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The Sous Vide Time Calculator determines the minimum and maximum safe cooking times for sous vide preparation of beef, chicken, pork, salmon, and eggs at any thickness and desired doneness level. Sous vide (French for "under vacuum") is a precision cooking method where food is sealed in a bag and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. By setting the bath temperature to the exact desired final core temperature of the food, sous vide eliminates overcooking and produces consistently perfect results that are impossible to achieve with conventional high-heat methods.
The key physics underlying sous vide cooking is heat diffusion. The time required for the center of a food item to reach the bath temperature scales approximately with the square of the thickness: t ∝ d². This means doubling the thickness quadruples the minimum cooking time. A 15 mm chicken breast heats in approximately 20–30 minutes, while a 60 mm roast requires at least 4–6 hours for the center to equilibrate. This calculator uses this relationship, calibrated with empirical data for different food types, to provide time windows that guarantee food safety and optimal texture.
Recommended temperatures reflect the culinary consensus for each protein and doneness level: beef rare at 54°C, medium-rare at 57°C, medium at 63°C; chicken breast at 60–74°C (60°C being the minimum pasteurization temperature for chicken over sufficient time); salmon at 40–52°C for silky-smooth texture. The starting temperature matters significantly — frozen food requires approximately 50–60 extra minutes for the center to thaw and reach bath temperature before the cooking timer effectively starts.
The maximum time is the point beyond which texture begins to degrade: proteins continue denaturing and collagen-rich cuts become mushy. Steaks can be held at temperature for 1–4 hours safely, but eggs and fish degrade much faster. Unlike conventional cooking, the wide minimum-to-maximum window gives sous vide its remarkable flexibility — start your bath early and the food holds safely within the temperature range until you are ready to serve.
Minimum cooking time is based on thermal diffusion: t_min = 0.8 × (thickness_cm)² minutes, scaled by a food-type factor reflecting thermal properties (beef: 1.0, roast: 1.5, chicken breast: 0.9, salmon: 0.7). An additional 10 minutes is added for refrigerator-temperature starting and 60 minutes for frozen. Maximum time is set at 4× the minimum time, capped at 2880 minutes (48 hours) for braising cuts. The 0.8 coefficient is derived from Fourier's law of heat conduction with typical food thermal diffusivity values (~0.13 mm²/s), providing conservative (safe) estimates.
The output gives a time range. The minimum is the time needed for the food center to reach the bath temperature — you must cook at least this long for food safety and desired doneness. The maximum is the time beyond which texture degrades. For steaks: cook between minimum and maximum for perfect results. For fish: stay close to the minimum for silky texture. For chicken: the minimum already achieves pasteurization at temperatures above 60°C over adequate time. Always sear immediately after sous vide (30–60 seconds per side in very hot pan or with torch) to develop Maillard browning and crisp surface.
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Cook at 57°C for 1.5 to 7 hours. A 35 mm steak needs at least 1 hour 48 minutes. Sear for 45 seconds per side in a cast iron pan over maximum heat before serving.
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Frozen chicken breast at 65°C requires about 1 hour 18 minutes minimum — 60 extra minutes for thawing included. Always verify the center is fully cooked when cooking from frozen.
Beef medium rare sous vide is cooked at 54–57°C (130–135°F). At 54°C the beef will be truly rare with a warm red center; at 57°C it achieves the classic medium-rare profile with a warm pink center, maximal juiciness, and a tender texture. Set your immersion circulator to 56–57°C for a textbook medium-rare steak. Do not exceed 60°C for beef if you want anything less than medium — the texture and juiciness decrease significantly above this temperature as more myosin proteins denature.
Heat transfer by conduction (Fourier's law) governs how quickly the center of food reaches the bath temperature. The time for heat to diffuse to the center of a slab is proportional to the square of the half-thickness: t = d² / (4α), where α is the thermal diffusivity of the food. This means a 40 mm steak takes 4 times longer to heat through than a 20 mm steak (not 2 times). This is why thick roasts require many hours while thin fillets cook in 30–45 minutes.
