Planning

Sous-Vide Calculator

Choose an ingredient and thickness to get a practical sous-vide temperature and cooking window.

What are you cooking?Thickness

Safety note: These are practical starting points, not a substitute for local food-safety guidance. Keep the bag sealed, use a verified circulator, and do not leave food in the danger zone.

130°F · 1 hr 30 min–3 hr

Sear briefly in a very hot pan after the bath. Times assume the food starts refrigerated and the bath is already at temperature.

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Practical guide

Plan the water bath without confusing warming with pasteurization

What the calculation helps with

Sous-vide cooking uses a controlled water bath to bring food toward a chosen temperature with less temperature variation than a hot pan. This calculator suggests a bath setting and practical timing window for the selected food and thickness. It can help coordinate preparation and a final sear, but it is not a validated pasteurization table. Reaching a bath temperature, warming the center, and holding the center long enough for a particular safety process are different events. A sealed bag does not make undercooked food safe or extend its storage life automatically.

Set up a manageable family batch

For four portions, choose pieces with similar thickness so their heating needs are comparable. Package them in suitable food-contact bags, keep them in a single layer, and leave space for water circulation. Six portions may need a larger vessel rather than a higher temperature. Confirm that the water stays between the appliance's minimum and maximum marks, that bags remain submerged, and that the circulator can heat the full load. Begin with properly refrigerated ingredients and prevent raw juices from contaminating the searing area, serving plate, or the outside of clean equipment.

Reserve time for the finish

A water bath does not brown a steak or crisp chicken skin. Before the bath session ends, prepare the skillet or grill, dry the food's surface, and have the remaining meal ready. Searing several portions can become the actual dinner bottleneck: a crowded pan cools down and steams the food. Work in manageable batches with a plan for serving them promptly. Do not leave sealed bags on the counter while waiting for other dishes. If the tool's suggested schedule cannot accommodate your equipment, move the serving time rather than assuming a shorter bath produces the same result.

Know when a different reference is needed

USDA's straightforward consumer minimums remain a useful reference: poultry 165°F, ground meats 160°F, and whole beef, pork, lamb, or veal 145°F with a three-minute rest. Lower-temperature sous-vide cooking requires an appropriate, validated time-and-temperature process for the exact food and thickness; this calculator does not establish one. Choose a conventional safe-temperature method when that information is unavailable, especially for vulnerable diners. If you intend to chill and store bagged food, follow a validated cooling and storage method rather than treating an estimated cooking window as shelf-life guidance. For ordinary leftovers, refrigerate promptly and reheat to 165°F.

References for this guide

Methodology

How we calculate this

Methodology reviewed September 2026

Each food has a baseline bath temperature and time window. Thickness adjustments extend heating time for foods where center temperature is thickness-dependent.

The math

Adjusted time = base time × thickness factor
Current factors: standard 1×, thick 1.25×, very thick 1.5×
Long-tenderizing foods use a fixed food-specific window

Worked example

A 90-minute baseline with a 1.25 thickness factor becomes about 115 minutes after rounding to five-minute increments.

Sources

USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart

Frequently asked questions

Helpful answers

How long should a 1-inch steak cook sous vide before searing?

About 1 to 2 hours is commonly enough to heat a 1-inch steak through at the selected bath temperature. Thickness, not weight, drives heating time.

Can I cook chicken breast sous vide at 150°F?

Time and temperature work together for pasteurization, so lower temperatures require enough holding time. Use a tested safety reference and an accurately controlled bath.

Why is my sous-vide pork chop gray after searing?

The sear may be too long or the surface may still be wet. Dry the chop thoroughly, preheat the pan, and use a short, intense sear.

A practical starting point

Use the result as a planning estimate, then trust the ingredients, your thermometer, and the food in front of you. This tool is designed to make the first calculation easier—not to replace good kitchen judgment.

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