Sous vide machine

I don't believe you need any specific brand machine,
I use to use a slow cooker controlled by a temperature module with as good a result as my current unit.
I now use a Anova as it was a good price down here.
I can't remember hearing bad things about any brand of machine.
They are a great compliment machine to all sorts of cooking styles

I have bought 2, 1 is a cheap 1200 watt that works well is noisy and hard to program, the 2nd is a Inkbird, 1000w, its very quiet easy to program and works well, what I am doing now is trying to find the best use for it, work has been tough and has cut into my cooking time of any form. I do think they are useful but just haven't found what role it will play

+1 for Inkbird.

KenInk (Oksana), is a brother on here and has great products at great prices.
I have his sous vide, a 4 probe Bluetooth thermometer and an instant read thermometer of his.
Very happy with all of them.

I've owned a few sous vide immersion heaters some cheap and some that are more expensive. I've found that they've all pretty much well work the same. My experience has been the less expensive one create quite a bit of noise. When I started out using the lesser expensive units the noise didn't bother me but as I stepped up to more expensive units the noise of the less expensive units became untolerable. Presently my go to unit is the Joule. The Joule is whisper quiet and thus far has performed flawlessly. The only downside I can think of with the model Joule I have is that it's only WiFi controlled controlled meaning all functions of the immersion heater is controlled by my smartphone. At first I didn't care for the control by phone feature but the more I've used it I've become accustomed to it and like it.

I have had an Anova for 4+ years. I do not have a phone controlled unit but these devices all hold temps well and there is no critical need for any remote control or temp feedback as can be helpful when using a grill/BBQ unit. This is not rocket science tech. I suspect the important differences between devices have more to do with quality, durability, and manufacturer reliability (like noisiness) rather than than cooking. The advantage to sous vide is the ability to hold a temp which CANNOT burn the food. Leaving meat another hour or two (or five) doesn't ruin it.

jimstocks53 said:

The advantage to sous vide is the ability to hold a temp which CANNOT burn the food. Leaving meat another hour or two (or five) doesn't ruin it.

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You are correct when you say that sous vide won't ever burn food or ever overcook it past the set temperature. However, I think it's important to note that the tenderness of your food will absolutely be affected by the time it's in the water. See Serious Eat's Steak Guide for examples on how a longer cook can affect the tenderness of the food being cooked.

NoNotTheDuo said:

You are correct when you say that sous vide won't ever burn food or ever overcook it past the set temperature. However, I think it's important to note that the tenderness of your food will absolutely be affected by the time it's in the water. See Serious Eat's Steak Guide for examples on how a longer cook can affect the tenderness of the food being cooked.

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Agreed but I have experimented with beef and sous vide is extremely forgiving in terms of cooking 'longer'. An additional five or six hours with flank steak and even an extra 6-12 hours with a brisquet flat seemed to make little difference - the meat in theory could eventually turn to mush but I don't plan on leaving the cook going more than a week or two.

Anova is a very solid brand, as is the Joule. Both also have very good customer service. I've definitely heard good things about Inkbird as well.

That's not to say that less expensive brands/models should be avoided at all costs. It's just kind of hard to tell though. If something does go wrong, will the company stand behind it ? FWIW, I've bought a couple of Chefmans for family members as well as some "As Seen On TV" Power Precision devices from WalMart. Snagged a total of 8 between the two models when I came across them on clearance. I paid less than $20 each, so it was worth the risk. They all are still working. For my own use, I have 5 Anova's and am quite happy with each of them.

Regardless of which brand you go with, on the first couple of cooks, I would monitor water temp independently to verify the accuracy of the device.

I got the inkbird for Christmas from amazon i think for like 69.99. I have used it twice so far. I did a perfect medium rare rib-eye, and also a super tender sriracha honey pork tenderloin. I love this thing.

The Anova Pro is a great unit and you should not have to pay the full price. Watch for sales with added discount codes and it can be had much, much cheaper.

There kind of like a vacuum sealer. Most people think they need them until they realize how little they use them. So you can find them on Craigslist/Marketplace for cheap second hand.

I couldn't pass up a sale that Inkbird had a few years back. I use mine frequently. Especially with reheating protein.

I bought this cheap Anova knock-off on amazon 4 years ago. It's been going strong ever since. It doesn't have as much power or all the bells and whistles of the newer stuff but it does the job, and half the price.



I like being able to do my wife's steak to "shoe leather" then turn it down and do mine to medium-rare, then sear them all and have it all done at the same time. I'll admit I'm steak-challenged when it comes to getting them done to the right temp with any other method, I either overshoot or undershoot my temps no matter what I do. With SV it's pretty much set-and-forget.