Sous Vide Cooler Hacks

[boilsover]

OK, someone in an earlier thread asked me to post photos of this effort to make insulated, evap-resistant bathtubs for my new Anova ciculator.

 

I decided to make two.  The first was to just use my medium-sized Coleman PolyLite 40Q cooler.   This is my Go-To grocery cooler, so I didn't want to sacrifice it just for SV, so I cut a plexiglass scrap into a cover that sits down inside on the cooler's interior rim, and then hole-sawed the corner of the clear plexi to accept the Anova.  Someone specc'd the hole at 2.5" diameter, but I found that's a bit too large.  2-3/8" or 2-7/16" diameter would probably have been better.  I solved the issue by adding a toilet flush gasket that seals the hole and stabilizes the Anova.

 

The second was a smaller 9Q Igloo picnic cooler I never used, is only $15 new , and therefore didn't mind sacrificing.  This I hole-sawed directly through the cooler's removable lid.  Because the lid was hollow, I sealed the thing up with squirt foam and silicone caulk.  The gasket seals this one, too, just moving from one cooler to the other with the Anova.

 

So far, after a few uses, I can say that the setups hold heat extremely well, and don't lose much water by evaporation.  The 40Q only dropped a few degrees after being banished to the back porch overnight in 40F weather.  It would not have taken much time or juice to get it back on-temp.

 

I'll break out the Kill-A-Watt later, and compare energy use.

 

Cost was $6 for the IKEA rack, and $3.49 for the gasket.  I had everything else.  

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by boilsover (log)

[dscheidt]

2 3/8" holesaw is the correct size, though your gasket is pretty nice.   

[docjavadude]

Now THAT is a pretty cool Macgyver!  In addition to the insulating cooler, I'm liking your Ikea rack a lot.

[boilsover]

Anyone trying this should know that plumber's cement for PVC pipe (or plain 'ol acetone) will work to glue plexi.  No sense buying $$ specialty solvent glue.