The Best Sous Vide Machine

When you run across the words “sous vide” in a cookbook, it might seem like a complex term that’s only used with elaborate French dishes. In reality, it’s a simple way to get a perfect cook on your favorite proteins, like steak, chicken and pork. Buying a sous vide machine can make this French tradition an everyday classic in your kitchen.

Sous vide is a fancy term for placing your food in a vacuum-sealed bag, then cooking it in temperature-controlled water. (You can also use glass jars instead of bags, and eggs can be cooked in their shells.) There are a number of benefits to cooking your food sous vide. It offers more precise control over your cooking temperature, so it’s better for cooking tricky proteins, like fish. You’ll also notice a more even cook throughout meats like steak and pork loin.  

Using a vacuum-sealed bag prevents moisture and nutrient loss, so your meals come out tastier and healthier. Sous vide cooking also helps your proteins soak up more marinade and enhances your meat’s natural flavor, so you won’t have to use additional salt or oils.

The sous vide method used to be a fine dining-only approach, but the rise of affordable home sous-vide machines have taken this French technique from fine dining to easy weeknight dinners. The two types of at-home sous vide machines are water ovens and immersion circulators, but all of our top picks are immersion circulators.

Thermal immersion circulators are electrically powered devices that move and heat water at an accurate, stable temperature. They hook onto the side of your cooking pot, then they heat up the water and circulate it. Once your water has reached the right temperature, you can drop your bagged meal into the pot, sit back and let the immersion circulator do the work.

New handheld immersion circulators, like the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano, come with digital displays that make it easier than ever to keep that perfect temperature.

Digital displays aren’t the only technology that’s making sous vide the next big thing. Some models are Bluetooth-enabled, so you can control them remotely. This sous vide also has an accompanying app for iPhone or Android, with a special visual doneness feature. It shows you exactly how your food will turn out before you even turn on your stove.

Immersion circulators are also great for anyone with a small kitchen who wants the sous vide experience. You’ll find a few are about the size of a champagne bottle, while others fit easily into your cutlery drawer.

Sous vide circulators come in different wattages. More watts help your water heat more quickly, and if you need to add cold food during cooking, it will help the water’s temperature rebound faster. The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano uses 750 watts of cooking power (about the strength of a small or medium microwave). Other brands are able to heat up liquids with an impressive 1,100 watts (which is a similar amount of power to a large microwave).

If you don’t know how to get started with your sous vide machine, several of our top picks come with recipe books. Anova, for example, comes with more than 1,000 recipes for every skill level.

Once you’re ready to dive into sous vide cooking, take a look at our Tips & Advice to figure out which sous vide machine is right for you.

• How often do you plan on using your sous vide machine? If you want a few steaks for occasional dinner parties, a budget pick like the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano will work just fine. For regular sous vide experiences, you may want to pony up for an investment model.
• How much power do you want from your immersion cooker? Higher-wattage cookers will help you cook faster by heating up your water more quickly. However, it’s easier to trip a circuit breaker if your kitchen is old or not wired for that much juice. The 750-watt Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano might take a bit longer to get going, but it won’t leave you poking around your fuse box with a flashlight.
• What types of containers will you use for your sous vide cooking? The immersion circulator has to clamp onto the side of your pot, so you’ll want to measure the pot’s thickness and make sure your sous vide machine has a large enough clamp for a firm grip on the side. The Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker can be shifted up or down on your pot to adjust the height, and you can adjust the screw in the back for a tighter fit. Other circulator clamps are large and hook up in seconds, but they’re not as adjustable.
• New moms can benefit from sous vide cookers, too. They can heat milk or formula to a perfect 98.6 degrees every time.
• Sous vide machines don’t get very dirty, but they’ll need a quick cleaning if you start noticing mineral buildup from water. To rinse the buildup away, just dilute equal parts water and vinegar in a small pot and place your cooker inside. Set the cooker’s temperature to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and let your cooker heat the liquid. Then remove the cooker once it’s reached the right temperature. The cooker’s display can be cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth.