Anova SousVide Precision Cooker 2.0 Rating
Summary
Anova makes it easy to cook delicious meat and is worth the investment.
Anyone who has watched any cooking program will have heard of sous vide. Although the name sounds pretentious, sous vide doesn’t make sense.
It promises perfect results and is something that I’ve always wanted to do. However, in the past the gadgets were quite costly, so I was afraid it might end up just being another thing I forgot about after only a few weeks.
That may be possible in the future. For now though, it was my first experience with sous vide.
Anova is possibly the most popular brand in the business, the original Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker has over 6,418 ratings on the Amazon website with an impressive 4.6 out of 5 with 80% of the reviews being 5-star and just 5% being 1-star.
To the best of my knowledge that launched on Amazon around 3 years ago for £159 dropping down to £129 prior to its discontinuation in December.
Subsequently the V2 model launched with an initial price of £159, but then this jumped up to £199, and it now has gone back down to £159.
It is one of the most expensive options on the market, with many other competing brands offering models for under £100. It is equipped with Wi-Fi so you can control your Anova using your smartphone.
Anova Culinary Sub Vide Precision Cooker 2.0 Vs Precision Cooker1.0 vs Professional Specification
Anova Precision Cooker 2
The latest V2 model’s specification is:
- Performance
- Durability
- Plastic & stainless steel
- IPX7 splash and water resistant
- Precision
- Temperature Accuracy: +/- 0.1˚C (0.2˚F)
- Temperature Range: 0˚-92˚C (32˚-197˚F)
- It’s easy to use
- Temperature and time settings can be set manually
- Adjustable & detachable clamp
- Size
- Container Dimensions
- Connectivity
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz
Although I don’t have the exact specifications of the original model available, it did have a lower power output at 900W and was more water-resistant.
Anova Precision Cooker Pro
Pro-Massive increased the power and allowed you to heat 100L of water. That’s likely to be more than any homeowner would ever need.
- Performance
- 1500 Watts/220 Volts Power
- Max Cook Size 100 Liters (26 gal)
- Durability
- Aluminium coated with Teflon and stainless steel
- IPX7 splash and water resistant
- Precision
- Temperature Accuracy: +/- 0.05˚ C (0.09˚ F)
- Temperature Range: 0˚ – 92˚ C (32˚ – 197˚ F)
- It’s easy to use
- Temperature and time settings can be set manually
- 134.6cm (53″) power cord length
- Tones that are high-fidelity
- Adjustable & Detachable clamp
- Size
- 88mm D x 60mm W x 350mm H
- 3.46″ D x 2.6″ W x 13.78″ H
- Container Dimensions
- Min Water Level: 62 mm (2.4″)
- Max Water Level: 170mm (6.7″)
- Connectivity
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz
Hidden costs – Vacuum sealer, water bath and more
It doesn’t feel all that costly considering the Anova’s new low price. This is the same price as an electric pressure cooker, blender, or similar. The downside is that you will need to purchase all accessories for sous vide (this holds true for every device).
The Anova can be used with bags and a pan large enough to hold the contents. If you are forking out £150 you may as well get a vacuum sealer which is £95 for the Anova branded model, but you can get excellent alternatives for about £50.
Then an open metal crockpot is not ideal for very long cooks, so you will at least need some sous vide balls which are about £15.
A proper water bath will also be beneficial for your meat. This will make it easier to prepare large pieces of meat, and increase its thermal efficiency. Although the Anova brand stuff can be quite costly, this one seems much more quality. A standard container is £79.99, but they have also launched a stainless-steel double-walled insulation water bath which should be the most cost-efficient way of using the sous vide, but this will set you back £139.99.
Another accessory you might consider is the sous vide rack. This will help keep your food from sticking and allows you to make multiple dishes simultaneously. These are typically £30+
So if you bought all the Anova branded stuff you are looking at £300-£400
Mobile App – The benefits of Wi-Fi vs dumb sous vide machine
This sous vide has a major advantage over the cheaper options. You can control it via your smartphone and watch the cooking process via Wi-Fi.
