Always sear with cast iron

The finest pan to use for searing dishes cooked sous vide is a cast iron skillet. Cast iron is so thick that it can absorb a lot of heat, hold it for a long time, and then disperse it evenly throughout the pan. Vegetables cook more quickly and with a deeper crust when heat is spread uniformly, and you won't need to continuously adjust the heat source or rotate the pan to speed up the cooking of some components of your meal.

Given that the sous vide has just cooked your food to a precise temperature, its capacity to maintain a steady high temperature uniformly over its surface makes it ideal for searing off your completed sous vide goods. The entire aim of the sous vide will be undermined if the food is given one last short sear in a pan with uneven and erratic heat distribution. Cast iron skillets are also inherently nonstick and, when properly seasoned, give still another level of taste to whatever is being cooked inside. In addition to being incredibly simple to clean, cast iron skillets get better with use.