Gramercy Kitchen Co. is a relatively new player in the sous vide immersion circulator marketplace. In this article we review the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator and see how it stacks up against other leading immersion circulator brands. So you can be in your kitchen cooking up a sous vide storm before you know it!!
What is sous vide cooking?
Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French. It is a gourmet culinary technique long used by chefs worldwide, but now accessible to home cooks. The sous vide cooking technique involves cooking food in pouches (vacuum sealed bags or ziploc bags), submerged in a water bath held at a precisely controlled temperature.
Photo credit: Anova Culinary
To cook your food sous vide you use either an immersion circulator which is also sometimes known as a precision cooker. The precision cooker keeps the water bath temperature stable and water moving evening throughout your water bath. This is essential for a successful sous vide cook.
Sous vide cooking produces restaurant quality food every time you cook. So you can be a super star in your own home kitchen. Whether you are cooking a weekday meal or hosting a weekend dinner party, sous vide cooking will wow your family and friends.
Gramercy Kitchen Sous Vide
Gramercy Kitchen Co. claims that their immersion circulator cooker “uses the perfect amount of power to quickly heat your water bath. No using extra electricity as with others.” They also pride themselves on the quality of their parts and suggest that “skimping on these details make it harder for you to cook your dinner.”
Using quality materials they have created a simple to use sous vide immersion circulator with quality pump housing, an adjustable clamp and a decent minimum and maximum water level range. Their immersion circulator has responsive touch screen controls, a big, bright LED screen and a simple scroll wheel.
In terms of price point, the Gramercy kitchen sous vide immersion circulator sits in the mid range (assuming you don’t snag a bargain which is certainly possible if you keep an eye out for sales). It comes in cheaper than the market leaders Anova Culinary with their range of immersion circulators and also under the sometimes hefty price point of the Joule precision cooker by ChefSteps.
There is no doubt that Anova as the market leader draws a greater sous vide crowd, but if you are willing to experiment with recipes to get things just right (the Anova recipe library is HUGE and the Gramercy recipe library is still building), then it may well be worth considering this easy to use brand.
With no WiFi or Bluetooth models on the market we put the Gramercy in the same category as brands such as Wancle, Gourmia and Kitchen Gizmo.
Technical specifications of the Gramercy sous vide Co. immersion circulator cooker
- 110-120 AC voltage
- Designed to work in the US (Made in China)
- Temp minimum: room temp
- Temp maximum: 100C, 212F
- Thermal stability: +/- 1% C
- Thermal power: 800W
- Pump housing diameter – 2 1/4”
- Only 2″ to min water bath level – compatible with many different pots
- Maximum bath size: 15L
- Removable pump housing
Photo Credit: The Domestic Man | Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak
Latest feature – Delay start mechanism
The latest version of the gramercy sous vide immersion circulator includes a delay start timer. That means that you can set the timer when you leave for work in the morning and it will start it’s cooking cycle without you.
The Mellow sous vide machine has similar functionality except that it also has a built in refrigerator. This ensures that your food is stored at an appropriate temperature until such time as your sous vide cook commences.
The newest version of the Gramercy Kitchen Co immersion circulator cooker can be delayed for up to 24 hours.
An important note: You do need to make sure that you are not compromising food hygiene by leaving your food pouches in your water bath for an extended period of time if you use the delay start feature.
Pros of the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator cooker
- Affordable price point
- Functions intuitively with no WiFi or bluetooth functionality to navigate
- Simple and easy to setup and use
- Operates in near silence
- Built in shield that keeps steam from creeping into the electronics of your unit, damaging it
- High quality materials used in its design with solid construction
- Easy to read, highly sensitive LED touch screen
- Adjustable clamp which makes this immersion circulator compatible with any pot you are likely to already have at home. Given the clamp is adjustable, the unit can either sit flat into your pot or be suspended inside the pot without resting on the bottom
Photo credit: Cooking with Julian | Sous Vide Pork Chops
Cons of the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator cooker
- A minority group of users report that the control knob time/temp wheel didn’t work properly for them. Where this is the case you can certainly ask for a refund or replacement
- A minority group of users report that they have had some issues with temperature control.
There are always going to be some manufacturing quality issues with sous vide immersion circulator units produced. Again we would suggest that where you experience an issue such as this, you would seek a refund or unit replacement
Added extras that come with the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator cooker
With your purchase of the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator you get a velvet storage sleeve. You also get a downloadable time and temperature guide to get you started on your culinary journey!
As Gramercy Kitchen Co is a relatively new player in the sous vide immersion circulator market, their recipe library is still small and just starting to build. You get free online access to these recipes with your purchase.
