How Do I Clean My Sous Vide Cooker?

Properly caring for your sous vide cooker will ensure the longest service life possible. As with any cooking equipment, it is essential to maintain regularly to maximize your sous vide performance and achieve the best results. We are going to share three ways to clean your sous vide cooker.

How To Clean Your Sous Vide Cooker

Your sous vide doesn’t always need a deep clean treatment. Sometimes, a light cleaning after each cook is all you need. Cleaning your sous vide is easy and there is no need for unique cleaning materials. We follow a basic flow for cleaning the sous vide cooker after use, cleaning the insides, and a deep clean treatment that will make your sous vide cooker look brand new again.

Routine cleaning for your sous vide after each cook

When you are finished cooking, either allow the chamber to lower to a manageable temperature or remove the sous vide cooker and let the water drain out. Most of your sous vide cookers can disassemble and reassemble easily. To clean your sous vide cooker after a cook, simply:

• Cool Down: Let the water chamber cool or carefully remove the cooker to drain the water.
• Disassemble: Gently remove the skirt from the cooker. Consult the manufacturer's website for model-specific instructions.
• Wash: Clean the skirt and end cap by hand using dish soap. For dishwasher-safe parts, feel free to use your machine.
• Reassemble: Once clean and dry, reattach the skirt and end cap to the cooker.

How to clean the insides of your sous vide cooker

Remove the skirt and end cap of the sous vide cooker when preparing to clean the insides. Cleaning the insides isn’t necessary after every cook, but we normally clean the insides while cleaning the skirt and end cap. To clean the insides of your sous vide cooker:

• Access Interior: Start by removing the skirt and end cap.
• Scrub: Use a small brush (a toothbrush works well) with dish soap to scrub the circulator, heating coil, pump shaft, and sensor.
• Rinse: Carefully rinse with warm water, avoiding the display. For extra caution, a damp rag can also be effective.
• Dry: Ensure the interior is thoroughly dried before reassembling.

How to deep clean your sous vide cooker

I live in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. Unfortunately, we deal with hard water in our area. This means that it is normal to see build up due to mineral deposits from tap water on your sous vide skirt, circulator, heating coil, and end cap. If you see build up on your sous vide cooker, it is normal. Deep cleaning your sous vide cooker to remove build up, discoloration, and mineral deposits is super easy. The best method to deep clean your sous vide cooker is to make a vinegar bath. Here’s how you make a vinegar bath for deep cleaning your sous vide cooker:

• Use a cooking pot that is large enough to submerge your sous vide cooker skirt. This means the controls and display will not be submerged in water.
• Use a 50/50 combination of water and white vinegar to deep clean the sous vide cooker
• Set the to 140°F/60°C
• The cleaning process if complete when the sous vide cooker reaches the target temperature of 140°F/60°C