Soaking overnight is one of those hands-off, no-brainer preps that no one probably questioned if they could shorten the time until crock pots became commonplace.

I'm also shocked at the reverse-sear detractors. Personally I've been doing it for years because "searing in the juices" never made sense, and cooking on plenty of mediocre apartment stoves, it's been a foolproof way to assure that the outside of the steak is nice and dry without overcooking the inside. I've tried other methods that didn't require specialized equipment, and the reverse-sear has been the most reliable.