Cooking apparatus using liquid bath

A liquid based sous vide cooking system, comprising:

• a kitchen sink configured for holding an amount of water, wherein the kitchen sink is adapted for washing dishes in one mode of operation, wherein the kitchen sink is fixed or fixable in position, the kitchen sink having a bottom surface and a wall or walls extending upwardly therefrom to define an interior volume for holding the amount of water, for washing dishes therein, the kitchen sink further including a conventional kitchen sink drain in the bottom surface, which is closable by a user to maintain water in the kitchen sink and openable to permit water to completely exit therefrom, the kitchen sink further including a faucet or tap external to the kitchen sink that is configured to deliver heated water at a first temperature for washing dishes therein by hand, wherein the kitchen sink is characterized by an absence of a heating unit in the interior volume, the kitchen sink including at least one heating unit external to the interior volume of the kitchen sink, adapted and controlled to heat water in the interior volume of the kitchen sink to user settable temperatures over substantially an entire temperature range of 120° F.-160° F. for sous vide cooking in the kitchen sink in a second mode of operation;
• a temperature control unit coupled to the at least one heating unit;
• an on/off switch for the heating unit wherein in an off position thereof, the kitchen sink is for washing dishes with the heated water in the one mode of operation, and in an on position the water in the kitchen sink is heated to the user settable temperatures over substantially the entire temperature range of 120° F.-160° F., for sous vide cooking in the second mode of operation;
• a sealed cooking bag or a sealed container;
• a temperature sensor arrangement providing feedback to the temperature control unit when the on/off switch is in the on position, wherein at least one sensor of the temperature sensor arrangement is adapted to monitor at least one of a second temperature of the water in the kitchen sink or a third temperature of food being cooked in the sealed cooking bag or the sealed container which is immersed in the water in the kitchen sink when the kitchen sink is used for sous vide cooking in the second mode of operation, wherein the temperature control unit is responsive to the temperature sensor arrangement together and is adapted to control the water in the kitchen sink to the user settable temperatures over substantially the entire temperature range of 120° F.-160° F., the sealed cooking bag or the sealed container being immersed in the water in the kitchen sink for a period of time when the on/off switch is the on position to cook the food in the sealed cooking bag or the sealed container to a target food temperature, wherein the target food temperature is established in accordance with the food being cooked sous vide;
• a recirculation pump in fluid communication with the water in the kitchen sink, wherein the recirculation pump is removeable with respect to the kitchen sink and is repositionable throughout the interior volume of the kitchen sink for circulating the water throughout the interior volume of the kitchen sink, and wherein the recirculation pump includes a plurality of ports that are disposed at different positions and different heights around a circumference of the recirculation pump and that cause the water to circulate throughout the interior volume of the kitchen sink;
• a battery that provides electric power to the recirculation pump in order to circulate the water in the kitchen sink;
• and
• a charging port for charging the battery.