29 May 2007 Grant Instruments teams up with top chefs to improve sous vide cooking technology
CAMBRIDGE, England, May 29, 2007 Cambridge-based Grant Instruments has applied its expertise in precision temperature control to create two exciting new ranges of water baths specifically designed to serve the needs of chefs who are using sous vide cooking techniques or pioneering new scientific cooking methodologies.
A world-renowned restaurant with a reputation for experimenting with science and technology, the Fat Duck at Bray exclusively selected Grant catering baths as part of their mission to develop delicious food combinations that stimulate all the senses. Food Research Manager, Christopher Young says:
“The Grant baths are among the most essential equipment in our kitchens. They fit in well, and their precise temperature control is great for our experimenting and development of new dishes. Equally important, they are also solid reliable ‘workhorses’ helping us to produce dishes of consistently high quality day in day out and with minimum hassle in terms of operation and cleaning.”
Grant scientific products have a long-standing reputation for high quality build together with thoughtful design and longevity, and it was for this reason that a number of world renowned chefs approached Grant with enquiries for precise and robust water baths that could be applied to sous vide cooking. Grant applied technology from one of its highly successful scientific water baths ranges to create the Grant Professional range of sous vide baths. These were rigorously tested by top professional chefs in their own kitchens and found to be ideal for a variety of applications. In close consultation with these chefs, Grant went on to design and develop the Grant Expert range of sous vide baths. In both cases, the result is a range of high quality, highly accurate catering baths that are robust, convenient to use and easy to keep clean.
Mark Askew, Executive Chef, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, comments on the Grant baths:
“Since starting to use Grant water baths we have been able to further develop the technique in our kitchen which has helped in the creation of some very exciting new dishes. We are using the baths in many different ways and we find that the more we use them, the more ideas we come up with. Cooking with such accurate control is a great help in achieving consistent end results.”
Sous vide is a long established but relatively little known cooking process in which food (e.g. a cut of meat) is vacuum sealed in a pouch, either with or without an accompanying sauce or seasoning, and then cooked at a low temperature (typically around 70°C) for comparatively long periods of time. Cooking at exactly the right temperature for the correct amount of time is critical for achieving perfect results when cooking sous vide and this is where Grant catering baths prove invaluable as they provide extremely accurate temperature control to within 0.2°C.
Cooking using the sous vide method also helps to ‘lock in’ the flavour which greatly enhances the taste of the food. Texture is also improved; the consistency of meat becomes incredibly succulent and tender when cooked sous vide. As a result sous vide is rapidly catching on among professional and amateur chefs who are taking advantage of its many benefits and using it to experiment with new dishes. Food portions can be prepared in advance, vacuum sealed and stored in a refrigerator for comparatively long periods of time – useful for coping with peaks and troughs in activity and for master kitchens serving ‘satellite’ kitchens.
The Grant stainless steel sous vide baths, marketed under the Grant Scientific Cuisine banner, come in two distinct ranges: the highly affordable Professional range, and the Expert range which incorporates easy-to-use key pad controls, greater temperature setting accuracy, enhanced insulation and sleek lines for easier cleaning.
Both the Grant Professional and Expert ranges feature three stainless steel models with different size capacities based on standard gastronorm tanks of 5, 12 and 26 litres. The Grant baths have a large working volume in relation to their footprint making it easy to find space on the worktop in a busy kitchen.
A circulation tray, removable for easy cleaning, promotes good temperature uniformity by convection and prevents sous vide packs from coming into contact with the heated surface of the tank bottom. The removable stainless steel lid reduces evaporation and help to retain heat. Temperature control is assured by a digital control system with a large illuminated display that can be seen from across the kitchen. Safety measures are built into the design as standard, if the bath is used with insufficient water, a safety cut-out ensures total safety.
Additional accessories to complement the baths are also available including the Grant Squirrel data logger to record the temperature of the bath and its contents for future reference or quality assurance.
Notes to Editors
Founded in the 1950s Grant Instruments has a long and distinguished history as a successful manufacturer of high quality scientific equipment and data loggers.
Designed and manufactured in Grant’s plant in Cambridgeshire, UK, and combining thoughtful design with robust engineering, Grant temperature controlled water baths are synonymous with accuracy, longevity and ease of operation. They are used throughout the world by prestigious scientific institutions and as well as industrial research and QA laboratories.
With the introduction of the Grant range of sous vide baths, Grant’s expertise in high precision temperature control is now available to chefs working with the sous vide and other cooking processes.
For more information about Grant sous vide baths, please visit www.grantsousvide.com. For more information on Grant and its range of scientific products and data logging, please visit www.grant.co.uk
Grant sous vide baths are available directly from Grant. Customer enquiries should be directed to Roy Homent on +44 (0) 1763 264 723 or via email: sousvide@grant.co.uk
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