Anova Dimension, Please?

[boilsover]

So, I have the 800w, version 1.0 (Bluetooth only, not WiFi) coming, and I want to make a Plexiglass cover for my cooler to poke the unit through.  Does anyone know: (a) the exact diameter of the immersion end; or better yet (b) the ideal hole diameter to cut so it rests right without falling through?

 

Thanks!

[IndyRob]

I measured mine with a tape measure (not the best way) and it seems to be just under 2.5 inches (maybe 6cm).  A 2.5 inch diameter hole would probably work pretty well.

 

You might want to wait for a second opinion though, just to be sure.

[daveb]

2.5" is the magic number for the hole saw.  Center hole 1.75" from edge if using bracket.  If not using bracket I've recently read that a toilet gasket is the perfect size to put on the lid and drop the circulator into to hold it in place and reduce steam escaping around the unit.   Prob goes without saying to buy a new one for this.

 

I have a couple pics but uploading seems to be a challenge 2nite.  To use the bracket I cut the hole in the lid first, then use a straight edge to draw/cut parallel lines from the outside of the circumference to the edge of the lid so that lid can be removed without moving circulator.  Works fine on all types of lids/containers.

[daveb]

[boilsover]

This was very helpful.  Thank you very much!

Don't you need to cut the "keyhole" all the way through the rim in order to remove the lid and leave the circulator clamped on?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

22 minutes ago, boilsover said:

This was very helpful.  Thank you very much!

Don't you need to cut the "keyhole" all the way through the rim in order to remove the lid and leave the circulator clamped on?

 

Don't know if it helps but I just clamp my anova to the side of my largest stock pot.  If it is a long cook I cover everything with plastic wrap.  I possess metal working tools but I can't see cutting up a pot for sous vide.

 

[weedy]

me too.

 

I have some cut plastic lids for Cambros, but I end up just using cling film most of the time. Works perfectly well.

 

[nickrey]

I have a polycarbonate lid with a square cut into it from the edge to allow the lid to be removed while using the circulator. It is nowhere near a perfect fit. The water loss from this set-up is minimal, even with very long cooking times. Personally, I can't see the need for a fully closed system. Polyscience does custom -cut lids in which the cut goes right to the edge https://polyscienceculinary.com/products/custom-cut-polycarbonate-lids-for-economy-tanks?variant=733550027

 

 

 

[boilsover]

Thanks, everyone.  I had a scrap piece of plexiglass for which I've been looking for a use.  My small marine cooler has an interior lip all around, so I cut the plexi to fit. I just need to locate and sawcut the through-hole for the circulator.

 

Just trying to decide if I want the "keyhole" or a simple hole.  If the circulator fits well in the latter, I may go that route.  But do those of you who clamp to coolers and large Cambros find a keyhole cover (i.e., leaving the Anova in the bath) useful?

 

Thanks!

[gfweb]

I cut a hole in a cambro lid.

 

Aluminum foil and a towel when I do a pot.

[daveb]

18 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Don't know if it helps but I just clamp my anova to the side of my largest stock pot.  If it is a long cook I cover everything with plastic wrap.  I possess metal working tools but I can't see cutting up a pot for sous vide.

 

The aluminum lid was a generic one purchased for this purpose - less than 10 bucks.  Did it for a friend.  Only the lid requires cutting.

[daveb]

19 hours ago, boilsover said:

This was very helpful.  Thank you very much!

Don't you need to cut the "keyhole" all the way through the rim in order to remove the lid and leave the circulator clamped on?

Those pics were 2015, I've since been cutting the keyhole (good term) all the way so that I can remove lid without removing circulator.  For the same reason I've stopped doing "drop in" holes to use without the clamp.

[weedy]

I have what you might call (crude) key holes, or I'd just call SLOTS, cut into plastic lids for my cambros. 

That way I can pop the cover to add water if needed without disturbing the circulator. 

 

But again, I find that with either the lid or just cling film the bath loses less than a cup of water a day at 134f   

So on long runs (e.g., I just did 72 hr short ribs again) I lift the edge and dump in a cup of hot water in the morning. 

No big deal. 

[boilsover]

9 hours ago, weedy said:

I have what you might call (crude) key holes, or I'd just call SLOTS, cut into plastic lids for my cambros. 

That way I can pop the cover to add water if needed without disturbing the circulator. 

 

But again, I find that with either the lid or just cling film the bath loses less than a cup of water a day at 134f   

So on long runs (e.g., I just did 72 hr short ribs again) I lift the edge and dump in a cup of hot water in the morning. 

No big deal. 

 

Thanks.  The unit arrived today, so I located and sawcut the 2.5" hole in my plexi.  WITH the supplied clamp, the Anova sits quite high in the cooler, so I'm going to experiment with just poking it through the hole (being new to this, I'm not appreciating the necessity to remove the cover while leaving the circulator in place).  If I decide I want the remove-ability, it's simple to cut the plexi accordingly.

 

I'm not all that concerned about evaporative loss from the bath, especially since I'm using a medium cooler. I'm more aiming for minimizing heat loss.  Kenji's ping-pong ball idea seems... problematic, so I just thought I'd try sealing the system in a simpler way.

[weedy]

The water is being circulated and adjusted for temperature constantly by the unit. 

 

So the issue with 'heat loss' is really about efficiency. 

 

I do 2 hr ish SV once or twice a week. 

 

But longer runs probably every few MONTHS, so I'll admit I just don't 'worry' much about heat loss. 

Is it costing me another $2 a month? Maybe. 

Edited October 5, 2017 by weedy (log)

[boilsover]

8 hours ago, weedy said:

So the issue with 'heat loss' is really about efficiency. 

