If you’re a bit of an adventurous cook, then it might be time for you to branch out and explore new techniques and equipment. How about cooking sous vide? Using bags and a vacuum sealer, these machines enable you to cook precisely without the need to constantly monitor or change the temperature. Simply put, it’s an easy way to serve better-tasting, quality food at home, whether that’s a prime steak or your favourite dessert.
Choosing a sous vide appliance without any knowledge can be tricky, but with some basic info, you’ll feel much more confident. In this article, we’ll be looking at everything that makes for a great precision cooker. From there, we’ll show you the top 10 best sous vide machines in the UK - both immersion circulators and water bath containers - from respected brands like Anova, Russell Hobbs and KitchenBoss, all available to buy at Amazon, and John Lewis.
Quick List - Top Sous Vide Machines
Vesta
The Professional-Grade Water Bath With a 10 Litre Capacity, Perfect for Dinner Parties
KitchenBoss
Stainless Steel Machine With an Excellent Motor for High-End Performance
Anova
A Small and Mighty Home Sous Vide With a Screw Handle From the Industry Leaders
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Table of Contents
The water bath is the sort of machine that you’ll have seen the contestants use on MasterChef. These self-contained units are a similar size to a microwave but typically have a large water capacity between 5 and 10 litres, so there’ll be plenty of space for a few cuts of meat. They're known for working silently too, which is always a plus.
However, there are some negatives. Firstly, these are much bigger and require space on your kitchen side or in a cupboard, so they're probably best for those who plan on using them often. Secondly, although bigger, they tend to have a lower wattage, which means you’ll likely be waiting longer for your machine to reach your chosen temperature.
These are especially popular with home cooks as they’re versatile, easier to store, and require very little space. Many of these devices also have built-in Wi-Fi and an accompanying app for your phone, which means you can control the appliance without even being in the kitchen, so you can concentrate on entertaining your guests!
Immersion circulators look similar to stick blenders, and you simply clamp them to the side of one of your pots to use it so that they can circulate the water and provide a constant temperature. There are, however, different types of clips - screw and pulling. We recommend going for screw clamps as these are more reliable, but either way, just ensure they're adjustable so that it fits on a range of pans.
Nevertheless, they have their downsides too. They’re known for making a whirling and vibrating sound, which can be frustrating if you have an open plan kitchen and living space. Furthermore, they require maintenance regularly to clean any debris or mineral deposits that have accumulated.
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Next, you’ll want to consider the wattage. This feature is pretty straightforward but always worth remembering – the higher the power, the faster the machine will reach optimum temperature, and in turn, the quicker the cooking process. We recommend something around the 1000 W mark as this should be ample.
That said, if you’re using an immersion-style sous vide, then the more power you have, the more you have to worry about evaporation. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you’re cooking for less than 3 hours, but if you intend to slow cook for long periods, then you’ll want to watch the water in the pan.
Litres per minute (LPM, or sometimes GPM for gallons per minute) measures how fast the water is circulated in the bath. Why is this important? Well, the faster the water moves, the quicker it will reach temperature and the more stable it will remain. However, as with the power, the higher the flow, the sooner it will evaporate.
It’s worth mentioning that this is only really pertinent with immersion circulator cookers. These usually have an LPM of around 8 litres, which is more than enough for regular home use. However, they can range up to 16 litres, if you’d be so inclined.
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Another feature to consider is the minimum and maximum water levels. If you don’t follow these guidelines, the chances are that the device either won’t work correctly or could even shut down. And what a waste of some great ingredients that would be!
Most models will give you the reading in one of two ways: either in litres – for example, the device works between 5 and 15 litres – or in millimetres or centimetres. Either way, the greater the range, the better, as you’ll be able to fit more food in there if you need to and worry less about the water supply depleting.
However, we, and more crucially the manufacturers, understand that simply knowing how to measure 7 litres or 55 mm of water isn’t something we can all do naturally. Look out for markers on the device to show you, making the whole process much easier.
When we’re talking about the maximum temperature, this represents what the machine can reach with the full capacity of water. Most of the appliances we have come across, and those that made our ranking, will offer you between 90 and 99°C.
This range is perfect as most sous vide cooking takes place between 55 and 84°C, with some vegetables surprisingly at the top end of the heat requirement scale. When it comes to cooking meats and fish, temperatures vary, but if you’re struggling, then you can always look online for sous vide temperature charts.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker | ![]() | An Immersion Circulator Chock-Full of Features and a Dream to Use | |
2 | Vesta Vacuum Cooking Tank | ![]() | The Professional-Grade Water Bath With a 10 Litre Capacity, Perfect for Dinner Parties | |
3 | KitchenBoss Ultra-Quiet Immersion Circulator | ![]() | Stainless Steel Machine With an Excellent Motor for High-End Performance | |
4 | Anova Nano Sous Vide Precision Cooker | ![]() | A Small and Mighty Home Sous Vide With a Screw Handle From the Industry Leaders | |
5 | Burton Sous Vide Water Bath Oven | ![]() | A Water Bath Sous Vide With a 13 Litre Capacity, Ideal for Budding Chefs | |
6 | Wancle Sous Vide Precision Cooker | ![]() | A Low-Cost Machine With a Decent LPM for Those Who Want to Experiment First | |
7 | ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide|CS10001 | ![]() | The Smartest and Smallest Sous Vide Ever Complete With an Intuitive App and Predictive Cooking | |
8 | Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker and Sous Vide Water Bath|25630 | ![]() | An All-In-One Option From a Dependable Brand, Suitable for Cooking for 2-4 People | |
9 | Inkbird Cooker Immersion Circulator | ![]() | Slow Cook to Perfection for up to 99 Hours With This Precise Immersion Circulator | |
10 | Klarstein Quickflex | ![]() | Sous Vide Appliance With a Powerful Wattage That Reaches the Highest Temperatures on Our List |
Anova is the precision cooking pros, which is probably how they got the name for their flagship immersion circulator. This device is a dream to use – from the large and intuitive interface to the incredible app, you'll feel like you were barely cooking at all after everything's done.
