7 best sous vide machines: precision immersion cooking for adventurous home chefs

The Kitchen Boss sous vide machine is our overall best buy because it’s easy to use with its colour LCD screen that makes selecting the right cooking time and water temperature so simple. It comes with 25 recipes built into the programme so at the touch of a button the settings will be selected for you. The clamp holds the machine securely on to the side of your pot while the powerful motor and 3D spiral structure design increases the flow rate of the water for perfect temperature control.

We love the fact that the whole machine is waterproof so it’s incredibly easy to clean after use and it’s also super quiet while it’s running. It is a bit on the bulky side thanks to the design of the clamp so it’s not the easiest to pop away in a drawer, but it does come with a storage bag that you can hang up by the drawstring instead. Reviewers love how accurate the temperature control is and the fact that the food they cook with it comes out perfectly every time.

If you love experimenting in the kitchen, our guide to the best recipe boxes is packed with inspiration.

This great value sous vide machine attaches easily and securely to the side of your container with its anti-slip clip and is really easy to use. The touch screen digital display clearly shows the temperature controls and the machine comes with pre-set temperatures and cook times for different foods.

We love how much functionality this sous vide machine offers for the price and think it’s a great option for the home chef on a budget. It’s nice and quiet when it’s running, and reviewers say it maintains the cooking temperature really well and cooks food perfectly. The only negative is that the touch screen buttons can be a bit awkward to use at times.

With its small size and easy to use controls, the Anova Nano is the perfect sous vide machine for beginners who value ease of use. It’s smaller than most other sous vide machines on the market so it won’t take up loads of room in your kitchen, and it can be used with most cooking pots so you shouldn’t need any extra equipment. The Anova Nano connects to your mobile via Bluetooth so you can control it while you’re away from the kitchen and it also works with the Anova app which gives you loads of recipes and ideas to try.

We also love how this model connects to the app where you can pick a recipe and the machine will then automatically set the time and temperature for you.

A smart, professional-style sous vide cooker, the Anova Culinary Pro comes with built-in wifi and Bluetooth technology, which connects to your mobile device to give you remote access. You can then check on your food via the Anova app from another room and get notifications so that you know when your food is ready. It will even keep the water circulating at the right temperature until you’re ready for it.

This model from Anova is particularly powerful and durable. It was designed for professional chefs with a best-in-class double-core insulated heater and will keep your water bath at the precise temperature you want for as long as you need it, making this an amazing choice for anyone looking for a professional result at home.

With sous vide cooking you want a machine that will give you as much precision as possible and you definitely get that with this model from Wancle. The digital control panel is precise to 0.1 degrees and is really clear to use. It also has a carved design that stops it from misting up.

The Wancle sous vide machine is perfect if you’re a bit nervous in the kitchen thanks to its overheat-prevention and low-water-level-protection mechanisms. We also love the fact that it clips on easily to the side of any pot and that its stainless steel sleeve makes cleaning nice and easy.

If you love using technology to your advantage then we think you’ll love the Inkbird sous vide machine. Once you’ve downloaded the Inkbird app you can control the sous vide machine from anywhere. As long as you’re connected to wifi you can set a timer for the machine to come on when you want and choose the exact temperature and time you want it to cook for. The app comes with recipes already loaded for you to choose from and you can also add your own as you experiment with cooking different meals with the machine.

The Inkbird heats the water up quickly and precisely and it will alert you if the water level in your pot is too low. Reviewers love how quiet this machine is and how securely the clamp holds it in place, as well as how easy the app makes it to cook amazing food.

This slow cooker and sous vide bath from Russell Hobbs is great value for money and gives you the option to cook so many more different meals than you can with just a sous vide machine. You can use it like a standard slow cooker or instant pot to make soups and stews and a whole host of other things. Or you can fill the ceramic pot with water, pop the metal racks in, and use it to sous vide steaks and eggs and whatever else you fancy. The machine keeps the temperature constant and consistent throughout the sous vide cooking process and the large size of the pot means you can cook a decent amount at once.

We love that there’s also a temperature probe included with this machine so if you’re cooking meat you can easily check the temperature to make sure it’s cooked to perfection. The machine obviously takes up a lot more room in the kitchen than the other sous vide machines on our list, but you can also cook a lot more things in it. Reviewers love the flexibility this gives them and the fact that the pot and lid are dishwasher friendly means it’s really easy to clean after each use too.

For our pick of the most useful, energy-saving and multi-purpose slow cookers, head over to our guide to the best slow cookers.