KEY INFORMATION ABOUT the Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth Immersion Circulator

Founded in 2013 Anova is motivated by two ideas. The first is “using science and technology to change the way people cook” and the second is that “devices should be accessible to everyone”. The Anova Precision Cooker Immersion Circulator sits in the middle to upper end of the sous vide immersion circulator market in terms of pricing. It is a product that goes on sale from time to time. So in that sense we guess the device is accessible to most people.

When it comes to science and technology, Anova is embracing WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity for their immersion circulator.  As we have mentioned in other sous vide immersion circluator reviews, this is not necessarily a positive advancement in the eyes of some home cook reviewers. Some people find additional technology to be cumbersome. Others get it and love it straight away! We would encourage you to at least learn a little about the way Bluetooth and WiFi technology works to see if it might enhance your sous vide cooking.

This review will focus on the 800 watt Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Bluetooth Immersion Circulator.

Key Features

• Simple interface on the device allows you to set the time and temperature manually. Alternatively use the Anova Culinary app to find your cook settings and hit ‘Start’
• Bluetooth connectivity enables you to start, stop and monitor your cook from your mobile device, so you do not need to be tied to your kitchen when you’re cooking (although you do need to be nearby so the Bluetooth connection doesn’t drop out)
• Recipe discovery: 1000+ step-by-step recipes from award-winning chefs
• Guided cooking: Choose your preferred level of doneness and press start to cook
• Cook notifications: Stay up-to-date on your cooking status without being in the kitchen
• Recipe sharing: Share your favorite recipes with friends directly through the app
• Video tutorials: Cook select recipes with video tutorials to guide you from seasoning to searing

Specifications

• Temp Range: 77°F to 210°F ± 0.01°F / 25°C to 99°C ± 0.01°C
• Pump Speed: 1 – 1.2 GPM 7-8 LPM
• Directional Pump: 360 Degree
• Tank Capacity: 4-5 Gallons / 15-19 Liters
• Timer: 99 Hours
• Safety: Bi-Metal Fuse
• Power Input: 110-120VAC
• Heating Power: 800W
• ETL certification
• The water needs to be between 2.75 and 6.25 inches deep in any sized container (as indicated by markings on the removable shield)

ANOVA AWARDS 

USA Today’s Reviewed.com as Best Cooking Gadget of 2016

Canstar Blue Innovation Award 2015

QUICK REVIEW

At Sous Vide Hub, we know that many of you are time poor. That’s why we provide a short product overview just below in all of our product reviews. Don’t get us wrong, we would love you to read our extended review. But if long reviews are not your thing, then feel free to just read the next paragraph and the summary of pros and cons after it.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW COMMENTS

The Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator has long been acknowledged for it’s ease of use and stylish look and feel. The reviewer community is huge. There are literally thousands of verified reviews out there. The majority of reviewers rave about all of the usual benefits of sous vide cooking when using the Anova immersion circulator. For a recap on those benefits, head to our FAQ page. Believe us, there is a lot to like about sous vide cooking.

The response to the Anova Sous Vide immersion circulator is similar to that of the Sansaire Sous Vide immersion circulator. When it works, reviewers rave! Most find it easy to use and report that it heats up reasonably quickly (well mostly, although some feel as though the accuracy of the temperature control could be improved). No matter the ingredients in your food pouch, it produces scrumptious foods of all types.

From a pricing perspective it sits with the likes of the Joule by ChefSteps, Sansaire Immersion Circulator and the VacMaster SV1 immersion circulator

However the Anova Culinary immersion circulator is not without its quality control issues. Quite a few reviewers report having to send their initial devices back which highlights some issues in quality control. Others report impressive initial use and results only to run into problems after a few uses. We know that for some of you, this compromised quality control track record will be enough for you to consider other immersion circulators and to cross this one off your list of contenders.

Anova has two Immersion Circulators on the market currently:

The 800 watts Anova Precision Cooker with Bluetooth

The 900 watts Anova Precision Cooker with WiFi and Bluetooth

In September 2017 Anova announced that they would be delaying the launch of the Anova Precision Cooker Nano citing an underestimation of lead times for critical components. They also noted that early units did not meet their quality standards.