The device has all the features one could wish for, including a powerful wattage, good LM, adequate water levels, WiFi, a high maximum temperature and a solid, reliable screw handle. We know it's expensive, but if you came here looking for the best, then this is it.
Here we have another water bath sous vide. This machine has the largest capacity of the lot at 10 litres, which should be plenty to cater for a decent-sized dinner party. Furthermore, the controls are intuitive and easy to use, and the clear lid allows you to see what's going on at all times.
This is a water bath with smart functions, which is surprising as this feature is usually saved for immersion devices. It's a little on the bulky size at 33.3 x 32.7 x 28.7 cm, so you'll want to make sure you have room, but it's an excellent, professional-grade option if you want something that will work excellently.
These KitchenBoss sous vide machines are hugely popular in Germany and have even gone on to win awards for their performance and design. The USP is its excellent motor, the same as those used in high-end drones, which ensures complete temperature throughout the pot of water.
Additionally, unlike many other products, they're made from stainless steel, making them that little more durable and robust than many of their competitors. To round it all off, it comes in at an excellent price.
Anova is considered the leading brand in the home sous vide industry, and it's easy to see why when you check their range of products. This is their nano design, and while it might not be as small as the ChefSteps option earlier, it's still pretty darn tiny.
Considering its size, the device has impressive power and comes with a respectable LPM and maximum temperature. We're also fond of the screw handle from the company, as these are easy to use and super secure, which is just what you want.
If you're on the hunt for a water bath sous vide that doesn't need to be restaurant quality, then this beast from Burton Sous Vide is a solid shout. It has a decent 13-litre capacity and 800 watts of power, which is more than enough for enthusiastic home cooks and budding chefs.
We'd also like to mention the chrome finish and shape, which gives this appliance a very modern finish, perfect for contemporary homes. It is a little on the pricey side, so you'll want to make sure it's an appliance you will regularly use before opting for it. But if you're sure you would, you'll be more than happy with it.
Do you want to experiment with sous vide without splashing too much cash straight away? If so, this device could be a great choice for you as it keeps costs low without sacrificing function. Many of the features are excellent, such as the temperature precision, a decent LPM and a high maximum temperature.
However, as you'd expect, some features are missing, which helps keep the price down. There'll be no fancy Wi-Fi connectivity, the power is on the weaker side, and the handle isn't great. But, if you're looking for a first-time sous vide, this could be the perfect place to start.
If you're looking for something compact that could possibly even fit into one of your kitchen drawers, then you'll love the ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide – it's currently the smallest product on the market. Plus, not only is it a great size, it's also super smart.
The app is very intuitive and has a brilliant feature called Predictive Cooking, which aims to how your food will turn out before you even open the fridge. Talk about taking the stress out of cooking. These high-tech features don't come cheap, however, so you'll want to be sure you're committed to using the device.
Russell Hobbs is trusted by many of us, and here we have their offering that works as a sous vide, a slow cooker and a temperature probe, giving plenty of versatility out of one appliance. This can be handy if your kitchen is on the small side, as it means you'll only need one gizmo, which, of course, takes up much less room.
The water bath has a 6.5 L capacity, which is generally plenty of space when cooking for 2-4 adults. However, it is rather low on wattage, which means there'll be a bit of extra time spent waiting for it to heat up and get to temperature.
The Inkbird immersion circulator is incredibly precise, with a possible fluctuation of just 0.1°C from the temperature you've selected. Plus, it has a timer that can be set for up to 99 hours. While it's is highly unlikely anyone would ever need that much time, having the option of letting the sous vide cook over many hours will only increase the flavour of the ingredients.
The device can also be controlled manually or via a free app that can be used anywhere with internet access. So, you can ensure your food is cooked as you arrive home from work after a long day. One potential issue is that the app struggles to connect to Wi-Fi, which can be pretty frustrating.
Last up in our ranking is this Klarstein Quickflex. We imagine it's named so because of its powerful wattage (1300 W) that is sure to have the appliance up, running and warming that water in no time. Furthermore, the maximum temperature is around 95°C (+/- 1°C) which is ample for sous vide cooking.
As we mentioned earlier, higher temperatures on immersion circulators do run the risk of evaporating the water more quickly. Although this just means you'll need to keep a closer eye on the process, one of the reasons people enjoy this cooking method is how little effort is required, which this somewhat negates.
What makes sous vide machines so special is their ability to keep a constant temperature, so while you can use your slow cooker, you will need to get an external temperature control system and regularly check the temperature of your water. With a sous vide machine, you can just leave it to do its thing.
Sous vide is generally much healthier than frying or oven cooking. As it's cooked in vacuum bags, the ingredients inside need much less oil or fat than if it were frying. The vacuum seal also helps your meat and veg retain many of its natural nutrients and vitamins.
No. 1: Anova|Sous Vide Precision Cooker
No. 2: Vesta|Vacuum Cooking Tank
No. 3: KitchenBoss|Ultra-Quiet Immersion Circulator
No. 4: Anova|Nano Sous Vide Precision Cooker
No. 5: Burton Sous Vide|Water Bath Oven
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