Equipment Focus: CT-1 Sous Vide Cook Tank

DC Norris North America launched the CT-1 Sous Vide Cook Tank to the commercial food market to fill an unmet need for industrial automation in sous vide cooking in a footprint that fits a commercial kitchen. The CT-1 is a 50-gallon, stainless steel, fully automated cook tank. Since its launch, the CT-1 has helped commercial food producers do more than automate sous vide cooking, it has helped them tackle unprecedented challenges in supply chains, labor, and more.

How Does the CT-1 Work?

Step 1: Preportioned foods are placed into plastic pouches which are then vacuum sealed. Seasonings can also be added to the pockets. These vacuum-sealed plastic pouches will be used during the water bath cooking process in the cook tank and during the cooling process. The same unopened pouches can also be used for cold or frozen storage and transport.

Step 2: A temperature probe is inserted into one of the vacuum-sealed food pouches to monitor the internal core product temperature.

Step 3: Cooking time and water bath temperatures are set through the integrated full-color HMI.

Step 4: The cook tank is filled with water (automatically as the cook tank is connected to the facility water source). 

Step 5: The vacuum-sealed pouches filled with preportioned food and seasoning are cooked in a low-temperature water bath for a programmed length of time until the desired core product temperature is achieved. 

Step 6: Once the product reaches temperature, the water bath is then drained. It can then be refilled with cold water to lower the core product temperature safely or transferred to a separate chiller.

Step 7: Once products are safely chilled they can be stored in chilled storage or frozen for later rethermalization.

What Foods are Best Suited to the CT-1?

Sous vide cooking is used widely in both industrial manufacturing facilities and restaurant kitchens. Most commonly, sous vide is a technique used to cook meats like beef and chicken as it results in perfectly moist, fork tender, idyllically seasoned cuts that are typically hard to achieve without highly skilled chefs preparing them. Sous vide is also a common preparation method for meats because it can tenderize less expensive cuts, lowering ingredient costs for producers while still delivering high-quality cooked foods.

Sous vide can also be used to cook vegetables, rice, eggs, and even delicate desserts.

Stand Out Features of the CT-1:

• Made in the USA
• Fully automatic operation for cooking/cooling stages
• Standard electric heating:
  240 Volt 3-Phase
  208 Volt 3-Phase (available)
• Product temperature probe (for precise core product
  temperature control and safety)
• Simple, intuitive touchscreen control
• DC Norris Virtual Chart Recorder software compatible
  (optional extra)
• Slow overnight/unattended cooking
• No minimum batch size
• NSF Certified

CT-1 Videos:

CT-1 Specs:

Overall Depth:             37”

Overall Width:             28”

Overall Height:            37”

Water Capacity:           50 Gallons

Product Capacity:        120lbs

Number of Baskets:     3

Electrical:                        240V 3-Phase or 208V 3-Phase

Water:                             Ambient

Chilling:                          Glycol for Automated Chilling

Request More Information About the CT-1

With more than 50 years of experience, DC Norris has been helping brands around the globe produce the most nutritious foods in the most efficient ways possible. We’re ready to help you. Contact our sales team to have a more in depth discussion about the CT-1, how it’s priced, and how it will help your business.