No Vacuum Packer? No Problem.
A lot of people ask if they need a vacuum packer for sous vide cooking. In a word, no. Vacuum packers are often bulky, expensive pieces of equipment that the average home cook wouldn't normally have. Sure, if you've got the space and budget, by all means go for it, but they're not necessary. And that's because you can simply use the water displacement method. This little trick essentially transforms a normal Ziploc-style bag into a vacuum packed bag. How does it work? Like this: Slowly lower an open bag into a water bath, forcing the air out. Only when the air has been pushed out do you seal the bag and then clip it to the edge. Easy, right? Watch my handy video to see how to get all of the air out of a normal Ziploc bag: