4 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:Would these be considered good deals? I’d like to try SV out but don’t want to invest a ton.
We might need to see some specs on the circulator before being able to answer. Is it this one? If so, then its 1200 watts sounds like a pretty good deal, but you can get it for $49.99 on Amazon and that's a better price. If it's another one then you might be better served spending an extra $30 for the Anova Nano which is only 750 watts but isn't restricted by the built-in clamp of the NutriChef. (@Shelby has a Gourmia? iGourmia? circulator, I think, with such a clamp. Maybe she can say whether it's a nuisance.)
That vacuum sealer price is a good one if the unit works, but I must say that I don't use my vacuum sealer much for sous vide. As often as not I use Ziplock-style bags that I can seal, wash thoroughly afterward and reuse. I admit that I find it absurdly fun to use my FoodSaver and watch the air get sucked out of the bag, but for sous vide purposes I generally use the displacement method: squeeze out a fair amount of the air, close the bag most of the way, submerge it while keeping the opening above water, let the water compress the bag so the rest of the air comes out. Going without the vacuum sealer is even more money saved. Incidentally, if you intend to sous vide something with liquid (a marinade, say, or oil) inside the bag, the liquid will almost certainly get sucked into the vacuum sealer and wreck it. That's another reason I've gone to the displacement method.
Edited to add: while I was typing this, JoNorvelleWalker raised the same question I did about the wattage. As her post indicates, the Nano hasn't gotten much love around here. It is, however, the least expensive of the Anova line.
