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Ready to get about the sous vide cooking train? Welcome, buddy: We've been expecting you. You are about to experience the closest thing to actual magic that happens in the kitchen. Below you'll find everything you need to begin, from the essential equipment to a step-by-step guide to the process, together with Bon Appétit Test Kitchen-developed recipes plus a fundamental time and temperature manual for when you're all set to do your own thing. This is going to be fun.

The Equipment

A Joule Sous Vide Machine (More on why we love this unit )

A Big Pot

. Season Your Meat

Like all successful meat cookery, the first step is to season your own protein, and season it well. Give it a thorough rub down with lots of kosher salt, combined with any dried spices or pastes you like--freshly ground black pepper, chile powder, curry, harissa paste, anything you want. One of the benefits of sous vide cooking is that those seasonings get sealed right up from the meat, also have loads of time operate their way in, resulting in large flavor.

2.

Bag It (with Aromatics)

Once your meat is good and seasoned, slide it into a food-grade vacuum sealing bag (the golden standard, and also what most restaurants use) or a sturdy resealable freezer bag (the best grocery store-available option). Now you can add any larger aromatics--sprigs of hardy herbs like rosemary or thyme, bay leaves, whole dried chiles--positioning them in direct contact with the meat so that if the bag is sealed, they're locked in place. (A pat of butter, a dollop of coconut oil, or a spoonful of ghee wouldn't hurt either, but try to avoid anything too liquid-y because it could interfere with the sealing process.)

3.

Get a Good Seal

If you're going the vacuum cleaner route, follow the manufacturer's directions. (We prefer to double or triple the seal if one of those seals neglects.) If you are working with freezer bags, then we've got a good hack for getting as much air out as you can. Press out as much air as you can and seal your luggage almost all the way, leaving a little gap for air to escape. Holding the corners of the seal, gradually lower the bag into a pot of water--like the one that you're going to cook in--till the water comes right around the seal, then shut it completely. The strain of the water can help to displace any atmosphere you were not able to press out on your own. Cool, right? If you need a visual aide, check out this video.

4.

Establish Your Temperature, Set Your Time, Start Cooking Fill a large pot with water, then place your sous vide system (aka immersion circulator) up in it according to the device's specifications, and place the desired time and temperature based on what you are cooking. Some brands (such as the Joule from Chefsteps, our favored model) have proprietary programs which make it super simple --you just plug into what you're creating, and the program will establish the appropriate cooking temperature and time. If you're free-styling, consult with our time and temperature guide below according to the official one from Chefsteps. When the water comes up to temperature, add your luggage to the water. Vacuum-sealed bags could be dropped directly into the water and permitted to float around, but if we're working with jerry-rigged freezer bags, we want to use a binder clip or clothes pin to fasten them to the border of the pot, seal-side up--a tiny bit of extra insurance that the seal won't crack.

5.

Rest, Dry, and Sear (Should You Need to)

When your steak/chicken/salmon/whatever is cooked to the desired temperature, take it out and let it break, at the bag, for 15 to 20 minutes. (To be honest, we're not positive whether this actually does anything, but we are hoping it gives the protein a chance to consume any of the seasoned juices in the bag.) At this time your beef is completely cooked, and it is safe to function. Some proteins are yummy served --boneless, skinless chicken breasts, say, or some delicate fillet of salmon are all ready to be chopped, chopped, and served. But others, like a perfectly medium-rare steak or even a slab of tender pork stomach, want to be crisped before functioning for optimal deliciousness. If that's the case, remove the meat from the bag, dry it off as completely as possible with paper towels, and sear it off on all sides at a ripping-hot pan until a gorgeous, crackling crust strains --because the meat is currently cooked, this should only have a moment or two on each side.

Serve (or Save)

Et voilà!

But the actual beauty of sous vide cooking is at the chances for meal preparation and prep that it opens upward. If you are not serving your sous vide production straight away, dip it in a bowl of ice water to cool it down as rapidly as possible, and then transfer it (still in the bag) to the fridge, where it must stay good for up to 7 days, or into the freezer where it will keep for up to a year. Cook up four or five chicken breasts and bring them for lunch all week. Get a lot of steaks to a perfect medium-rare on Thursday night, and all you have to do is give them a fast sear on Friday night for a virtually glamorized dinner celebration. The options are infinite --proceed and sous vide!

Fundamental Cooking Times to Keep On-Hand

Below is a fast guide to the time and temperatures recommended for different types and cuts of meat, courtesy of the fine folks at ChefSteps, the company behind the Joule. As you get more comfortable with the technique, you could find that you like things cooked into a somewhat different time or temperature--totally fine--but that is a great place to start. A note at the timing ranges: The first number represents the perfect period as determined by the firm for that specific meat, although the second amount is the maximum period that thing can remain the water tub without having its feel suffer. You may get a more comprehensive guide on their site. Happy cooking!

Beef: Steak Rare

54°C/129°F, 1 hour to 2 hours

Beef: Tough Cuts Well Done

Pork: Chop Moderate Rare

62°C/144°F, 1 hour 3 hours

Pork: Tough Cuts Well Done

65°C/ / 149°F, 1 hour 3 hours

Chicken: Dark Meat Juicy and Tender

75°C/167°F, anova sous vide container 45 mintes to 5 hours

Fish: Tender and Flaky

50°C/122°F, 40 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes