Anova Precision Cooker Overview: A Sous Vide Staple

We purchased the Anova Precision Cooker so our reviewer might put it to the test of their kitchen. Keep learning for our full product analysis.

Anova is doubtless one of many prime names in sous vide-style cooking, so it’s no marvel there are three fashions to pick out from. The Precision Cooker is the distinctive model that falls in between the other two (the Precision Cooker Nano and the Precision Cooker Skilled) in relation to vitality and value. With superior temperature controls, it ensures to supply wonderful outcomes every time—nonetheless does it?

I put it to the test with the entire sous vide favorites—steak, rooster, and soft-boiled eggs—to look out out.

Design: Compact and adjustable

In distinction to Anova’s Precision Cooker Nano, which has an all-black design, the Precision Cooker is two-toned with a black larger physique and stainless steel base that goes into your pot of water. Aside from that, the two are just about comparable in design. Whereas the Nano was initially meant to be a smaller mannequin of the Precision Cooker, the distinctive acquired a redesign on account of purchaser options. It went from 14.8 inches tall to 12.8 inches tall, which is the exact same peak as a result of the Nano. As a result of this, they take up concerning the an identical amount of space in your drawer or cabinet. Nevertheless the Precision Cooker brings additional vitality (additional on that later).

There’s a relatively huge digital administration panel on prime of the cooker that makes it easy and intuitive to perform, due to the contact show display screen and movie icons. One notable distinction is that the clamp on the Precision Cooker is adjustable (the Nano has a set clamp), so it’s possible you’ll switch the cooker up or down in your pot to get a super place. This offers you just a bit additional leeway with pot dimension and water stage, which is one factor that I believed the Nano was missing.

Setup Course of: Plug-in and cook dinner dinner

There’s no setup involved throughout the Precision Cooker itself, nonetheless in case you want to administration it remotely by means of the app, you’ll have to get hold of the app and be a part of the cooker with the built-in Wi-Fi. Since I beforehand examined the Nano, I already had the app downloaded, nonetheless wanted to hitch this explicit model to it—a course of that solely took a minute or so.

On account of the cooker moreover has controls on the touchscreen, you don’t have to connect it to the app within the occasion you need to regulate it manually, nonetheless the app allows you to monitor it as a result of it goes or administration it from one different room, which is helpful everytime you’re working with the extended cooking situations that go hand-in-hand with sous vide cooking. I didn’t uncover myself using the app except for to flick through recipes, but it surely certainly’s a pleasing additional contact within the occasion you’re into it.

As quickly because the cooker was linked to the app, I clamped it on the pot with the flip knob, guaranteeing that it was firmly in place, set the temperature on the touchscreen, and let it do its issue.

Choices: Wi-Fi-enabled

The Anova Precision Cooker is additional about function than choices, but it surely certainly’s correctly thought out and has each little factor it is good to make sous vide cooking easy, even within the occasion you’re a beginner. This model, which has been redesigned from earlier variations primarily based totally on purchaser options, has an enormous touchscreen that means that you can administration time and temperature instantly on the cooker, and a +/- 0.2-degree Fahrenheit accuracy.

Whereas the Nano and the distinctive model of this sous vide cooker hook up with the app by Bluetooth, this updated Precision Cooker is Wi-Fi enabled, which provides you a bigger range of connectivity and a faster response time (in precept—I had some factors with that). The Wi-Fi works solely with 2.4 GHz networks and by no means 5G networks, though, so preserve that in ideas when deciding if it’s finest for you. It is also attainable to administration the sous vide cooker absolutely manually with out the need for Wi-Fi, nonetheless this attribute makes points just a bit additional helpful in case you want to monitor your cooking remotely.

The sous vide cooker moreover comes with a free app that offers cooking guides, how-tos, and recipes for each sort of meals. Granted, it’s possible you’ll nonetheless entry this app even with out the cooker, but it surely certainly’s a pleasing attribute that allows you to be taught the ropes and observe along with recipes if that’s the best way you favor to cook dinner dinner.

Effectivity: Cooks with precision

When testing the Anova Precision Cooker’s effectivity, I needed to confirm I stayed consistent with the meals I was using with the other two fashions, so I cooked steak, eggs, and rooster. Starting with the steak, I crammed a 10-quart stockpot with water and adjusted the cooker so that the water line was positioned between the minimal and most markings. On account of the clamp is adjustable, I had a greater time with this than with the Nano even using the an identical dimension pot.

