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Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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​Compare Sous Vide Immersion Circulator Cookers: Anova vs. Sansaire

Anova Sous Vide Immersion CirculatorAnova Sous Vide (Photo Credits: Anova)
​Sous vide is the method of cooking vacuum-sealed foods in a controlled low-temperature water environment. It allows you to create with ease and consistently perfectly cooked tasty dishes. 

With  properly executed sous vide cooking, thanks to to precise temperature control, the common problems of over-cooking or under-cooking are completely eliminated. Poultry, even the white meat,  comes out  juicy, steaks  turn out  amazingly  medium-rare, and eggs come out perfectly poached every single time. 

In addition, when vegetables are prepared sous vide, they retain more of their vitamins and nutrients, taste fresher without losing any of their crunchy texture.


This article will provide detailed information on sous vide cooking and compare the Anova and Sansaire Sous Vide immersion circulators. These were not just the most popular among Amazon customers at the time this article was written, but they had also received excellent reviews from most Amazon buyers.

If you are in a hurry and wish to see right away Amazon price information for these two products, please click below:
Selected Sous Vide Immersion Circulator Cookers on Amazon.


Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator(Photo Credits: Anova)
For sous vide cooking you will need the following:

1.  An immersion circulator which is basically an appliance that clips on any pot and turns it into a temperature controlled water bath, perfect for sous vide cooking. Some immersion circulators, like the Sansaire, don't even need to be clipped on the pot; they are simply  placed in it.

2. A vacuum-sealer or a food-grade freezer bag (such as BPE free Ziploc bag) to seal your food. Since sous vide cooks the foods at a lower temperature, it may not kill as much bacteria as more traditional cooking methods would, and therefore  it's preferable to use a vacuum-sealer. But many customers have reported  that using Ziploc brand bags do the job quite well when proper procedure of getting all the air out of the bag is used (see below). Not only are Ziploc bags BPE free, but they are also much thicker than other generic brands.

3.  A pot you already own with sufficient depth for your particular immersion circulator to fit in. 
​
4.  A  sous vide  recipe.​  Note that following  your  sous vide  recipes to the letter is extremely  important as the  temperatures and other details specified by the recipes are  critical to the  success and safety of the resulting foods.
​​
For correct sous vide cooking do the following:
  • First attach the immersion circulator to a pot filled with sufficient water for the bottom of the circulator to be in it and so that  water is capable of moving around it.
  • Then seal your foods in a food-safe bag. As mentioned, it is better to use a vacuum-sealer, but if you prefer using a zip lock type food-grade bag, in order to make sure all the air is out of the bag you should proceed as follows: Once you placed the foods in the bag, seal up most of the zip, leaving just a bit unzipped at the end. Then submerge the bag slowly in the water to allow the air bubbles to escape out of the tiny opening. Just as the zip lock is getting to the water line, seal it and you should be good to go. Care should be taken not to let any water get inside the bag. Note also that, if you use a vacuum sealer, the air will be completely sucked out and the bag will sink and remain pretty much stationary in the water. However, if you are using zip lock type bags and you're not able to get all of the air completely out, you may need to  clip the bag with a cloth line pin  to the side of the pot  to hold it in place and keep the food under water.​
  • Finally, set the appliance to the temperature specified by the recipe. Botulism can become an issue if you commit some sous vide no-nos. If you make sure that you’re cooking at or above the specified temperature and sous vide for an appropriate amount of time (you’ll be sous videing for at least a few hours on most recipes anyway), those pesky bacteria will not get a chance to grow.
  • Some immersion circulators are also equipped with a timer in which case you also set the timer for the specified time. The device will circulate water around the pot for the specified time while ensuring a consistent temperature throughout. Note that  many immersion circulators do not have a timer. That is because when cooking sous vide, for safety, you should never allow the temperature to drop to the dangerous levels for extended periods of time, which would happen if the unit was allowed to shut down on its own while unattended. 

For safe sous vide cooking, you should always keep in mind the following:
  • Get all the air out of the bag or pouch where the foods will be cooked.
  • Follow very strictly the temperature settings and cooking times specified by your sous vide recipes.
    To avoid any health hazards, if you are not sure that your recipe is of reliable source, you should check  the temperatures specified in the recipe against the guidelines published by the FDA (US Food & Drugs Administration). These guidelines are summarized below:

Picture
Safe Cooking temperatures as published by the FDA
  • Never leave sous vide cooked foods unattended once the appliance shuts down and the foods are cooked. Eat them or store them right away in the fridge for later. Per FDA recommendations, hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140°F or warmer and cold foods should be kept at 40°F or colder.



