The Roca Brothers Launch Sous Vide Machine For Home Cooking

The Roca brothers, of three Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca restaurant in Girona, Spain, have launched a new product that will enable cooks to sous vide in the comfort of their own home. The Rocook system gives the user precise temperature control, whilst being compact enough to fit in a standard sized kitchen.

After many years of using low temperatures in the El Celler de Can Roca kitchen, the brothers wondered how they could bring it to the home, in an easy and practical way.

“We started with a book, Cocina con Joan Roca a baja temperature (Cooking with Joan Roca at low temperatures), but then came a new question: Could you cook at home, easily, at a low temperature? We were aware that we needed to provide adequate tools for cooking in a simple and practical way in our home kitchens with this technique.” The Rocook website states.

>>> Take a look at the Sous Vide cooking time calculator

Alongside being used for sous vide, the Rocook can also fry, boil, confit and sauté, and in order to use the machine to it’s full potential, the owner of every Rocook receives a cookbook from Joan Roca, too.

The machine can be used with any type of liquid, from water, broth or tea to oils, marinades, sauces, syrups or even wine.

“One of the most striking aspects is the kind of textures we can get. Meats become more mellow, juicy vegetables and fish can almost be eaten with a spoon. Thanks to the gentle cooking, food retains its juices and meat softens without losing its original flavour.

“The low temperature helps to preserve the nutritional qualities of food. If also cooks vacuum products such as vegetables, not having to add water to the cooking, retains the minerals and vitamins, as well as its flavor, which would be lost once the vegetables are diluted in water. One of the great advantages is that we prevent oxidation, for example with artichokes, which darken when exposed to air.” The Rocook website says.

>>> Read: Cooking sous vide: good or bad for the industry?

Costing €399 (£312), the Rocook also gives the owner access to the Rocook website and app, offering recipes, videos and techniques varying in levels of difficulty, cooking time and dish type.