Reddit reviews Ikea VARIERA 701.548.00 Pot Lid Organizer, Stainless Steel

Ikea Stainless Steel Pot Lid Organizer

Good question. What you see in the last picture is a 5lb shoulder roast that I threw in this morning. It was too big for the pinching action you describe so I added a knife to the bag and attached magnets to the rack which is holding the shoulder in place.

But yes, this rack can be used in a variety of ways: the squish method you mentioned, the magnet setup I described, or you can use binder clips to attach the bag to the metal posts. All really depending on what you're cooking.

I usually attach it and then gently lower it into the water until I get my fingers almost to the surface of the water and then drop it in. To remove, I've used tongs and silicone gloves. I've tried barehanding it a few times - certainly not recommended.

The rack is fine. It's been through probably 30 SV sessions and it's holding up pretty well. It's a cheapo Ikea deal so there's a little bit of rust but the price is definitely right! Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJTWR04/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is only necessary to weigh things down with sous vide if they're floating. If you use a ziplock bag you can get most of the air out using the water displacement method where you put your food in the ziplock and mostly seal it. Then you dunk the ziplock bag into water almost up to the seal and the water pushes most of the air out.

You'll never get all of the air out though with that method so a cheap foodsaver is a good idea. Also some foods (like veggies) give off gas as they're cooking so they still need to be weighed down. I actually have a pot lid organizer from IKEA that is great since it can keep your food separated for better water circulation but it can also be flipped over to act as a weight when necessary. As you can see from the Amazon reviews, this is a pretty popular alternate use. It probably goes without saying but head on over to /r/sousvide if you want to see what we're up to!

Another user here of the 3 gallon/ (12 quart) rubbermaid container and lid. I cut a very small hole in the lid for my anova to fit into and it hardly loses any water even on >24 hr cooks. Plus the lid is flexible enough to just lift one or two corners and position bags. you can also use it to keep a zip top bag in place instead of clips or vacuum bags.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R8JOUC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VAUFD6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00


I also use this ikea pot lid organizer to help separate bags or weigh down food that just keeps wanting to float. It is pretty nice because you can turn it around and remove pegs to customize the shape for what you are cooking.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJTWR04?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

Something else that is nice to use is a pair of tongs with silicone tips so that they don't rip your bags but still grip your food for removal or changing the placement of food, because you don't want to stick your hands in hot water!

http://smile.amazon.com/Vivree-Kitchen-Tongs-Set-Stainless/dp/B00XGXGP3Y/ref=pd_sim_79_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41nuul3KFhL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0TK46SWSYA8WEN7S6YPR

It is super simple. Anova even has an app so you can monitor your cooker while you are in another room. They are on sale right now which is why I pulled the trigger.

anova precision $155 w the code SPRING25

12 qt container $24.95

container lid $11.08

apparently you can also just float ping pong balls on the top as well - having a lid insulates and slows the water evaporation

cheap adjustable rack to keep the meat in place $13.21

vacuum sealer $69.99

but for this you can just use freezer bags and water displacement to get a similar outcome

So to piggy back on this topic, I have a 3 gallon container and was having a hard time finding a good rack. I finally went with the Ikea variera pot lid holder which is adjustable in length. I was a little worried about the plastic feet but they have held up including one 2 hour cook at 176 F.

Here is an amazon link which shoes what it looks like, the Ikea item number, and would allow someone without an Ikea to purchase (I think it is only $6 at Ikea though).

http://www.amazon.com/Ikea-701-548-00-Variera-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=zg_bs_13750001_3

I use this pot lid rack to stand up and separate steaks. For stuff that tends to float, I flip it upside down, trapping the bags underneath (and the posts can still be used to keep bags separated for good water flow).

Grab one of these to separate your food, or as a weight on top for larger cuts.

They rust after a while, but for the price they're great.

If you don't have an Ikea near you, they do sell them on amazon but for about twice the price.

Amazon link for the lazier - also cheaper if you're just wanting one and don't have an IKEA nearby.

