Anova Nano --- New

[gfweb]

SV machines have gotten so cheap that I wonder how they make money on them. $100 sounds like a lot of money for Anova, but not when the item is a low volume seller and middlemen have to be paid. I wonder if the nano is an attempt to shave product cost at the expense of usability. 

[rotuts]

the Anova bluetooth sometimes goes as low as 82 $$

[dscheidt]

On 8/2/2018 at 7:08 AM, rotuts said:

the Anova bluetooth sometimes goes as low as 82 $$

 

It's also discontinued. 

[rotuts]

interestomg

 

pleased I have two and bought cheeeep

[MetsFan5]

I spent some time on Amazon looking at this tonight.  I’ve never SV in my life. But the product looks easy to use and it’s a good price especially if you bundle the Rubbermaid plastic container with the lid for $128. That seems like a moderate investment if not a cheap one to test the water, so to speak, of SV. 

  That said— I’m confused. It seems like I can use gallon sized ziplocks but some videos I’ve seen have them clipped on the side of the vessel with a binder clip. Is that actually necessary? Is using ziplocks risky in terms of bacteria versus buying a food saver and food saver bags? 

 

My interest in this is piqued in the same way I was interested in my slow cooker. I don’t have to deal with the heat of cooking, I can leave it alone for long periods of time and it’s kind of idiot proof. 

 

  Do you use the recipes the app provides? I lack intuition in the kitchen so I appreciate clear steps. 

 

  I’m thinking this could help me cook proteins like chicken and pork and seafood? Things I’m always worried about either under or over cooking. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[kayb]

I think the clipping to the side is to keep the seal out of water so there are no inadvertent leaks. I generally do it when I'm using ziplocs vs. vac-sealed packages.

 

I've used more recipes from eGullet than anywhere else. ChefSteps also has several.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 8/11/2018 at 12:58 AM, MetsFan5 said:

I spent some time on Amazon looking at this tonight.  I’ve never SV in my life. But the product looks easy to use and it’s a good price especially if you bundle the Rubbermaid plastic container with the lid for $128. That seems like a moderate investment if not a cheap one to test the water, so to speak, of SV. 

  That said— I’m confused. It seems like I can use gallon sized ziplocks but some videos I’ve seen have them clipped on the side of the vessel with a binder clip. Is that actually necessary? Is using ziplocks risky in terms of bacteria versus buying a food saver and food saver bags? 

 

My interest in this is piqued in the same way I was interested in my slow cooker. I don’t have to deal with the heat of cooking, I can leave it alone for long periods of time and it’s kind of idiot proof. 

 

  Do you use the recipes the app provides? I lack intuition in the kitchen so I appreciate clear steps. 

 

  I’m thinking this could help me cook proteins like chicken and pork and seafood? Things I’m always worried about either under or over cooking. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

Rather than the Nano, I notice amazon has the Wi-Fi anova at $128.98

 

If you have a stockpot you shouldn't need to buy another container.  I use my older anova with an ancient 9 quart stockpot.  I have an 18 quart stockpot if I need to cook something really big.  If you get the anova and find it does not fit any of your pots, you can always order a new container then.

 

I think you would be happier with sealed bags rather than ziplocks.  That being said, nothing wrong with ziplocks to get started.  The risk is not so much that water will leak in and ruin your food as that food will leak out and ruin your anova.  With ziplocks clamps might not be a bad idea.

 

If you had a sealer you would find many uses for it.  And it is so nice just to be able to toss a bag in the bath.  Many of us here favor chamber vacuum sealers, howbeit that is a grave expense.  I have no experience with FoodSaver but I understand they work pretty well for everything except liquids.  FoodSaver bags are expensive though, while the cost of chamber vacuum sealer bags is negligible.

 

As far as recipes, I have not looked at anova's but I believe Kenji is behind  them.  You could just check out Kenji's recipes online.  If I'm cooking meat I start with Douglas Baldwin's tables:

 

http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

 

(While Kenji sold out to anova, Baldwin sold out to joule.)

