@Narwalt I think the evolution is taking us to where even phones won’t have on-device controls. (They’re certainly trying to prepare us for that by having every system update move the menu options to other places…)
We will have to ask Alexa, Siri, or googly eyes to do the phone configurations. (Or, in the case of Android, it will guess what you want and get it wrong, as does their text completion attempts.)
@Narwalt other than power on (to wait for Bluetooth connections), yes. There are no controls outside the app. Also, even if one of your family gets the subscription, it’s not family sharing enabled, so it’s only going to work for them. However, even without the subscription, it’s pretty simple and straightforward. You can still set cook time and temp, still monitor the time and temp, and everything you need for basic cooking. The fancy programs for so long at such and such temp and then other durations at different temps aren’t really necessary for most things - and if you did need it, you could easily do it manually. I don’t know how many control changes $10/yr/account that can run the app adds up to for most people, but it’d be a good few of them for me. The only advantage is if you’re wanting to just leave it alone all day like a slow cooker and also specifically needed the multiple temperatures.
Let me put this into perspective. A sous vide is kind of like a bide. Once you have one, it changes things. You can cook like a pro chef. The best thing is, it’s normally passive, depending. We’ve been cooking ribs for the past 36 hours. It’s not necessary but f ya! That’s good ribs. It’s hard to f up a sous vide cook and it’s always a good result.
I love my sous vide! Setup my dinner before I leave for work, come home to dine. Wish I’d had it when my kids were little. But mine isn’t Bluetooth or app controllable…hmm…
Ok, I looked at the manual, but either it has pages missing or they just didn’t bother to think of putting them in. Absolutely no discussion of details of using the app either with BT or wifi subscription.
My question: Can you use two of these sv cookers and control them separately (say for different temperatures) or will they interfere/override each other? I’m guessing the BT pairing would be independent or would that require two phones (or other devices)? Would you need two instances of the app? I only occasionally use BT and never have with two of the same appliance so have a tech blind spot there.
@phendrick Only when you pay the subscription fee. And actually using two sucks so hard it’s impressive. Chatgpt could literally poop out a better app in like 5 minutes, and I consider vibe coding a scourge on the IT world. It says it’s Bluetooth but it actually refuses to use Bluetooth for the actual connection and uses WiFi instead for some god forsaken reason. I guess Bluetooth is too slow to send two numbers every 15 seconds? So if you want to use them without WiFi you’re screwed.
I used two for holding baths on location and it took solidly 2 hours to get both actually functioning and running correctly. And literally all I needed to do was turn them on and set a temperature at the venue.
I have their “regular” one that comes with a temp up-down roller and start button in addition to the power button. It works well and I like Sous Vide cooking in general, but I NEVER use the phone app with it, and would find having to use the phone just to set the temperature to be VERY annoying.
@summetj I love having analog controls on mine but the wheel is kind of busted and not as precise as it used to be. Takes a bit of finessing to have it not shoot up or down in temp when selecting
I won’t touch anova since they pushed most of their app and sous vide features to a subscription model. I just want to set the temp and leave it for hours. The whole point of sous vide is so dead simple an app, let alone one requiring a subscription to control it is ridiculous.
@samnsara French phrase that means “under vacuum”. In cooking, it refers to a method of using a tightly controlled temperature water bath to cook foods at specific times and temperatures to achieve a desired outcome.
Also, a great way to make personal cheesecakes in half pint jelly jars.
@FoodGeekFish@samnsara A minor correction: Sous vide recipes have a minimum time at temperature to be done to order, but food stops cooking when it reaches the water bath temperature - a steak will stay rare even if left in for another hour or two.
[Shrimp are a little pickier; I try to use them within a half hour of projected cook time.]
I’m tempted by this one. It won’t heat as fast as my ‘full sized’ (1,100w) unit, but there are times when I’d like to check the status remotely - and Anova is a well respected name in the business.
This recipe is from chefsteps.com It calls for casting the recipe into 8oz mason jars. You will need 5 of those, and a sous vide circulator.
452 g Cream cheese - two 8 oz packages softened to room temperature
100 g Granulated Cane Sugar
2 g Kosher Salt
130g Egg(s) - 3 whole
5 g Vanilla Extract
130 g Buttermilk or heavy whipping cream
Step 1: Heat sous vide water bath to 176 °F / 80 °C.
Step 2: Combine cream cheese, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Mix until smooth, periodically scraping down the sides to fully integrate.
Step 3: Add Eggs and Vanilla. Mix until combined, scraping sides as needed.
Step 4: With the food processor running, add in the buttermilk until mixture is smooth.
Step 5: Fill each jar with 130 g (4.5 oz) of batter.
