Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Review

With immersion circulators now available for less than $200, sous vide has recently moved from being a technique exclusively used in professional kitchens to one enjoyed by countless home cooks. By maintaining a temperature-controlled water bath for countless hours, these circulators allow users to prepare perfect food with very little oversight needed.

To begin, simply set the desired water temperature (usually the desired degree of doneness such as 130-135°F for a medium-rare steak) on the unit. Next, seal the food in an air-tight resealable bag or vacuum sealed bag, then allow the ingredients to cook in the bath for an extended period of time in order to maximize their flavor, tenderness, and moistness.

Most exciting about the rise in home cooks ownership of sous vide immersion circulators is something we refer to as Sous-Vide-Que. This is the ultimate marriage of water and fire in which foods are prepared to perfection in the sous vide water bath then finished on the smoker and grill in order to take the taste over the top. You can check out all of our Sous-Vide-Que recipes and tips here.

As for the sous vide units themselves, among our favorites is the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker. This Bluetooth enabled self-contained heating and circulation unit can be set manually or remotely up to 30 feet with using the Bluetooth enabled Anova app. The unit features an adjustable clamp, allowing it to fit on most large pots or sous vide containers.

According to the manufacturer, and confirmed by our own rigorous testing, the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker produces “perfect results, every time – precision cooking enables you to produce results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method. No Dry edges and no rare centers. Juices and flavors don’t escape. Food comes out perfectly moist and tender. Continuous temperature control provides reliable and consistent results every time. Perfect for vegetables, meat, fruit, cheese and much more.”

The units is also simple to clean, with a detachable stainless steel skirt and disks are dishwasher safe.

If there were any complaints about the Anova unit, it would be that it isn’t quite as compact as our other favorite, the Joule which is reviewed here. Otherwise this is the perfect inexpensive addition to any modern kitchen!