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Thanks to a new cadre of budget-friendly appliances, the Sous vide technique is quietly revolutionizing how we replicate high cuisine at home.
But to use these capabilities regularly, you may need a couple of extra sous vide accessories that smooth out the process.
In this sense, Anova’s line of sous vide machines offers the most considerable potential. Their three base models come with a selection of optional BPA free add-ons meant to make your life easier.
Here, we have reviewed all the different options, and we have selected the ones that actually make a difference with frequent use.
Anova Sous Vide Machines
We have already covered Anova’s immersion circulators extensively. Their basic line covers a budget-friendly model (the Nano), a standard version, and our favorite sous vide machine – the Anova Cooker Pro.
The accessories we have chosen here can be used with any of these three models unless we specify otherwise.
| Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories | Product Information | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
Top | Anova Culinary ANTC01 Sous Vide Cooker Cooking container, Holds Up to 16L of Water, With Removable Lid and Rack | Check Price |
Top | For Anova Precision, Use Both Hands To Manage Food: Holds Itself Open (Patented). Fits Up To 11" Pot, No Special Container Needed, Silicone. Not for Anova Nano | Check Price |
Top | Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Lid, Fits 10.5" pot, Black | Check Price |
Top | Anova Culinary APCS02 Stand Sous Vide, Fits Precision Cooker 3.0, Silver/Black | Check Price |
The Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories: Our Picks
Anova Culinary ANTC01 Sous Vide Cooker Cooking container
- Combining a curved body shape that encourages superior water circulation with a silicon sealed lid, an integrated wire rack, and a raised base, the Anova Precision Cooker Container was designed specifically with sous vide in mind.
- The flexible silicon lid collar allows for the use of nearly any wand style sous vide circulator in the Anova Precision Cooking Container.
- Constructed of food-grade polycarbonate and utilizing a silicon sealed lid ensures no steam escapes your cook while maintaining maximum heat retention.
Usually, the key to cooking for a crowd is to get everything ready at the same time. Sous vide cooking takes care of this, allowing you to get everything done ahead of time.
The main challenge then becomes finding enough space to cook everything at once.
This cooking container helps take care of this with a minimum of fuss. With a total water capacity of 16 liters, it can simultaneously hold up to 6 different food packets.
This container has a 3-mm raised base that creates distance between the water and your countertop and protects it.
The container is also equipped with a removable wire rack, which will keep each piece separate and at an equal distance. If you are cooking fewer pieces, the rack will hold them in place and prevent them from floating.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to adjust the height of the rack – this would have helped save water and electricity when you are cooking smaller portions.
More important perhaps is the lid. As it was designed specifically for Anova sous vide machines, the silicone opening seamlessly adapts itself to the main wand.
This is intended to prevent the hot water from evaporating, keeping the water baths constant. Plus, it makes the temperature control more precise.
All three pieces (container, lid, and rack) are dishwasher safe and built specifically for Anova products. As a result, it may not close properly with other brands of immersion circulators.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides a tight seal. | It doesn’t play well with other brands. |
| Prevents evaporation. | You can’t adjust the rack’s height. |
| Helps you space each bag evenly. | |
| Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories Reviews |
Patented Lid for Anova Precision, Holds Itself Open
- Hold itself open, use two hands to manage your food (Patent #10405694 B2)
- Use your stock pot up to 11. Save money and storage space.
- Amazing Ribs Gold Star review. A must for BBQ large cuts
What happens if you want to continue using your existing pots with your immersion circulator? Provided your pots are up to 11-inches wide, then this patented silicone lid may be the thing for you.
This product is not made directly by Anova, but it was designed for their Precision and Precision Pro – not for the Nano. It consists of a flexible silicone lid that creates a vacuum seal around your pot, leaving a customized hole for your immersion circulator’s want.
What’s the main advantage of this? First, it will prevent any water from evaporating from your water baths. Although sous vide cooking is not supposed to reach boiling point, some of the water on top of the pot can quickly evaporate.
In turn, this could uncover the top of your sous vide bag, making the meat cook unevenly.
After you have finished using it, you can simply roll the lid and store it away without occupying almost any counter space.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Saves counter space. | Cannot be used for food storage. |
| Made from food-grade silicone. | Not compatible with the Precision Cooker Nano. |
| Improves temperature control. | |
| Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories Reviews |
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Lid
- Long cooks. Covering your sous vide pot reduces energy consumption and keeps water from running low on even the longest cooks. The Anova sous vide lid is designed to fit your cooker and works with just about any pot out there.
