Cook with proof,
not vibes.
A water bath held at an exact temperature produces an exact result — every steak, every time, no poking, no praying. This is the reference chart, and the science behind it, for cooking like you can prove it.
Open the chartThe Chart
Pick a food. Temperatures set the doneness; time sets the tenderness and the safety. Ranges assume typical portions (steaks about an inch thick) — thicker cuts want the long end.
The Science
Three ideas explain almost everything about sous vide.
Safety is time × temperature
Pasteurization isn't a single magic number — it's a curve. Chicken is just as safe held at 140°F / 60°C for around half an hour as it is hitting 165°F / 74°C for an instant (that's what USDA-style time-temperature tables are for). Sous vide uses the gentle end of the curve, which is why "safe" and "juicy" stop being opposites.
Doneness is temperature
Muscle proteins transform at specific temperatures — that's all "medium-rare" is. A bath at 130°F / 54.5°C physically cannot push a steak past medium-rare, whether it sits for one hour or three. The water does the precision; you take the credit.
Tenderness is time
Tough cuts are tough because of collagen, and collagen surrenders slowly. Hold a short rib at 138°F / 59°C for 72 hours and it melts into something with the texture of steak and the flavor of a braise — a result no oven can reach, because ovens can't wait that patiently at that temperature.
House Rules
- Respect the 130°F / 54.4°C line. Below it, bacteria aren't dying — so keep any cooler bath (rare steak, rare salmon) to about two hours, with good fresh food.
- Eat it or ice it. Serve straight away, or crash the sealed bag into ice water and refrigerate. Never let a warm bag loiter on the counter.
- Sear hard, sear fast. Bone-dry surface, screaming-hot pan, about a minute a side. The bath cooked it; the sear is just the outfit.
- From frozen is fine. Same temperature, add roughly half the time. This is the weeknight cheat code.
- Bag flat, fully submerged. Water can't cook what it can't touch.
Times and temperatures follow widely published sous vide references and time-temperature pasteurization tables. It's a cooking reference, not a food-safety certification — if you're cooking for anyone immunocompromised or pregnant, stick to fully pasteurized settings and official guidance.