Anova Sous Vide Circulator (Part 1)

[gfweb]

I just did some yellow cauliflower at 185F for 45 minutes with the Anova. Got 5 gallons up to temp pretty quickly and held the temp perfectly.

[cbread]

Just ordered one a few days ago and it arrived today. I haven't yet powered it up but already impressed. It appears very well built. It dod not feel like I had to wait very long for delivery, so they get good marks from me for promptness. I can't wait to fire it up.

[alanz]

Ok, I've been away from eGullet way way too long.
Thinking about years past and dinners at China 46 or Silver Pond... but I digress.

I got my Anova in late August, and have been pretty happy with it.

A few observations:

• It's beautifully built (black and silver... much like my hair)
• Mine was apparently miscalibrated it doesn't match any of my thermometers (Thermapen, Fluke, etc.)
• Silly me, it took me a while to figure out that the time was in hours:minutes (in 15 minute increments) not minutes:seconds
• Like some others, if I touch the bottom of the display when the display is dark, it stops the unit

I suspect the miscalibration and touch issue will be resolved with the V2 update (I filled out the survey form today)

We have been having great fun cooking with this setup. Eggs, steaks, fish, short ribs (72 hours)... the adventure is just beginning.
Also been playing with a Smoking Gun and butane torch as finishing tools.

I made a short video a couple of days after I got the unit, and have made minor tweaks to the setup since then that don't appear in this video

• I use a small cooling rack in the bottom to keep the bags from resting on the bottom of the container, assuring good water flow around the bags
• I notched the rim of the container to make it easier to orient/fasten the tightening screw
• I added some Sugru to the rim of the container, making a repeatable mounting point, so I don't have to guess where to put the Anova so it will align with the cutout in the lid. The mount also keeps the unit totally vertical, rather than the tilt I was getting when simply resting on the rim.
• I have wrapped some Reflectix (reflective bubble insulation, acquired at HomeDepot) around the base of the container, and lay a sheet on the lid. It does a wonderful job of containing the heat

Here's the quick video I made two months ago, I promise to make some detailed videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxhtLa2mq94

I don't know how to display the video in this message, so hopefully the link will suffice/.

Nice to be back!

Edited November 4, 2013 by alanz (log)

[Jonathon]

Re the 220/240v version, I emailed Anova last week and they said it was a few weeks away. Hopefully that means this side of Christmas.

[greenmonk]

Re the 220/240v version, I emailed Anova last week and they said it was a few weeks away. Hopefully that means this side of Christmas.

On Facebook last night they posted that there will be an announcement about the 220/240 version next week. Maybe you'll find out then!

[Unpopular Poet]

Finally got around to cutting the notch out of the top of the cambro today -- I have some veal chops going at a nice 55, going to bag up some butternut squash with black truffle oil and some carrots with brown sugar butter. It is nice to have 2 systems so it can all go at once. I will report that upon second use, the Anova is once again dead on -- 55! as Sammy Hagar was so keen on singing. Here is a pic of the final setup -- my basement is total garbage, but this brightens it up.

[rotuts]

Wow

Unpopular Poet

thats a big Wow !

Of course Im an expert at spending other peoples money

""Donate"" the SVS, get a second Anova, and insulate those Cambro's Its been done with bubble wrap.

or move to at least one 'Colman Coolers' for long Apps.

BTW I covet the Chamber Vac. Dont need it. Just covet it.

Edited November 5, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[jrenband42]

Just got my hands on my neighbor's brand new Anova and I have to say I'm utterly shocked and disappointed with the device, especially given all the build up to its release. It came in an all black box with just "Anova" on the outside. No list of contents, no address or phone number or website, nothing. Feels very much like off brand computer parts I've ordered in the past. Opening the box reveals simple, fleshy black foam, with quite a few unused compartments. I wonder if there was a plan to include more at some point.

The immerison circulator itself looks nice upon first glance. Further inspection of the metal housing at the bottom led me to believe that it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty. There was also some rust on the inside of it.

The included pdf manual is a joke - a very poorly written, unfunny joke. Some of the highlights include "Only you can prevent forest fires and not get food poisoning."

