Sous vide cookers are one of the hottest products heading into 2024, and for good reason. Thanks to leaps forward in sensors, materials, and automated safety features the time is right to buy.
That said, the Aussie sous vide cooker market is cluttered with cheap name brand knockoffs and dodgy internet sellers. Even well recognised brands are rushing to put out subpar product not worth your hard earned dollars. This is where we come in…
If you are thinking of purchasing a new sous vide immersion cooker our list (updated monthly) will help you make the best choice with a focus on quality, features, and overall value for your money.
Bonzachef Professional Grade Sous Vide Cooker: Editor’s pick for best sous vide cooker – $149.99 at Mifo.com.au
Where to buy the Bonzachef professional grade sous vide cooker in Australia
The best sous vide cooker for the home including individual meal prep, family portions, and all around use come from a brand that is home grown in Australia. Read on for the details, as this immersion cooker is easily one of the best we have ever tested.
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So what makes the Bonzachef Pro the best all around sous vide cooker?
No nonsense chef tested features in a simple to use kit. Bonzachef have made design and usability in the kitchen a focus, and it shows. The over the top handle allows for quick gripping and moving, whilst the oversized clip mechanism easily attaches to a variety of household pots, pans, and containers with ease. The large LED readout is simple to use, and adjusts with the tap of a finger (wet or dry).
Powerful heating element and churning capacity. Working in professional kitchens can be a race against time. The Bonzachef Pro is designed with an oversized heating element and motor for that very reason. This means water temperature reaches the desired temperature in the blink of an eye, and maintains accurately to a tenth of a degree during long cook cycles.
Automated features for complete peace of mind. The simple, automated features are easy to use and quick to engage. We are exhausted by complex devices that require WiFi, apps, and unnecessary setup that can be easily prone to error. Bonzachef have opted to focus on perfecting the action of the device that matters most: Cooking. Setup takes under 5 minutes at any skill level.
Australia-based customer support. We have been continuously disappointed with dash cams in the past, even from tech giants like Samsung. Part of that disappointment comes with poor or absent customer service. We tested Bonzachef on several occasions with questions and every time received proper replies within an hour. That demonstrates commitment to Australian market and contributes greatly to our award of Editor’s Pick.
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano: Solid but pricey sous vide cooker – $366.29 at Amazon.com.au
Where to buy the Anova Nano in Australia
If you aren’t price sensitive, Anova may be the brand for you. This sous vide precision cooker includes more tech features – with one notable exception aside – than the Bonzachef Professional, but a much higher price point. But for unique situations, Anova may be worth the price.
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Why Anova makes the list of best sous vide precision cookers for daily meal prep
A unique micro-sized approach. The Anova Nano is smaller than any other sous vide cookers we have reviewed. And while size does tend to matter when it comes to heating elements and circulation capacity, the Anova Nano may be the best precision cooker for households where portion sizes are small. Meal prep for 1 person can be easily accomplished with the Nano, and reduced storage space can save valuable real estate in the cupboard.
An abundance of app-based features and recipes. The Nano’s included app allows more precise control over time and temperature, but also allows for remote monitoring of cooking status. That can be handy for hours long cooking times or when leaving the kitchen area. Built in recipes can also be handy for amateur chefs who need a bit more guidance when using the precision cooker.
Expensive for what you get. A slim profile and app-based controls are helpful, but not necessary to enjoy a complete sous vide experience. Coupled with a sky high price, the Anova Nano loses marks for being unnecessarily expensive compared to other brands in the segment. Unless small size is an absolute necessity and meal size for more than 1 person is not an issue, we recommend a less expensive option.
Editor’s Note. Anova sell 2 larger sizes of the Nano, however those models are not currently available in the Australian market. This content will be updated should those models become available in Australia.
Inkbird WiFi Precision Cooker: Sous vide cooker with smartphone app features – $125.00 at Amazon.com.au
Where to buy the Inkbird Precision Cooker in Australia
The Inkbird Precision Cooker is a basic, but reliable sous vide circulation cooker with standard features that rival higher priced models. That said, there are a few key points that buyers should be aware of before making a purchase decision.
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Why Inkbird gets our approval with some minor hangups to be aware of
App-based controls and alerts. The included app allows for easily review of current temperature and timer settings, as well as access to a robust recipe library. Not all functions can be remotely accessed. That can come in handy when leaving the kitchen or during longer recipes.
