I have been cooking sous vide several times a week for the past couple of years. Initially, I was hesitant to purchase a new immersion circulator because I wasn't sure if I would like this method of cooking. Instead of making a large initial investment, I procured and repaired a couple of older immersion circulators that had been left for dead. These older, heavily abused units served me well, but since I have grown quite fond of cooking sous vide, I am now willing to spend a bit of money so that I can spend more time cooking and less time tinkering with broken lab equipment. I am considering purchasing a new immersion circulator and I am having trouble differentiating between my options. Are there significant differences between the units offered by various manufacturers, e.g. PolyScience, Techne, and Julabo? Are there significant differences between the units marketed for culinary use and those that aren't? I have been told that the PolyScience units are quite popular for culinary use, but the people from whom I've heard this haven't used any other units. Are there any brands that are considered more reliable or convenient than others? The spec sheets all seem to look pretty similar. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