What people are saying

Other immersion circulators that use similar Bluetooth or WiFi technology include the Joule by ChefSteps. There is also a reasonably new player in the sous vide market to use WiFi technology. It’s a company called Mellow. They offer a sous vide water oven that requires a WiFi network to connect to the internet. You use this connection to control the Mellow sous vide machine.

The biggest reviewer community concern with the Anova Immersion Circulator is with the reliability of the Bluetooth technology used. Bluetooth technology dictates that your smart device needs to be within a particular distance of the sous vide immersion circulator. Many reviewers report that even within close range, the connection can sometimes drop out. When a “drop out” occurs, the Anova immersion circulator loses important information about your sous vide cook. Like the temperature it needs to maintain to cook your food safely!!

Whilst many who purchase the Anova Sous Vide WiFi immersion circulator recognise that they will need to set up some kind of profile to use the app, those who use the Bluetooth version are unimpressed that the app requires a login. Many reviewers object to providing such information for a product that should not require any details from the consumer. Those of you who do not have a problem with this level of transparency will not find this to be an issue.

There is no doubt that there is a massive community of cooks in home, cafe and restaurant kitchens who use the Anova immersion circulator. That means you will readily receive support from others using this sous vide machine.  If you prefer to have a high level of customer support from Anova themselves, reviewers report mixed experiences.

Product images

Here’s a few images of the Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth Immersion Circulator:

In a nut shell here are the key pros and cons of the Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth Immersion Circulator:

PROS

• Comes with a very handy double clamp; one with a knob to attach the clamp to your cooking vessel, and a second knob to secure the cooker in the clamp. The majority of people report that it’s pretty durable and holds the cooker rock steady
• Has a user friendly interface on the device to set the temperature
• Has an adjustable collar which allows you to use it on different pots
• The unit is compact and stores easily
• Whilst the Anova Immersion Circulator does use Bluetooth technology you can also use this immersion circulator manually. There are buttons on the unit itself if you would prefer to control the device directly
• The detachable stainless steel skirt and disk are dishwasher safe

CONS

• The manual controls (other than setting the temperature) are temperamental for some. Setting the time manually can be complicated
• Setting the timer seems to also change the temperature gauge from fahrenheit to celsius so you have to switch it back again manually each time you use it
• There’s no option to start the timer after you actually submerge your food bag or to restart the timer unless you do it manually from the app
• The cooking unit can heat water to 210 degrees, and then sits on top of that steaming water, but is susceptible/prone to malfunction because of inevitable steam intrusion into the control head. This is a design flaw that frustrates some reviewers
• Some report thermostat accuracy issues
• Hand washing the metal sheathe is a bit tricky unless you have a long brush because the edge is a little sharp
• Some find that there is a warning issued by the device to suggest that the water is too low when that is not actually the case
• The time/temp done alarm on the unit is perhaps a little quiet (we guess this depends on the usual noise levels in your home!)
• The power cord is very short
• The scrolling dial works well although can be a little bit touchy sometimes

Bluetooth related Cons:

• If you lose connection you have to reset
• When/if you move out of Bluetooth range, the Anova forgets the remaining time required for your cook
• Only one smart phone can be paired to the device
• Anova has recently updated the app which requires creating an account, or pairing with your Facebook account even for the Bluetooth-only model; many reviewers believe this is an unnecessary privacy intrusion
• Using Bluetooth technology means you still need to be close to the kitchen.
• A little expensive for some (although it sometimes goes on sale) – click here to see current price on Amazon

More info

DETAILED SOUS VIDE HUB REVIEW – Anova Bluetooth Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

The Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth immersion circulator is an absolute hit with a very large percentage of verified purchaser reviewers. Can it make tough meats delicious? Yep. No problem. Can it produce succulent meats of all types? Yep. It sure can. “Precise scrumptiouness with maximum ease” and “where have you been all my life” expressions fill sous vide reviewer forums pretty consistently. There are masterchefs setting up shop in their home kitchens around the world – these are home cooks surprising even themselves with outstanding consistent cooking results every time.