Step 6: Close each jar “fingertip tight.” Don’t grip the lid like you would normally open or close a jar, but use thumb and index to screw the lid on until it will go no further: without having to put effort into closing like usual. You can turn it just a little bit more if you want but if you error on too tight, you may have a glass crack. If you error on too loose, water may get in. Don’t overthink it.
Step 7: Using tongs – the water is hot! – lower the jars into the water bath.
Step 8: Cook for 90 minutes. Remove with tongs, and let cool at room temperature until cool enough to handle and transfer to fridge to chill completely.
I am not jumping on this offer, again. However, as as long-time fan of the cooking method, I want to tell people after they have cooked every animal on earth to different levels of texture and doneness, played around with the ways eggs can be transformed, used it for thawing, etc. . .
Cook some stuff in mason jars! Custards are sublime. I have cooked triple-digit times and only had one glass crack. You can make the starbucks egg bites. Little creme brulees.
Also, if this thing can get up to and hold 190 degrees… do yourself a favor and cook carrots, at least once, in butter and sugar, and you will have the best carrot of your life.
I’m using this very sous vide to cook dinner right now, and I’ve used it 3x over the past month. I was really surprised to see the posts about the subscription thing, so I went a few steps down that rabbit hole just to see when that kicked in.
So, YMMV, but here’s what I found/what I see with my own eyes:
According to their website, they went to this subscription model for new accounts established after Aug 21, 2024. They say that anyone with an account before that date would be grandfathered.
According to my Meh purchase history, I bought mine on Mar 6, 2026 to replace a previous sous vide (not Anova).
I set it up & first used it in April 2026. I had to download/use the app then make an account to set up the wi-fi connection. I have to use the app to set time/temp each time I use it.
If you notice the dates, I made my purchase and account well after their cutoff. I did NOT subscribe or pay to use their service, but I’m still able to use the machine. Frequently. Like I said, I have it running literally as I type this.
The app is used to set up the cooking session (set temp & time), to start the device, and to check the remaining time on it. I presume that it can send a notification to the app when cook time is up, but I don’t allow the app notification permissions. I do not have to maintain the connection for it to work - only when I start it up.
I apparently bought this/made an account well after their subscription service kicked in, but I’ve been using this thing several times per month without a hitch. But like I said, YMMV.
Also, I’ll +1 the recommendation on carrots (Tip to maintain higher temps: Cut out the corner of the lid for a small Igloo cooler, and use that as your water bath). I haven’t attempted anything in jars, but I may just have to try that.
My favorite thing to sous vide is the “cheap” prime rib that Aldi sells around Xmas. I’ve made a few generous prime rib servings for my crew at $8-$10 per person. They were cooked to a perfect medium-rare throughout the roast and were better than anything I’ve ordered in a restaurant.
I’ve learned that at-home film development frequently uses sous vide cookers, as the chemicals used have the film in the chemical baths with known optimal times at specific temperatures
That said, I think some people are overthinking it a little, the thermal inertia for the times used will do plenty to keep the temperature stable and film is pretty forgiving about temperature ranges
My wife says what the heck. But I’d like to get rid of the draconian shipping costs. Personally I think it should be for free shipping since we’re forced to speak French. But all that aside it would be nice if you guys still had some of the Zesty Paws probiotics that wasn’t going to expire tomorrow.
Specs
Product: Anova 850W Precision Sous Vide Cooker Mini
Model: AN350-US00
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$28.80 at Amazon
$99.00 at Anova
Warranty
2 Year Manufacturer Warranty
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 21 - Wednesday, Sep 23
Bluetooth…sous vide? What will they think of next?
Meh getting too bougie for simpletons like me.
Looks like we would have to control it with the phone app? As in it lacks on device controls?
@Narwalt I think the evolution is taking us to where even phones won’t have on-device controls. (They’re certainly trying to prepare us for that by having every system update move the menu options to other places…)
We will have to ask Alexa, Siri, or googly eyes to do the phone configurations. (Or, in the case of Android, it will guess what you want and get it wrong, as does their text completion attempts.)
@Narwalt other than power on (to wait for Bluetooth connections), yes. There are no controls outside the app. Also, even if one of your family gets the subscription, it’s not family sharing enabled, so it’s only going to work for them. However, even without the subscription, it’s pretty simple and straightforward. You can still set cook time and temp, still monitor the time and temp, and everything you need for basic cooking. The fancy programs for so long at such and such temp and then other durations at different temps aren’t really necessary for most things - and if you did need it, you could easily do it manually. I don’t know how many control changes $10/yr/account that can run the app adds up to for most people, but it’d be a good few of them for me. The only advantage is if you’re wanting to just leave it alone all day like a slow cooker and also specifically needed the multiple temperatures.
