Anova Precision Cooker - cook sous vide with your iPhone.

Thinking about the £74 offer; very tempted. is the 800w power instead of the 900w of the newer model ever been an issue for you guys?
 
Went for one of the 74 quid ones earlier. Ummed and arghed but gives me few more options.

Also tried my first sous vide desert using the Anova brioche pudding recipe tonight. No pics as was only a practise but it came out spot on!
 
Lidl have a vacuum sealer in store from today, it's £25 and the refills are £5 each iirc.

It's not a great one, but it's cheap and works ok. Liquids are an issue, but even with some of the more expensive ones they don't like liquids.
 
Flibster said:
Lidl have a vacuum sealer in store from today, it's £25 and the refills are £5 each iirc.

It's not a great one, but it's cheap and works ok. Liquids are an issue, but even with some of the more expensive ones they don't like liquids.
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Is it worth getting one or is the submersion method good enough?
 
Flibster said:
Lidl have a vacuum sealer in store from today, it's £25 and the refills are £5 each iirc.

It's not a great one, but it's cheap and works ok. Liquids are an issue, but even with some of the more expensive ones they don't like liquids.
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Quite interesting timing as Aldi are selling sous-vide machines as of next week...
 
Skidder said:
I would go for the full depth in case you want to do big bits of meat.
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Out of interest, did you get a lid with it? I've been using a stockpot with my Anova, but find it's just a little too small when I want to do anything for more than two people. I've always just stuck some kitchen foil over the top and keep the heat in. I've been toying with the idea of buying a cool box and taking a hole saw to the lid and fitting the Anova through that. How well do they clamp to those gastronorms?

Also need to find some better bags. I've always used the water submersion technique (I'd get very disapproving looks if I bought a vacuum sealer of any reasonable value!) but the latest bags I've been using, resealable ones from IKEA, whilst very good size have split during cooking resulting on boiled food rather than sous-vide...
 
Has anyone had any experience with some of the cheaper (sub £400) chamber vacuum sealer options available on the market? I'm sort of tempted but I don't want to bother getting one if it's pointless and I'll end up wanting one of the £1k models almost instantly...
 
I ended up getting a PolyScience 300 a few years ago. Was going to be a Christmas present from the wife and we'd found an ex-display model for £300 off, but the company accidentally sent us the wrong box (someone else got the Vacuum sealer - we got 10kg of sous vide bags!). They were great about it and sent a new PolyScience 300 out straight away and told us to keep the bags.

Couldn't have asked for a better outcome, and have to say haven't had any issues with the PolyScience (touch wood!). Needs to live on a worktop somewhere though as it's not light or easy to move around. Is great being able to seal liquids though - do a great Creme Anglaise in the sous vide :D

I was initially looking at the cheaper Chinese (or similar) chamber vacuum sealers but decided to spring the extra for the PolyScience as I trusted the brand and felt I'd be able to find more about it online if I ever did have issues.

edit:

Moses said:
I'm sure they're completely fine for home use. I'd look on eGullet or somewhere like that as they have big chamber vac threads. But I've had my eye on a shiny £1k Polyscience one for ages. Although the middleground Sous Vide Tools ones for £600 etc are pretty tempting.
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Just to say that Sousvidetools is where I got my PolyScience from and couldn't be happier with the service. My issue was an honest mistake during dispatch and they fixed it without any issues going out of their way to ensure that we got the chamber vac in time for Christmas :)
 
Got a rib of beef ready at butchers tomorrow. Trying to decide sous vide or not sous vide for cooking it.

I’m thinking 60 deg for 4 hours in sous vide followed by 30mi s at 230 deg or low and slow in oven followed by a hot finish after its rested just before serving.
 
Been seriously considering a chamber vacuum for a while myself. Out of all of the kitchen gadgets I've bought, my vacuum sealer gets far and away the most use (pretty much used on a daily basis). The ability to vacuum pack soups stews etc would be a big plus for me. I'm sort of in the same boat as FrenchTart - I balk a bit at the £900 price tag for the Polyscience 300 on Amazon but am wary of the cheaper models. I've found over the years that the cheapest option isn't always the best value. I don't want to spend £900 if a £400 machine will be as good for home use but, at the same time, I don't want to spend £400 on a machine to find it's not up to the task and have to spend the £900 on top.

I'm itching to get one so any more information anyone has would help make a decision.
 
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