They charge a stupid US$50 premium for the 220 volt version, plus US$75 for shipping, but if you organise your own freight forwarding it might still be a good deal. Still, I haven't bought one because of those prices. However, this is currently the best sous vide device for home use, with a decent app as well.
If you have a dinner party for six people with some nice grass fed beef instead of going to a fancy steakhouse, it might pay for itself in one night :D
WHAT DOES IT DO?
This sous vide machine basically heats and maintains the temperature of water, while circulating it in a cooking vessel (e.g. pot, esky etc.). This allows you to cook foods much more precisely, and will yield much better results than conventional methods for a lot of protein based dishes (e.g. steak).
For more info read up http://modernistcuisine.com/2013/01/why-cook-sous-vide/
seems like a cooking scam, like a thermomix
Far from it, Thermomix helps you do things you can already do conventionally, whilst sous vide helps you achieve dishes that is not possible using conventional methods.
For example, take a steak. Conventional methods include grilling, or maybe a hot cast iron pan. This means that the outer layers of the meat is subject to very high heat, while the inner layers are much slower to come up to temperature. This means when getting a medium rare steak your other layers are probably closer to 70C, whilst the core is 54C. Cooking in a water bath heats the entire steak evenly, so when the middle is 54C, the outer layer is also 54C.
Cooking sous vide can also be done manually with a thermometer, hot water, esky, and a food grade heat resistant plastic bag.
I follow plenty of food blogs/pinterest/etc and people love it. A lot of fine dining restaurants use it to cook their meat. Admittedly I've never tried the end results myself but it seems pretty legit.
Just ask Drasko
Have wanted a sous vide machine for years but I fear BPA. Just not worth the extra worry, not matter how delicious the food is in the end :(.
BPA-Free Plastic Containers May Be Just as Hazardous
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-…
Yeah I've read of people trying to reduce BPA leech from Sous Vide cooking by using silicone bags instead of zip lock. That's probably just as bad. Just not worth the loss of peace-of-mind.
All my cooking and serving utensils are non-plastic. Glass, stainless steel, cast iron, porcelain.
I got one of these from their kickstarter campaign. Love it! If you're into cooking and interested in starting with sous vide I would recommend this style of machine. There are other types where the waterbath and heater are one machine but I prefer them separate (I got started with a single unit system). Separates are easier to clean and you get more freedom of size you can cook. If you're only doing some steaks you can use a smaller water bath, etc.
One problem I've seem being mentioned with this exact model is corrosion on the heating element. The manufactures say it's not a problem but customers are saying it is. I see some corrosion on mine but not overly worried. Just thought I'd mention it.
Oh, the bluetooth function is pretty useless. I've only used it once. Its easier/quicker just to use the scroll wheel thing to set the temp.
Also got one from the kick starter and +1 to everything you just said ;)
Obake how does the taste of foods compare to traditional cooking?
Mind sharing your experiences?
Thanks.
I'm no food critic or connoisseur, but I enjoy eating :)
I think the most flavoursome difference I have experienced is with chicken (thighs). I find it pretty hard to cook chicken traditionally, it's either raw or overcooked and dry, but with the sous vide I can get it really juicy and tender but not poison myself! I was SO shocked at the amount of flavour I got with sous vide chicken. Just lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper and they're delicious.
My other favourites have been japanese style squid, lamb rack, pork ribs and surprisingly rissoles! I've never been able to cook rissoles so they're tender in the outside but crispy on the outside before.
I guess sous vide cooking isn't for everyone, but there are certain people that will love it.
Ill agree with the chicken thighs..
One of the first things I did was this - http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2322154049/sous-vide-crispy-chic…
Sooooo good (though finding thighs with skin attached these days isnt the easiest, and deboning your own is a pain in the butt… damn health freaks ;) )
Thank you very much.
This is exactly what I was looking for.
According to the pictures, it looks like a fancy thermometer that sloshes the water for you? Or you could just do it the ozbargain way http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Sous-Vide-Machines/
thanks, might look into this
Below looks like a more flexible alternative, but they won't be making a 220 volt version.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/paragon-induction-cooktop…
Hey wow that's pretty fancy!
I was really dirty when they raised the international version price from 179 to 229.
their justification was that this 50 will be used to pay for the import customs tax so the buyer doesn't have to wait any longer than it should in the event it gets stuck awaiting customs payment.
I explained to them on their forum that for Australia, there is no tax if its less than 900 AUD so this 50 price increase is BS.
They just flat out refused to reduce this $50 increase. Not a fan of their way of doing business.
wow, didn't realise this…i bought (for $130) during the kickstarter campaign, so was thinking "WTF?" when i saw the price in the title…
great machine…unfortunate about the price hike/international pricing! that's BS!
You could also go for the Sansaire which is $210 USD Shipped (no premium for Au Plug) and ships from a Sydney warehouse.
The only "features" that the Anova has over the Sansaire is the timer and smart phone control, which aren't an issue for me (Smartphone app is fairly average from what I've heard, and I've got a microwave or timer on my phone so no need for the timer on the SV machine). I've had the Sansaire (and bought one for my mother too) since Feb and love it!
Much prefer the Breville standalone unit, for $200.
But either way, sous vide cooking is awesome. Anyone who says otherwise is simply demonstrating the magnitude of their ignorance.
All these comments and not one Analysis of Variance joke. Disappointing, but I will try:
Not sure why you need to worry about ANOVA when the temperature is supposed to stay exactly the same.
Let us know when you make the joke…… ;)
Hopefully one day this cooking technique will catch on with the masses and I can buy it cheap somewhere like at aldi.
Does everyone need to have their own iphone ???