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ChefSteps Announces Joule

27 points by lelf 11y ago

legitster 11y ago
As far as I know, this is now the 4th major brand of sous vide wand. I appreciate that sous vide is having a moment, but I really don't see that this adds anything new to the market other than a higher price and a complete lack of physical controls. Functionally, there is almost no difference between any of the wand models on the market. I've found the features like wireless controls completely gimmicky and unnecessary. So long as the device is accurate enough and powerful enough, it will do everything you want. Grab an Anova for $100 and get started.
- NoPiece 11y ago
  I agree, this cool but has been done several times already. What would be great is an inexpensive equivalent approach applied to a chamber vacuum sealer, which are still prohibitively expensive.
  - joshstrange 11y ago
    I find this (not used for cooking, just for storage) to be a great option http://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448570382&sr=8-1&keywords=ziplock+sous+vide+bags http://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump...
mmanfrin 11y ago
I am a big fan of ChefSteps, but this feels too little, too expensive. It is marginally more powerful than the newer Anova, but lacks physical controls. It's smaller, which is cool, and the magnetic base is useful, but that does not justify the 2x~ cost over the Anova.
- timdorr 11y ago
  Yeah, the Anova's physical controls are great. It takes a little while to get my phone out and the app up and running. Whereas, when the thing is beeping at me to remove my food, it's handy to just tap a button and silence it quickly.
  - MegaDeKay 11y ago
    That and cooking is often a messy business. You don't want to be handling your phone when your hands are a mess because you are in the middle of preparing another dish.
- cwyers 11y ago
  Yeah, I can't think of a reason to buy one of these over an Anova (and I am thinking of getting a second Anova to be able to do two sous vide dishes at once).
chm 11y ago
The page is pretty and all, but I had to re-read some paragraphs to understand what the product is.
- fudged71 11y ago
  Exact same for me. If I didn't know anything about sous vide, I would be incredibly confused with this website and the product. The videos hardly even tell you what this does. Beyond the specs, what are the actual benefits?
- tyleo 11y ago
  I agree. I was expecting a product description for the uninformed at the top... then at the bottom... then in the video. None of those did it. I'm a big fan of kitchen gadgets too. I really wanted to understand this thing without leaving the page.
compumike 11y ago
(Full disclosure: I'm an engineer and co-founder of Pantelligent, a Y Combinator-funded company.) For a wider view of this space: Temperature-controlled cooking "version 1" = thermostat on an oven. (A real innovation in it's own time!) Temperature-controlled cooking "version 2" = sous-vide. (Steady-state thermal equilibrium -- that is, waiting until temperature has equalized throughout the entire mass.) Temperature-controlled cooking "version 3" is about going beyond steady-state thermal equilibrium to controlling transient heat transfer. That gives you the delicious repeatability of sous-vide, with the fast cooking times of non-steady-state cooking, and the controlled, desirable temperature gradients at the exterior of your food. (Note how any sous-vide recipe ends with cooking the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness!) We built "v3" and called it Pantelligent. Macworld just produced a video review and said, "Most importantly, the results are fantastic. I’ve made eggs, salmon, risotto, seared tuna, and steak using Pantelligent’s recipes, and everything turned out delicious. The salmon was my favorite, since the pan’s sensor made it nearly impossible for me to overcook it" [1]. TIME Magazine just called it one of the "Best Inventions of 2015" [2]. And there are plenty more press and customer reviews on our website [3]. [1] http://www.macworld.com/article/3006950/holiday/6-chef-caliber-cooking-gadgets-for-the-connected-kitchen.html http://www.macworld.com/article/3006950/holiday/6-chef-calib... [2] http://time.com/4115398/best-inventions-2015/item/the-pan-that-teaches-you-to-cook/ http://time.com/4115398/best-inventions-2015/item/the-pan-th... [3] https://www.pantelligent.com/ https://www.pantelligent.com/
- MegaDeKay 11y ago
  > Note how any sous-vide recipe ends with cooking the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness More correctly, I'd say that many sous-vide recipes end with searing the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness. The food is already cooked, assuming you are post-searing. This of course gives you that maillard reaction goodness. Having said that, I took a quick look at your links. A few comments. - Non-stick pans aren't so non-stick after a while. How does your pan hold up? - Lightweight, non-stick pans are poor for searing. I'm guessing that I'd need a second pan for that? Related to this are those times you actually want those crispy burned on bits for a follow-on sauce of some kind.
  - 11y ago
MegaDeKay 11y ago
The lack of a real display on the thing would be a deal breaker for me. I like how I can see the temp on my Sansaire at a glance from across the room.
Cyph0n 11y ago
Was that Gabe Newell in the white car towards the end?
- cwyers 11y ago
  Yes.

