Americans can admire, but not buy, this sous-vide system (photos)
KitchenAid offers its remodeled, three-part sous-vide machine for about 10,000 euros throughout Europe. But the company hasn't offered the product in the US because American consumers aren't ready for such a high-end appliance dedicated to sous vide.
This year, KitchenAid updated its Chef Touch Sous Vide Collection, the company announced at the IFA 2015 electronics trade show in Berlin. The three-part system includes (from the top) a steam oven, a vacuum sealer and a flash freezer.
The sous-vide system is only available in Europe, and Whirlpool (KitchenAid's parent company) places an emphasis on promoting the product in France and Italy. The US isn't ready for the high-end sous-vide appliance, one Whirlpool VP said.
The first step to sous-vide cooking is to place food in a vacuum-sealed bag. The middle drawer of the Chef Touch collection contains a vacuum sealer.
You put food in these plastic bags before you place it in the Chef Touch's vacuum sealer.
The middle drawer of KitchenAid's sous-vide system contains the vacuum sealer, which removes air from the compartment in about a minute and a half.
The steam oven on the Chef Touch system is located at the top of the unit. You can add water to the compartment on the right to create steam in the oven.
The bottom compartment of the Chef Collection system contains a flash freezer, which allows you to freeze your food in its vacuum-sealed bag for as long as three months, either before or after it's cooked.
For more of the best of IFA 2015, see CNET's complete coverage.