When you’re starting out shopping for a sous vide machine, it can be a bit daunting to figure out which model to get, which type to get, and how many of the bells and whistles you want or don’t want. We’ve put together a quick guide that covers the basics for you so you know what you’re looking at when it comes to finding the best sous vide machines for any budget.
Types of Sous Vide Machines
Sous vide machines come in two types: immersion circulator and water oven.
With an immersion circulator, you’re using a wand-like device that you submerge into an appropriate container that will contain your water bath and the food you’re cooking.
Here are some of the benefits of using an immersion circulator:
- Since you provide your own container, you have flexibility in the amount of space you have for cooking. In other words, you can vary the size of container to suit what you’re cooking.
- Immersion circulators can be more affordable.
- Since they’re smaller, they’re easier to find storage space for in your kitchen.
When you use a water oven sous vide machine, you have a self-contained unit.
Here are some benefits of using a water oven:
- It already contains the cooking area, so you don’t have to provide your own container to use.
- You may find them easier to use because there is nothing to set up. With an immersion circulator, you have to make sure the circulator is properly placed in the water bath. This isn’t a big issue but it may be a minor advantage if you want a more “plug and play” experience.
- Water oven sous vide machines are available in a range of sizes so you can make sure you purchase on with the capacity that will work best for you.
Best Sous Vide Machines
Top-Rated Immersion Circulators
Here are the best sous vide machines in the immersion circulator style, in a range of price points.
Entry Level
GSM Brands Sous Vide Immersion Cooker – Digital Circulator Machine for Kitchen and Professional Us
800 Watts, with a temperature range of up to 212 degrees F. This is the most affordable unit with the best ratings on Amazon right now
They are very upfront about having a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. This unit won’t give you the wifi capability that other units have, which allow you to monitor your cook from your smartphone, but if you don’t need that feature then this is a good, solid choice for getting started with sous vide cooking.
- COOK LIKE A PROFESSIONAL - Using our Sous Vide Immersion Cooker, you can bring restaurant quality results to your home by using the same techniques professionals use! Impress your friends and family with tasty, moist, and succulent dishes.
- PRODUCES MOIST DISHES - Quickly heats and circulates water in the pot, evenly cooking food to an exact temperature. Cook meat, desserts, soups, eggs, fish, vegetables, and more!
- START SOUS VIDE COOKING IN SECONDS - Our simple interface allows you to easily set the temperature and cook time - uncomplicated with amazing results.
- EASY TO USE - Simply attach the cooker to any pot, add water, place your ingredients in glass jar or sealed bag, and press start. Voila!
- MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - We are confident that you will have a great experience with this Sous Vide Immersion Cooker. If our cooker fails to live up to your expectations, simply return it for a full refund.
Mid-range
This Anova model has been the go-to in this price range for quite some time. The highlights are the wifi/Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to connect to your smartphone, ease of use, as well as the capacity of up to 5 gallons.
It has over 4,000 reviews on Amazon as of this writing, so if you want to read in depth customer feedback you could spend some time learning all about this model.
There are a number of one star reviews, but the majority of users have had very positive experiences with the Anova. This is where Amazon’s excellent customer service comes into play: if you don’t like it, send it back. Bad reviews seem to center on user connectivity issues for the most part. some customers had trouble with temperature inconsistency.
- Anova precision cooker Bluetooth - perfect to cook within Bluetooth range from the Anova app or from the device manually. Serves up to 8 people. Fits on any pot. Adjustable clamp.
- COOK LIKE A PRO - The Anova Precision Cooker allows anyone to cook a restaurant quality meal at home. Our Sous Vide circulator is the perfect kitchen appliance for hands-off cooking of vegetables, meat and much more with consistent control and precision. We're so confident in our product Anova backs it with a 2-Year Warranty
- Perfect results, every time - precision cooking enables you to produce results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method. No Dry edges and no rare centers. Juices and flavors don't escape. Food comes out perfectly moist and tender. Continuous temperature control provides reliable and consistent results every time. Perfect for vegetables, meat, fruit, cheese and much more.