- Shorten heat time. Shortens pre-heat time up to 15%
- Efficient. Improves heating efficiency up to 70%
Anova is aware of the realities of limited counter space. This is why, as thorough as their container, lid, and sous vide racks kit may be, they still offer a “lid only” option.
This will still provide you with the same temperature control benefits and some much-needed protection against spills and splashes. According to the manufacturer, using this lid can shorten the cooking time by up to 50% and save up to 70% of energy.
This cooker lid is meant to fit pots of up to 10.5’’ in diameter, which may not be enough to cook large portions. On the other hand, if you are working with a long cut of meat, you will have enough space to insert several pieces vertically.
The lid itself is shaped to fit both the wand and the accompanying prongs that secure it to the pot. It is also coated in the same material and the same color as the Anova Precision Cooker, which helps create a cohesive look. It blends especially well with stainless steel pasta pots.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Shortens the water heating time. | It only fits one pot size. |
| Increases energy efficiency. | May not provide a lot of room for cooking several pieces at once. |
| It looks stylish when paired with the target appliance. | |
| Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories Reviews |
Anova Culinary APCS02 Stand Sous Vide, Fits Precision Cooker 3.0, Silver/Black
- Perfect fit: stand Fits the Anova Culinary sous vide precision cooker, Bluetooth + 800W and the Anova Culinary sous vide precision cooker, WI-FI + 900W, black
- Easy to store: save drawer and cabinet space
- Sleek design: show off the device that helps you cook like a Pro
What happens after you have finished cooking? Where does your Precision Cooker usually go? If the answer is “inside a drawer” – and you have the drawer space – then your only problem should be protecting the machine’s external thermostats and circulators.
However, any banging or dropping could potentially damage the water flow. This stainless steel stand is supposed to prevent just that. At the same time, it should provide you with an excellent option to showcase and display your new appliance.
The stand works as it should: it supports the Anova Pro or Nano while still displaying the overall shape. The broad base does more than merely provide stability, though: it also hides a cord holder that will help you keep everything neat.
Other than that, it doesn’t do much – and if you have cats or little children prowling around your counters, it may not provide enough protection.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Looks elegant and sleek. | No advanced features. |
| It will help you save drawer space. | It can still be knocked over. |
| It will prevent your appliance from banging inside the drawer. | |
| Best Anova Sous Vide Accessories Reviews |
Sous Vide FAQs
Are you new to sous vide techniques? Here’s what many people are wondering about his method.
What can you cook with a sous vide machine?
Sous vide cooking is mostly used for cooking expensive cuts of meat – the kind that you don’t want to risk overcooking. Some of the most popular recipes include sirloin steaks, T-bone, pork chops, and even pork ribs.
However, sous vide can also be used for vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus. Basically, anything that gets ruined easily from overcooking is a good candidate for sous vide.
Do restaurants use sous vide?
Yes, many restaurants – from small-town steak houses to Michelin-star gourmet eateries use sous vide techniques behind the scenes.
Not all are open about it – but a handful of well-ranked places like The French Laundry have been open about it, and proudly advertise sous vide cooking among their house specials.
Do you really need vacuum sealer bags?
Sous vide bags are necessary for two reasons: first, they keep your meat away from the water, preventing it from tasting “boiled”; and second, they prevent you from accidentally overcooking the meat.
Because of this, yes, you need vacuum sealed bags when cooking sous vide. Yet, you don’t necessarily need vacuum sealers. You can use a Ziploc bag instead and use the immersion technique to remove all the air from within.
How can sous vide prevent overcooking the steak?
Air usually heats up faster than water, and it can heat beyond the temperature you set on your immersion circulator.
Sealing food in an airless bag ensures that the temperature of your hot water is truly the maximum temperature affecting your steak. In this way, it will never reach a boiling point, and the meat won’t overcook despite being left inside the pot for longer than scheduled.
Do sous vide steaks taste just like grilled ones?
After removing them from the water bath and opening the sous vide bag, your steaks won’t look exactly like they would after being grilled. This is because they have not been exposed to direct heat, which helps release the flavors and aromas that we associate with grilled meats.
To counter this, you should always sear your meat immediately before serving it. You can do this on a cast iron skillet for just 30 seconds per side. Alternatively, you can use a searing torch once it’s already on the plate.
Final Thoughts
Anova Sous Vide machines make it easier than ever to keep tight control over your water temperature. However, with the right accessories, you can still make the process easier, cook more pieces at once, or even cut down on energy consumption.
If you plan to impress your guests more often, then any of these accessories can be an outstanding investment!
