- High-quality sous vide machines get up to temperature quickly, maintain an accurate temp, and feature an intuitive interface.
- The ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide is our top pick because of its high-tech features, compact size, and excellent customer service.
I learned a lot about cooking from my mom. And, though she makes excellent meals that you won't find anywhere else, her Achilles' heel is remembering that she is cooking. With so many things vying for our attention these days, she is not alone. It's easy to get distracted and forget you're roasting, grilling, boiling, or otherwise fixing a meal. Even if you are on your game, a couple of minutes can mean the difference between a delicious medium-rare ribeye and an overcooked mess. Fortunately, sous vide machines even the playing field.
Sous vide machines work by preheating a water bath to a specific temperature. Food is then sealed in a container — usually a plastic bag — and lowered into the bath. It stays there until it reaches the temperature of the water. This is not a fast process, but it virtually guarantees that you will not overcook your food.
There are two main types of sous vide machines: stick-like units called "immersion circulators" and all-in-one boxes, known as water ovens. Water ovens are great because they generally come with everything you need to start cooking right away. With immersion circulators, you use your own container — a large pot should work fine.
Though any airtight bag should work just fine, you may want to consider purchasing a vacuum sealer along with your sous vide machine. The transfer of heat through water is eleven times more efficient than through air. The vacuum sealer removes all of the air pockets and decreases the chance of uneven cooking.
While researching the best sous vide machines, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert reviews and ratings of countless models. The units featured in this guide have a track record of performance, durability, and have shown that they can produce delicious steaks, vegetables, and other dishes.
Here are our picks for the best sous vide machines you can buy:
Updated on 10/14/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, formatting.
The best sous vide machine overall
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If you need a compact, high-tech sous vide machine that is powerful enough to get water up to temperature quickly, look no further than the ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide.
Aside from the ability to heat water to precise temperatures, there are a couple features that set the ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide apart from other sous vide machines. First, it is only 1.3 pounds and 11 inches tall so it is much smaller and easier to store than the other options available. Secondly, ChefSteps has clearly put a lot of work into its app. Not only does it allow you to monitor your meal, but it also has a "Visual Doneness" feature that shows you how your food looks as it cooks so you can easily achieve your preferred doneness.
Insider Picks' Brandt Ranj tested it and was very impressed. He said it "lets me cook steaks as perfectly as a professional chef" and called it "one of my favorite kitchen tools."
The Joule connects with your phone via Bluetooth or the Internet, and the app has more than 100 cooking guides. Plus, it works with Amazon Alexa so you can cook using your voice. ChefSteps backs the product with a one-year limited warranty. And, if you are not completely happy with the Joule within 90 days of purchase, the company will give you a full refund.
Serious Eats recommends the ChefSteps Joule because it's small enough to fit in a cooking utensil drawer, has a magnetic bottom that keeps it in place in metal receptacles, and is nearly silent when operating. However, the reviewer, J. Kenji López-Alt, was turned off by the fact that you needed a phone and Bluetooth or Internet connection to use it. Still, it remains Serious Eats' favorite circulator.
In the Sous Vide Guy's tests, the Joule performed flawlessly. Specifically, he was impressed with how quickly the small device could heat 6 liters of 75-degree water to 135 degrees Fahrenheit (about 12 minutes.)
Other expert sites that tested and recommend the Joule are Tom's Guide, Busted Wallet, Paste Magazine, and CNET.
Earlier reviews of the Joule had harsh criticisms of the app. ChefSteps has addressed this, and many buyers have since updated their ratings to reflect the improvements.
Pros: Compact design, excellent customer service, ongoing app improvements
Cons: Requires a smartphone and Bluetooth/internet
The best for high-tech cooking
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The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker (previous version) can be programmed through an app or manually on the device itself.
In the world of sous vide machines, the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker and the ChefSteps Joule are in a class of their own. When it comes to which of our top two picks are better, it's really a toss-up. We gave the Joule the edge because it has a higher wattage and smaller size. But, the Anova Culinary model can be used manually without an app in case you want to put your smartphone away.
The unit attaches to your container via a ring clip. This allows you to adjust the depth of the circulator to fit the container. The Anova has a temperature range of 32 to 211.5 degrees Fahrenheit, a timer that runs up to 99 hours, and it can heat up to five gallons of water. This product is backed by a one-year or 5,000 hours of operation warranty.
Gizmodo's reviewer liked the compact size, easy-to-read display, and he found the resulting meals to be juicy, tender, and cooked perfectly. However, he was turned off by how hard it was to use the timer, and the app didn't have much functionality. However, the review was written three years ago, and Anova Culinary has continued to make improvements to the app.
One Amazon shopper shared a story of buying the most inexpensive cut of steak, chuck under blade steak, which is known for being tough. After 19 hours at 149 degrees Fahrenheit, the steak turned out melt-in-your-mouth delicious. For regular cuts, it won't take as long.
Another buyer was turned off by an app update over a year ago that allegedly required users to link their Facebook account. However, an Anova exec told Business Insider that the company does not and never has required a Facebook account to log in for any of its products.
One Amazon reviewer found the steam produced by heating the water can cause the Anova to malfunction.