This could be an argument that isn’t necessary. With a precision cooker, the temperature of the water and food stays the same throughout the cooking process so it doesn’t require you to constantly monitor them. This is not the same as a smart BBQ thermometer, where the temperature and ambient temperatures of your meat are monitored.
This is the exception. You might have to wait for it heat up if you use a lot of cold water. You can leave the Anova and it will let you know when it’s ready.
Anova also has community-oriented recipes. This allows you to look at other Anova users’ cooking and then send them the temperature and time to Anova.
You can also find community recipes and guides. They are very useful because they not only provide you with the instructions but also explain the whole process.
All your favorite recipes can be saved to the app so you don’t have to remember them.
I find the app to be very user-friendly. It does not always connect. However, it switches between connecting and disconnecting quickly almost all of the times I check the Anova. This is not a major problem, but it seems like there’s a delay when my Huawei P40 Pro pulls up data from Anova.
It also works remotely so that you can monitor your temps while out and about. It shouldn’t be too critical, as it should maintain the same temperature all through. I guess it will help you identify if something has gone wrong mid-cook though – which could be frustrating if a none smart sous vide stops for whatever reason mid-way through a 2-day cook!
Performance
Although I’ve used Anova several times now for meals, it is not complicated at all. However, I still love it.
First, let me tell you about the negative side of it. On two of six meals that I had since I purchased the Anova there was constant beeping. The water level was correct according to the support pages. There were no obvious problems. It was fixed by the old trick of turning it on and off again. It isn’t ideal and I don’t know why, but this is an easy and quick fix.
Everything has been great beyond that. It was very simple. I cooked two chicken breasts in regular food bags. They came out perfect.
I then forked out £40 for a vacuum sealer, and some souse vide balls with the next attempt being easy pully pork which was finished off in the oven. It was a 24 hour cook, which at first was scary but it went well.
Next was the roast beef. It is known as Bottom Round Beed Roast in the app. This recipe was my best. I used Sainsbury’s lean beef. These usually turn out chewy and dry in the oven so I prefer to cook them in the pressure cooker. However, the meat that remains after cooking is done cools down and becomes very firm. Anova provided perfectly tender beef and leftovers that were tender enough for cold sandwiches.
Our most recent experiment was with sirloin steaks. We cooked them medium rare and then finished the process off with blow torch. It was delicious with an extremely tender middle and that Maillard/charcoal taste from the blow torch.
Shorter cooks, such as steak or chicken, can be done by heating the water and then vacuum-packaging the food. Although it takes a little longer than pan-frying/oven baking, the final result is much better.
Precision cookers are great for large cuts or sensitive food. The precision cooker doesn’t require you to test the food; there are no worries about over- or undercooking; everything works perfectly every time. This is why I think it’s unlikely that I will ever go back to an oven-cooked recipe.
Prices and Competition
V2 Anova has a lower launch price, which makes it much more affordable. I believe this justifies its higher cost than other smart models.
Other options are:
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In general
This sous vide machine was my first. My impression of it is probably biased. It has been a life-saver for me. Although it’s not something that I use often, it works well for more difficult cuts of meat.
Although the Anova’s design is excellent, there are some issues. Two occasions have occurred when the constant beeping of my device required me to reset it. It will fix the problem immediately, but isn’t ideal.
Then there is the cost, thankfully it has dropped down to £159, which makes it much more attractive, but it is still quite expensive when you could, in theory, get a none-smart alternative. However, I’d say the additional features, and superior overall specification is worth it over most of the £100 models.
Sous vide is the main culprit for high costs. You will need to have water, a vacuum sealer, and bags. If you do not have a lid, sous vide balls are required. All this can easily add up to another £100. The plastic waste generated by vacuum bags is another thing to be aware of, however it is much less than the normal waste generated in food shops.
Anova Precision Cooker’s minor niggles aside the app is amazing. The app has lots of great recipes, guides, and lets you control everything remotely. The app makes it easy to cook large amounts of meat and other foods that require precise temperature.
If you cook at home only occasionally, a sous-vide machine can be a good investment. The Anova is my favorite on the market.
Last Updated: 2022-12-25. Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
