Reddit Agrees, the '137 Club' Is the Best Way to Make Steak. Here's How It Works
One curious phenomenon has commenters proclaiming that 137 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature for cooking steak sous vide. The cooking hack allegedly yields the best flavor and texture. Ribeye is the most common cut in many discussions, but I've seen recommendations on cheaper cuts of beef like chuck steak and New York strip. A Reddit search reveals over 125 threads on the aptly named "137 Club." So I dug deeper to look at the science behind this cooking trend and, of course, tried it for myself.
The science of cooking the perfect steak
I seasoned every steak identically with salt, granulated garlic powder and cracked black pepper.
John Carlsen/CNET
Ahead of my test, I hit the books. My first instinct was to consult Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxine Bilet, which is one of the most comprehensive resources on the science of cooking.
With a list price that usually tops $500, over 2,400 pages across six volumes and no digital version, this is easier said than done. Fortunately, I found a copy of the more compact Modernist Cuisine at Home in Brigham Young University's collection near my home. ("More compact" is a relative term since it's also huge.) Thankfully, Modernist Cuisine at Home has an entire section about cooking steak, including the sous vide method.
Vacuum sealing the steaks overnight allowed the seasoning to work as a marinade.
John Carlsen/CNET
The book groups cuts of steak into two categories: tender (filet, tenderloin, New York strip, ribeye, T-bone and so on) and tough cuts (chuck, skirt, hanger, flat iron, flank and so on). Tender cuts typically cook at lower temperatures, with the authors and their lab generally preferring a medium rare doneness around 133 F in most cases. In contrast, the recommendations for tough cuts hover around 144 F to 149 F, which the book implies is a more traditional roast-like result: think tender and flaky rather than extra juicy.
Douglas Baldwin's masterclass A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking, cites multiple scientific papers that suggest the best tenderness results with beef lie somewhere between 120 F and 150 F, with specific mention of 131 F to 140 F for cheaper, tougher cuts of beef. This appears to be the sweet spot for converting tough collagen into smooth, flavorful gelatin.
Additionally, Modernist Cuisine at Home suggests that ribeye, a tender cut of meat, turns out best after three hours at 133 F. There are small differences between the resources, but both seem to validate the 137 Club as a catchall method for steak.
The steaks barely fit in the container I use for my sous vide bath, but I made it work with some strategic spacers and weights.
John Carlsen/CNET
While I wasn't able to track down the founding member of the 137 Club, I know that the term started gaining steam in April 2020, at least on Reddit.
If I had to guess why 137 F became the magic number, it probably comes down to preference for the first person who tried it -- they might have liked it more medium than medium rare. After all, 137 degrees falls in the aforementioned temperature range, with a margin of error in case the temperature of the sous vide bath fluctuates during cooking. In this case, the temperature could vary by 3 degrees either way without affecting the results too heavily.
My research ends here, but I doubt I'll be the last person wondering where it all came from.
The experiment
We all tried three samples with a simple survey asking about the texture, flavor and anything else that stood out.
John Carlsen/CNET
Now that we know that there's some science behind the 137 Club, it's time to test. I originally intended to test it with ribeye, which frequently comes up in 137 Club threads. It has a great balance of fatty tissue that supposedly renders better at a higher temperature. Instead, I found tender 1-inch T-bones on sale, which will work just fine.
The main purpose was to see if there were any noticeable differences in the cooking. There were five taste testers: myself and four others who I'll refer to as Annette, Lauren, Hank and Nora. None of us had tasted the 137 F method before.
Steak A: Grilled
This was also the fastest cook because it required practically no additional prep beyond seasoning.
John Carlsen/CNET
I grilled Steak A in the traditional style, using a timer and a meat thermometer to reach an internal temperature of 131 F. (I aimed for 129 F, but grills are fickle things.) It took about 7 minutes.
All of us agreed the traditional grilled steak was the least tender of the three steaks. As expected, the inside of the steak wasn't as consistent as with the sous vide steaks. However, it was juicy and the outside seared perfectly because I didn't have to worry as much about ruining the sous vide steaks. Nora even said it was her favorite: "Most flavor, I can taste each seasoning."
Steak B: Sous vide at 129 F for 60 minutes
I learned to sous vide steak at 129 F, so it was a good comparison point.
John Carlsen/CNET
I cooked Steak B with my normal sous vide method of 129 F for 60 minutes. (Note: I usually do 120 minutes, but shortened it due to time constraints.) Crucially, this steak lies outside the temperature range mentioned earlier. Since the experiment was at a family member's house, I chose to sear the sous vide steaks on the grill, which isn't as precise or powerful as my trusty blowtorch.
