The line between bluetooth sous vide appliances and ones that connect to WiFi is blurred. As of 2017, there's only one “bluetooth only” device on the market, though you do need to have bluetooth in order to use the the WiFi-enabled ones.
Usually, it means you'll pair the device via Bluetooth, then connect the device to your WiFi signal through your smartphone.
Bluetooth is quite limited in range, so without an additional WiFi feature, you'll be limited to being as far as “the next room” before you'll lose remote control. That means other than monitoring your sous vide steak while watching TV (which is still pretty cool), you'll basically have a regular immersion circulator.
I'll dig into that a bit more below when talking about the only bluetooth sous vide device, but I just wanted to clear up what we'll be talking about in this post. Yes, it's going to include the WiFi devices as well.
The main thing I want to cover in this article is whether or not you actually need bluetooth, or wifi, or any type of remote control for your immersion circulator. In short, no, you don't need it, but yes, it's a really cool and useful feature.
So let's briefly take a look at the main devices that offer this feature, then below that I'll dig into why it's a cool feature that's absolutely worth paying for.
Anova Culinary PCB-120US-K1
This is the only true “bluetooth” sous vide cooker on this list, in the sense that it does not have WiFi capabilities. It should be obvious that this is the previous generation from Anova Culinary because it's about $50 cheaper than the newer model listed below.
The main disadvantage of going bluetooth-only is range. If you have ever used a bluetooth speaker, then you should be familiar with how far you can go before losing connection. For me, I can go in from the kitchen to my bedroom (about 50 feet), but once I step outside and close the door, I lose the connection.
The main advantage of buying Gen 1 over Gen 2 would be price. It's about $50 cheaper currently, depending on where you buy. So is it worth it to upgrade to the WiFi-enabled one for fifty bucks? Yes. The bluetooth-only feature is too limiting. My advice is to either get WiFi or nothing.
Anova Precision Cooker, WIFI 2nd Gen
The look and feel of this immersion circulator is exactly the same as the first generation PCB-120US-K1. There are two main differences.
One, is the addition of WiFi-connectivity. That means you'll be able to control your device remotely as well as receive push notifications from anywhere in the world as long as you have a cellular data connection.
The other is the addition of an extra 100 watts of heating power. The previous generation has a minimal 800 watts of power, which is common for cheaper immersion circulators.
For large baths or particularly cold water, only 800 watts of power can take a while to preheat the bath. I waited 40 minutes once just to get a 2-gallon pot ready to cook some chicken!
+100 watts isn't that much extra considering some devices have 1100-1200 watts of power, but it's moving in the right direction.
Oh yeah, as I mention in my review, the Anova app is pretty good, but I prefer the 3rd part app called Sous Vide Celsius. It costs about $4, can connect to your Anova, and has a much wider range of foods to choose from to properly set your cook temp/time.
Gourmia GSV150
Gourmia has a number of sous vide pods available but the 3rd generation model is bluetooth and WiFi enabled.
The big advantage of the Gourmia brand is that they are very good at heating water, with 1200 watts of power versus the 800 or 900 you get with Anova. That means starting your cook faster!
They are a little noisier though, especially if you're using a smaller pot of water. You can hear the strength! But with deeper water, they get quieter.
I actually really like the GSV150, but my main issue with it regarding bluetooth and Wifi is that the app isn't that good. It's hard to navigate, the recipes aren't that great, and when you start comparing it to others, it's clear they didn't have a really savvy tech team put it together.
Sure, it works, but I ended up looking for recipes online or through another app then just manually setting the time on the device. Push notifications and remote start/stop still came in handy though!
Plus, considering this device is the cheapest bluetooth enabled sous vide cooker on the market, for many, the issues with the app will be forgivable. I gave it an excellent rating when I reviewed it back in December.
ChefSteps Joule
By far my favorite bluetooth sous vide cooker, The Joule gets everything right. It's got a unique design, it's small, lightweight, and a a stellar app to control the device.
It's even got features you didn't know you wanted like a magnetic bottom so it can sit in the middle of pots instead of the side (for better circulation), and a very small minimum water depth so you can use it on shallow pots. Oh, and it can circulator up to 10 gallons of water which is double what most circulators do.
Since we're talking bout remote connections via bluetooth/WiFi, I should highlight here that the app is amazing. It's got beautiful videos to watch so you can decide how “done” you want your meat, plus you can visually see how to do the recipes. You can see screenshots in my review.