PERFORMANCE

There are a couple of sticking points in regards to performance. The speed at which the Anova immersion circulator warms water, is a problem for some but on the whole, cooks seem happy in this respect (and you can always add warm water to speed things up a little at the start of your cook if you want to). One small thing to look out for in the Anova is accuracy of the water temperature reflected on the screen. Whilst this as a problem for a minority of users, it could be worth testing out the temperature with your own thermopen or similar. This will give you peace of mind on this front.

The other MAJOR performance issue relates to the Bluetooth connectivity aspect of this particular model of the Anova immersion circulator. (If you want to learn more about how Bluetooth and WiFi technology work with your immersion circulator check out our article by clicking here). Even those who rave about their cooking results tend to agree – using Bluetooth connectivity with this immersion circluator can be poor and at worst it is woeful. The key concern sits around the app “dropping out” even when people are in close proximity to their Anova immersion circulator. The other complaint is that you should not need to create a user account through Facebook or in any other form to use this sort of kitchen device. People find it to be an unnecessary intrusion of their privacy.

EASE OF USE

The great thing about the Anova Immersion Circulator is that you don’t have to use the Bluetooth connectivity if you don’t want to (unlike the Joule by ChefSteps where using technology is the only way to use it). Given this is the case, we will explore ease of use in 2 different ways:

Ease of use without using Bluetooth technology:

Reviewers commonly report that the Anova immersion circulator works well when using the device directly. That is, manually using the buttons and dials on the immersion circulator itself. This is not to say that the immersion circulator performs any better when it comes to warming up water or maintaining temperatures. It simply means that the immersion circulator is very user friendly to turn on, set temperatures and to monitor your sous vide cook.

Ease of use using Bluetooth technology:

Setup and first use: Although the immersion circulator can be used without controlling it from a smart phone via app, the instructions that come with the Anova Immersion Circulator direct you to install the app and connect to the cooker as a first step towards using it. Installing the app on your smart device should be fairly easy. So should connecting to the Anova cooker via Bluetooth.

As a side note those who buy the Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth and WiFi Immersion Circulator often report trouble connecting the sous vide unit to their home Wi-Fi network. To read more about the Anova model with WiFi, click here.

CONVENIENCE

If you’re going to buy this Anova immersion circulator remember that it needs to plug into an outlet. The power cord on this unit is reasonably short. So you need to be able to put the pot/water container on a counter top which is pretty much right next to a power outlet.

If you are someone who likes the idea of using Bluetooth connectivity to start, stop and monitor your cook from your mobile device, then this immersion circulator could be for you. In saying that, you can’t head too far from the kitchen. You need to be close to the Anova immersion circulator itself for Bluetooth to work (Anova suggests that proximity should be 33 feet).

DESIGN

The look of the Anova immersion circulator is suitably stylish as far as immersion circulators go. The screen is easy to see (although a couple of reviewers have noted it could be a little brighter but we don’t see this as a show stopper).

There is a slight design quirk to be aware of. Attaching the Anova securely to pots or other cooking vessels that have sides of them that aren’t 90 degrees up and down, can cause the immersion circulator to tilt and make a strange noise. In this case, you might need to loosen the attachment vice to get it to work quietly.

WARRANTY AND SUPPORT

Anova Culinary offers a community forum on their website. It has a range of categories including First Cook Essentials, Recipe Share, Food + Cooking and Support Questions + Help. They offer a toll free phone number and a support email. Reviewer feedback on their customer service experience is variable.

Additional tested sous vide recipes would be welcomed by those who have reviewed what is available on the Anova website. You may need to seek out additional sous vide recipe websites and forums where others with the Anova immersion circulator hang out. We’ve included some helpful lists of websites and forums on our Resources page.

Anova offers a 60 day no questions asked, money back guarantee.

The Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth immersion circulator has a 1 year warranty (at the time of writing this review).

