Winebroker2000

On this setup, you can't feel ANY heat on the sides of the pot. The top does get a little warm, but I keep it covered with a small blanket. I have only cooked for 48 hours once, but evaporation was minimal (maybe a 1/4 inch drop in water volume).

I found my perfect insulated container for sous vide cooking. It's an Igloo 5 gallon seat-top beverage cooler. The lid pushes on, rather than screws on, so the cords become less problematic to install. The FMM heater fits perfectly in the bottom, and it's a great insulator for the water bath. In fact, the water bath, with the lid on, takes about four hours to drop 15°F. It's large enough for all my cooking needs so far, and I love the drain spigot, which allows me to drain the container without having to lift it. Here's a picture of it in action (with the top rotated to show the notch I cut to insure a good seal):

Thanks! I have a small Gott ice chest, which I will eventually use for larger batches. For my preliminary foray into sous vide, I prefer to use a rig on my stovetop/counter where I can keep an eye on it, and learn through observation . . .

I am awaiting the arrival of my FMM kit, which I plan to use initially with a 12-qt stockpot. I would like to dedicate this pot solely for sous vide cooking, and want to know what would be the best material to use as a wrap to insulate the pot for optimum heat efficiency. Any suggestions?