This helps novice cooks, as well as experienced chefs that just want to get excited about the dish they're cooking. The language they use on the app for notifications and recipes is also pretty humorous. It's clear they put a lot of thought and work into making the app great.
The main downside to Joule is that there's no manual setting – you MUST use a smartphone to start, top, and monitor your cook. If that is a deal breaker for you, then you should decide between the Anova and the Gourmia.
Nomiku WiFi
Not many people are talking about the Nomiku WiFi. Partly this is because it's on backorder, but partly it's because it's having a hard time competing with all the new players on the market.
When the original Nomiku came out on Sharktank, people were excited. Sous vide was exciting and new, and there were very few devices that would allow you to do it at home, for cheap.
Now, there are about 15 devices on the market, some selling for less than $100. When Nomiku WiFi came out, they had to start ANOTHER Kickstarter campaign to raise money. There were numerous delays and setbacks, frustrating customers.
By the time it was out, it wasn't the only bluetooth sous vide cooker out there, and it wasn't the cheapest. What's worse, is that it didn't have any defining features. Plus, the app is pretty bad, with only user-generate recipes, many without pictures or proof that they actually taste good.
So why would you pay more, for a delayed device, and a mediocre app? It's not a “bad” product. But I just don't see a huge reason to pay 3x more than, say, the NutriChef Prime.
Sansaire Delta
The Sansaire Delta isn't out yet, so I can't say much about it. I can say however, is that it's supposed to launch some time in 2017 from Kickstarter, so don't hold your breath. Everything gets delayed, so unless you've got the hots for the Sansaire brand, wait until you can order from Amazon or you might not get it until 2018.
So far, the app looks pretty nice! The pictures are not as beautiful as the Joule app, but they have a similar system of choosing doneness through the app to find the correct temperature for your food.
Why Remote Connections Via Bluetooth Are Worth It
Connecting to your immersion circulators via bluetooth seems a bit excessive, right? I was very surprised at how useful it was, and as I continue to cook sous vide in my home, I continue too use the bluetooth/WiFi devices. It wasn't the way of the past, but it's certainly the way of the future.
I have a few great examples:
One time I cooked a large roast for 24 hours while at my girlfriends house. I put the steak cooking on Friday, left to her house, and came back Saturday afternoon. The roast was done, so I popped it in the oven at 400º for 20 minutes with some seasoning. Done and delicious!
Just today I put three eggs in a bag in some ice water over night. I set my alarm for 6AM and 7AM. When I woke up at six, I set my device going to poach the eggs. By the time I woke up at 7, they were done. Yum! Perfectly poached eggs for breakfast and I didn't even have to wait. With my Keurig coffee machine preheated and ready to rock, it was like living at a hotel!
Lastly, a common thing I'll do is leave the house at like 3PM to go to a coffee shop to type up some blogs. Now what I can do is set a steak going at 3, cook it for 2 hours, and come back to a medium-rare delicious meal. I receive notifications when the water is starting to cook, and when the cook is done.
Considering I'm about 20 minutes away from the cafe, I just wait for the cook to finish, then hop in my car and drive home. Steak won't get “overdone” with an additional 30 minutes in the bath.
Now I just sear the steak, pan fry some veggies, and dinner is done. You could do the same thing grocery shopping, or even partying on Friday night!
I've linked to reviews of all of the bluetooth sous vide appliance I bought and tried within the article, but if you can jump over to Amazon and get the Joule if you want to get my favorite one.
What about Bluetooth Water Ovens
Sous Vide Supreme is a brand that makes some extremely popular (and expensive) “water ovens”, which are enclosed units that cook sous vide. A few other brands are starting to make them as well, like Gourmia.
So far there are no WiFi enable water ovens yet, although I think that could be coming in the future depending on how successful the WiFi immersion circulators are.
My guess is that ChefSteps could possibly follow up with a water oven because their circulator is so successful. I'm not sure how the demographics differ for buyers of water ovens versus circulators, but people buy them, so there's a market for them.
I don't think ChefSteps needs one because the Joule is so good, but I'm not sure how their company can grow with any other type of product. What else would be related to sous vide?
However, I think the strongest chance for developing a bluetooth or WiFi enabled water oven is going to be Gourmia. They've already got a couple models of water ovens on the market, and their most recent generation of immersion circulator, as you know, has WiFi. It's a natural move I think!
Anyway, just some speculation here! What do you guys think?