Yes, at sufficient time. Pasteurization is a function of both temperature and time. At 60°C, chicken achieves a 7-log reduction of Salmonella (full pasteurization) in approximately 35 minutes. At 63°C, pasteurization occurs in about 8 minutes. At 74°C (instant kill), less than 1 minute. The key is maintaining the temperature for the required duration — not just reaching it momentarily. This calculator ensures minimum times sufficient for pasteurization at each temperature setting.
Yes. Cooking from frozen is safe and convenient for sous vide because the water bath controls the final temperature precisely — unlike an oven where frozen food might thaw unevenly. Add 50–60 minutes to the standard cooking time to account for thawing time. Ensure the food is in a sealed sous vide bag before freezing for best results. Cooking directly from freezer-to-bath is acceptable for all food types in this calculator when the added time is observed.
For most proteins, extended cooking causes progressive texture degradation: beef steaks become mushy and lose their characteristic texture after 4–6 hours at medium-rare temperatures; chicken breast becomes unpleasantly soft after 2–4 hours at 63–65°C; fish degrades fastest and should generally not exceed 1 hour. For collagen-rich cuts (brisket, short ribs, chuck), long cooking times (24–72 hours) at 60–68°C are intentional, converting collagen to gelatin for a tender, silky result. Eggs are very sensitive to extended times — a 63°C egg cooked for 90 minutes vs. 45 minutes will have a noticeably softer white.
For refrigerator-to-pasteurized proteins held at cooking temperature: beef steaks (57°C): up to 4–6 hours before texture degrades; chicken breast (63–65°C): 2–4 hours; pork chops: 4–6 hours; fish: 30–60 minutes maximum; eggs: 45–90 minutes depending on desired texture. The food is safe indefinitely while at or above pasteurization temperature, but quality suffers. If you need to hold longer, increase the cooking window by choosing a tender cut (like a thick short rib) rather than a delicate one.
Traditional sous vide uses vacuum sealing to remove air (which is a poor heat conductor and can cause the bag to float). However, a ziplock-style bag with the water displacement method (slowly lowering the bag into water while open, letting water pressure push air out, then sealing) works well for most home sous vide cooking up to 4–6 hours. For very long cooks (12+ hours) or very high temperatures (80°C+), a proper vacuum seal is recommended to prevent water infiltration and maintain consistent contact between food and bag.
Always measure the thickest part of the food item — this is the last point to reach the bath temperature. For a chicken breast with varying thickness, measure the thick end. For a steak, measure the raw thickness before cooking. For a bag containing multiple pieces stacked together, either separate them (preferred) or calculate based on the total stacked thickness. Bones conduct heat differently than muscle — for bone-in cuts, increase cooking time by 20–30% to ensure the meat near the bone reaches temperature.
Both methods (pre-sear and post-sear) are used by chefs, each with trade-offs. Post-sear (most common): cook sous vide, then sear. Produces the best surface Maillard crust since the surface is dry and the interior is already at desired temperature. Pre-sear: sear first, then sous vide. Can improve flavor development in the bag through flavor migration. For most home cooks, post-sear is simpler and produces better visual results. Pat the food very dry before searing and use an extremely hot pan (cast iron at max heat) for 30–60 seconds per side to avoid overcooking the already-cooked interior.
Sous vide salmon temperatures: Raw-style (like sushi texture, very translucent): 40–42°C for 30–45 min; Medium-rare (silky, tender, barely opaque): 45–47°C for 30–45 min; Medium (flaky, fully opaque but moist): 52°C for 30–45 min; Well done / food-safe for high-risk individuals: 60°C for 30 min. For food safety with wild salmon (parasite risk), freeze at -20°C for 7 days before eating at low temperatures, or cook to 60°C for full safety. Farmed Atlantic salmon is generally considered lower parasite risk.
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