"The pump generates “waves” – sometimes these waves will cause the water level at the sensors to fluctuate up and down."

"Your pump has formed a water vortex like when you are emptying out a bathroom sink or tub."

"If this is your first time at Sous Vide, you have to Sous Vide……"

Most notably, the Anova has no UL, CE, etc. - not a single compliance mark anywhere. That, plus the fact that I could see wires almost protruding from the rear of it, made me leery enough to move to the garage before plugging it in. I certainly would not trust any appliance that has no third party compliance marks to run while I was out or my family was in the house, especially over night.

It's hard to tell if the power cord was ever properly inserted, the connection is really loose, no matter how much force was applied to it.

Turning it on resulted in a simple interface - This is the only part of the Anova I'd say I was satisfied with. The major flaw here is that you can barely read the display. Step away or to the side and it goes from barely readable to not readable at all.

We ran it at 185C for a few hours and cooked some veggies. It worked. Pressing the power switch with one hand is impossible as it's so rigid you almost push the Anova off your pot and the pot off the counter. So you have to hold the unit. Problem here is one's natural inclination is to wrap a hand around the metal cylinder just below the control interface; right about where steam collects and the motor sits inside. This area gets quite hot. At least Anova put a CAUTION label here...just make sure to pay attention to it.

We then took the unit out of the pot, tilted it just a bit to help water drain, and the metal pipe heater housing fell off and onto the floor. We were able to reattach it but it remained loose, like the plastic it attaches to shrunk.

We stopped using the Anova and packed it back up. My neighbor said he was just going to throw it out; he was so bothered by the experience, I think the thought of dealing with a return was more than he could handle at the time. Anova clearly is not taking this seriously. What a shame.

[Martin Fisher]

Just got my hands on my neighbor's brand new Anova and I have to say I'm utterly shocked and disappointed with the device, especially given all the build up to its release. It came in an all black box with just "Anova" on the outside. No list of contents, no address or phone number or website, nothing. Feels very much like off brand computer parts I've ordered in the past. Opening the box reveals simple, fleshy black foam, with quite a few unused compartments. I wonder if there was a plan to include more at some point.

The immerison circulator itself looks nice upon first glance. Further inspection of the metal housing at the bottom led me to believe that it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty. There was also some rust on the inside of it.

The included pdf manual is a joke - a very poorly written, unfunny joke. Some of the highlights include "Only you can prevent forest fires and not get food poisoning."

"The pump generates “waves” – sometimes these waves will cause the water level at the sensors to fluctuate up and down."

"Your pump has formed a water vortex like when you are emptying out a bathroom sink or tub."

"If this is your first time at Sous Vide, you have to Sous Vide……"

Most notably, the Anova has no UL, CE, etc. - not a single compliance mark anywhere. That, plus the fact that I could see wires almost protruding from the rear of it, made me leery enough to move to the garage before plugging it in. I certainly would not trust any appliance that has no third party compliance marks to run while I was out or my family was in the house, especially over night.

It's hard to tell if the power cord was ever properly inserted, the connection is really loose, no matter how much force was applied to it.

Turning it on resulted in a simple interface - This is the only part of the Anova I'd say I was satisfied with. The major flaw here is that you can barely read the display. Step away or to the side and it goes from barely readable to not readable at all.

We ran it at 185C for a few hours and cooked some veggies. It worked. Pressing the power switch with one hand is impossible as it's so rigid you almost push the Anova off your pot and the pot off the counter. So you have to hold the unit. Problem here is one's natural inclination is to wrap a hand around the metal cylinder just below the control interface; right about where steam collects and the motor sits inside. This area gets quite hot. At least Anova put a CAUTION label here...just make sure to pay attention to it.

We then took the unit out of the pot, tilted it just a bit to help water drain, and the metal pipe heater housing fell off and onto the floor. We were able to reattach it but it remained loose, like the plastic it attaches to shrunk.

We stopped using the Anova and packed it back up. My neighbor said he was just going to throw it out; he was so bothered by the experience, I think the thought of dealing with a return was more than he could handle at the time. Anova clearly is not taking this seriously. What a shame.