Lemme help. Sous vide… Blah blah… Just fuckin buy it. If you want you act like you can cook? Buy it. It’s hard to f it up. Just fn buy it.
I’ll stick with my full-size unit that doesn’t do phone apps.
Let me put this into perspective. A sous vide is kind of like a bide. Once you have one, it changes things. You can cook like a pro chef. The best thing is, it’s normally passive, depending. We’ve been cooking ribs for the past 36 hours. It’s not necessary but f ya! That’s good ribs. It’s hard to f up a sous vide cook and it’s always a good result.
@goldnectar were you trying to spell ‘bidet’? Or is there some other ‘bide’ that I cannot live without?
@goldnectar @suprchunk maybe it was ‘bride?’ None of the controls do what is expected, but whatever you do will be wrong.
I love my sous vide! Setup my dinner before I leave for work, come home to dine. Wish I’d had it when my kids were little. But mine isn’t Bluetooth or app controllable…hmm…
@sarahsandroid Don’t worry, the app sucks so hard you will wish it wasn’t app controlled.
@sarahsandroid I bought one and my kids were so used to overcooked meat they refused to eat anything tender.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A little help from the community?
Ok, I looked at the manual, but either it has pages missing or they just didn’t bother to think of putting them in. Absolutely no discussion of details of using the app either with BT or wifi subscription.
My question: Can you use two of these sv cookers and control them separately (say for different temperatures) or will they interfere/override each other? I’m guessing the BT pairing would be independent or would that require two phones (or other devices)? Would you need two instances of the app? I only occasionally use BT and never have with two of the same appliance so have a tech blind spot there.
@phendrick Only when you pay the subscription fee. And actually using two sucks so hard it’s impressive. Chatgpt could literally poop out a better app in like 5 minutes, and I consider vibe coding a scourge on the IT world. It says it’s Bluetooth but it actually refuses to use Bluetooth for the actual connection and uses WiFi instead for some god forsaken reason. I guess Bluetooth is too slow to send two numbers every 15 seconds? So if you want to use them without WiFi you’re screwed.
I used two for holding baths on location and it took solidly 2 hours to get both actually functioning and running correctly. And literally all I needed to do was turn them on and set a temperature at the venue.
@fhqwgads TYVM.
Sous vide As A Service
I have their “regular” one that comes with a temp up-down roller and start button in addition to the power button. It works well and I like Sous Vide cooking in general, but I NEVER use the phone app with it, and would find having to use the phone just to set the temperature to be VERY annoying.
@summetj I love having analog controls on mine but the wheel is kind of busted and not as precise as it used to be. Takes a bit of finessing to have it not shoot up or down in temp when selecting
Just boil shit to death like a normal human. Cripes!
I don’t want any more “Smart” things. It feels like surrender.
Example 4,739 that more tech on something isn’t always better. #Pass
Too fancy.
I’ll just keep cooking with my cast iron skillet and a little bacon grease.
@BioBill just a little bacon grease?
@BioBill @rancho Half a cup is a little, sometimes.
I won’t touch anova since they pushed most of their app and sous vide features to a subscription model. I just want to set the temp and leave it for hours. The whole point of sous vide is so dead simple an app, let alone one requiring a subscription to control it is ridiculous.
You have to pay for a subscription to use it. No thanks!
@JWork OMG, that’s a deal breaker!!!
/showme Tina Turner in Mad Max outfit yelling “Bust a deal, Face the wheel!”
@cfg83 Here’s the image you requested for “Tina Turner in Mad Max outfit yelling Bust a deal, Face the wheel!”
what the heck is Sous Vide??
@samnsara French phrase that means “under vacuum”. In cooking, it refers to a method of using a tightly controlled temperature water bath to cook foods at specific times and temperatures to achieve a desired outcome.
Also, a great way to make personal cheesecakes in half pint jelly jars.
@FoodGeekFish …recipe, please?
@FoodGeekFish @samnsara A minor correction: Sous vide recipes have a minimum time at temperature to be done to order, but food stops cooking when it reaches the water bath temperature - a steak will stay rare even if left in for another hour or two.
[Shrimp are a little pickier; I try to use them within a half hour of projected cook time.]
I’m tempted by this one. It won’t heat as fast as my ‘full sized’ (1,100w) unit, but there are times when I’d like to check the status remotely - and Anova is a well respected name in the business.
And for the price? OK; I’ll bite:
/showme automatic-shocking-nickel
@rpstrong Here’s the image you requested for “automatic-shocking-nickel”
@Jasongb - take your favorite cheesecake recipe, spoon into 4 or 8 oz jars, finger tighten lids and rings, water bath at 176F for 90 minutes.
Cool on the counter then refrigerate at least 4 hours. Top with your favorite fruit, jam, graham cracker crumbs, etc.
