I know you can purchase Sous Vide cookers that have built in thermostats. Some even have capability of connecting to a smartphone app using Bluetooth or WiFI, but connecting to Hubitat would be even better.
Since I already have a slow cooker, I was wondering if anyone had been able to use a temperature sensor with submersible probe, Hubitat and a smartplug to automate a slow cooker to turn it into a Sous Vide cooker.
I guess the primary concern would be finding a suitable temperature sensor with probe. The other aspects would be doable. I understand some folks have hacked Aqara temperature sensors to add a probe, but after having cataract surgery, my eyesight won't allow doing such fine soldering.
Aside from the integration with HE, sous vide cooking involves the circulation of the water bath and precise temperature of the water, down to a degree of precision. I have both a connected sous vide and a connected Wemo crock pot. On the crock pot my only choices for temp are low, high and warm.
I don't think you'll be able to convert a crock pot or slow cooker into a successful sous vide cooker.
I know you want Sous Vide to hold a tight temperature around the setpoint. What I had envisioned was providing power to the slow cooker when the temperature falls below the set point and then turn it off as soon as the temperature exceeds the setpoint. I suspect that is exactly what many Sous Vide appliances do. The more expensive commercial models might have a more complex control scheme such as PID, but I wound be surprised if the consumer models do.
All I'm saying is the technology behind soux vide is precision control. The difference between a rare and medium steak is 3 degrees. In the case of the Anova products they maintain an accuracy of .02 degrees.
I'm not sure you can keep the water anywhere near a multi degree swing by cycling the slow cooker on and off. Another key factor is the circulation of the water.
Given the fact you'll need at least a temp probe and some sort of circulator, and then the end results will probably be unsuccessful it seems a better route would be to purchase a piece of equipment for around 100 that is designed to do what your ultimate goal is. Especially when there's an API available that could bring it into HE.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade just wanting to point out that to achieve sous vide results is going to require much more than cycling a slow cooker on and off.
TBH I would just get an anova. Another thing to remember about sous vide is the need to have the water bath at a uniform temperature throughout which is assisted by forced circulation. Your slow cooker won't do that.
The WAF would be so much greater than an old crock pot with a pid controller dangling off to one side
Thanks to everyone for their comments/advice. I guess I will go with a prepackaged unit. I am not sure which brand I will get. I have read too many complaints about Anova being noisy.
I have had two Anovas for 6 years now. I converted igloo coolers to be sous-vide containers. They work great. Temperature control is excellent. This is what it looks like:
We use seal a meal vacuumed bags and a Ninja cooker that does quite well at sous vide. It also helps probably that we both prefer our meat almost alive (pretty much tar tar)
Unfortunately, my wife likes her meat well done with no pink showing. Trying to achieve that while keeping meat tender and juicy is quite the challenge. I have been trying for 50 years to get her to accept meat that is not quite well done. Sometimes she will consent to medium well.
This is one of the great things about sous-vide. With a little planning, you can satisfy the need for steaks cooked to completely different preferences.
Vacuum seal the two steaks separately. Cook them both at 129-133℉ for 1-2 hours (depending on the thickness). Then pull out the first bag and set it aside for a rare to med-rare steak. Then raise the temperature to 140-150℉ for same time to make the second steak well-done.
You can sear both steaks at the same time (after cooling the second for at least 15-20 minutes).