 

 

Bottom line:  buy the anova (preferably not the Nano), see if it fits an existing pot, then go on from there.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be eG-friendly (log)

[rotuts]

@MetsFan5

 

if you have not made your purchase yet

 

the Anova WiFi might be cheaper , and more flexible as its clamp is wider etc.

 

if you are in no hurry , you can go to camelCamel and set a price alert

 

I got a ' spare ' that way by waiting @ 84 USD.

 

https://camelcamelcamel.com

 

it tracks Amazon , and the BezosBot frequently drops the amazon price to reflect sales else where itc

 

target sometimes in the past has had it for 99 USD

 

if you have their free CC ( redCard ) you also get 5 % off.

 

the AnovaWiFi is larger , but not by so much if you plan to use it at home.

 

the WiFi also fits small to medium " beer-coolers' which are light and can be put away when not in use.

 

I strongly recommend one of these if SV catches on w you

 

as it will !

[kayb]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

If you have a stockpot you shouldn't need to buy another container.  I use my older anova with an ancient 9 quart stockpot.  I have an 18 quart stockpot if I need to cook something really big.  If you get the anova and find it does not fit any of your pots, you can always order a new container then.

I think you would be happier with sealed bags rather than ziplocks.  That being said, nothing wrong with ziplocks to get started.  The risk is not so much that water will leak in and ruin your food as that food will leak out and ruin your anova.  With ziplocks clamps might not be a bad idea.

 

 

FWIW: I have a five-gallon food-grade plastic bucket that's my main SV container. I ordered five of them from Amazon; two are fermenting vessels, one is the SV vessel, and the other two are waiting for me to decide what to do with them. I think all five were $30 or so. If I want to put a top over it to slow evaporation in an overnight cook (not generally necessary because it's plenty deep), I use plastic wrap.

[gfweb]

14 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

I spent some time on Amazon looking at this tonight.  I’ve never SV in my life. But the product looks easy to use and it’s a good price especially if you bundle the Rubbermaid plastic container with the lid for $128. That seems like a moderate investment if not a cheap one to test the water, so to speak, of SV. 

  That said— I’m confused. It seems like I can use gallon sized ziplocks but some videos I’ve seen have them clipped on the side of the vessel with a binder clip. Is that actually necessary? Is using ziplocks risky in terms of bacteria versus buying a food saver and food saver bags? 

 

My interest in this is piqued in the same way I was interested in my slow cooker. I don’t have to deal with the heat of cooking, I can leave it alone for long periods of time and it’s kind of idiot proof. 

 

  Do you use the recipes the app provides? I lack intuition in the kitchen so I appreciate clear steps. 

 

  I’m thinking this could help me cook proteins like chicken and pork and seafood? Things I’m always worried about either under or over cooking. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

You can use the app recipes or ones from egullet or from the internet. Zillions out there.

 

Re zip-loc bags. I frequently use them with the air pushed out by water pressure and then pushed closed. The bags that actually have a zipper will leak...beware.

You can also leave t hem un-zipped and clipped to the side with a binder clip.

 

You'll love it

[paulraphael]

FWIW, I've used ziplocs exclusively for the five or six years I've been cooking sous-vide. I noticed that Dave and Nils at cookingissues.com say they use either ziplocs or plastic wrap for most s.v. cooking, relegating their vacuum sealer to other duties (storage, infusions, instant pickling, etc.). 

 

I've had one bag leak ever. Now as a precaution, I double-bag for any long cook above 85°C. I think the biggest drawback of ziplocs is that they lose strength as they approach the boiling point. 

 

Some other caveats: they're not reliable if you reuse them, they're almost guaranteed to leak if you freeze the contents and then thaw, and you have to get the one's labelled "freezer bag," and that don't have the plastic slider to close them. 

[dscheidt]

1 hour ago, paulraphael said:

FWIW, I've used ziplocs exclusively for the five or six years I've been cooking sous-vide. I noticed that Dave and Nils at cookingissues.com say they use either ziplocs or plastic wrap for most s.v. cooking, relegating their vacuum sealer to other duties (storage, infusions, instant pickling, etc.). 

