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Best Sous Vide Machines for Home Use

When someone uses the phrase “sous vide machine,” they usually refer to immersion circulators. An immersion circulator is a rod-like device meant to connect to any container full of water.

This water bath cooking method is perfect for the low and slow cooking that sous vide demands. Here are the best sous vide machines for home use.

Those looking for the perfect sous vide cooking setup need to look no further. This list will give you five products you can add to your at-home cooking appliance list.

The Five Top Picks for Home Sous Vide Cooking Equipment

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano

An entry-level sous vide chef is best supported by a device that makes things easy. The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano simplifies the process by creating a smart device powered by Bluetooth. 

The accompanying Anova App enables all users to easily apply specific temperatures and cooking times to your device. Given its small and sleek design, it also manages to be small enough to put into a kitchen drawer.  

The smaller size device does come with drawbacks.

The first drawback is related to the minimal wattage. Smaller wattage increases the wait times for cooking. It also results in a sous vide cooker that cannot handle more than five gallons of water. 

To address this limitation, Anova has a larger model you can take a look at. However, this model is not as convenient. 

In either case, you won’t have to wait 15 minutes to heat your water. 

ProsCons
Small and can fit into any kitchen cabinet.Smaller wattage increases waiting times.
Bluetooth functionality enables quick application of time and temperature limits.Unable to handle larger water quantities.
Great at reaching a precise temperature.
Best Sous Vide Machines Reviews

Belle Cuisson Sous Vide 1100 Watt Cooker

Those who prefer power and simplicity will find the Bell Cuisson Sous Vide Cooker to be an excellent substitute. What it lacks in smart features it makes up for in basic on-device controls and a sturdy, stainless steel construction. 

The resulting construction choice enables this hot water cooker to handle more gallons of water. It is also known to reach a perfect water temperature in record time with its higher watts of power. 

The drawback behind this particular model comes from the screw-on attachment. You twist a knob on the end of this cooking device to connect it to any pot. 

The knob is made of cheaper plastic when compared to the rest of the device. As a result, it is easy for someone who doesn’t know their own strength to break the plastic. 

With a bit of finesse, you won’t have to worry about this issue. It is closer to traditional methods given the simplistic “non-smart” technology approach. It is perfect for home chefs who need simplicity. 

ProsCons
Sous vide cooker itself is made of sturdy stainless steel.Not suitable for those who prefer smart products.
Handles more quarts of water compared to other sous vide cookers.Plastic connecting knob is made of cheaper material.
Great at reaching a consistent temperature fast.
Best Sous Vide Machines Reviews

Zakarian Pro for Home Sous Vide 

The Zakarian Pro for Home Sous Vide comes as a bundle package for a complete cooking process. Expect one sous vide immersion circulator, one clamp, ten large sous vide bags, five small bags, and a recipe booklet with 20 recipes.

For some people, this is a better overall value than the Anova Culinary Cooker. However, this device does not come with Bluetooth or WiFi connection.  

This sous vide cooker claims to handle up to 10 gallons of water. However, it is only an 800W device, making it slower as you reach between eight and nine gallons. 

Thankfully, the precise temperature control is easy to use. Don’t expect to struggle with the available onboard controls of this hot water bath cooker. 

ProsCons
Greater ease of use than some options.Slow despite claiming to handle large gallon sizes.
Simple onboard controls (comparable to the Anova Precision Cooker Nano)No Bluetooth functionality.
Comes with a wide range of accessories.
Best Sous Vide Machines Reviews

SousVide Supreme Nine Liter Water Bath Cooker with Touch Controls

If you prefer to have something closer to a full kitchen appliance, the SousVide Supreme is a company that designs its sous vide machines to resemble slow cookers. With this in mind, it enables you to have a dedicated unit for your sous vide cooking. 

The SousVide Supreme supports up to nine liters of water, typically cooking in a short amount of time. Given that the heating elements are around the water, you’ll find this to be somewhat closer cooking on a stovetop at a much lower temperature. 

The SousVide Supreme also has solid touch screen controls with a digital display informing you of the temperature and time period remaining. This is neat, but having a dedicated sous vide machine limits you to a single size pot.

Unlike a pressure cooker, this kitchen appliance lacks flexibility. It is only good for one thing: sous vide cooking. Because of that, you have to be pretty dedicated to sous vide in order to buy one of these things. 

However, if you want to reach your desired temperature in a vacuum-sealed bag and are willing to pay for the premium version, this device might be for you. 

ProsCons
Creates a dedicated kitchen appliance, saving your metal pots.Expensive.
Steady temperature water.Only useful for sous vide.
Simple touch controls.
Best Sous Vide Machines Reviews

What Should I Look for in Good Sous Vide Equipment?

Immersion Circulator vs Sous Vide Pot – Which Should I Get?

We review two different types of sous vide cookers on this list: immersion circulators and pots.

Immersion circulators are also known as sous vide sticks. You connect them to the side of any pot, enabling you to flexibly use any sort of container. 

However, that container has to be between height limitations depending on the circulator. Buying a specific container for sous vide is also an option

Sous vide pots (sometimes known as water ovens) are similar in design to slow cookers. The self-contained units are great at reducing water evaporation. 

