (doneness). It requires a shift in your thinking of how food is traditionally prepared. The recipes and cooking charts provided indicate what the typical cooking times are for a variety of food types.

The precision cooker is shipped with a protective film that covers the display to prevent any scratching to it. The protective film should be removed during the initial unpacking. Failure to do so will give the display the appearance of bubbling or cloudiness making it more difficult to read and possibly operate.

A beeping sound will continue when the set temperature has been reached or the set cook time has expired. Press and hold the set button for at least four seconds and the beeping will stop.

Contact Home Hardware and arrangements can be made to have a manual or recipe book sent out. Home Hardware’s website (www.homehardware.ca/precisioncooker) also has a printable manual and over 60 recipes available to choose from with more recipes continually being added.

The water level has most likely dropped down too low and the unit may start sucking air. Simply add more water to the vessel being mindful of the min and max water level markings. Another cause could be the food being cooked is impeding the water flow. Make sure that the food is positioned away from the precision cooker in the water bath.

An error 6 on the display indicates that water has come into the main housing/control of the unit. Let the precision cooker sit upright and dry for 3 to 5 days prior to next use. Once the cooker has completely dried, it should be able to function normally again. Care should be taken to ensure that the precision cooker is properly dried off after each use and stored in a dry place.

An error 5 on the display indicates that the water level is too low. Add water above the minimum water level line on the unit (but do not exceed the maximum water level marking). Turn the precision cooker off and restart it. The unit should function properly once again.