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sous vide and vacuum sealer recs

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rowmsu
rowmsu Posts: 58
in EggHead Forum
With all the talk of sous vide cooks I think it may be time to add to the arsenal. I am sure i am opening a can of worms here but what recommendations does the community have on sous vide's and vacuum sealers. Also is there any other "necessary" equipment i should get?
Washington, DC  

1- LBGE
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  • CarolinaCrazy
    CarolinaCrazy Posts: 585
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    Anova is probably the most popular on the forum, followed by the Joule. I have Anova wifi and love it - use it 4-5 times per week. 

    I have a pretty basic FoodSaver Vac sealer that is great. It's probably unncecessary to start until you really know you are going to commit. You can just use ZipLocs to get going. but the vac sealed foods are much easier to manage with no air and you'll want one after struggling to get a bag of potatos or ribs to submerge.

    Only other must have is a good container - at least 2 gallons - anything will do - plastic bucket, cambro or rubbermaide food container, or a cooler. Again, anything will do to start. You can upgrade to an insulated container once you know what you are going to be cooking.



    1 LBGE in Chapel Hill, NC
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  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,357
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    I have the Anova.  I like using an old coleman cooler and prefer the water displacement method with ziplocs.  My Foodsaver hasn't been sucking as well as usually like. 
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
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  • kjs
    kjs Posts: 111
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    I have the Anova WiFi. Ziplock bags work fine for me. 
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
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    Sansaire is the ine i have because it was a gift....id probably go to anova if i was buying for myself
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
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    Vac sealer,  i used to have the foodsaver which is ok.  Then i got the LEM maxvac.  Spendy but well worth it., especialy if you do any volume.   I sealed up 90 lbs of home made sausage last christmas and just sealed up 12 lbs of meatballs and another 25 lbs of smoked beef ribs.   Lem was flawless
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    Both the Anova and Joule are popular and will do the job quite nicely (both are widely available and priced competitively).  I prefer the Anova because it can be set/started from the unit without needing to use the smartphone app.  The Joule can only be started from its smartphone app. I cannot remember the last time I used the smartphone app to start my Anova. It is easier and faster to start it from the unit. 

    For vacuum sealing for sous vide purposes, a basic FoodSaver vac will do fine. Water displacement method with ziploc bags works but I prefer using my FoodSaver (I always seem to leave behind enough air when using ziplocs to float the bags).

    You can start using a large pot from you kitchen.  I quickly got a Cambro 12 quart square storage container (with lid that I cut out for the Anova). Didn't cost much and I found it easier to use than the pots from my kitchen.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
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    So I am thinking of getting the Anova, beyond meats what all do you guys cook with them?


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    Great for making yogurt.  Anything egg custard based - chocolate pots for example.  
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    And another Anova fan here, but don't just stop there...protect it with this hard case from Amazon for less than $18.  =)


    PS - hats off to @Focker who lead us to this way to spend more money!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    For a pot a super cheap stock pot is ideal. They are available for under $10. You would never want to apply heat to them, but for SV they are awesome. Easy to cut a hole in the lid. BTW @RRP nice case, but my old ANOVA Pipe 1s get tossed in a cupboard, they are indestructible.
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    InstantPot makes an actual SV tool. looks similar to the Anova (w/o wifi -frankly I find it laughable that they put that in any SV device.) 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    Skiddymarker said: BTW @RRP nice case, but my old ANOVA Pipe 1s get tossed in a cupboard, they are indestructible.
    I hear you about just being tossed in a cupboard, but SWMBO already knew my usual hiding places. This cool hard case rests on the floor in our pantry/broom closet and she has yet to find this new hiding place!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    RRP said:
    Skiddymarker said: BTW @RRP nice case, but my old ANOVA Pipe 1s get tossed in a cupboard, they are indestructible.
    I hear you about just being tossed in a cupboard, but SWMBO already knew my usual hiding places. This cool hard case rests on the floor in our pantry/broom closet and she has yet to find this new hiding place!
    I just realized that those who don't know us do not know my wife's "hang up"
    about large and sharp knives in our home. When I commented about my new hiding place. Let me explain...they are hidden under a slide out bottom shelf which essentially is an "out of sight out of mind" with 6 CUTCO knives. Besides that I have a "secret" false bottom in a large drawer under our kitchen oven that she still doesn't know about! Now, one last explanation - we have been married 52 years this summer..so if something scares her then YES I will do my best to keep us happy!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    @rowmsu

    SV is a rare addition, in that it doesn't cost too much to get into.  Normally the must have items around this forum cost a bunch, and then the accessories deal the fatal blow to the wallet.  Not so with SV.

    I have the anova.  There may be much better ones, but I didn't bother researching this since so many here were happy with it.  A great compliment to the egg for sure.

    Vac sealer - I have a cheap one - it sells at costco for about 59 dollars and it has worked flawlessly.  Buy the bags on Amazon by the roll to save bank.

    I made a couple lids out of corian.  One pot is 10qt and the other is 15qt.  I don't have a fancy storage solution - my anova resides in one of the two pots.  I'm thinking of getting another anova, so I can do veggies at a different temp.


    Phoenix 
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
    edited May 2018
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    onedbguru said:
    InstantPot makes an actual SV tool. looks similar to the Anova (w/o wifi -frankly I find it laughable that they put that in any SV device.) 
    I used to think that too. Until I bought a Joule.

    The Anova wifi model has an ice bath feature ( I think), which means you can pack the container with ice and whatever protein you're cooking, and the Anova will alert you when the ice has melted enough that the temp of the temp is 40°F. Then you set it to start cooking. Could be a useful feature for starting weeknight SV cooks while you're at work.

    You can do something similar with the Joule, but have to keep checking the temp remotely to know when to start the unit. 


    Controlling it from your phone is not that big of a difference. I use the Joule more than my Anova BT, since the Joule fits neatly into a kitchen drawer. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    I've had a Sansaire for ages (recommended by Leroy McMillan) and loved it. When WOOT offered a Chefman for $59, or something like that, I bit. It is programmable; you can delay the start, and also program it to turn off after a certain amount of time. It works!!!!!

    I have no interest in using it with a phone, so it's perfect for me. It had a 1° difference from the Thermapen temperature. And it's thin...Sansaire is really chubby and I'm going to list it on Craig's List. 
    Judy in San Diego
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  • smokeybreeze
    smokeybreeze Posts: 216
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    I used up/burned out 3 or more Food Saver vacuum sealers before getting smart and buying a Weston Pro vacuum sealer (equivalent to the current 2300 model). In addition to the automatic setting, there is a manual seal button that I use to vacuum seal liquids in bags.

    This Weston Pro model has outsealed all of my other sealers combined and it's still going strong. I have sealed countless thousands of bags with this sealer and highly recommend it for it's durability and reliability. Consumables, if ever needed to be replaced,  such as the foam seal, heating ribbon, and teflon tape are cheap and easy to replace. 

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