Boilable vacuum bags withstand water baths up to 120 °C. That makes them the right choice for sous vide, for regenerating pre-cooked food and for pasteurisation – occasions when an ordinary vacuum bag isn't enough.
Why isn't an ordinary vacuum bag enough?
Because the inner layer melts. A thin 80 micron bag starts to give way at around 70 °C. The bag may look intact after the water bath, but the barrier is destroyed and the material is no longer in contact with the food under the conditions it was approved for. That is why heat resistance, not thickness, determines whether a bag is boilable.
What do you use them for?
- Sous vide – long water baths at 55–90 °C
- Regeneration – reheating pre-cooked components in a water bath
- Pasteurisation – where the temperature exceeds 100 °C