So, I've been drooling over the possibilities offered by sous vide (thanks Dawoo for adding yet another food related obsession). The stovetop is ok for now, but requires a great deal of attention and care (especially for a drop it in and forget it method). Plus trying to microadjust using the thermostat on my decrepit stove in my apartment sucks. The downside is that real sous vide equipment is expensive (thermal recirculators - especially those that haven't seen laboratory duty or are rated for food use - start at 975 usd). That's not including the water bath and other little additions. It's not fair.

In the spirit of improvisational cooking, I figured that there must be a cheaper way to do it. Well, I'm happy to say, there is. At least I think so.

Dawoo turned me onto a link that looked promising - http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/

But further research shows that the refrigerator has a fan on the inside. Not so good for filling with water. But it's cheap (relatively). It also has a relatively limited temperature range. Next slide please...

I thought about the possibility of using a countertop deep fryer. It has a heating element, is enclosed and comes with a handy cage. Fill it with water instead of oil and voila! Sous vide. Further research reveals that while it has a thermostat, it is analog and unclear at lower temperatures. Eh.

The same problem with a crock pot. No real temperature control without microadjustment or special equipment that essentially turns it on and off to keep a constant temperature.

Then on one of my research safaris into the wilds of the internet, I came across this:

http://www.aquadirect.com/store/product.php?productid=21405&cat=0&page=59

A 1000watt heating element made out of titanium for aquariums. All you have to have is a digital temperature controller.

Like this one:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/temp-control.html

(second listing)

Now we're getting somewhere. The main thing I'll need is a thermowell like this one:

https://morebeer.com/view_product/16672/beerwinecoffee/Stopper_Thermowell

The other thing is something to keep the water moving. An aquarium pump like this one looks like it will do the trick:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=AS1111&child=AS1117

Again, aquarium equipment. Can't be all that bad right? No information on optimal operating temperatures, but it wouldn't be used for temperatures over 200 degrees F. Indeed considerably lower in many cases.

So there you have it. A sketch anyway. I make it under 200 usd before tax and shipping charges. All I would need is a big pot (like a 5 gallon stockpot - estimated around 20 usd) and something to keep the bags away from the heating element (easily improvised).

So does anyone see a problem with this set-up? Is there something I haven't thought of? Tell me what you think.