So you’ve got an Anova Culinary Immersion Circulator/Precision Cooker
Sous vide cooking is the best. Not only is it a healthy way to prepare food, it’s an easy. hands off way of cooking that brings you reliable, restaurant quality results every single time. This article is for those of you who have the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker (also known as an Immersion Circulator).
The Anova Culinary Immersion Circulator is one of the most popular sous vide machines on the market. There are a few reasons you may have this sous vide cooking gem in your hands:
- You got this as a gift (lucky you!). You are going to LOVE sous vide cooking. However we know that right now, you are probably feeling pretty unsure about where to start…or even which button you need to press to start! It might be helpful to look at our FAQ and Resources pages to get better acquainted with your new kitchen gadget
- It’s as present to yourself – well done you! You probably already know how great the Anova immersion circulator is and you are ready and raring to go OR;
- You’ve borrowed the Anova from a friend or family member – great thinking! We offer this advice. Change your locks, your mobile number and any other obvious ways for your friend or family member to get in touch with you. You are not going to want to give the Anova back. Just saying!
The Ultimate Anova Immersion Circulator Set Up – Accessories + Best Recipes + Socials to Follow + Apps to download + Forums to learn from
Let us be clear. You have the Anova Culinary Immersion Circulator. That means that you do not need any further accessories or kitchen gadgets to get the most out of sous vide cooking. BUT here is our guide to the ultimate Anova set up. Hey, you have birthdays don’t you? Valentine’s Day? Mothers Day? Fathers Day? Sous Vide Day (yes it is actually a thing!)?
Perhaps you are looking for the perfect gift for that special someone in your life who has the Anova Immersion Circulator. The accessories in our ultimate set up guide below make great gifts.
Maybe YOU would love some accessories yourself. You could consider sending the list below to your family and friends as hints and ideas for any gift giving occasions across the year. Or save your pennies and buy these extra Anova goodies over time. Of course you should stay tuned with us here at Sous Vide Hub – we love running giveaways…frequently.
The Ultimate Anova Immersion Circulator Sous Vide Set Up
Anova specific water container recommendations
For the purpose of this Anova ultimate sous vide set up guide, we are going to assume you will use a 12 quart size plastic container as your water bath. On average this will allow you to cook for a group of 3-4 people. Of course if you are looking for a set up that is larger or smaller, you can just purchase a different size accessory accordingly.
Cooking in a larger container (rather than a pot) allows you to cook a lot more food. The Rubbermaid Commercial Space Saving Food Storage Container, 12 Quart (see pic below) is a very popular choice with those who love sous vide cooking.
Put a lid on it – Anova specific lid recommendations
Any sous vide water bath is prone to water evaporation. Using a lid helps to reduce water evaporation and ensures a more consistent temperature during your sous vide cook. A water bath lid also helps to reduce your electricity bill. This is because your sous vide machine is better insulated and doesn’t have to work super hard to maintain the water bath temperature.
Image credit: via Amazon
On top of the Rubbermaid container we recommend the EVERIE Hinged Collapsible Sous Vide Container Lid for Anova Culinary Precision Cooker. It fits perfectly on top of the 12, 18 and 22 Quart Rubbermaid Containers (with a corner mount). Together, the two products mentioned above look like this:
Rack it up – Anova specific sous vide rack recommendations
Any successful sous vide cook relies on your food pouches being immersed under the water in your water bath for the entire cook. Sometimes food pouches are prone to floating which will ruin your sous vide cook. Many people use proper vacuum sealer bags which combats floating. Other sous viders use ziplock bags and clip them to the side of their water bath.
Image credit: via Amazon
You can also use a stainless steel rack to stop your food pouches from floating. Using a rack inside your water bath has other advantages too. It keeps your food pouches apart. That means you get even circulation of water throughout your cook. It also makes getting food pouches in and out of your water bath easier. To learn more about racks suitable for sous vide cooking, click here. The IKEA stainless steel sous vide rack works really well in the Rubbermaid containers. Here is what it looks like in a sous vide water bath:
What if I use pots AND water containers for my sous vide water bath?
If you tend to undertake sous vide cooks of varying sizes, you will most likely use a range of water vessels. Perhaps you like to use pots AND larger polycarbonate containers, depending on how many people you are cooking for. It is not overly practical to buy a different lid for every one of your water vessels.
Image credit: Pinterest
If you are going to use a range of different sized water vessels for your sous vide cooking, we recommend you consider sous vide water balls, rather than a plastic lid. The benefit is that you can use sous vide water balls as a surface covering with any container you choose to use. Whether you use a pot, a plastic container or the kitchen sink, the water balls are able to form a perfectly sized “blanket” for your water bath. These Wasserstein water balls (pictured below) are some of the most popular water balls on the market. When the water balls are in your container they look something like this:
Want even more insulation?
