Anova Precision Cooker review-a starred chef at health home

Smart health connected objects have been interested in cooking for a few years. However, it has only been a few months since a real war has broken out between the various players in the industry. A war between robot cookers and other smart health connected utensils. Fortunately this battle does not foreshadow the end of the world as we have seen in some science fiction films. On the contrary, it should allow everyone to prepare good meals without having the skills of a Michelin-starred chef. However, this requires choosing the right tool. In this context, Anova offers its Precision Cooker specialized for sous vide cooking. This method of cooking suitable for meats, fish, vegetables. So what is the Anova Precision Cooker worth? The answer after this Anova Precision Cooker review.

• Category : Vacuum cooker

• Dimensions : 325 mm

• Weight : 700 g

• Power : 1000 – 1200 Watts

• Connections : Wireless

• Compatibility : Android and iOS

• Price : $199.00

Unboxing of the Precision Cooker

Precision Cooker packaging does not splurge, but allows some extravagance. They bring a slight offbeat side to the seriousness of the presentation. Firstly, the choice of orange color present on most of the box. Then, inside, on the back of the card attached to the protective foam, a little pun that escapes us a little French. This “Hey there, good cookin” imitates the expression “Hey, good lookin”, which means “Hi, beauty”. A first catchphrase, like breaking the ice and invite to cook without further delay. For the rest, the box contains the Precision Cooker with its power cable and its attachment system to all types of containers, and the user manual. Note that if it is in several languages, some information is only available in English.

Design and ergonomics of the vacuum cooker

The Precision Cooker mixes plastic and stainless steel. The whole looks good and relatively solid. This is also the case for the clamping ring which seems to be able to support a lot of cooking. Anova managed to reduce the size of her device, placing it just above the 30 cm to 32.5 cm bar. In terms of weight, it weighs only 700 g and is therefore not a problem for any saucepan or pot, especially when they are filled with water. Note also that the Precision Cooker is water and splash resistant with its IPX7 standard. It is reassuring when you know that this product bathes in water when it works. On the other hand, its power cable, permanently attached, is not very long. This requires having a socket nearby, which can be a bit restrictive.

The upper side of the device is a touch screen. It displays rudimentary information such as water temperature and remaining cooking time. In addition, it allows to control the cooker directly, without going through the app. Finally, just below the screen, a diode indicates the operating state. I admit that I did not attach any capital importance to the latter.

Thanks to the clamping ring, it is possible to adapt the Precision Cooker to several sizes of saucepans, pots or all types of sealed containers (and which do not absorb water). However, these should not be too small, and edges at least 15 cm high are recommended. Indeed, a minimum quantity of water is required for the proper functioning of the cooker. It is located 6.5 cm from the bottom of the device. However, we have found that in reality the device will refuse to launch if the water is exactly at this level. There is a need fora margin of one or two centimeters. It must also be calculated that the volume of the sealed bags will cause the water to rise, so do not fill to the brim.

Using the Precision Cooker

For a person who has never used such a device, or just experienced cooking under vacuum, everything the preparation process may seem strange. First, the recipes indicate cooking times which sometimes exceed several hours or even several days ! So it may not be suitable for everyone. However, when this experience is new, it fascinates. Usually, the recipes ask us to heat the oven between 150 and 250 degrees, or in water heated to 100 degrees. There, we wonder. How can water at 50 ° cook anything? It’s the same temperature as hot water coming out of a kitchen or bathroom tap.

Before having the answer, it is therefore necessary to prepare the dish that you want to taste. We can then follow one of the many recipes offered by the application and let yourself be guided step by step. Beforehand, of course, we filled a pot with water and immersed the cooker in it. Once the preparations are complete, simply launch the Precision Cooker with the start button, and the device takes care of everything. We know immediately if it works since it emits a slight hiss that is not disturbing in the end. Then begins the water heating phase. It took about 10 minutes to reach a temperature of around 55 ° C. This time is added to the total cooking time. Thus, it takes an hour to serve well-cooked salmon steaks, divided into 15 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking.

Fortunately, limited electricity consumption

If the water takes so long to heat, it is because the power of the Precision Cooker is only 1000 watts. The advantage of a limited power lies in its consumption of electricity. Indeed, when certain cooking times require several tens of hours, it is normal to fear for the resulting energy bill. Thanks to this low consumption, the wallet is not reached.

Once the water is at the right temperature, we immerse the sealed bags in the water bath, and we take the opportunity to remove the air at the same time. In this regard, no need to stay planted in front of its pot, the application keeps abreast of each step. It only remains to wait for the time indicated. We note with some wonder the slow transition of the food from raw to cooked. At the end of the time limit, the cooker warns us that the cooking is finished. However, it does not stop heating the water. It’s up to the cook to turn off the appliance, either through the application or directly on the screen.

It only remains to remove the sachets from the water, serve and taste the preparation. And there, surprise! the dish is exactly as shown in the recipe. Is it really a surprise, however? Anova did not choose the name of her device at random. And indeed, the Precision Cooker lives up to its name. The cooking is impeccable. The dish is successful.

When everything is finished, simply remove the cooker and drain the water. Then put it in a drip tray to dry it. As for the pot, there is no need to scrub for hours to wash it: it is not dirty. It’s here a definite advantage of sous-vide cooking. The dishes take less time to wash afterwards, which is significant.

Price comparison

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Conclusion

At first glance, sous-vide cooking can be disconcerting. We then say that it is reserved for starred chefs, or at least professional cooks. It would however be a shame to deprive yourself. Cooking takes time anyway. With good organization, long hours of cooking can be arranged without any problem. In reality, the manipulations are very simple and the result exactly as desired. That’s what I learned from the Anova Precision Cooker. It is a really interesting tool that changes the way of cooking and improves it. It becomes difficult to do without after a first use and to have tasted dishes cooked to perfection. We can’t go out to restaurants because of a virus, so we bring the restaurant to us.

Design and Ergonomics : Clean and robust design. Power cable a little short.

Use : Easy of use for very good results. Lots of different recipes to try.

Quality / Price ratio : The quality of a star restaurant, cheaper and at will.

AB SMART HEALTH REVIEW