What competitor do you work for?

[jrenband42]

DiggingDogFarm: based on your frequent mentions of the Anova, including your initial post in this thread -

"...Polyscience definitely needs to rethink the DISCOVERY and develop something that competes directly with the Anova.

It appears that Anova is the product to beat at this juncture."

It would seem to me that it's you who is a plant for Anova, which is why my assessment of it hit a nerve with you.

To make it clear to you and anyone else who might wonder, I do in fact own a Polyscience chef series. I've also owned a sous vide supreme. I've never tried out a Nomiku.

[Martin Fisher]

You're assessment didn't hit a nerve with me it just seems rather "fishy' in that It appears you were hunting for negatives the way competitors do.

[gfweb]

Just got my hands on my neighbor's brand new Anova and I have to say I'm utterly shocked and disappointed with the device, especially given all the build up to its release. It came in an all black box with just "Anova" on the outside. No list of contents, no address or phone number or website, nothing. Feels very much like off brand computer parts I've ordered in the past. Opening the box reveals simple, fleshy black foam, with quite a few unused compartments. I wonder if there was a plan to include more at some point.

The immerison circulator itself looks nice upon first glance. Further inspection of the metal housing at the bottom led me to believe that it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty. There was also some rust on the inside of it.

The included pdf manual is a joke - a very poorly written, unfunny joke. Some of the highlights include "Only you can prevent forest fires and not get food poisoning."

"The pump generates “waves” – sometimes these waves will cause the water level at the sensors to fluctuate up and down."

"Your pump has formed a water vortex like when you are emptying out a bathroom sink or tub."

"If this is your first time at Sous Vide, you have to Sous Vide……"

Most notably, the Anova has no UL, CE, etc. - not a single compliance mark anywhere. That, plus the fact that I could see wires almost protruding from the rear of it, made me leery enough to move to the garage before plugging it in. I certainly would not trust any appliance that has no third party compliance marks to run while I was out or my family was in the house, especially over night.

It's hard to tell if the power cord was ever properly inserted, the connection is really loose, no matter how much force was applied to it.

Turning it on resulted in a simple interface - This is the only part of the Anova I'd say I was satisfied with. The major flaw here is that you can barely read the display. Step away or to the side and it goes from barely readable to not readable at all.

We ran it at 185C for a few hours and cooked some veggies. It worked. Pressing the power switch with one hand is impossible as it's so rigid you almost push the Anova off your pot and the pot off the counter. So you have to hold the unit. Problem here is one's natural inclination is to wrap a hand around the metal cylinder just below the control interface; right about where steam collects and the motor sits inside. This area gets quite hot. At least Anova put a CAUTION label here...just make sure to pay attention to it.

We then took the unit out of the pot, tilted it just a bit to help water drain, and the metal pipe heater housing fell off and onto the floor. We were able to reattach it but it remained loose, like the plastic it attaches to shrunk.

We stopped using the Anova and packed it back up. My neighbor said he was just going to throw it out; he was so bothered by the experience, I think the thought of dealing with a return was more than he could handle at the time. Anova clearly is not taking this seriously. What a shame.

Doesn't sound like the Anova I use or the company I've dealt with.

[jrenband42]

DiggingDog - I understand your point of view. Perhaps my expectations we're too high but as I said my individual experience with the Anova was a major let down. Everything I stated is factual as it happened, there was no fishing for negatives - they unfortunately jumped out of the water at me.

Edited November 7, 2013 by jrenband42 (log)

[Robenco15]

Just got my hands on my neighbor's brand new Anova and I have to say I'm utterly shocked and disappointed with the device, especially given all the build up to its release. It came in an all black box with just "Anova" on the outside. No list of contents, no address or phone number or website, nothing. Feels very much like off brand computer parts I've ordered in the past. Opening the box reveals simple, fleshy black foam, with quite a few unused compartments. I wonder if there was a plan to include more at some point.

The immerison circulator itself looks nice upon first glance. Further inspection of the metal housing at the bottom led me to believe that it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty. There was also some rust on the inside of it.