If you can do without the Wi-Fi function and can deal with less power, Anova makes the affordable Precision Cooker Nano. This is a sleek device that connects to a smartphone using Bluetooth, but it can also be programmed on the unit — just like the non-Nano version, except smaller. In fact, this is the top pick from The Wirecutter. Despite the fewer features, Guides Editor Les Shu, who uses the Nano, found it very capable in cooking steaks beautifully. It just requires a bit more time to bring the water to temperature. Read our review of the Anova Precision Cooker Nano.
On the other hand, if you're looking for an even more powerful version, Anova has the Precision Cooker Pro, which pumps out 1,200 watts. This is for those who are serious about sous vide cooking and are willing to spend a bit more. Read our review of the Anova Precision Cooker Pro.
Note: Anova announced a redesigned version of the Precision Cooker that is smaller and has 1,000 watts of power. We will be looking at this new version when it becomes available for review.
Pros: Second smallest option on our list, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatible, works with a variety of containers
Cons: Some dislike using it without a smartphone
The best affordable sous vide machine
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If you are interested in giving sous vide cooking a try and don't care if it connects to your smartphone, then the Kitchen Gizmo Sous Vide Immersion Circulator is an excellent choice.
Unlike our top two choices, the Kitchen Gizmo Sous Vide Immersion Circulatordoes not have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You simply set it up using the intuitive controls on the top of the device. This is ideal for when you want to put your phone away and avoid distracting notifications from countless apps.
The 800-watt motor heats to temperatures up to 194 degrees Fahrenheit with a margin of error of 1 degree. This circulator clips to the side of your container and can circulate up to eight liters (a little more than two gallons) per minute.
Sous Vide Guy tested how long it took the Kitchen Gizmo Immersion Circulator to get 6 liters of water from 75 degrees Fahrenheit to 135 degrees. The reviewer found it was a somewhat sluggish 20 minutes, which was similar to the Anova 800-watt's time. However, he still recommends it to buyers looking for an inexpensive sous vide.
Food For Net appreciated how easy it was to set up this model and noted that the included cookbook was helpful. Amazing Food Made Easy compared the Kitchen Gizmo to several other popular brands. The reviewer found it got up to temp faster than the Anova and used less power than every other model except for the Joule. It was also the quietest.
While Amazon customer reviews have been mostly positive, one buyer complained that the circulator kept giving the low-water error when there was plenty of water. She tried to contact Kitchen Gizmo for help and hadn't heard back from them after three weeks (at which point she posted her review.)
Pros: Affordable, energy efficient, quiet, easy to set up and operate
Cons: Doesn't have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, questionable customer service
The best sous vide water oven
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The Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven is for people who don't mind spending extra for an all-in-one unit.
The Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven is different from the other sous vide machines in the previous slides because it doesn't involve putting an immersion circulator in a container of your choice. Instead, the water oven is the container, and it has a sophisticated computer that controls convection currents within. Before the arrival of immersion circulators, this is how chefs used the sous vide method to cook.
The original Sous Vide Supreme has been on the market since at least 2003, making it one of the first consumer-facing options available. The original Supreme is 11.2 liters (large enough for 20 four-ounce food portions), and the Demi is 8.7 liters (large enough for 12 four-ounce food portions.)
The water oven can hold temperatures between 86 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 99 hours without wavering by more than a degree so you can count on precise, slow cooking. Lastly, the manufacturer, Eades Appliance Technology, provides a one-year limited warranty.
Huffington Post reviewed the Sous Vide Supreme back in 2010 just as sous vide cooking was starting to take off, so the article was more focused on this form of cooking in general. However, the reviewer did recommend this model to people who have a fair amount of disposable income and don't want to bother with rigging one of the circulator cylinders.
Serious Eats has a similarly dated review. The reviewer was impressed with the quality of the meals produced with minimal effort. He also liked that he could set the temperature to a level that would hold the food in a holding pattern (not hot enough to overcook and not too hot to eat) until dinner guests arrived.
On Amazon, one reviewer noted that juiciness and tenderness were never more apparent to him until he used this device. However, he warned that you shouldn't use the oven without a vacuum sealer.
Another buyer compared all-in-one water ovens to the more popular compact units, and he preferred the water oven because it is less likely to clog or wear out. Plus, he found that this oven is totally quiet.
Pros: All-in-one unit, quiet, durable
Cons: Expensive, may need to purchase a vacuum sealer
The best sous vide machine for beginners
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The Tribest Sousvant SV-101 Complete Sous Vide Circulator doesn't have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. However, its 1000W built-in circulation system does what all sous vide machines should: It maintains accurate water temperatures to within 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
This device is all-inclusive. It does not require any DIY work, containers, or any jerry-rigging. The transparent, three-gallon carafe allows you to watch your food as it cooks, and it's removable for easy access. Tribest offers a two-year warranty with the Sousvant.
The reviewer at CNET was disappointed by the lack of high-tech features but was impressed with the performance of the Sousvant. He was able to nail the cooking of eggs to three different levels of yolk firmness. And, salmon was also prepared perfectly. Lastly, he recommended this unit to anyone trying sous vide cooking for the first time.
Sous Vide Wizard highly recommends the Sousvant because it only takes a few seconds to set up, is lightweight, and it produced excellent ribeye steaks for him. Sous Vide Guy also gave the thumbs up to this machine because he found the temperature control to be incredibly accurate.
One Amazon buyer found the Sousvant works better than other sous vide machines he had tried but didn't like how loud the pump is.
Pros: Accurate temperature control, all-in-one design, attractive look
Cons: Loud pump, doesn't have many high-tech features, pricey
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