@FoodGeekFish @Jasongb
Sous Vide Cheesecake Recipe
This recipe is from chefsteps.com It calls for casting the recipe into 8oz mason jars. You will need 5 of those, and a sous vide circulator.
452 g Cream cheese - two 8 oz packages softened to room temperature
100 g Granulated Cane Sugar
2 g Kosher Salt
130g Egg(s) - 3 whole
5 g Vanilla Extract
130 g Buttermilk or heavy whipping cream
Step 1: Heat sous vide water bath to 176 °F / 80 °C.
Step 2: Combine cream cheese, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Mix until smooth, periodically scraping down the sides to fully integrate.
Step 3: Add Eggs and Vanilla. Mix until combined, scraping sides as needed.
Step 4: With the food processor running, add in the buttermilk until mixture is smooth.
Step 5: Fill each jar with 130 g (4.5 oz) of batter.
Step 6: Close each jar “fingertip tight.” Don’t grip the lid like you would normally open or close a jar, but use thumb and index to screw the lid on until it will go no further: without having to put effort into closing like usual. You can turn it just a little bit more if you want but if you error on too tight, you may have a glass crack. If you error on too loose, water may get in. Don’t overthink it.
Step 7: Using tongs – the water is hot! – lower the jars into the water bath.
Step 8: Cook for 90 minutes. Remove with tongs, and let cool at room temperature until cool enough to handle and transfer to fridge to chill completely.
I am not jumping on this offer, again. However, as as long-time fan of the cooking method, I want to tell people after they have cooked every animal on earth to different levels of texture and doneness, played around with the ways eggs can be transformed, used it for thawing, etc. . .
Cook some stuff in mason jars! Custards are sublime. I have cooked triple-digit times and only had one glass crack. You can make the starbucks egg bites. Little creme brulees.
Also, if this thing can get up to and hold 190 degrees… do yourself a favor and cook carrots, at least once, in butter and sugar, and you will have the best carrot of your life.
Sous Vide are excellent cooking devices, however locking you to Bluetooth… it’s not 2010 anymore.
Buy it guess if you still think Bluetooth is cool and you enjoy perfectly cooked webbos (if it STAYS connected to BT)
Cheesecake in a jar. You won’t regret it.
Or use it to keep your bath at a steamy 150 degrees. You might regret that.
With that butch mount, could you use it as a very dangerous space heater? Orrrrrr, maybe for room humidification?
Amazon for $29 with free shipping means the same price with much better return options. Meh indeed.
I’m using this very sous vide to cook dinner right now, and I’ve used it 3x over the past month. I was really surprised to see the posts about the subscription thing, so I went a few steps down that rabbit hole just to see when that kicked in.
So, YMMV, but here’s what I found/what I see with my own eyes:
According to their website, they went to this subscription model for new accounts established after Aug 21, 2024. They say that anyone with an account before that date would be grandfathered.
According to my Meh purchase history, I bought mine on Mar 6, 2026 to replace a previous sous vide (not Anova).
I set it up & first used it in April 2026. I had to download/use the app then make an account to set up the wi-fi connection. I have to use the app to set time/temp each time I use it.
If you notice the dates, I made my purchase and account well after their cutoff. I did NOT subscribe or pay to use their service, but I’m still able to use the machine. Frequently. Like I said, I have it running literally as I type this.
The app is used to set up the cooking session (set temp & time), to start the device, and to check the remaining time on it. I presume that it can send a notification to the app when cook time is up, but I don’t allow the app notification permissions. I do not have to maintain the connection for it to work - only when I start it up.
I apparently bought this/made an account well after their subscription service kicked in, but I’ve been using this thing several times per month without a hitch. But like I said, YMMV.
Also, I’ll +1 the recommendation on carrots (Tip to maintain higher temps: Cut out the corner of the lid for a small Igloo cooler, and use that as your water bath). I haven’t attempted anything in jars, but I may just have to try that.
My favorite thing to sous vide is the “cheap” prime rib that Aldi sells around Xmas. I’ve made a few generous prime rib servings for my crew at $8-$10 per person. They were cooked to a perfect medium-rare throughout the roast and were better than anything I’ve ordered in a restaurant.
I’ve learned that at-home film development frequently uses sous vide cookers, as the chemicals used have the film in the chemical baths with known optimal times at specific temperatures
That said, I think some people are overthinking it a little, the thermal inertia for the times used will do plenty to keep the temperature stable and film is pretty forgiving about temperature ranges
My wife says what the heck. But I’d like to get rid of the draconian shipping costs. Personally I think it should be for free shipping since we’re forced to speak French. But all that aside it would be nice if you guys still had some of the Zesty Paws probiotics that wasn’t going to expire tomorrow.