These are some great products, that I actually didn’t even know existed! I had no idea what water ovens even were or that they even existed. That is too cool. Are you going to be posting a posting on them. I would love to read more about it when you do so please let me know. Good job and keep up the work. Great content!
Yes, I’ll be posting more about water ovens in the future. First, I want to get everything published related to my immersion circulators, then I’ll start to buy and review the water ovens as well. The issue with the ovens is that they are much larger, and usually more expensive! I was able to buy 13 of these for under $2,000 USD, but with the water ovens, I fear it may cost me over $5k to test!
That also means I need to spend more time testing to make sure I get value, and readers get information out of the testing.
I’ve been wondering for the longest time what the difference was between these WiFi powered and Bluetooth powered appliances. What’s more, my wife is really looking for more convenient ways to cook and monitor temperature. It’s pretty tough when I’m out for work and she’s trying to cook up some steak while watching the baby. This looks like a pretty good option.
Yeah if two people are working, good luck cooking a steak for 30-45 minutes in the evening! Those are only weekend foods. The same is not true if you’re cooking with sous vide!
You can easily pack your cooking vessel with water and ice to keep the meat cool during the day, then about 3 hours before dinner time, you can set your water to start warming. After 30 minutes or so, your water will be heated and you can start cooking dinner while you’re away at work!
Late getting home? No big deal. You can usually cook your meat for 30-60 minutes longer without overcooking it. A quick sear after you get home, and your perfectly cooked steak is done!
Woah Man woah! I didn’t even know that things like this even exist. Like when I was reading your post I was wondering whether this is real or am I just dreaming.
You didn’t only explain the difference between Wifi and Bluetooth enabled devices well, but reading this post I also came to know about the devices that I was completely oblivious about.
This post, rather your entire blog is a gem! Keep going. Cheers!
This is some very high-tech stuff! And very informative too. I had no idea that these products even existed! I may have to look further into this topic and learn a little bit more about these sous vide appliances thanks for the information that I would have never known about otherwise
Hi there.
I have been using Sous Vide for quite some time now. It really rocks, and well, is becomming an addiction just like homemade bearnaise lol.
However, I found it quite interesting to read about the wireless models here. Controlled by apps, this is the next gen sous vide for sure.
To answe your question, I never really considered a sous vide oven. I have read about them, and find them interesting, but this sous vide stick just works like a charm.
I think I might upgrade to the ChefSteps Joule that you recommend. I have had my old one for a few years now.
Thank you for sharing this.
/Thomas
The joule is definitely a major upgrade – it’s the latest and greatest model out there in my opinion! I’m curious how much your old model costs. I see some models from Polyscience are over $600, so I get the impression that “home use” devices used to be quite expensive. Some models you can now get for under $100, but they don’t come with powerful heaters and WiFi connections!
To be honest, I am not really familiar with these cooking stuffs but somehow it taught me how that there are some other way to cook and prepare food not in traditional manner but in a different way.
I am wondering if the taste is also as good as the traditional way of cooking? Just for curiosity.
Sous vide is actually a very traditional french-style cooking technique. Some of the food textures may be different from what you’re used to, but most of the time it’s similar…or better! For example, scrambled eggs will be fluffier! But things like chicken, steak, and veggies will pretty much be the same as long as you take the time to sear them afterwards.
I really enjoyed your website. You have hit upon two of favorite things: gadgets and food. I had no idea that there are so many Bluetooth enabled devices in the kitchen category. I found myself shopping for more gadgets to outfit my kitchen. You have some great recipes to offer. I plan to print some of them to add to my cookbooks. Your site is very user friendly offers some very valuable information. I look forward to visiting foodfornet more often.
Sous Vide Appliances get my cooking to the next level. I am not the best cooker, but I will be one after I read this review. I am most the time stress because I spend to match time cooking and always look for a different alternative. Even if I pay 2000 $ or more will be for me an excellent deal because high-quality product gives me a good quality meal, I win more time for me and spend less money for restaurants.
LOL. You definitely won’t have to pay $2,000 for any of these devices, but some of the PolyScience ones are pretty expensive – like $600 – $1500! You can compare the $100 to $200 devices and say the 100 dollar ones are so much cheaper but when compared to prices above $1k, you really start to see how even the “expensive” immersion circulators put out by companies like Joule are cheap in comparison!