Many purchasers of these pots tend to miss the compact design of sous vide cookers. The price range for these pots are also significantly higher. 

Also, you might find that owning a brand of instant pot (like the Instant Pot Accu Slim or Duo) also serves much of the same purpose, but with more cooking options. Your preference should depend on the amount of kitchen space available and your budget. 

The Three Types of Vacuum Sealers for Sous Vide 

There are three different forms of vacuum sealers you should be aware of:

  • Hand pumps
  • Vacuum chambers
  • Horizontal sealers

Hand pump vacuum sealers are the most inexpensive, but require purchasing specific bag types with holes on the side. In high-quality bags, you’ll find this method to be pretty secure. 

The drawback of using hand pumps is that they require a bit of effort. So if you are batch cooking sous vide meals, you don’t want a hand pump.

Vacuum chambers are best in situations where you own a sous vide restaurant. Usually, the cost of these chambers don’t justify personal use. 

However, those who have money will find vacuum chambers to be the most efficient forms of sealing food. Vesta Precision is a well-known company that makes these devices. 

Horizontal sealers can be found in the number three position above. These are the most compact devices, enabling simple storage and removal. 

Horizontal sealers can seal more than one bag at a time and come in multiple sizes. However, it still takes a bit more time than the commercial-grade vacuum chambers. 

How to Be Sure Your Sous Vide Cooker is Accurate

Accuracy is one of the most important aspects of sous vide cooking. Given the low and slow approach to this cooking process, you need to be sure that there are no cold spots. 

You can test for this by using a standard water-based thermometer in different locations of your sous vide container. Always be sure that the bags are separate, so you don’t have any cold slots due to the bag not being in contact with flowing water.

If you are afraid of your bags touching, sous vide racks can help you keep those separate

Bluetooth vs WiFi – What is the Better Sous Vide Smart Feature?

Most sous vide cookers (like the Precision Nano) use Bluetooth to stay connected to your phone. However, some premium providers offer sous vide containers with WiFi capabilities. 

Typically, WiFi offers a much stronger connection, as a wireless router has further reach than Bluetooth. You’ll find that if you live in a larger house, you’ll be constantly disconnecting from your kitchen. 

Bluetooth offers an alternative advantage: being inexpensive and energy saving. Because WiFi is more powerful, it costs more on all fronts. This is why some Bluetooth devices don’t exceed $10, while most decent routers are about $50. 

WiFi also requires more energy, meaning you are likely purchasing a sous vide cooker with higher wattage. More power output isn’t always a good thing. 

What is a Reasonable Price for a New Sous Vide Cooker?

The price difference fluctuates heavily depending on whether you buy an immersion circulator or a pot. 

For circulators, you can expect to pay anywhere from $90 to $250. A reasonable price for an entry level one won’t typically exceed $120. This does not include the cost of accessories, but only buy the accessories you need!

On the other hand, a sous vide pot is considered a premium piece of kitchen equipment. Prices on this start at $200 and can be up to $500. Given that these are made with more material, more technology, and more built-in features. 

When deciding upon a reasonable price for your first sous vide cooker, start from the bottom end. Investing huge amounts of money into something you are unsure of is a big deal. 

Best Sous Vide Equipment Brands

This article went through some of the most notable sous vide brands and a few smaller ones. Here is a short list of what we found: 

Sous Vide FAQs

What is the Best Meat to Cook Sous Vide?

Typically, the best meat you can cook sous vide is steak. Steak comes in thicker cuts, which makes it complicated to keep tender. Cooking steak with sous vide solves that problem. 

Your other option is smoking, but the best tenderness comes from being a sous vide cooker. Searing a steak at the end will help you seal in the flavors. 

Can You Sous Vide Meat and Vegetables Together?

No, meat and vegetables should not be sous vide together. The two cook at different rates, with most vegetables requiring a bit more.

Think of how you would fry an onion. Sauteing an onion is typically one of the first steps, the same applies to cooking vegetables. 

Anytime you cook foods using sous vide, always be sure to check how the times match up. 

Can You Sous Vide Bacon?

Some home chefs will tell you that using sous vide cooking for bacon is how you can get some incredibly tender results. However, I’ve always been partial to putting bacon on the grill. 

If you have ever bought bacon through the sous vide process, let us know how it went! 

Do You Need Special Equipment to Sous Vide?

Technically, the sous vide setting on your instant pot is suitable for cooking. So while you do need one piece of equipment, you technically do not need a dedicated kitchen appliance for sous vide.

Immersion circulators are unique in how they circulate the water (which explains the name). So while I would recommend a circulator at the bear minimum, you can use slow cookers with a sous vide feature. 

Final Thoughts 

The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano is the ultimate sous vide tool. Despite its lower wattage, its bluetooth features and simple user interface makes it a clear winner. If you want to be a kitchen boss, this is a good selection. 

Other options on this list include accessories or higher wattage. Also, if you prefer physical controls, don’t pay for Bluetooth connections that you don’t need. Always be sure to prioritize what your family needs above all else when buying kitchen appliances. 

As an Amazon Affiliate, we make a commission each time you click any of the links above. If you want to buy any of these products, we would appreciate it if you used our Affiliate links. Those links help us continue to make articles that make us hungry. 

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