27 points by lelf 11y ago

As far as I know, this is now the 4th major brand of sous vide wand. I appreciate that sous vide is having a moment, but I really don't see that this adds anything new to the market other than a higher price and a complete lack of physical controls. Functionally, there is almost no difference between any of the wand models on the market. I've found the features like wireless controls completely gimmicky and unnecessary. So long as the device is accurate enough and powerful enough, it will do everything you want. Grab an Anova for $100 and get started.

NoPiece 11y ago
I agree, this cool but has been done several times already. What would be great is an inexpensive equivalent approach applied to a chamber vacuum sealer, which are still prohibitively expensive.
- joshstrange 11y ago
  I find this (not used for cooking, just for storage) to be a great option http://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448570382&sr=8-1&keywords=ziplock+sous+vide+bags http://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump...

mmanfrin 11y ago

I am a big fan of ChefSteps, but this feels too little, too expensive. It is marginally more powerful than the newer Anova, but lacks physical controls. It's smaller, which is cool, and the magnetic base is useful, but that does not justify the 2x~ cost over the Anova.

timdorr 11y ago
Yeah, the Anova's physical controls are great. It takes a little while to get my phone out and the app up and running. Whereas, when the thing is beeping at me to remove my food, it's handy to just tap a button and silence it quickly.
- MegaDeKay 11y ago
  That and cooking is often a messy business. You don't want to be handling your phone when your hands are a mess because you are in the middle of preparing another dish.
cwyers 11y ago
Yeah, I can't think of a reason to buy one of these over an Anova (and I am thinking of getting a second Anova to be able to do two sous vide dishes at once).

chm 11y ago

The page is pretty and all, but I had to re-read some paragraphs to understand what the product is.

fudged71 11y ago
Exact same for me. If I didn't know anything about sous vide, I would be incredibly confused with this website and the product. The videos hardly even tell you what this does. Beyond the specs, what are the actual benefits?
tyleo 11y ago
I agree. I was expecting a product description for the uninformed at the top... then at the bottom... then in the video. None of those did it. I'm a big fan of kitchen gadgets too. I really wanted to understand this thing without leaving the page.

compumike 11y ago

(Full disclosure: I'm an engineer and co-founder of Pantelligent, a Y Combinator-funded company.) For a wider view of this space: Temperature-controlled cooking "version 1" = thermostat on an oven. (A real innovation in it's own time!) Temperature-controlled cooking "version 2" = sous-vide. (Steady-state thermal equilibrium -- that is, waiting until temperature has equalized throughout the entire mass.) Temperature-controlled cooking "version 3" is about going beyond steady-state thermal equilibrium to controlling transient heat transfer. That gives you the delicious repeatability of sous-vide, with the fast cooking times of non-steady-state cooking, and the controlled, desirable temperature gradients at the exterior of your food. (Note how any sous-vide recipe ends with cooking the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness!) We built "v3" and called it Pantelligent. Macworld just produced a video review and said, "Most importantly, the results are fantastic. I’ve made eggs, salmon, risotto, seared tuna, and steak using Pantelligent’s recipes, and everything turned out delicious. The salmon was my favorite, since the pan’s sensor made it nearly impossible for me to overcook it" [1]. TIME Magazine just called it one of the "Best Inventions of 2015" [2]. And there are plenty more press and customer reviews on our website [3]. [1] http://www.macworld.com/article/3006950/holiday/6-chef-caliber-cooking-gadgets-for-the-connected-kitchen.html http://www.macworld.com/article/3006950/holiday/6-chef-calib... [2] http://time.com/4115398/best-inventions-2015/item/the-pan-that-teaches-you-to-cook/ http://time.com/4115398/best-inventions-2015/item/the-pan-th... [3] https://www.pantelligent.com/ https://www.pantelligent.com/

MegaDeKay 11y ago
> Note how any sous-vide recipe ends with cooking the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness More correctly, I'd say that many sous-vide recipes end with searing the exterior in a pan for extra deliciousness. The food is already cooked, assuming you are post-searing. This of course gives you that maillard reaction goodness. Having said that, I took a quick look at your links. A few comments. - Non-stick pans aren't so non-stick after a while. How does your pan hold up? - Lightweight, non-stick pans are poor for searing. I'm guessing that I'd need a second pan for that? Related to this are those times you actually want those crispy burned on bits for a follow-on sauce of some kind.
- 11y ago

MegaDeKay 11y ago

The lack of a real display on the thing would be a deal breaker for me. I like how I can see the temp on my Sansaire at a glance from across the room.

Cyph0n 11y ago

Was that Gabe Newell in the white car towards the end?

cwyers 11y ago
Yes.