The water heated up faster, too. It took about 17 minutes when set to 130 ranges compared with the half-hour of the Precision Cooker Nano with the an identical amount of water. Whereas that undoubtedly helped switch points alongside just a bit faster, it nonetheless appeared like a chronic time period to attend sooner than you even start the cooking course of. Actually, time will fluctuate primarily based totally on the amount of water and the form of container you’re using.

It’s a bit louder than the Nano, nonetheless that was to be anticipated with a additional extremely efficient motor. The sound wasn’t intrusive—additional of a slight buzzing—nonetheless you undoubtedly notice it’s on when it’s working. Like the other Anova fashions, this one doesn’t embrace any baggage, so that you just’ll have to tug out your vacuum sealer or use any regular heavy-duty food-safe freezer bag. This time, I used a freezer bag, adopted the steak recipe from the Anova app, and acquired to cooking.

As quickly because the water acquired to temperature, I put the steak in and monitored it as a result of it went. The displayed temperature not typically ever moved from the 130 ranges I set it to, which confirmed that the Precision Cooker was able to take care of the water tub on the managed temperature for every little thing of the cooking course of, which took two hours (an identical to with the Nano). When the steak was accomplished cooking, I transferred it to a scorching skillet, searing both facet for just a few minute and a half each to get a pleasing crust. After letting the steak leisure for five minutes, I cut back into it to see how the Precision Cooker did with the cooking.

The inside was good and pink with a brown crust throughout the perimeters: fully medium-rare. The steak was moreover tender and juicy, considerably additional so than after I cook dinner dinner steak on the grill. As with my Nano testing, I moreover cooked soft-boiled eggs and rooster following Anova’s recipes throughout the app. The cooking was equally spectacular for all of them, albeit the time it takes to get by means of the cooking course of is significantly longer than within the occasion you may have been to easily delicate boil eggs in a pot on the vary.

Whereas I was extraordinarily impressed with the precise cooking, the Wi-Fi cut back in and out pretty typically. At first, I believed this was on account of my unreliable connection—a difficulty I was already aware of—nonetheless after digging into some opinions, I seen that this seemed to be a normal grievance. Do you have to’re looking for to enhance to this model primarily based totally on the reality that it has Wi-Fi, it is attainable you will be upset.

Cleaning: Rinse and pat dry

The Anova Precision Cooker truly solely touches water as a rule, so all I wanted to do to clean it was give it a quick rinse beneath working water after which pat dry with a transparent paper towel. I haven’t run into a difficulty with any of the bags breaking, however after they do, or if gunk begins to assemble up, it’s possible you’ll deep clear the Precision Cooker by together with dish cleansing cleaning soap to a pot of water, attaching the Precision Cooker, setting it to 158 ranges, and letting it run for half-hour. There’s truly no cleanup course of that’s less complicated than that.

Worth: On par with others in its class

At a retail price of $219, the Anova Precision Cooker is true in line price-wise with completely different fashions in its class. Whereas there are cheap fashions in the marketplace, most of them don’t embrace smart choices or the superior precision of the Anova.

Opponents: Battle of the Anovas

On account of there are three Anova fashions—and they also’re all very extraordinarily rated—it’s sensible to pit them in the direction of each other to see which one is the proper for you and your needs.

Anova Precision Cooker Nano: The Nano is perhaps thought-about Anova’s entry-level model. Whereas it’s concerning the an identical dimension as a result of the widespread Precision Cooker, it does have a lot much less vitality, which means it takes longer for the water to heat up—one factor that interprets to additional prepared time. It moreover doesn’t have an adjustable clamp, so you have acquired a lot much less leeway throughout the pot or container dimension you’re using. Nonetheless, it does an exquisite job with cooking the entire meals I examined and it retails for decrease than the Precision Cooker.

Anova Precision Cooker Skilled: For those who want to go within the mistaken means, the Precision Cooker Skilled is Anova’s luxurious model. It’s double the worth of the Precision Cooker, but it surely certainly has 1,200 watts of vitality and additional actual temperature administration—it has a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.09 ranges, compared with the Precision Cooker’s +/- 0.2-degree accuracy. Do you have to need that type of precision, and in addition you don’t ideas paying double, the Skilled is a top-of-the-line cooker.