ACCESSORIES INCLUDED

There are no accessories included with the Anova sous vide immersion circulator. However here are a couple of products you could consider using alongside this sous vide machine:

LTGEM Case for Anova Culinary Bluetooth Sous Vide Precision Cooker 800 watts (read our review here)

Sous Vide Container 12 Quart for Anova, Nomiku, Sansaire, PolyScience Immersion Circulators

Helpful links:

Here are some additional items you might like to consider using with the Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator:

Vacuum sealer

Vacuum sealer bags

Sous Vide Water Balls

SousVide Supreme Zip Cooking Pouches (can be sealed without a vacuum sealer)

PROS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)

• Comes with a very handy double clamp; one with a knob to attach the clamp to your cooking vessel, and a second knob to secure the cooker in the clamp. The majority of people report that it’s pretty durable and holds the cooker rock steady
• A user friendly interface on the device to set the temperature
• An adjustable collar which allows you to use it on different pots
• The unit is compact and stores easily
• Whilst the Anova Immersion Circulator does use Bluetooth technology you can also use this immersion circulator manually. There are buttons on the unit itself if you would prefer to control the device directly
• The detachable stainless steel skirt and disk are dishwasher safe

CONS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)

• The manual controls (other than setting the temperature) are temperamental for some. Setting the time manually can be complicated
• Setting the timer seems to also change the temperature gauge from fahrenheit to celsius so you have to switch it back again manually each time you use it
• There’s no option to start the timer after you actually submerge your food bag or to restart the timer unless you do it manually from the app
• The cooking unit can heat water to 210 degrees, and then sits on top of that steaming water, but is susceptible/prone to malfunction because of inevitable steam intrusion into the control head. This is a design flaw that frustrates some reviewers
• Some report thermostat accuracy issues
• Hand washing the metal sheathe is a bit tricky unless you have a long brush because the edge is a little sharp
• Some find that there is a warning issued by the device to suggest that the water is too low when that is not actually the case
• The time/temp done alarm on the unit is perhaps a little quiet (we guess this depends on the usual noise levels in your home!)
• The power cord is very short
• The scrolling dial works well although can be a little bit touchy sometimes
• A little expensive but it does go on sale from time to time – click here to see current price on Amazon

Bluetooth related Cons:

• If you lose connection you have to reset
• When/if you move out of Bluetooth range the Anova forgets the remaining time required for your cook
• Only one smart phone can be paired to the device
• Anova has recently updated the app which requires creating an account, or pairing with your Facebook account even for the Bluetooth-only model; many reviewers believe this is an unnecessary privacy intrusion
• Using Bluetooth technology means you still need to be close to the kitchen

HINTS AND TIPS FROM REAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED THE Anova Sous Vide Bluetooth Immersion Circulator:

Here are some first hand hints and tips from people who have used the Anova Culinary Bluetooth Immersion Circulator:

Tip #1

“You absolutely DO NOT…I repeat you DO NOT need a vacuum sealer or Food Saver type of appliance to use this cooker! A zip lock bag works just as well.”

Tip #2

Check out the “sous-vide-time-and-temperature-guide” located on the Anova Culinary website.

Tip #3

Tip #4

This container is perfect for the Anova Immersion Circulator (note this does not come with a lid) Cambro Camwear Polycarbonate Square Food Storage Container, 8 Quart

Tip #5

Consider the FoodSaver Premium 2-In-1 Automatic Bag-Making Vacuum Sealing System, Silver FSFSSL5860-DTC, to seal and remove the air from the bags. A vacuum sealer is not mandatory, but they are great to speed up marination

Tip #6

One bit of advice… If you are cooking a recipe that has you add liquid smoke before the cooking process, you may notice the liquid smoke aroma in the sous vide water bath after cooking if your vacuum seal bag isn’t a good quality. It will surely happen with regular zip bags. If you are considering using the zip type bags, consider using the Waring Commercial 50 Count Vacuum seal bag with valve. They are much higher quality than regular zip bags.

Click here to view the current price of the Anova Sous Vide immersion circulator on Amazon.

Keen to compare the Anova sous vide immersion circulator with other sous vide immersion circulators on the market? Here are our other top sous vide immersion circulator picks:

ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

Check out our product review of the Joule immersion circulator by clicking here.

Sansaire Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

Check out our product review of the Sansaire Sous Vide immersion circulator by clicking here

Kitchen Gizmo Immersion Circulator

Check out our product review of the Kitchen Gizmo immersion circulator by clicking here

Wancle Immersion Circulator

Check out our product review of the Wancle immersion circulator by clicking here.

For a wide range of delicious sous vide recipe inspiration click here.

To learn more about sous vide cooking head to our FAQ page by clicking here.

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