Also, searing multiple T-bones with my small blowtorch would've taken an eternity. Likewise, I could've done a better job by not searing all three sous vide steaks at the same time.
I bought four steaks in total, so there were two Steak Bs, with the thinner one turning out slightly more medium after searing.
John Carlsen/CNET
As a result, Steak B's crust was uneven and the flavor wasn't as pronounced as the grilled steak. The fat also didn't render as well as the other steaks. Everyone liked how soft this steak was, with one tester saying it fell apart in her mouth. Still, Steak B was the favorite option of three tasters: Annette, Lauren and me.
However, it was the lowest-ranked steak for the other two respondents. Hank said it was "a little too different for my liking but still enjoyable." Meanwhile, Nora simply liked it but wrote "would not order again." I'll try not to take it personally.
Steak C: Sous vide at 137 F for 60 minutes (also known as the 137 Club)
In my case, I feel like it was a toss-up between Steak B (middle) and Steak C (left).
John Carlsen/CNET
I cooked Steak C at 137 F for an hour before keeping it warm in the 129 F bath with Steak B for another hour. Yes, the extra time affected the final result on Steak C, but seeing that many 137 Club threads suggest cooking for at least 120 minutes, I was fine adding a little more time. The sear turned out a little better than with Steak B.
We all noticed that it wasn't as moist as the other sous vide steak, but it was extremely juicy. However, Steak C was flakier, more tender and seemed to have a deeper flavor because the fat had more time to render out and interact with the meat. Juiciness was the deciding factor for the tasters who preferred the other sous vide steak. But Steak C certainly had fans and was very good, with Hank saying it was "the best of the three in my opinion."
What's the verdict on the 137 Club?
Despite juggling cooking times and completing three steak methods simultaneously, it's always so rewarding to share good food with family.
John Carlsen/CNET
I learned two things from this experiment. First, sous vide steaks cooked at 137 F are just as delicious as other methods. It also seems to render fat more effectively than lower sous vide temperatures with a slightly higher level of doneness. It's ideal when you have a few hours to let the water bath work its magic. This helps balance out some of the confirmation bias of the many positive sentiments on Reddit.
Secondly, whether anyone likes the final result ultimately reflects their personal preferences and that's fine. While medium rare is very popular for a lot of people, there are individuals -- my wife included -- who prefer medium-well and well-done steaks. (In case you're wondering, she says well-done sous vide steaks are delicious and much more forgiving than on the grill.)
A final bonus lesson is something I've experienced many times -- it's a blast to experiment when you find something interesting that's within your skills. Trying one thing doesn't mean giving up a treasured cooking method or a favorite meal, but it can open up your possibilities and help you find new ways to make great food.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Is The Mental Health System Broken Or Was It Never Built To Work?
Five years ago, a research team at Stanford achieved what many in psychiatry had long hoped for: A treatment for severe depression that worked rapidly, reliably, and without medication. In their 2020 SAINT trial, 19 out of 21 participants with treatment-resistant depression achieved remission after just five days of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It was a landmark moment. Yet today, the treatment remains almost entirely inaccessible to the average patient. Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) is still paid for out of pocket, costing roughly $20,000, and insurers have been slow to move. A paradox at the heart of American mental healthcare: as innovation accelerates, access stalls. Over the last five years, more than $13 billion has been invested in the sector, but outcomes haven't improved in kind. Patients still cycle through multiple failed treatments. Clinicians are burnt out, and payers are stuck making decisions with no data. It's tempting to say the system is broken. But perhaps it was never built to do what we're now asking of it. A System Built for Simplicity, Not Reality Modern mental healthcare still relies on a medical model designed for acute illness: assess symptoms, assign a diagnosis, and prescribe a standard treatment. It's a linear approach that works well for infections and injuries. But mental illness is not linear. A messy intersection of biology, trauma, environment, and social context shapes conditions like depression, PTSD, and OCD. There's no single cause, no universal treatment. And yet, the system continues to reduce people to diagnosis codes and protocol templates, often leaving naivety at the door. This reductionist model doesn't reflect the complexity of the human experience, and it leaves patients, clinicians, and payers with more questions than answers. The system doesn't work for anyone. Yet, the misalignment of incentives means that all stakeholders are working against one another. Payers prioritize risk management—and in the absence of meaningful data, default to spending as little as possible. Providers focus on individual outcomes. Pharma chases scalable efficacy. Patients just want relief. But it seems no one is working with the correct information, and the frustration and disappointment are palpable. Data alone doesn't matter, because it's about how you use the data to drive change, according to Brayden Efseroff, psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer at Allia Health. 