I use this for my rack

http://www.amazon.com/Ikea-Stainless-Steel-Organizer-701-548-00/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1450295340&sr=8-3&keywords=sous+vide+rack

There are infinite options for setup so I'll simply provide what I use:

I have a cambro food container I cook in. Rubbermaid works well but I needed something bigger. I use an IKEA lid organizer to hold my bags in place (this didn't fit in the rubbermaid). I only put foil or lids on the top for extremely long cooks (18-24 hours), you won't lose much water in a basic dinner cook. I have a rubber mat on my counter for hotter cooks to protect it. I also use a vacuum sealer for my food and found that placing a pyrex dish in the water helps keep them from floating. Here are some links to what I have purchased

https://www.amazon.com/Cambro-12189CW135-Polycarbonate-Storage-Camwear/dp/B002NQB63E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1492527700&sr=8-8&keywords=cambro+food

https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-VARIERA-701-548-00-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00TJTWR04&pd_rd_r=F9YJ15R2DKR95RQBYK3R&pd_rd_w=TH4K1&pd_rd_wg=oNXkw&psc=1&refRID=F9YJ15R2DKR95RQBYK3R

https://www.amazon.com/Countertops-Antibacterial-Dishwasher-Grey-XL/dp/B01MYV1O16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492527763&sr=8-1&keywords=rubber+mat+counter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000R8JOUC/ref=twister_B01FXRJ34I?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You can get really creative and fit a lot of meat on a 18" WSM. I bought this last summer and used it to get 4 racks of ribs sideways on a single rack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJTWR04/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can also buy vertical chicken roasters to fit 2 or 3 chickens on a single rack.

https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-5667-Vertical-Non-Stick/dp/B000I1X4RC/

To make a full packer brisket fit on my 18" rack, I will wrap a brick in aluminium foil and put it under the brisket to arch it up in the middle. It doesn't affect the bark or the cooking time and is easy to find.

IKEA lid organizers! I love mine so much, and use them for palettes. I keep one for eye palettes and a second one for face palettes. They can be stretched or squished to whatever size your collection needs. You won't need to replace the organizers if you run out of room for palettes, just stretch them so you'll be able to put 2 palettes per "slot". They also are very minimal in the sense that your items won't be blocked by a piece of plastic so you can see them better and reach for them easily.

This is a great alternative to an expensive rack for your sous vide container. Its a $12 pot lid organizer, stainless steel from IKEA and the prongs are removable so you can customize to the spacing you desire.

https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-VARIERA-701-548-00-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469563173&sr=8-1&keywords=ikea+pot+lid+organizer

1. It's not usually an issue, but some people have said they think it has damaged their device. A common solution is wrapping a dish towel around the device directly above the lid. The towel will get wet from steam, but keep the top of the Anova dry.
   
   
2. It's generally better to re-bag, because you don't know what's in those bags, and you don't know if they're designed for that. Sometimes the seal will break or the bag may have nasty stuff in it. However that was probably not the issue with getting the steak to temp. As has been mentioned, if it gets stuck in a corner and the water isn't circulating well, one of these will help: https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-VARIERA-701-548-00-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04. Keeps it in place and allows the water to flow around it. Also, do you have a good thermometer? Could be the issue for both things if not.

The pot lid separator is a great idea. Here's the Ikea version on Amazon for those of us without an Ikea:

http://amzn.com/B00TJTWR04

If you have Prime you'll save on shipping vs buying it on Ikea's site.

For the rack? Here you go

Yeah, it's the Ikea one, but I bought from Amazon for more money and free shipping here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJTWR04

Generally you want good water circulation all around the meat. It looks like your steaks are making contact with the bottom of the pot. It'll still work because the pot also heats up, but it's sub-optimal.

I bought this thing to have a fully configurable rack to place bags in:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJTWR04/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can install/remove any of the stands, they screw in. No plastic parts, all stainless steel. Pretty cheap compared to other options.

In your case, I would have arranged the steaks 90 degrees rotated in the bag so you get good space between them, and then each steak can sit in it's own part of the rack, with the space between them helping bridge the gap. That would still only use one bag, and you get excellent water flow around each steak.

This is what you want. Look at the reviews, they’re all from sous viders. Works great.

I have 2 of these. I love them.

https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-VARIERA-701-548-00-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550040777&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ikea+pot+lid+holder&dpPl=1&dpID=31VbfomJZ0L&ref=plSrch

A lid organizer like this Ikea VARIERA 701.548.00 Pot Lid Organizer, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00TJTWR04/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZlqqDb4QVR751 and get glasslock containers instead.

If you are still having trouble after following some of the advice in this thread, you might consider using a heavy object to weigh the bag down in the water.

www.amazon.com/Ikea-VARIERA-701-548-00-Organizer-Stainless/dp/B00TJTWR04

This is a good (cheap) product that will do the job for multiple items at once. Obviously that is not it's intended use, but it seems to work just fine.