 

Yes, of course.  Just trying to be responsible.  That's also why I picked a cooler over a Cambro.

 

If I get bored, I'll compare 'top off versus covered with a Kill-A-Watt.

 

Do you not use an insulated cover on your HWH?

[weedy]

Nope

[daveb]

In my experience the heat loss is noise.   Any cover, foil, film, lid, is enough, and I don't use an insulated cooler for most applications.   Applications with a bath above about 160 will require a cover to get the bath to temp.   The ping pong balls are to SV what fuzzy dice are to cars.

 

Evaporative loss is much more of a concern, particularly  because I do overnights 2 - 3 times a week.  Any cover still works though I prefer fitted lids.  I do throw a towel around the neck of the unit to keep steam out of the control area.

[boilsover]

4 hours ago, daveb said:

In my experience the heat loss is noise. 

 

I think you would concede, on reflection, that an uninsulated container with a film (or no) cover will cause the circulator's heating element to cycle and run more frequently than would an insulated, tight setup.  If you and Weedy won't, you should consider the example of a larger-scale sous vide--a hot tub or jaccuzzi; these are almost always insulated, and wise owners also cover them when not cooking humans.  This is not merely to save a few dollars of electricity, but also to save wear and tear on the equipment.

 

Similarly the "noise" and "efficiency" of starting with bath water that is already near the target temperature.  Why wait (and pay twice) for that 'lil 800W coil to bring ambient water to temp?

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by boilsover (log)

[daveb]

I won't argue with physics.  Yes an un-insulated container will use more energy to maintain the bath temp than an insulated one.  It might even be measurable.  But it's still noise.   "Wear and tear" even more so.

 

You started this thread to solicit info to build your first cover for your new Anova.  I posted pics of several covers I have modified for several containers that I use frequently.  You might consider that.

  

[boilsover]

On 10/5/2017 at 10:05 PM, daveb said:

I won't argue with physics.  Yes an un-insulated container will use more energy to maintain the bath temp than an insulated one.  It might even be measurable.  But it's still noise.   "Wear and tear" even more so.

 

You started this thread to solicit info to build your first cover for your new Anova.  I posted pics of several covers I have modified for several containers that I use frequently.  You might consider that.

  

 

Well, that's good not to argue with physics.  My experience with appliances that cycle on and off is generally that the fewer times they're required to cycle, the longer they last, and the less energy they use.  These consumer-grade SV units are obviously not rated for continuous use.

 

You may consider buying another $180 circulator a year or two earlier than was needed, or extra $ wasted on electricity "noise".  It would not be difficult to quantify the savings.  But to pronounce, without knowing, what is truly de minimis, is a problem, don't you think?  Or have you quantified them yourself?

 

I had the extra cooler, scrap plexi and tools.  I suppose if I hadn't had those things, I'd have let Amazon solve my problem with a pricey

uninsulated tub/generic cover set  or clingform.  Shame on me to DIY a better mousetrap!

 

But thanks for the measurement. 

[Yiannos]

1 hour ago, boilsover said:

Well, that's good not to argue with physics.  My experience with appliances that cycle on and off is generally that the fewer times they're required to cycle, the longer they last, and the less energy they use.

 

This is 100% true, especially from a physical standpoint. Every time your heating element has to cycle, there is in all likelihood somewhere in the chain a relay or other switching device which applies or removes voltage to the element. There is a tremendous amount of current that needs to flow basically instantaneously through your relay's contacts and then off again. Each time that element has to cycle is one less time it will do it reliably depending on the durability and specifications of the part. I am a vintage audio/electronics tech, and one of the most common issues you see in equipment like that are bad relays, power switches, etc, things that act as sort of a gate for the current to flow or stop. Today's electronics are more robust in many ways, so you probably are not going to get arcing problems or bad carbon deposits on contacts, but anytime you are dealing with large amounts of current like this (in a hot and wet application on top of it) there will be a strain. Imagine running your A/C in your house with a window or two open. It will probably cool the house down to the temperature you want eventually, and keep it there, but the system is working overtime because it is constantly losing cool air through those open windows. It would be an interesting experiment to test the electrical requirements of the Anova in an insulated vs uninsulated system, the hardest thing would be finding a cooler and a container of relatively equal volume and shape, but from there you can use a device like this and measure what the circulator is pulling over a given time. FWIW I don't use my Anova in an insulated system because I use it relatively infrequently and so the wear and tear is negligible, but if I was using it on a daily or even weekly basis I'd at least think about a different setup to cut down on the on/off cycles of the heating element.

[daveb]

Kewl.  Talk to me in a year when you've had a chance to compare theory to reality.  Meanwhile enjoy your SV experience.  

 

Hugs.

[palo]

3 hours ago, daveb said:

Kewl.  Talk to me in a year when you've had a chance to compare theory to reality.  Meanwhile enjoy your SV experience.  

 

Hugs.

Hugs???

Not from what I'm hearing from you.

 

My electrical costs for a 10 hour cook would start at $1.00, added to that would be provincial tax, federal tax and something they call "delivery charge".

My hydro bill is 10% of my monthly income. I  have a cooler and a lid made of rigid sealed foam (styrofoam SM). It was easy to carve with a knife so that it was inset and and evaporation is minimal.

 

p

[boilsover]

6 hours ago, daveb said:

Kewl.  Talk to me in a year when you've had a chance to compare theory to reality.  Meanwhile enjoy your SV experience.  

 

Hugs.

 

LOL, it won't take me a year.  I'll break out the Kill-A-Watt next week and do actual measurements--something you, with all your experience, apparently haven't done.

 

Or do I need to apprentice with someone for a year first (sous vide being so technical and all)?

 

Noise indeed.