KEY INFORMATION ABOUT the Wancle Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
Wancle has been a hard company to research. It appears that they are an online retailer (with the immersion circulator being sold through other on-sellers at times). Sous Vide Hub has been unable to find a website for the company itself. Nonetheless, their sous vide immersion circulator is a very popular product with significant reviewer feedback available.
This company offers a range of sous vide products including their Immersion Circulator, sous vide water balls and a few other small kitchen appliances.
Key Features
Dimensions: 11.1 x 14.8 x 4.5 inches
Item weight: 3.3 pounds
ETL certified. Has also Reach, RoHs, TüV and GS certifications
Digital control panel precise the temperature to 0.1℃ and time to minutes. Wide range of temperature (25-99.9℃)(77°F-211.8°F) and time control (Max 99h 59mins)
850 watts of heating power
Can heat 4 gallons of water
AWARDS
Sous Vide Hub was unable to source information about any awards for the Wancle sous vide immersion circulator.
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. 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 reviewer community offers the thumbs up for this immersion circulator by Wancle. Other immersion circulators in this price range include the Gourmia GSV130, the Chefman immersion circulator and the Kitchen Gizmo Immersion Circulator. Key areas of strength for the Wancle include that it is quick to heat up water (smaller quantities rather than large quantities), is easy and straight forward to use and consistently produces delicious results. Reviewers rave about the meals they are creating with this immersion circulator. Some seem quite surprised that it’s performance is so strong given it’s price point. It is markedly cheaper than many products on the market such as the Joule by ChefSteps.
Some immersion circulator brands are moving towards using WiFi and Bluetooth to operate. Those who like the Wancle include reviewers who are very pleased this immersion circulator doesn’t use any technology. Many see the use of this type of technology as complicated, frustrating and an unnecessary step in using their kitchen appliances. To learn more about Bluetooth and WiFi technology use in sous vide immersion circulators, click here.
The Wancle immersion circulator is very reasonably priced (check the current price on Amazon here) and many reviewers are very happy with its performance for the cost. If additional technology is not your thing and you are happy to search out further instructions from the web and online user forums, then this is certainly an immersion circulator for you to consider.
Here’s a few images of the Wancle Sous Vide Immersion Circulator:
In a nut shell here are the key pros and cons of the Wancle Immersion Circulator:
PROS
- Reasonable price point – Check the price on Amazon here
- Maintains a consistent temperature throughout the sous vide cook
- Quiet but with good water circulation capability
- Easy to use (although the instructions that come with it are not great)
- Cleans easily – the skirt sleeve twists off and you can then hand wash or place in the dishwasher. Under the sleeve are coils that you can rinse off or gently wipe down
- Has alerts in place – beeps a few seconds before the water is at the set temperature which prompts you to put food in, shuts off and signals you when the cooking time is over
- Unique elbow design means it is easy to put on the side of pots
- 4 “teeth” on the clip to adjust to a wide range of pots
- Touchscreen allows you to toggle between temperature and timing with a simple button push
- You can place and remove the immersion circulator from a pot without having to screw tighten a clamp as is the case with some other products on the market
- You don’t need to use your smart phone to operate it; there are no apps to navigate and you don’t have to worry about potential disconnections
- It has an easy to read and user friendly dial and display; set the temperature, set the time, then hit ‘Start’
- Has a safety mechanism – if you tilt pot too much or drop the pot, the unit will shut off or beep
- Comes with a 2 year warranty
CONS
- Overall “stubby” feel/a little bulkier than some immersion circulators on the market
- The clamp might not fit thick edge containers (ie couldn’t use with a cooler) as the lever that secures it to the pan doesn’t open really wide. That limits you to thinner pots and polycarbonate containers
- The scroll wheel needs better calibration – some find it goes either super fast or super slow, some feel its a little “cheap”
- There are 4 controls and using them in the correct sequence is not intuitive at first
- Instructions could be clearer – they are difficult to read and lacking some basis instructions including what the alarms etc are for
- Some suggest it takes a little while to warm up large amounts of water (those using smaller amounts of water report quick results)
- 4 inch minimum water level may feel like too much water for some
- No “confirmation” of setting changes. i.e. if you raise or lower the temperature, it doesn’t let you know that it has taken effect immediately
- No website for Wancle which means they don’t support their customer base with additional recipes, FAQs etc
One minor gripe worth noting here is that the display on the Wancle immersion circulator alternates between time remaining and current temperature. Reviewers would like to assume that the current temperature is what it’s set to. As it currently stands, you sometimes need to wait several seconds until the time is displayed on the screen instead of the temperature. Some reviewers would prefer to be able to specify whether they want to see the temperature or time remaining to be displayed.
