reviews on amazon say it doesnt keep a proper temp, tempting but pass
I have one of these and I checked it with a couple of different thermometers, and it’s accurate to within the accuracy of two different probes. Used it the other day to make chicken breasts, came out perfect. I think I bought it from Woot, in fact… (rummage) Yeah, bought it from Woot.It’s not a great one, but it’s cheap enough to give you the idea if you want to invest in a more expensive.
I’ve used it for making yogurt, and some of the best steaks I’ve ever had (sous vide to the perfect internal temperature, then sear in a hot as yiff pan on both sides).
I bought this same model off Woot 2.5 years ago. We don’t use it all that often but it works well and everything turns out great when we do cook with it.
We have a budget sous vide cooker (not this one) which gets a lot of use. Just want to point out to newbies considering this that you DON’T need to purchase special bags. Ziplock style plastic storage bags work perfectly (just make sure they are BPA-free etc as the brand name brand are). And did you know that you can sterilize raw eggs in a sous vide, making them suitable for things like mayo and meringue (not usually THAT big of a worry but should always be done for immuno-compromised folks).
They need to change the name. Maybe it would sell better. I made this with my Sous… Yum! Not! LOL
You can also get washable and reusable silicone bags, I have a few. A vacuum sealer is not necessary, you just lower the bag into the water and let the water push the air out, then close it, either with the ziplock or fold it over and use a clothespin or something. Or just leave it, it isn’t actually necessary to be closed.
And there’s no need for a special pot or whatever, anything that the gadget can sit in at the right level works. A 5 gallon bucket will work fine, it just clups on the side. I usually use the ceramic pot out of an 8 quart crock pot just because it’s the largest one I have.