'When patients cycle through multiple failed treatments before finding relief, it's not just frustrating - it's a sign of systemic dysfunction. Decisions are being made without context.' Ariel Ganz, PhD, a precision mental health researcher at Stanford, agrees, 'The same data clinicians need to design effective treatment plans is also critical for payers to manage risk, researchers to improve understanding, and patients to advocate for themselves on their health journey. 'Without more high-quality data, none of these parties can effectively improve patient outcomes.' Precision Mental Health Company is addressing this issue at its core. Their AI-native electronic health record (EHR) isn't designed to replace therapists or psychiatrists, but to support them by capturing, organizing, and translating real-world data into usable, structured insights. This innovative solution holds the promise of a brighter future for mental healthcare. Instead of extracting revenue from clinicians through software subscriptions or taking a percentage of their reimbursement, payers partner directly with Allia on value-based contracts. They're paid only when patients achieve measurable improvements, a stark contrast to the fee-for-service model that rewards volume over outcomes. Amie Leighton, CEO of Allia Health, discovered the need for better data firsthand during years of cycling through hospitals and treatment before finally receiving adequate care. The turning point came when her clinicians had access to complete information about her and were able to communicate with each other - something that had been missing throughout her previous treatments. This personal experience, and the empathy it engenders, shaped the company's mission: to build the infrastructure that allows for context-rich, coordinated, and personalised care. The Bigger Picture How do you fix a system that was never designed to work in the first place? We still have a long way to go, but for the millions of Americans struggling with mental health challenges, finally, an infrastructure-first approach offers something that's been missing: a system designed to actually help people recover. In an industry where patients commonly endure multiple failed treatments before finding relief, this represents a significant shift toward care that prioritizes outcomes.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Judge partially blocks Trump administration from enforcing funding ban against Planned Parenthood
A federal judge on Monday extended an order that blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a provision of President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy law to defund Planned Parenthood's health care services. US District Judge Indira Talwani partially granted Planned Parenthood's request for a preliminary injunction while its lawsuit against the administration plays out. The order does not apply to all Planned Parenthood members. The Trump administration will not be allowed to enforce the funding ban against the Planned Parenthood members who cannot provide abortions because of state abortion bans, or who received less than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in 2023, the Planned Parenthood said Monday. The measure — which is part of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' that was signed into law July 4 — bars Medicaid users from coverage with a health care provider that also provides abortion services. In a statement responding to the ruling, the Planned Parenthood groups said, 'This isn't over. While we're grateful that the court recognized the harm caused by this law, we're disappointed that not all members were granted the necessary relief today.' 'The court has not yet ruled on whether it will grant preliminary injunctive relief to other members. We remain hopeful that the court will grant this relief. There will be nothing short of a public health crisis if Planned Parenthood members are allowed to be 'defunded,'' they added. Talwani, a Barack Obama appointee, had previously temporarily blocked the provision's enforcement for 14 days on July 7, after the Planned Parenthood Federation of America — along with Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah — sued the administration. While the legislation does not explicitly mention Planned Parenthood, it prohibits federal funding for providers 'primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care' that also provide abortion services.' Planned Parenthood previously warned that nearly 200 clinics nationwide — which also provide birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screening — could close as a result of the bill's ban on funds. Talwani, in her order, said Planned Parenthood was likely to succeed on its claim that the law's funding ban violates the health care provider's First Amendment rights because of its support for — and provision of — abortion services. 'Instead of merely prohibiting Planned Parenthood Members that receive Medicaid funds from providing abortions, the statute prohibits them from affiliating with entities that do. Moreover, the record is devoid of evidentiary support for Defendants' suggestion that Planned Parenthood entities share funds that are ultimately used for abortions,' the judge wrote. 'Therefore, restricting funds based on affiliation with an abortion provider operates only to restrict the associational right of Members that do not provide abortion.' The bill originally barred funds for ten years, before the Senate Parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, reduced the measure to one year. CNN has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for comment. Planned Parenthood is also battling the Trump administration in court over cuts to a federal teen pregnancy prevention program. Lawyers for five Planned Parenthood networks argued in a federal District of Columbia court this June that administration's changes to the program, including limits on language around diversity and equity, were vague and could bar Planned Parenthood from providing longtime services.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The "Cool" Neighborhood Feature You'll Never Regret