DETAILED SOUS VIDE HUB REVIEW
PERFORMANCE
The Wancle immersion circulator is a solid performer. It does what it says it will, delivering restaurant quality results again and again for those who use it. Holding a constant temperature is a very important element of sous vide cooking and the Wancle does this well. There are a few reviewers that suggest this was not the case for them, particularly when using larger water quantities, but that is by far a minority of the reviewer community.
Working out how to use the control wheel can take people a couple of tries and is unfortunately made a little tougher given the instructions included in the box are of a poor quality. It’s quiet, circulates water well and represents reliable performance and value for money.
EASE OF USE/CONVENIENCE
If you are someone who loves to tinker with a product to work out how to use it – many say the Wancle Immersion Circulator is easy to navigate after a small amount of trial and error. For the group of people who are first time sous vide immersion circulator users, it is not so straight forward. If you like to see comprehensive, easy to read instructions you are going to experience a little initial frustration. This is because the instructions provided with the immersion circulator are of a poor quality. A significant number of reviewers say that user manual/instructions included with this product are pretty unhelpful. They are difficult to read and lack some basic instructions including what the alarms are for.
The good news is that Wancle does have an updated version of the instructions that they can send to you so that you can navigate this immersion circulator more easily. Many would welcome those instructions being available in the box with the product in the first place!
The scroll wheel leaves quite a few reviewers underwhelmed also. It can be a little “touchy”, meaning it can scroll really quickly or really slowly at times. Other reviewers throw in their two cents worth and suggest that those who are finding the scroll wheel difficult to use should slow down a little! You can decide which camp you are in if you decide to purchase the Wancle immersion circulator.
The lack of integration with WiFi or Bluetooth technology, makes many reviewers super happy – they believe that using technology with an immersion circulator can be cumbersome, unnecessary and at times, unreliable. Of course those who love using technology with their sous vide immersion circulator may miss this feature.
The skirt sleeve twists off this immersion circulator which makes it easy to clean either by hand or in the dishwasher. Under the sleeve there are coils that you can rinse off or gently wipe down.
In some cases, there is a small issue with the way you attach this immersion circulator to your pot, container or other water vessel. The lever that secures it to the pan doesn’t open widely enough for some water vessels with wide lips (such as a large Esky or cooler) which limits you to thinner pots. Whilst reviewers really love the way it can be adjusted, you will need to have a think about what you are going to attach it to and make sure the clip opens wide enough to accommodate the lid width of your pot. The way you can place and remove this immersion circulator from a pot without having to screw tighten a clamp, (as is the case with some other products on the market), is commended by reviewers.
Many reviewers like the fact that the timer doesn’t actually start until the temperature of the water has reached the value you set. Yes we know, you would have thought that was a given right? Unfortunately this is a major gripe with many immersion circulators because timers often start as soon as you put the water in (ie before it heats to the correct temperature to put your vacuum sealed food pouch in).
DESIGN
The Wancle immersion circulator is fairly aesthetically pleasing especially if you have stainless steel devices in your kitchen. It’s a little “stubbier” than other immersion circulators on the market but the form, fit, and finish of the appliance are good. The design of the handle and the look of the information shown on the LCD display are winners. Given it’s size you can pop the Wancle Immersion Circulator away in a drawer between uses if you like a super clean benchtop.
WARRANTY AND SUPPORT
There is a much welcomed 2 year manufacturers warranty offered with the Wancle immersion circulator. Many other sous vide products come with a 1 year warranty so this is a bonus for purchasers.
Customer service is an important aspect of any sous vide product purchase. Wancle doesn’t match the customer service contact points of other sous vide brands. They offer just a customer support email address rather than a phone number. They also do not have a website which is where many sous vide companies inform their communities of any product changes, FAQs, How to guides and recipes. Whilst purchasers can of course search the web for many of the resources they may need, Wancle is behind the market in this respect.