I’m definatley going to try the luau pork in the slowcooker. What a great idea and you get the benefit of it coming close to the real thing, but without the mess. Awsome! A traditional luau is very similar to a maori hangi (NZ) which also taste amazing when done traditionally in an earth oven, but also in a slow cooker. I’ll be bookmarking this website and will try not just the luau pork but other recipes here aswell – I like the look of the miso-poached salmon :-), sooo simple and looks so scrummy!
Seems like you’re commenting on the wrong post, but I’m glad you enjoyed one of my slow cooker recipes!
Bluetooth appliances, I guess there is no end to what comes with bluetooth capabilities now a days… Personally the only benefit I can see to a bluetooth appliances is being able to turn off the appliance if you forget after leaving the house but other then that what else is there?
I also see it opening the flood gates for someone trying to make a personal attack on you and turning on a device that could cause a fire or flood, however this might being very unlikely but it is still a possibility.
It’s cool to see what bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology is capable of, thank you Nathaniell… Great Post!
Hi there, this is my first time of hearing about Sous Vide Appliances/products. This write-up is so exciting and intriguing. I think I now need to give one of this a shot, though I am not that good at cooking but with the help of some online resources, I should be just fine with it. If I understand you perfectly, the one with a wifi connection is better than a Bluetooth when considering coverage.
Mate these are awesome,
I keep seeing these sous vide machines on cooking shows and was just starting to look into them to try and one-up my friends, now that I know they come with Wi-Fi the nerd in me just wants too try one.
Are there any health benefits to cooking this way, would love to be able to talk it up as being healthy as well.
Thanks again
You are cooking with less oil, and you are not “charring” the food, so you’ll be consuming less fat and fewer carcinogens. Even though you pan fry the stuff real quick when the food is done, it’s still absorbing less of the oil.
That being said, most people do not use this as a “healthy” way to eat, and fry their steaks in a bunch of butter after the sous vide is done, and many do throw it on the grill afterward or use a torch to get the burnt flavors on the outside.
I wouldn’t say that sous vide was “made” to be healtheir, but you could do it that way if you want.
This is very interesting, I never knew they made immersion circulators with wireless control. What a cool idea. I must try one of these, I have never cooked this way before. Is the resulting food delicious?
Thanks so much for your valuable information, i stumbled across your blog to this post, definitely a worthwhile read. I will be keeping an eye on your blog now.
Thanks
Chris
The sous vide technology is coming up very quickly! Just six months ago, no wifi/bluetooth models were available, and now there’s 4, with a 5th coming soon! Chances are, others will follow suit. I see the same for slow cooking too.
i Just found my favorite cooking webpage. I am a very big crock pot cooker. I love the fact that i can set it and forget it. Very nicely done on the page and i saved it to my favorites to try some of these recipes later down the road.
I have to agree with the woah man woah comment made by Smart Prince. I had no idea any of this even existed . This is definately high tech stuff for cooking that I can tell, unless I’m in the dark ages of cooking here. I see I’ll have to delve in a little deeper here to learn more about this. Quite an interesting article to say the least.
I remember watching a news story on TV in reference to these appliances. They were introducing them at the Consumer Electronic Show convention in Las Vegas. And a lot of chefs use them for their restaurants. I was actually looking into buying one at Best Buy, but I think it would be a lot cheaper to go with Amazon. Great article!
Interesting! I wonder what year that was when you saw them on TV. A few of these have just come out within the last year. It seems like companies put all the bluetooth devices on the market all in 2016, so it will be very interesting to see how things develop in 2017 and beyond.
Yep totally bookmarking this right now, i definitely want to get one of these bluetooth sous vide appliances, especially because I’ve just got a new property and I am actively hunting for cool new little appliances for round the house, think the wife will love it 🙂
You seem to know your stuff about this, and im guessing your a skilled chef, so im going to take your advice and go with the ChefSteps Joule which as you say its sounds like it has a really good balance of everything needed for convenience and ultimately good cooking!
Thanks for for sharing this article!
Wow, you’ve packed a lot of information in this review. I honestly have never cooked anything sous vide style, but this really got me interested in doing so.
It’s obvious you have done a lot of sous vide cooking, what do you find is the best part about it?
I looked through and see that you really think the ChefSteps Joule is the best product. Would this be the case for beginners also (someone who has never cooked anything sous vide style)? Or is there a different product that you would recommend for beginners?
interesting! I had some bluetooth accessories and a compatible PC a few years ago, but didn’t realise there was actually culinary appliances that use Bluetooth, mindblowing!
