(I have since got my hand on Codlo and did a little review here. Get your Codlo here.)

If you are still unsure about picking up Sous-vide cooking, Codlo may just help to get you going.

As followers of this blog will know by now, I am a huge believer in Sous-vide cooking for the home. You can check up on related posts and the devices I am using.

I have always been hoping that someone would design a Sous-vide device which is attractive and user-friendly. Currently, most SV appliances look like lab machines, more suited for geeks than home cooks.

So when Grace Lee from Codlo.com wrote in recently to inform me about their new Sous Vide project, it caught my attention immediately. Codlo is every bit how I imagined a Sous-vide device should be - and more.

An Economics graduate from Cambridge University, Grace worked in investment banking for 5 years ago before teaming up with Xi to pioneer Codlo. Xi is a fellow Cambridge graduate who studied Manufacturing Engineering.

Grace Lee, Codlo

A Malaysian, she is also a keen follower of my blog, nearly triggering the smoke alarm in her London flat to get her Char Siew done TFC way. She experimented with SV to get her Hainanese Chicken done right.

Here, in this TFC interview, she is happy to share her thoughts and inspiration behind this project:

TFC: Grace, tell us how you got interested in the Sous-vide cooking technique.

I took a brief break from investment banking to pursue my passion for cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. I loved it! It was there that I discovered the wonders of the Sous-vide cooking technique. When I wanted to try it, the appliances available were either too expensive (£250-£900), bulky, or generally too complicated to use for a new user. I turned to Xi for help, given his engineering background. Together, we hacked a working prototype and tried our first sous-vide chicken breast, and we were completely blown away!

Sous-vide made me question the presumptions of how existing food should taste like. So for the next few weeks, I literally visited the butcher every other day to buy different cuts of meat to try! With Sous-vide, food can actually be tasty, healthy and easy.


TFC: So, you started by hacking your own Sous-vide gadget. Why Codlo? 

Codlo comes from "Coddle", where in the old days was used to described the way of gently cooking eggs. It sounds cute and cuddly too which is great!

Working and improving on Codlo

We wanted a device which is different to those available today. Sous-vide cooking can be made easier, intuitive, cheaper and accessible to all, with good form and function, and yet, powerful and robust.

Cable-neat, color-options and zero footprint

This project embodies my passion for cooking, the Sous-vide technique and Xi's interest in engineering and manufacturing. I have been working full-time on this project for nearly a year now and invested most of our savings. We believe passionately in what we are doing. This way of cooking is still nouveau and it is exciting to be a part of something like this. We envision a future where everyone can enjoy sous-vide cooking at home, all over the world.

These factors guided our design philosophy for Codlo’s simple, intuitive and modern design you see today. We’ve gone through many iterations of models and prototypes for the past year, and here’s a sneak peek of Codlo’s design evolution. It's intuitive and easy to use - just plug-and-play. No setup should be required.

We also wanted to minimise the cable mess and reduce kitchen footprint, which for Codlo is actually zero! And it will come with different colour options: Graphite, Firebrick Red and Lime Green.


TFC: It certainly looks beautiful. Does it play MP3 files? Ignore that question. Describe to us some of the technical aspects of Codlo. 

Hmmm, we may consider adding a music function in future versions if that's what users want! We all sing in the kitchen don't we ;)
Codlo is a compact sous-vide controller that transforms your existing rice or slow cooker into a sous-vide machine.

You can check out this fun video we’ve made to see it in action.

Codlo's patent-pending Fluid algorithm

It also comes with commercial-quality precision due to our patent-pending Fluid algorithm. With Fluid, Codlo adapts to your individual cooker's characteristics for accurate temperature control. From our extensive testing, it maintains a ±0.2°C temperature stability with all types of compatible cookers.


TFC: So, inside this cute thing, a lot of technical know-how has gone into it. How much will it hurt? 

What do you mean? It is not a cleaver, you know. And we have worked out the safety features…

TFC: The cost, the cost...

*Laughter.* We are doing our best to make Codlo affordable and we're confident that it will be. Prices will be announced next week, so stay up to date on our Facebook page for that - there will be huge discounts for early supporters!

TFC: No ouch factor to worry about then. Where or when can we get a Codlo? Can't wait.

We are planning to launch on Kickstarter for crowdfunding on 28th June 5pm UK time (midnight in Singapore/Malaysia), where you can pre-order your Codlo upfront and join us in our journey to bring it to full manufacture. We will have huge discounts for early supporters, so do join our mailing list and our Codlo free giveaway to be the first to know once we launch!

Bringing a new product to market is incredibly challenging, especially its function (Sous Vide) has not gained mass adoption so far. But we are confident that Codlo will bring Sous Vide cooking into more homes and restaurants. If our crowdfunding is successful, we expect to complete Codlo’s manufacturing latest by March 2014, after it passes various safety and quality testing. We hope you’ll support us in our journey to make sous-vide available to all!

TFC: We will definitely support this project. Many reasons to. 

Here’s a snapshot of some dishes I’ve cooked sous-vide. More to come soon and I'm sure TFC will guide us with more SV inspired recipes.


TFC: They look delish! We will continue to feature more articles on Sous-vide facts and recipes and inspire home cooks to leverage on this approach. All the best to your project! 

Thank you for sharing in and encouraging us in our journey.