 

I've had one bag leak ever. Now as a precaution, I double-bag for any long cook above 85°C. I think the biggest drawback of ziplocs is that they lose strength as they approach the boiling point. 

 

Some other caveats: they're not reliable if you reuse them, they're almost guaranteed to leak if you freeze the contents and then thaw, and you have to get the one's labelled "freezer bag," and that don't have the plastic slider to close them. 

 

Also helps to get ones they bothered to weld shut. 

 

[paulraphael]

1 hour ago, dscheidt said:

 

Also helps to get ones they bothered to weld shut. 

 

 

Yeah, if you want to nit-pick everything.

[Anna N]

 

 

 

I was offered an opportunity to put this Nano through its paces for a few days. I can never refuse an opportunity to play with a kitchen toy. It still will never measure up to my Joule but so far I have been quite impressed.   It feels solid and is so intuitive that I didn’t even bother taking the plastic off the instruction manual. I can see where choosing the right vessel would become a bit of an issue as compared to other units. This is due, as others have mentioned, to the fixed clamp position on the unit. In this vessel the water barely meets the minimum level marked on the unit.  It would soon fall below that minimum due to evaporation for any kind of longer cook. I’m planning on doing some eggs so I don’t think will be an issue for that length of time (15 mins @ 75°C). 

[rotuts]

I can see this unit being fine for people once they understand its construction limits

 

ie clamp

 

I wonder if it will fit over the ' lip ' of various ' beer coolers '

[Vapre]

On 12/13/2018 at 7:45 AM, Anna N said:

 

 

 

I was offered an opportunity to put this Nano through its paces for a few days. I can never refuse an opportunity to play with a kitchen toy. It still will never measure up to my Joule but so far I have been quite impressed.   It feels solid and is so intuitive that I didn’t even bother taking the plastic off the instruction manual. I can see where choosing the right vessel would become a bit of an issue as compared to other units. This is due, as others have mentioned, to the fixed clamp position on the unit. In this vessel the water barely meets the minimum level marked on the unit.  It would soon fall below that minimum due to evaporation for any kind of longer cook. I’m planning on doing some eggs so I don’t think will be an issue for that length of time (15 mins @ 75°C). 

 

The nano marketing states that it is quieter than the precision cooker. I’ve got both and the PC is practically whisper quiet (unless the skirt bumps the impeller, ha) but the nano has a whine. How is yours in terms of noise?

Edited December 15, 2018 by Vapre (log)

[Anna N]

7 hours ago, Vapre said:

 

The nano marketing states that it is quieter than the precision cooker. I’ve got both and the PC is practically whisper quiet (unless the skirt bumps the impeller, ha) but the nano has a whine. How is yours in terms of noise?

 

Could barely hear even the swish of the water. 

[Vapre]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Could barely hear even the swish of the water. 

Ok I must have a semi-defective unit, then. This is my third (!) nano I have been through for various issus. To give you an idea of the noise, this guy has it too, you will hear it when he fires it up in the video review @blue_dolphin posted from SV Everything*. I love my kickstarter precision cooker, even though I have just about worn out the temp wheel and I had to wrap the base in teflon tape to keep the skirt on. It has been a champ. You have the same in red, right?

 

* here it is again: 

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Vapre (log)

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, Vapre said:

Ok I must have a semi-defective unit, then.

I am running the one I’m testing again and I assure you that it is almost silent. I can hear the swish of the water but very little else even with my ear very close to the unit. Were I not a huge fan of the Joule I might offer to adopt this nano. 

 

 I do have a red ANOVA. I also have a black (original) ANOVA. They keep each other company as I always reach for the Joule. 

[Vapre]

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am running the one I’m testing again and I assure you that it is almost silent. I can hear the swish of the water but very little else even with my ear very close to the unit. Were I not a huge fan of the Joule I might offer to adopt this nano. 

 

 I do have a red ANOVA. I also have a black (original) ANOVA. They keep each other company as I always reach for the Joule. 

 

I get it, I thought about the Joule. I love the different heating element technology they use but the phone-only connectivity was the dealbreaker for me. If they ever release one with physical controls, that’ll be a different story.