Image credit: via Amazon
SO-VIDA Sous Vide Container Sleeve for the Rubbermaid 12 Quart
Want to better insulate your water bath and save even more money on your electricity bill? Perhaps you are keen to protect your counter tops? Or maybe you are sick of your DIY towel set up! The SO-VIDA container sleeve is a nifty invention (check out our review here). It’s an insulator that goes over your polycarbonate container. When the Rubbermaid container has the SO-VIDA sleeve on it, it looks like this (note the hole in the sleeve to accommodate the handle on the container):
Protecting your investment – Anova specific case recommendation
Caseling Hard CASE for Anova Culinary Precision Cooker
Image credit: via Amazon
A case is a great way to protect your Anova from scratching and damage. It also makes it easier to tuck away in your kitchen draw or cupboard. And it protects against breakage if you cannot live without your precision cooker even when you are on the go. Yes, some people do take their Anova with them when they travel! This case fits both the Anova Bluetooth immersion circulator and the Anova Bluetooth and WiFi immersion circulator:
When your Anova Precision Cooker is in the Caseling hard case it looks like this:
Sous vide recipes + apps + socials + forums to take your sous vide cooking to the next level
There are SO many sous vide recipes available for sous vide cooking. We have over 200 of them on our curated recipes page. But we know that many people are a little more traditionalist. There is nothing quite like drooling over delicious looking meals on the pages of a real cook book. If this sounds like you, we recommend the following Anova specific sous vide cook book to inspire you:
Get social with other Anova sous viders
The sous vide cooking community is HUGE and it’s growing by the day. That is terrific news for you. It means there are many ways to up your sous vide game. By tapping into the knowledge, hints, ideas, recipes and tips from others who also have an Anova immersion circulator, your sous vide cooking is going to get better and better. Plus there is something nice about sharing your sous vide cooking journey.
Here are just a few ways to reach out to the Anova sous vide cooking community. Some social channels might work for you. Others may not. Have a bit of a look at each and work out what is going to be most rewarding and helpful for you.
- The Anova App. Offers great recipes, visual doneness photos guide, notifications about your cook and the ability to operate your Anova remotely (within range). There is both an Android App and an iOS App available
- Anova Food Nerd forum and reddit for posting questions, hints and tips
- Facebook page for Anova Culinary
- Anova Instagram account has nearly 73,000 followers – use #anova (have over 40,000 posts) and #anovafoodnerd (has close to 25,000 posts)
But wait, there’s more – Anova specific resources to help you create culinary masterpieces
Here are a few other resources that will help you as you master cooking with your Anova Culinary Precision Cooker:
Anova time and temperature chart
Are you having trouble deciding whether the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker is for you? Here’s some information that might help you decide:
Check out our review of the Anova Bluetooth Immersion Circulator
Do I need Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity for my sous vide – and what is that anyway?
Anova WiFi Immersion Circulator (also compatible with the ultimate set up above)
Jump on board Anova sous viders – time to create some delicious meals for your family and friends
So there you have it Anova sous viders – the ultimate gear set up for cooking with your Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. Let us know in the comments below if you’ve found other resources that have helped you up your sous vide cooking game with your Anova. In the meantime, get cooking.
Amazon links for all products mentioned in this post
We are part of the Amazon affiliate program. If you choose to use any of the Amazon links below, we will receive a small commission. You will not be charged anything extra by Amazon to use these links AND we will be very grateful.
Anova Culinary Bluetooth Sous Vide Immersion Circulator http://amzn.to/2EYYvj6
Anova Culinary Bluetooth and WiFi Sous Vide Immersion Circulator http://amzn.to/2EX8LIw
Rubbermaid containers http://amzn.to/2owPeEB
EVERIE Hinged Collapsible Sous Vide Container Lid for Anova Culinary Precision Cooker http://amzn.to/2FD4gjA
IKEA Vareria Rack http://amzn.to/2EZfC4p
Wasserstein sous vide water balls http://amzn.to/2HSUf2f
SO-VIDA Sous Vide Container sleeve for Rubbermaid containers http://amzn.to/2HQY0VX
Caseling case for the Anova Immersion Circulator http://amzn.to/2EWQyLl
Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes With Instructions For Perfect Low-Temperature Immersion Circulator Cuisine! (Sous-Vide Immersion Gourmet Cookbooks) (Volume 2) http://amzn.to/2FAWgzq
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