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. The first time I brought my kids to our neighborhood pool, a mere two days after our interstate move to Knoxville, Tennessee, I had no idea how much this space would impact our lives. We were moving from Tallahassee, Florida, where so many households have their own pools that neighborhood pools aren't necessary. But Knoxville's milder climate means a shorter pool season overall, and fewer homes with private pools. Although our summers in Florida revolved around going to our neighbor's pool every day (sometimes more than once!), I didn't give much thought to the pool situation in our new home. We're now on our fourth summer in Knoxville, and pool season is our favorite. The neighborhood pool I initially took for granted has turned out to be one of the best things about our new place, so much so that, if you're looking for a home in a similar type of area, I'd tell you that a pool needs to be at the top of your must-have list. What My Neighborhood Pool Has Meant to Me A neighborhood pool is great for all the obvious reasons. It keeps my kids busy, it's a great place to invite friends for hangouts, and it's a reliable summer activity. I can take the kids to the pool, sunscreen them up, and relax on a lounger while they play for hours. There are almost always a few kids there that my kids know and play with, and they have since forged meaningful and lasting friendships there, too. Last year, my teen son met several other boys at the pool and they've become a close-knit, year-round group of friends who work out together, run on the cross-country team, buzz and bleach each other's hair, and hangout at each other's houses. These boys have come over for carrot cake, root beer floats, movie nights, and freshly baked cookies; gotten in trouble for playing too loud and waking up my little kids; pranked us with their Halloween bush costumes; and been there with their arms around my son (literally and figuratively) through some adolescent heartache. It's a mother's Leave It to Beaver dream and it wouldn't have happened without the pool. But it's not just my kids who've found connection. With school years that are so busy, many parents (*raises hand*) can hardly come up for air. The summer pool scene offers a low-key, no-planning way to foster connections with other women in the neighborhood. Over time, the repeated contact the pool has allowed has turned these connections into friendships and community that I most definitely do not take for granted. Being able to chat with other moms and get to know new families — without having to find a time that we're all free or host — is invaluable. It staves off loneliness (this isn't talked about enough) and makes me feel woven in with a group of people nearby who I can count on to let me borrow a cup of sugar or bring a package into the house when I'm out of town. Are Neighborhood Pools a Rising Real Estate Trend? I feel like I discovered a special secret with our pool, but I know I'm not the only one who has experienced the impact of these neighborhood gems. I reached out to the Realtor who helped us buy this house, Kelly O'Connor of Wallace Real Estate, to find out more about both the history and current trends of neighborhood pools. Turns out that O'Connor, who grew up in the same town we live in now, has her own fond history with neighborhood pools. 'I spent every summer from sun up to sun down at the pool, which resulted in amazing childhood memories with all of the neighborhood kids,' she says. O'Connor shared that a neighborhood pool was on her list of must-haves during her house search so that her children could experience the same childhood summers she had. But do others feel the same? I asked O'Connor whether neighborhood pools are on the rise or fading away. 'During the pandemic we saw a large uptick in private backyard pools being installed,' she says, 'but neighborhood pools, especially in the South, are certainly not a thing of the past. They bring a great sense of community to subdivisions.' And it's not just about the pool itself. In newer subdivisions, it's all about the amenities surrounding the pool, too, O'Connor adds, such as splash pads, firepits, nice clubhouses, and even pickleball courts. Additionally, O'Connor says that pools themselves are getting modernized — with eco-friendly and lower maintenance options available (saltwater and solar-heated pools) — and current design trends ranging anywhere from plunge pools to resort style pools. Do Neighborhood Pools Impact Home Value? While we find tremendous personal value in our neighborhood pool, I wondered about whether this is a feature that reliably translates to home value. O'Connor weighs in: 'Community pools can absolutely be an added value when it comes to home sales,' she says. However, she suggests a few things to keep in mind when it comes to assessing how much of a value-add a community pool offers. Specifically, she suggests considering how well the pool is maintained, and whether the HOA fees are the end, 'having nice, well-kept amenities in a subdivision will always add value to your home,' O'Connor said. 'We have seen a lot of buyers moving to Tennessee from out of state, so choosing a subdivision with a community pool has been a fantastic way for new owners to meet their neighbors in a laid-back and fun environment.' Further Reading We Used Our New 'Room Plan' Tool to Give This Living Room 3 Distinct Styles — See How, Then Try It Yourself The Design Changemakers to Know in 2025 Create Your Own 3D Room Plan with Our New Tool Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox. Solve the daily Crossword