- Smart device control & cooking notifications - our temperature cooker is can be controlled remotely with smart devices, allowing you to escape from the kitchen while you cook. Simply Download the Anova app to easily monitor, adjust or control the device from your iPhone and Android or other smart devices. The precision cooker also provides you cooking notifications while you're out of the kitchen so you'll know when your food is ready. The precision cooker's blue tooth connection allows you to control the device up to 30 feet away.
- Easy to use - simply attach the precision cooker to any pot, add water, drop in desired food in a sealed bag or glass jar. Start cooking with the touch of a button on the device. The sous vide cooker's timer and precise temperature control allow you to step away and relax while your food cooks perfectly. No additional equipment needed.
Best
PolyScience CREATIVE Series Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
PolyScience Culinary makes higher end units that may be ideal for home chefs who sous vide often, or even for commercial kitchens. This model does have some mixed reviews.
This unit has a sleek and durable body and can circulate up to 5 gallons.
You might want to take a look at the range of models from PolyScience Culinary. They also make a higher end unit that’s more durable since it’s made specifically for commercial use.
- Take the technique of master chefs home! Sous Vide is a cooking technique widely-popular in restaurant kitchens for it's complete control over timing and food quality. Heater Wattage (120/240 V): 1100 Watts
- Sous vide enables homes chefs to achieve stunning culinary results with little effort. Using the sous vide technique ensures consistent & repeatable results to make every meal memorable.
- Rugged clamp design allows the circulator to be used in a variety of containers from stock pots to larger food-safe containers for entertaining a group of any size.
- Sous vide can be used to cook a variety of foods to perfection - meats, fish, vegetables, desserts and more.
- Repacking of left over side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffings, or sauces allows them to be easily reheated without fear of burning or a loss in texture and flavor.
Top Rated Water Ovens
Here are the water oven style units that make the list of best sous vide machines, in a range of price points.
Entry Level
6 quart capacity, this unit can also be used as a slow cooker. It actually has 11 cooking functions so you may find this versatile model takes the place of other appliances you use. The downside is that it’s capability for sous vide is not quite as highly rated as the mid-range and top shelf units. In the case of water ovens, spending some extra money will make a noticeable difference in your results.
- Dual functionality, twice the versatility
- Sous vide uses precise temperature control to cook food evenly and perfectly throughout
- Slow cooking gently cooks food over a long period of time, retaining its flavor and moisture
- 6 quart nonstick metal vessel
- Programmable controls
Mid-range
Sous Vide Supreme Demi Water Oven, Black, SVD-00101
This beauty is the one that I personally would want in my kitchen, out of all of the models on this list. Check out the video featuring Top Chef star Richard Blais showing off some delicious-looking chicken made in the Sous Vide Supreme. This unit has a capacity of 8.7 L, easy operation, a timer you can set to up to 99 hours, and a compact size of about 11 x 11 x 13 inches.
- Provides an easy way to prepare gourmet meals
- Silent operation and push-button convenience
- Temperature control keeps water within one degree of its ideal setting
- Temperature can be held for hours or days
- Holds 8.7 Liters of water
Best
Sous Vide Supreme Water Oven, SVS10LS
This unit is made by the same company as our mid-range pick. It’s the same high quality sous vide machine but with a larger capacity at 11.2 L. exterior dimensions are 11.4 x 11.4 x 14.2 inches.
64% of users gave this model a 5-star review, while 7% gave this one a 1-star review. Check out the customer feedback.
- Provides an easy way to prepare gourmet meals
- Silent operation and push-button convenience
- Temperature control keeps water within one degree of its ideal setting
- Temperature can be held for hours or days
- Holds 11.2 Liters of water.Interior Dimensions- 6.75 inches H, 9.75 inches W, 12.5 inches L, Max water bath depth 7 inches