Despite the limited number of ways customers can get in touch with Wancle, the majority of those who have contacted them via email report a great customer experience.
As mentioned earlier in this review, there is a revised manual available from Wancle. So if you are seeking further instructions, we would encourage you to contact their customer service team via email to request this.
ACCESSORIES INCLUDED
The Wancle Immersion Circulator doesn’t come with any additional accessories (although it does come with an e-Cookbook). You will need to source your own zip lock or vacuum sealer bags and a lid or sous vide water balls for your pot to reduce water loss during the cook. Some people go all out and buy a vacuum sealer to seal their bags but this is not an essential product for a successful sous vide cook.
If you are keen to use sous vide water balls instead of a lid, Wancle does offer a water ball product which is reviewed very positively by those who have purchased them. If you want to know more about how sous vide balls work, click here. These water balls are often offered at a discount when you purchase the Wancle immersion circulator so keep an eye out for those offers to save a few dollars.
Here are some additional items you might like to consider using with the Wancle Immersion Circulator:
Wancle has another couple of sous vide products including:
Sous Vide Water Balls (to improve water insulation for your sous vide cook)
Digital Cooking Waterproof Thermometer (used for testing water temperature and other uses)
PROS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)
- Reasonable price point – Check the price on Amazon here
- Maintains a consistent, reliable temperature throughout the sous vide cook
- Quiet but with good water circulation capability
- Easy to use (although the instructions that come with it are not great)
- Cleans easily
- Has alerts in place – beeps a few seconds before the water is at the set temperature which prompts you to put food in, shuts off and signals you when the cooking time is over
- The time doesn’t actually start until the temperature of the water has reached the value you set (many other products don’t do this)
- Unique elbow design means it is easy to put on the side of pots and has 4 “teeth” on the clip to adjust to a wide range of pots
- Touchscreen allows you to toggle between temperature and timing by a simple button push
- You don’t need to use your smart phone to operate it; there are no apps to navigate and you don’t have to worry about potential disconnections
- Has a safety mechanism – if you tilt the pot too much or drop the pot, the unit will shut off or beep
- 2 year warranty
CONS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)
- Overall “stubby” feel/a little bulkier than some immersion circulators
- The clamp might not fit very thick edged containers (ie couldn’t use with an Esky/cooler)
- The scroll wheel needs better calibration – some find it goes either super fast or super slow, some feels its a little “cheap”
- There are 4 controls and using them in the correct sequence is not intuitive at first
- Poor instructions included with product
- Takes quite a while to warm up large amounts of water (those using smaller amounts of water report quick results)
- 4 inch minimum water level to operate
- No “confirmation” of setting changes. i.e. if you raise or lower the temperature, it doesn’t let you know that it has taken effect immediately
- No website for Wancle which means they don’t support their customer base or build a community with additional recipes, FAQs etc
HINTS AND TIPS FROM REAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED THE Wancle Immersion Circulator:
Here are some first hand hints and tips from people who have used the Wancle Immersion Circulator:
Tip #1
Consider using this with the LIPAVI C20L-AP lid which fits well
Tip #2
Start with very hot water if you’re going to cook something for a short time, such as eggs. It takes a while to heat up unless you are using a pretty small container. Circulation will start, and the timer countdown will begin when the set temperature is reached
Tip #3
Fits perfectly in the Rubbermaid 12 Quart container with the Cellar Made Anova lid
Tip #4
You have to set the timer for the Wancle immersion circulator to make it turn on
Tip #5
If you need to turn off the system before your time period is up don’t just unplug it. Instead bring the timer down to 1 minute and allow it to turn itself off, then unplug it.
Tip #6
The temperature registers on the lower window on start-up – Wancle will clarify this in the updated instructions you can get from them on request.
Tip #7
When re-assembling after washing, it is best to leave off the plastic end cap so you can direct the propeller into housing more easily (then reattach plastic end cap).
Click here to view the current price of the Wancle immersion circulator on Amazon
Keen to compare the Wancle 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
Feel free to check out our product review of the Joule by clicking here.
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
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To see a wide range of delicious sous vide recipes click here.