Table of Contents
Here, we will examine 3 widely used sous-vide tools, and boil it down to one winner.
- Anova Culinary Sous Bluetooth Sous Vide Precision Cooker
- Chefman Sous Vide Precision Cooker
- Travellortech Sous Vide Precision Cooker Immersion Circulator
No longer do you have to go to an expensive restaurant to enjoy precision sous vide cooking. Sous vide tools are becoming increasingly relevant in the homes of passionate cooks. Sous vide equipment has been used by chefs for years, but finding them in home kitchens is the new trend.
Generally, they are easy to use, and give the chef the chance to cook food to any precisely desired doneness. Rarely can this precision of cooking be achieved through traditional means of baking, boiling, broiling, or barbecuing.
Anova Culinary Sous Bluetooth Sous Vide Precision Cooker
Features
- Water circulation for even cooking
- Easily attaches to just about any pot
- Complexity is avoided with the simple, easy to press start button
- Anova Culinary App can be used to achieve the perfect cooking method
- Device utilizes Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to control the cooking process through your phone
Pros
- Achieve restaurant quality meals, from the comfort of your own home
- Evenly cooks food without having to overcook certain portions
- Cooks a variety of meals, including various meats, soups, and even desserts
- No additional devices or attachments are required
Cons
- Temperature readings can potentially be slightly off by a number of degrees, leading in certain situations to under cooked meat
- Plastic part which aids the product in connecting to the pot is said to be somewhat cheaply made
Chefman Sous Vide Precision Cooker
Features
- PTC Cooking Element cooks food to chef’s perfection
- LCD display, allows cook to monitor the entire process
- 1000 watt motor provides more power than most sous vide cookers
- Timer display with digital interface
- App included gives cooks plenty of recipe advice and how-to articles
- Temperature circulation achieved through 360° pump
- Clamp is adjustable, making it perfect for a variety of different pots
Pros
- One year warranty included with the Chefman Sous Vide Precision Cooker
- Club Chefman membership included, giving buyers the chance to hone their cooking skills through a community of sous vide enthusiasts
Cons
- Cooking can take extensive periods of time compared with traditional cooking methods
- Timer feature has a tendency to malfunction
- Cooker has had problems reaching temperatures in excess of 140 degrees
Travellortech Sous Vide Precision Cooker Immersion Circulator
Features
- 850 watt 120 volt power supply
- Temperature can be easily controlled through digital means
- Circulates water in addition to heating it for controlled even cooking
- LCD interface designed to remain visible by repelling excess condensation
- Smart sous vide technology prevents device from overheating water and food
- Trigger handle allows the user to attach or remove the sous vide cooker with ease
Pros
- Digital control of temperature gives cook more control over the process
- Capable of fashioning tender restaurant style dishes
- Capable of heating and maintaining proper cooking temperature within up to 4 gallons of water
- The simplicity of quickly sealing foods, inserting them in water, and handing the responsibility over to this sous vide cooker is exceptionally appealing
- Cooks exceptional steaks that some claim are better than BBQ style steaks
- Perfect for entry-level sous vide enthusiasts
- Water is quickly and evenly heated, speeding up the overall beginning to end cooking process
Cons
- Temperature gauge has been off in several instances, leading to undercooked foods
- Heater occasionally is not in sync with the temperature gauge, leading to overheated water without the user’s consent (or awareness) and thereby over cooking food
- Very loud while in use, giving off a distinct humming sound for long periods of time
- Vibrates while in use, creating more noise as well as a mildly shaky cooking experience
- LED display can be difficult to discern due to the numbers not being as visibly illuminated as they should
- Circulator feature can break after some use, meaning that the user’s water will not be evenly heated unless circulator is replaced
- Loud sounds emitted by the cooker can grow worse over time
- Play and stopwatch button at the bottom of the device are hard to read, on top of the LED display itself already being difficult to discern