The included pdf manual is a joke - a very poorly written, unfunny joke. Some of the highlights include "Only you can prevent forest fires and not get food poisoning."

"The pump generates “waves” – sometimes these waves will cause the water level at the sensors to fluctuate up and down."

"Your pump has formed a water vortex like when you are emptying out a bathroom sink or tub."

"If this is your first time at Sous Vide, you have to Sous Vide……"

Most notably, the Anova has no UL, CE, etc. - not a single compliance mark anywhere. That, plus the fact that I could see wires almost protruding from the rear of it, made me leery enough to move to the garage before plugging it in. I certainly would not trust any appliance that has no third party compliance marks to run while I was out or my family was in the house, especially over night.

It's hard to tell if the power cord was ever properly inserted, the connection is really loose, no matter how much force was applied to it.

Turning it on resulted in a simple interface - This is the only part of the Anova I'd say I was satisfied with. The major flaw here is that you can barely read the display. Step away or to the side and it goes from barely readable to not readable at all.

We ran it at 185C for a few hours and cooked some veggies. It worked. Pressing the power switch with one hand is impossible as it's so rigid you almost push the Anova off your pot and the pot off the counter. So you have to hold the unit. Problem here is one's natural inclination is to wrap a hand around the metal cylinder just below the control interface; right about where steam collects and the motor sits inside. This area gets quite hot. At least Anova put a CAUTION label here...just make sure to pay attention to it.

We then took the unit out of the pot, tilted it just a bit to help water drain, and the metal pipe heater housing fell off and onto the floor. We were able to reattach it but it remained loose, like the plastic it attaches to shrunk.

We stopped using the Anova and packed it back up. My neighbor said he was just going to throw it out; he was so bothered by the experience, I think the thought of dealing with a return was more than he could handle at the time. Anova clearly is not taking this seriously. What a shame.

I love my Anova and while I won't ask you what competitor you work for, I can see how someone could interpret your post this way. It sounds like you are easily bothered by a lot of little or insignificant things. But to each his own. I think it's too bad you don't like the best sous vide option avaiable at a reasonable price, but it is what it is. I just used it to make amazing burgers for dinner tonight and not any of your concerns kept me from making and enjoying that burger. Hope you find something you like!

edit: yes, I can see how high expectations could do that, especially the 18 plus pages in the Anova thread of mostly rave reviews.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Robenco15 (log)

[rotuts]

"""" leshy black foam

it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty

some rust on the inside of it. ""

I dont even know what

""fleshy black foam"" is

so your neighbor used this in their compost heap ??::

it was already heavily used - it was stained and dirty

some rust on the inside of it.

you may or not be from other Investment groups.

but we can see that you have a lot to lean

good news You can learn it hear !!!

[lesliec]

We ran it at 185C for a few hours

I don't think you did!

Fahrenheit, maybe.

[jmasur]

3. You can enjoy cheaper cuts of meat.

Not just enjoy, prefer. The earlier post about sv tenderloin makes no sense to me - they're already tender, they simply lack flavor. SV steak excels with cuts that have great flavor but are tough or difficult to cook consistently. I sometimes SV ribeyes, but get better results and value with anything from tri tip to short ribs to hanger.

For poultry, the ability to cook white meat to 140F instead of 160 is a game changer.

I wonder how the Codlo/Dorkfood/Sous Vide Magic type devices will hang in the home sous vide marketplace. The the circulators start coming down in price, I would assume these would have to as well to compete.

Agreed. I just retired my Dorkfood / bucket heater / aquarium pump setup. I'd foolishly left the Dorkfood outside and it rained unexpectedly, destroying the circuitry. I decided not to replace with the same because of the noisy mechanical relay, and couldn't find a solid state relay unit for under $150 unless I built my own. Having replaced an aquarium circulator after about 9 months, presumably failing due to unintended temperature range use, I figured that the Anova made more sense for $50 more.

