Quote:
Originally Posted by J pold
Bump.
Looking to purchase one of these for my wife for her birthday.
Any recommendations on a unit? There is a wide variety of prices and features. Does the Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities really matter?
What say you CP.
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Anova and Joule seem to be the top options. I bought my Anova before Joule was as readily available here. Anova has options that include a nice container if that's important to you. Having a nice set up is worth it IMO. When we have guests over, it's almost always a conversation starter. Anova's container is sleek albeit a little over priced for the sexy look. Mine is just a basic clear rubber maid bin with a corner cut out of the lid for the Anova which still looks pretty good, but not as good as something as precision as the Anova one. I haven't checked into the Joule options.
Absolutely buy the wifi option over the bluetooth option (a regret of mine buying the blue tooth version rather than dishing extra out for wifi). It allows for you to check and control things away from home and around the home. BT connectivity isn't always available even at home when you're elsewhere watching TV, in the garage and whatnot.
Vacuum sealer isn't necessary, but it sure is nice. Freezer bags are more than good enough for the typical cook. I haven't had an issue over the 3+ years I've used the Anova, although at times it would be nice to just plop the vacuum sealed bag into the bath rather than have to tinker with weighing down a freezer bag with butter knives.
I've started noticing something called the "pro" versions of different sous vide brands. I think the only difference is the power of which it can heat up the bath or maintain a high temperature. I don't think this extra power is necessary unless you need higher temps (80C+) for things like veggies or making cheese without insulating a container. You can survive just fine on the regular versions by insulating the sides of the container with towels and whatnot. If you're using 80C+ temps on the regular to make things like queso blanco or veggies, it might be worth grabbing the pro versions to stay lazy though.