How useful is such connectivity in a kitchen situation? I’ve heard of WIFI fridge but nothing quite like a wifi pressure cooker, wow! I love the idea of being able to pre-set cooking and meals!
It’s incredible what technology can do.. Everything becomes “smart” and connected. The technology we see in futuristic movies are not far off, when we look at these kind of products…:-) Great article. My mum has a birthday coming up soon, and these are def. something to consider…:-) I will look around more on your website, and find what fits the best. Thanks.
What a cool idea, a bluetooth cooker. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I’m always looking for coolest gadgets to impress my friends.
Does the ChefSteps Joule have an app available for all of the mobile operating systems?
As long as I can use it with all my mobile devices, I’m sold.
Thanks for the in depth review.
Hey Nathaniell, I’ve never heard of these products. I knew that cooking materials were getting more compact, but as far as being bluetooth and wifi enabled. Technology is growing more rapidly than I ever thought possible. We have it in our cars, and now our cooking products, and it’s just amazing. I appreciate the product reviews. Definitely something to check out in the future.
Nathaniel,
Thank you for the post, it was really interesting. Although I am a keen cook I had not heard of these particular appliances before so I was interested to find out more. Your detailed comparisons of each helped me to decide which one might be the best for me. I hadn’t considered the benefits of a Bluetooth enabled cooker but it really does seem to be the way forward!
Fran.
Hi,
Thanks for introducing this product to me. I am a gadget junkie but really did not know there is something like this on the market. Thanks to your reviews I now have something new to impress my friends with. Technology just seems to make our lives easier by the day!
Awesome and thanks for going through the efforts to test the different products for us so that we can make informed decisions!
I did not know that these things existed. Ther thought of cooking my meat in water though totally turned me. I dont like boiled meat, and searing after seems strange as the whole idea of searing is to lock in flavour, So I am not judging here but does it still taste good? A long time ago I was a red seal chef and Have to say that this seems to go against everything I learned! I am totally into the fact that the device can be run off apps on my phone, and that they have improved that feature with using our wifi , but until I try this out for myself I Have to say Im skeptical …but really intrigued!
I had no idea these products existed! I love to cook and see a lot of good recipes I want to try. How long have these types appliances been available? I wonder why they aren’t advertised like other popular appliances. I’m glad you wrote a lot of information about the products and how to use them.
Best wishes,
Caryn
“your sous vide steak while watching TV (which is still pretty cool)….”
I didn’t even know that such things exist? is it true? wow it’s mind blowing… Cooking your food while watching TV what a great idea
Thanks man for introducing us to this world I am curious to get my first device and start using it as soon as possible
Great job
Pretty cool huh. I was just explaining this concept the handyman that came over the other day. He was pretty excited to be able to grill a steak without overcooking it. Make hitting the bbq this season much easier…although it does take a bit of planning!
I feel like we are in the future, lol. Wi-fi and bluetooth appliances? We are a couple steps away from actual robots in our home I’m sure of it. Actually, I guess we have those too with Siri and Alexa.
Nice post. This is a really interesting site you have here. It’s making me hungry already. Do you feel that all these gadgets really do integrate well with the job they’re supposed to do, or is it sometimes just easier to do things the old fashion way?
Honestly, this is soooo much easier than the old way. With the old way, you would have to tweak your heading device to heat the water to precisely the temperature you’d want it to be, and monitor it the whole time. Using a circulator like these allows you do set a precise temperature and time, then walk away from the kitchen!
My personal recommendation is to stick with the WIFI capabilities instead of getting a Bluetooth Sous Vide Appliance. I have had other kitchen appliances in the past that I have had issues with Bluetooth so I am bit skeptical. The WIFI is a lot more reliable connection, also as you mentioned the range. Do you have any easy recipes that you could recommend for this style of cooking?
Thanks for the tip on Wifi VS Bluetooth!
Hello. You have a real nice page. The top photo has my mouth watering, so I’m pretty sure that it will be effective as an attention getter. Your layout is awesome, with plenty of links, photos, and contrasting colors to effectively draw in traffic. It’s also very smart that you have ads posted. I’m sure that those ads will drive sales. I’m new at all this, but I will definitely want my webpage to resemble your in the future. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Hi, thank you for pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of bluetooth sous vide appliances.
What would you do if you have the plastic holding the sous vide floating? Any tips or tricks to stop that from happening?
You can use a vacuum sealer to remove the air more efficiently, or sous vide clips to clip the bag to the side so it doesn’t float around.