My Christmas present to myself was an laboratory PID controller, which I've hooked up to a rice cooker to make a sous vide cooking rig. If you haven't heard about it, sous vide involves vacuum-sealing food, and then heating it in a water bath for a prolonged period of time. Advantages include dummyproofing (because the water bath is set to the desire temperature of the food, there is no possibility of overcooking),
increased flavor and juiciness (the bag traps the juices and aromatics), and speed (once it's done, just sear it and eat). It's great for making cheap cuts of meat taste like filet mignon, getting consistent results with tricky food like chicken and fish, and saving prep time when you're on the run.
You can try sous vide without any special equipment, as described here. I wouldn't try eggs or anything that needs high precision, but an improvised stovetop setup should do most meat and veggies fine. To get the most out of it, though, you'll want a temperature controller, which regulates the power input to a rice cooker or crockpot to maintain a constant temperature. If I was loaded with cash, I'd buy the $400 Sous-Vide Supreme (produced by two of my favorite low-carb advocates), but my $140 setup is approximately the same in functionality (albeit not as pretty).