Gramercy sous vide instructions
Yes, this comes with an instruction booklet that’s pretty clear. It’s enough to cook a steak with no further info. The Gramercy Kitchen Co website offers a lot of general information too.
Some sous viders find the instruction booklet slightly too simple for first time users, however, customer service is responsive if you have questions that aren’t covered in the instruction book.
Gramercy sous vide user manual
Gramercy Kitchen Co have a quick start booklet. As mentioned above they also send a PDF of different target temperatures for different foods to you when you purchase their sous vide immersion circulator cooker.
Gramercy sous vide recipes
Photo credit: Unsplash
As we have mentioned earlier in this review, Gramercy Kitchen Co. doesn’t have a full recipe library built as yet. In the meantime they highlight some posts from their sous vide 101 recipe series as helpful guides. Here are links to some of those posts:
The Basics: https://gramercykitchen.co/blogs/recipes/sous-vide-101-the-basics
Times and Temps: https://gramercykitchen.co/blogs/recipes/sous-vide-101-times-and-temps
Chicken Thighs: https://gramercykitchen.co/blogs/recipes/sous-vide-101-easy-best-youve-had-pan-seared-chicken-thighs
Poached Eggs: https://gramercykitchen.co/blogs/recipes/sous-vide-101-the-perfectly-runny-breakfast-egg
Gramercy customer satisfaction guarantee
Gramercy Kitchen Co. “strives to create complete customer satisfaction”. If you are unhappy with your sous vide immersion circulator for any reason, they will replace or refund your order. “Zero questions asked.”
Frequently asked questions about the Gramercy Co immersion circulator cooker
What bags can I use in the water bath with the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator?
You can use any ziploc or vacuum sealed bags with this immersion circulator. Both work well.
Does the Gramercy immersion circulator have an auto shut off feature at the end of the sous vide cook?
No. It runs until unplugged. That said, since your bath temperature IS the desired food temperature, there’s no danger of over cooking your ingredients if you leave it in the water bath after the end of the recommended cook time.
How deep does my pot have to be to use the Gramercy sous vide?
Most pots will work well. Many find that 10 inch tall pots work perfectly. Sous viders often prefer a tall pot so that their ingredient pieces (ie steaks etc) can be long.
The clamp attaches to the pot, but then the unit can sit in the pot at any place along the unit’s length. If you have a more shallow pot, the unit can rest on the bottom of the pot and the clamp will rest inside the clamp’s loop attachment to keep the unit steady in more shallow pots.
As long as the water level stays in between the minimum and maximum lines etched on the pump housing, the unit can be used in any size pot.
Can the Gramercy immersion circulator be taken apart to clean?
Gramercy Kitchen Co confirms that it can. The pump housing is a bit sticky at first, so it can take a bit of elbow grease the first time, but it will be much easier to remove thereafter. It also helps to jiggle the pump housing if you can as you’re screwing to help dislodge it.
You can also use a vinegar and water solution in a water bath and heat your unit to 90F and just submerge the unit as if you were cooking something to clean the inside of the unit. This cleans the pump housing without needing to remove the pump housing.
Gramercy Kitchen Co. has created a little demo video of the process:
What is the diameter and the waterline for the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator cooker?
The diameter of the heating tube is 2 1/4″ and the distance from the bottom to the maximum water line is 6 1/4″.
How do I dry out the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator cooker before storing it?
Put it on draining board and it will dry mainly by evaporation. This only takes a short time and you can then put it away in the bag that comes as a bonus with your immersion circulator. Remember, the only contact the unit has during cooking, is with hot water. So it doesn’t tend to get dirty.
How long should it take to bring 3 gallons of water from room temperature to 140 degrees with water balls on top?
10-15 minutes
Does the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator fit with in the Everie containers and can it be used with the Everie lids?
Yes. You can use the EVERIE range of sous vide containers with your Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator. Just check the dimensions of the specific lid you purchase to make sure that it is designed for the Gramercy Kitchen Co immersion circulator (there are different lids on the market for different immersion circulator brands).
Is there an option to change the display to use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius?
Yes. Press and hold the START button for about 3 seconds and it will change for you.
What is the maximum capacity of the Gramercy kitchen sous vide? Could I cook 8 or 10 steaks at one time?
Photo credit: Unsplash
How do I contact Gramercy Kitchen Co.?
What is the trick to removing the clear plastic end cap over the impeller and with removing the stainless steel sleeve over the heating coils?
Sous Vide Hub Verdict on the Gramercy sous vide immersion circulator?
Further Reading and Resources
and a food mandoline.