Last updated October 5, 2026 · Report an error
Sous vide cooking relies on precise water bath temperatures to hit an exact level of doneness — unlike traditional cooking, where temperature and time are more of a moving target.
This tool gives you the standard water bath temperature and cooking time guideline for common sous vide foods.
How it works
Select your food and desired doneness, and the tool looks up the standard water bath temperature and cooking time guideline for that combination.
- Enter food.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Chicken breast
Chicken breast is typically cooked at 141°F (61°C) for 1-4 hours for a tender, fully-pasteurized result.
Who should use it
- Setting up a sous vide immersion circulator for a specific food and doneness level.
- Learning standard sous vide temperatures for foods you're less familiar with.
Industry applications
- Home and professional sous vide cooking
Advantages
- Covers common proteins and doneness levels in one reference.
- Uses standard, widely-referenced sous vide guidelines.
Limitations
- Doesn't cover every possible food or cut — check a dedicated sous vide reference for less common items.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a stovetop or oven temperature guideline instead of the specific, lower sous vide water bath temperature for the same doneness.
- Not searing the food afterward for proteins like steak, which sous vide alone won't brown.
Best practices
- Finish proteins like steak with a quick, hot sear after the sous vide bath to develop browning and flavor that the water bath alone can't provide.
Tips
- For food safety, most meats and poultry need a minimum sous vide time at their target temperature to fully pasteurize — very short cook times below the suggested range aren't recommended even if the food looks done.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, with no signup and no limit on how many times you use it.
Since the food cooks in a precisely-controlled water bath rather than a hot pan or oven, it can never exceed the water bath's temperature — meaning the final doneness is determined almost entirely by the temperature you set, not by timing or guesswork.
For most proteins, sous vide has a wide safe time window — cooking a bit longer within the given range generally doesn't overcook it the way traditional methods would, though texture can change with very extended times.