Comparing the Selected Sous Vide Immersion Circulator Cookers 

The following pictures show the two sous vide immersion circulators selected for comparison:

Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
(Photo Credits: Anova)
Sansaire Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
(Photo Credits: Sansaire)

The following table compares the features offered by the two sous vide immersion circulators (please read the table notes that follow for a better understanding of the features offered by each) :
Sous Vide Appliances Comparison Table

Table Notes 1 - 5 Explained:

Note 1:
  • Anova comes with an adjustable clamp that can be used to attach the appliance to any pot. The clamp can be moved up or down on the circulator's stainless steel skirt so that the appliance may exactly fit the pot. The minimum water depth needed is 3.5 inches.
  • Sansaire does not have adjustable clamps, but is equipped with a fixed clip.
    Sansair's clip has two settings, but the clip is removable and the unit can also be placed directly in the water without  the clip. Therefore, it can be used with just about any pot. The minimum water depth needed is 3 inches.
The figures below show the Anova clamp as well as the Sansaire clip:
​
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
(Photo Credits: Anova)
Sansaire Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
(Photo Credits: Sansaire)
Note 2:
The timer on sous vide immersion circulators should only be used if you plan to be around the unit when the programmed time is up and the unit shots down. That is because when cooking sous vide, for safety, you should never allow the temperature to drop for extended periods of time to dangerous levels that can cause the development of bacteria. This could happen if the unit was allowed to shut down on its own while unattended. And that is mainly why Sansaire does not have a timer. With Anova this is not a real issue, because it supports Bluetooth or Wi-Fi based remote communications, and it will send a message to your smartphone to remind that the cooking time is up and that you should remove the food from the plastic bag to eat it or save it in the fridge for later. And if you are not in a position to reach the unit on time, you can simply extend the sous vide cooking time remotely using your smartphone. The food will still come out just as good, if not better!
​Finally,  keep in mind that sous vide cooked foods safety is a function of both time and temperature: a temperature usually considered insufficient to render some sous vide cooked food safe, may be quite safe if maintained long enough.

​Note 3:
These products are made of polycarbonate with stainless steel parts. Polycarbonate is a great material suited well for kitchen appliances. Stainless steel parts prevent rust and corrosion and last for ages.

Note 4:
Anova has a version that supports the 4.0 Bluetooth communication protocol and another version that also supports Wi-Fi, so it can be controlled remotely from your smartphone using the free Anova app.  
​Note that using the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communications features are not required to use the appliance properly. The smartphone app is optional and allows you to control the exact same things as you can in the device's built-in screen. ​
For Bluetooth and WiFi versions of the Anova, please see the Amazob products section below.

Note 5:
With Anova, you will receive notifications on your smartphone when the device is preheating, brought up to temperature and when time is up.

For exact prices, please refer to the Amazon products section below. 

So which sous vide immersion circulator to buy?

If you are looking for a sous vide  cooking appliance that can be controlled remotely, you should consider Anova which is the only one that offers at this time models that support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communications with your smartphone or tablet.  
 
But for most people remote cooking is not a priority, and one aspect that should be considered is the adaptability of the appliance to various types of pots.  As explained above, both Anova and Sansaire can be used with just about any pot. All you need is for the bottom of the immersion circulator to be immersed in about 3 to 3.5 inches of water. This is because Anova uses an adjustable clamp to attach the immersion circulator to the pot, and Sansaire, which has a wider base, can simply be placed into the pot without even using its clip. 

Note also that with Anova, the skirt of the appliance (the part that goes under water)  is made of stainless steel and  is removable for easy cleaning.
Sansaire has no removable skirt.

Finally, note that at the time this article was written, both Anova and Sansaire had each received an average rating of 4.5  stars out 5 stars from Amazon customers. 

 
Anova and Sansaire Immersion Circulators on Amazon 
Please click the Amazon US link image below for the product of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
​
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.​
​

ANOVA Bluetooth
Immersion Circulator


ANOVA WiFi + Bluetooth
Immersion Circulator


Please note:  Anova has more recently also produced the Anova AN500-US00 Sous Vide Precision Cooking Immersion Circulator. If the above compared Anova Sous Vide precision cookers are not available, you might want to consider the WiFi supporting Anova Culinary AN500-US00 Sous Vide Precision Cooking Immersion Circulator shown and described below:
​

Anova AN500-US00 Sous Vide
Precision Cooker (WiFi)


Anova AN500-US00 Sous Vide Precision Cooker Features:
  • Max Power 1000W.
  • Height: 12.8" / Weight: 1.98 lbs.
  • Connectivity: WiFi / IOS & Android apps.
  • Temperature Range: 32F to 197F.
  • Flow Rate:8 Liters/Minute.
  • This Anova Precision Cooker circulates water at the exact temperature required for perfectly cooked meals, no matter what's on your menu. Perfect results every time: Never over or under cook your food again. 
  • With this precision cooker you can use the Anova app to access many free recipes and you can also monitor your the cooking status from anywhere using your smartphone.​​

SANSAIRE
Immersion Circulator


Recommended Vacuum Sealers on Amazon
Please click the product of your choice below for price information or to purchase. 

Note:   Amazon often provides a good discount on the List Price of sold products. If a discount is available, the List Price and the actual Amazon price will be shown when you click the images below.



Sous Vide Cooking Books on Amazon
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