Clunky user interface and reliance on WiFi. Setup is frustrating and difficult thanks to an unintuitive user interface and too much reliance on WiFi based inputs from a connected mobile device. There are added minor annoyances such as the inability to swap between Centigrade and Fahrenheit. Don’t have WiFi in the kitchen, or don’t like using smartphones while you cook? Then you may want to skip the Inkbird.
Weak circulation leading to temperature inconsistencies. Sous vide cooking requires precise temperature control to be safe and effective. Creating perfectly cooked, delicious food every time means relying on proper water circulation, which stabilizes and maintains cooking temperature. Unfortunately, the Inkbird Precision Cooker has inadequate circulation ventilation, which means water is not moved through the heating element in enough volume to maintain temperature. We hope Inkbird will improve upon this design for future models.
Proline SV-D1 Sous Vide Precision Cooker: Reliable cooker with dated features – $299.00 at HarveyNorman.com.au
Where to buy the Proline SV-D1 in Australia
Proline have created a reliable sous vide cooker that has not needed many updates over its 4 year lifespan. But dated features and firmware has been eclipsed by newer models.
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Why the SV-D1 precision circulation cooker may still be worth reviewing despite drawbacks
Time-tested design stands up. The overall built of the SV-D1 is solid, and mounts quickly and easily to kitchen containers of any size. The unit itself is small and sleek enough to stay out of the way, and powerful enough to maintain circulation in larger containers. Overall, it’s a winning design that has stood up to the test of time.
Dated features are showing their age. For the price, there are better options from competitor brands. The clamping mechanism on the SV-D1 is an awkward, screw in device that can get slippery, further complicating prep and cleanup. The on unit controls are also basic, and temperature setting can be particularly challenging due to lack of a dial control.
Pricey for the features. Given the feature set and age of the unit, there are better options to be had for far less. Should Proline update the the SV-D1 with modern features it may justify the high sticker price, as the overall design works so well.
Westinghouse Sous Vide Immersion Cooker: High powered heating with low powered circulation – $149.00 at HarveyNorman.com.au
Where to buy the Westinghouse Immersion Cooker in Australia
While we cannot award Westinghouse best in show for innovation in the kitchen space, their first stab at a sous vide cooker is a decent attempt. If you love the Westinghouse brand, you’ll find that it does an adequate job.
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Why the Westinghouse sous vide cooker works, and why it doesn’t
Professional level features at a decent price. There are no apps, WiFi, or fiddly controls to deal with. You simply unpack and begin use. The handy clip secures the device to containers without fuss, and the simple yet intuitive controls are immediately recognizable.
Powerful heating element for quick prep time. Westinghouse made the decision to include a powerful, 1200W heating element in the sous vide cooker. Effectively, this means water heats more quickly than other sous vide machines, and stays hot throughout the cook.
Circulation suffers, despite quick heating. A rapid, quick heating element has the benefit of speed, but sacrifices accuracy. As with many other models, inadequate circulation grating and underpowered circulation system means that heat can be uneven, leading to imperfect results. This is particularly apparent in larger meals, where 10 liters of water or more can be required.
Runners-up: Best Sous Vide Cookers Australia
There are many, many sous vide gadgets in the Australian market. And while we attempt to test as many as possible for our readers, some units simply don’t make the cut. Here’s a quick peek at precision cookers that didn’t make the list.
Masterpro Sous Vide Cooker – $123.90 at Amazon.com.au
The Masterpro sous vide cooker has an elegant design with all the right external features. That said, the heating element takes too long to reach prep temperature and produces inconsistent results. That’s a cardinal sin in the world of sous vide.
Inkbird ISV-200W Sous Vide Cooker – $190.00 at Amazon.com.au
The second Inkbird device to make our list is, unfortunately, not a worth successor to the original. The ISV-200W adds substantial cost without delivering on features to match. With a slightly more powerful heating element and a few minor improvements to user interface, we prefer the original at a far lower price point.
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Pro – $629.00 at Amazon.com.au
With minimal added features and nearly double the cost of the Nano, the Anova Pro is a pass. While boasting more power and a different display system, the Pro fails to deliver anything better than our top rated models.