Anova Sous Vide

Pros: beef short ribs, custardy egg yolks, hanger steak, baby backs if you don't want to tend to the tedious process for 8 hours, salmon, veggies, chicken breasts for salads, reheating anything in a foodsaver bag, the list goes on and on.

Cons: Unfortunately, the method really doesn't lend itself to make good popcorn.

If $130 is going to be a big deal, don't buy it. If you're willing to spend the extra money to have another cool tool in your drawer, it's worth it. If you're expecting it to replace your stove or your oven, it's not.

We've discussed this and the bottom line is it seems we're all learning how to use it. You can join the learning crew and help us get better or you can wait till we have a bunch of no fail recipes. As for me, I've found pork tenderloin, chops, fish, eggs, and short ribs to be worth the price alone. Just remember that most meats will requiring finishing on a grill, pan, or torch...

I've only ever used mine for steaks, honestly. It does a fine job with them but I don't really see the appeal in doing anything else with it.

I really like to use it for chicken breasts.

I have one. It is a well made device. My issue in using it is time--I don't have any lately.

Anyway, I use a large stock pot and vacuum sealed portions. This was butter poached lobster:

The thing holding me back is I don't have vacuum sealer and I don't feel like coming out of pocket for both the sous vide and a vacuum sealer at the moment. I guess I should just bite the bullet and go ahead and buy the vacuum sealer and then get the sous vide when it goes on sale the next time.

Yup, it can seem pricey at first. The Anova unit, a foodsaver device, and the rolls (or bags) looks a bit steep at first, but for me they've already paid for themselves. I try to purchase food on sale and I can cook it in large batches and then freeze for later use. Back into the water from the freezer and you've got an already cooked meal ready to go.

Just remember that anything that comes out of the water bath needs to be iced down in a half ice half water solution in order to plunge the temperature as quickly as possible. You can't just simply put hot food into the fridge or freezer.