[greglepore]

Jeff-it depends on what you're after. For "traditional" sous vide, the pressure is part of the process in keeping juices in, supposedly, but folks have good luck for short cook times with ziplock-google the technique using water displacement to get the air out. For long cook times I only use a foodsaver or other vac device. You can do salmon "sous vide" in 130 degree tap water and a ziplock, and its awesome. The big thing is that if you don't vacuum pack you need to make sure the item stays submerged, somehow.

Rumors abound of steaks done "sous vide" in hotel pans of butter with an immersion circulator and no bag. Really, that's low temp cooking, like the wd's ribs upthread, with no sous vide element. I really like low temp ribs, now that I'm without a smoker...its got all of the texture, just minus the hickory.

The Annova makes sous vide for the general public affordable. Also check out the Searzall, a Kickstarter project, which will bring much of the power of a salamander to the home cook.