Anova - the Sous Vide Champ

I have been more of an outdoor cook over the years.  I have several articles on smoking/cooking on the Big Green Egg, but I thought I would move some of my cooking indoors.  I happen to watch a show called MacBreak Weekly and one of the hosts (Andy Ihnatko) brought up the Anova Precision Cooker.  After hearing about how easy it would be to prepare  meals, I had to have one.  Luckily, I was really good this year and received one as a gift.

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What does it do that is so special?

Well, it makes cooking easy and gives you the opportunity to make meals at the perfect temperature, no matter how you like your food cooked.  Medium rare to well done will be cooked to the exact temperature you want and the "doneness" will be consistent throughout.

How is that possible?

You simply put water in a container and the Anova heats up and circulates the water to an exact temperature.  The great thing is that you can cook the foods at lower temps because you cook the food for longer periods.  For example, I typically cook chicken breasts at 350 to an internal temperature of 165.  No matter how you cook it, that temperature will result in overcooked food.  However, using the sous vide method, you cook it somewhere between 136 - 150 degrees depending on how well done you want it to be.  However, instead of cooking it for 20 minutes or so, you cook it for 2 to 4 hours, this length of time should kill any dangerous bacteria.  I typically take mine out and sear it on a grill for a couple minutes, but they turn out great every time.  

What do you need to get started?

There are many ways you can go about cooking in this fashion, however, the things I am using are listed below with a brief explanation:

Anova Bluetooth Precision Cooker - I went this route because it was cheaper than the wifi model, but the wifi has the advantage of monitoring away from home.  The Bluetooth unit can be controlled and monitored via the Anova app ( I use the iOS version) when you are in range.  You can set the temperature for cooking, set the timer, and monitor the actual temperature of the water from the app or directly on the Anova unit.  ​

Camwear Polycarbonate Square Food Storage Container (12 quart) - You can use just a regular pot, but the polycarbonate container allows you to see the food below the water and provided a decent amount of space for cooking for a group, if needed.  The Anova attaches to the side of any pot (that is deep enough) with ease.  I also bought the lid for longer cooks, but I have heard of professionals using ping pong balls to keep the water from evaporating into the air.

Foodsaver vacuum sealer  -  To immerse the food into the water, you have to put it in a bag first.  You can use standard ziplock bags with most meals if you are careful about removing air via the water dispersion method, but I also bought a Foodsaver since it helps suck out all of the air and that means that bag should sink to the bottom of the container rather than floating on top.  Also, it is nice to have a vacuum sealer around for storing food anyway.   I bought an upright model (I have model v3233) because it appeared to take up less space than the versions that are flat. There are cheaper models that are supposed to work fine.  In any event, they are definitely handy to have in the kitchen.

If you have never used a vacuum sealer, they are very easy to use.  I had never used one before, but it is as simple as rolling out a bag to the size you want, cutting it (a simple sliding cutter is built in), and then sealing one end, putting in the food, and vacuum sealing the other end.  I could not believe how easy it was.  They also sell bags that are already sealed on one end and you just put the food in and seal the open end.  

We were planning to just use the Foodsaver with the sous vide, but we have also started using it to store food.  By vacuum sealing raw meat when you get home from the store, you can extend the life of the meat/veggies by months, and in some cases, up to three years.

Some people will want to sear the food (if desired) once it is finished with the sous vide portion of the cook.  I have been putting mine on a gas grill for a few minutes, but you can also finish up with a cast iron skillet, charcoal grill, or maybe a George Foreman grill. 
Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

In short, all you really need is a precision cooker, a pot, and a bag.

How does the food taste?

I am still experimenting with temperatures, but so far, everything has turned out great.  I have already cooked steaks, chicken breasts, Italian sausage, broccoli, and mind blowing scrambled eggs with mine.  It is so easy and forgiving (with time) that it makes cooking fun and simple.  To be honest, it is a lot easier than cooking on the Big Green Egg, but braving the elements is part of the charm of cooking outside.  When I am inside, chilling by the TV, the Anova is more attuned to my couch potato lifestyle, while still being able to enjoy food that is cooked to absolute perfection.