Made my first meal with the Anova this week. I was impressed with nearly everything about it except the interface. The graphics are amateurish and using up/down presses for numerical entry instead of a keypad layout obviates the touch screen benefit. Hopefully, they'll do an update. (I'd be glad to work with the company to mock something up.) The unit itself appears well made, I like the skirt disassembly (although you do have to be careful not to catch the propeller), and the time tho heat and temperature stability seemed excellent.

I did the Sansaire kickstarter too (first world problem, I have a vacation cabin), so I'm looking forward to side-by-side comparison over the holidays, if the Sansaire ships in time.

[jmasur]

When I sent my unit back for the V2 upgrade, a new unit was sent out the same day it was received.

How do you know what version you have?

Cross-post:

I wonder how the Codlo/Dorkfood/Sous Vide Magic type devices will hang in the home sous vide marketplace. The the circulators start coming down in price, I would assume these would have to as well to compete.

Agreed. I just retired my Dorkfood / bucket heater / aquarium pump setup. I'd foolishly left the Dorkfood outside and it rained unexpectedly, destroying the circuitry. I decided not to replace with the same because of the noisy mechanical relay, and couldn't find a solid state relay unit for under $150 unless I built my own. Having replaced an aquarium circulator after about 9 months, presumably failing due to unintended temperature range use, I figured that the Anova made more sense for $50 more.

Made my first meal with the Anova this week. I was impressed with nearly everything about it except the interface. The graphics are amateurish and using up/down presses for numerical entry instead of a keypad layout obviates the touch screen benefit. Hopefully, they'll do an update. (I'd be glad to work with the company to mock something up.) The unit itself appears well made, I like the skirt disassembly (although you do have to be careful not to catch the propeller), and the time tho heat and temperature stability seemed excellent.

I did the Sansaire kickstarter too (first world problem, I have a vacation cabin), so I'm looking forward to side-by-side comparison over the holidays, if the Sansaire ships in time.

[rotuts]

"""" SV steak excels with cuts that have great flavor but are tough or difficult to cook consistently """"

exactly

[jmasur]

Reflectix (reflective bubble insulation, acquired at HomeDepot)

Pure genius. Picked up some for $1.19/ft at OSH today.

[alanz]

It's amazing just how much insulation the Reflectix provides. I cut it so it comes up under the lip of the container (that insures the shape), it just wraps somewhat loosely around (an air gap is important) and fastens with a piece of tape. I might replace the tape with a piece of Velcro.

I am expecting my Anova V2 upgraded unit to arrive this week, they shipped a new unit the same day they received my V1... can't ask for better customer service than that. I will make some new photos soon.

[jmasur]

Tried the Anova in my Igloo cooler, topped with Reflectix, last night. The lid wouldn't close, so I used the Reflectix to make a shaped custom one.

Modernist Tri Tip. Rubbed in granulated garlic, kosher salt, and pepper, cooked sous vide for 8 hours at 129F, then seared on the griddle and sliced. Topped with a relish of torch-popped Sweet 100s tossed in EVOO, microplaned garlic, cilantro, and s+p. Served with smashed Yukon Golds, with manchego cream (forgot to add the white truffle oil I'd intended).

The Anova seemed to maintain great temperature consistency throughout the cooler, although I couldn't sample the temps down low.

Why do you think that an air gap is important?

Edited November 10, 2013 by jmasur (log)

[cbread]

Life has been hectic and tonight is the first opportunity I've had to start up the Anova. I'm happy to say it's so easy to use that the fact that no instruction book etc were included made no difference at all. It would have taken longer to read the instructions than to simply poke at the screen and see what's happened. Child's play. Makes the process almost boring, which is exactly what I want. No difficulties, no surprises. As easy to use as the side kic and with greater height, better designed than the side kic with respect to not having to fill the cooking bath so full.

VERY pleased.

PS Edit Impressed with the cord. It's beefy and long enough without being in the way.

Edited November 10, 2013 by cbread (log)

[Adam George]

Can you adjust the target temperature on the Anova whilst it is running or do you have to stop and then reset it?

[scubadoo97]

Can you adjust the target temperature on the Anova whilst it is running or do you have to stop and then reset it?

Stop and reset