Sous Vide Water Bath vs Circulator: Which One Is Right for You?

You’ve finally been bitten by the sous vide bug.

The problem is that you can’t decide which sous vide equipment you should buy to kickstart your culinary journey. It comes down to this: sous vide water bath vs circulator?

Which device serves up the tenderest tenderloins? The juiciest chicken and perfectly cooked fish?  Which is the easiest to use?

The right equipment for you will depend on several considerations, which I will delve into, but before then, let’s take a closer look at the technology behind sous vide.

How Does Sous Vide Cooking Work?

Sous Vide cooking is done by placing food in a sealed container – typically a plastic bag – into a water bath preheated to a precise temperature. The food is cooked slowly and evenly to the desired doneness by the surrounding heated water, which gives you results that cannot be achieved with any other type of cooking. Your food won’t be over or undercooked.

The sous vide machine provides the precise and even heating which makes such delicious cooking possible.

Cooking Sous Vide Style With A Water Bath

The water bath type of sous vide machine, or countertop water bath, is a self-contained unit the size of a microwave equipped with complex circuitry and heating elements that precisely control convection currents within. Some of the more popular models include Supreme, AquaChef, and Gourmia.

Cooking With An Immersion Circulator

On the other hand, immersion circulators are smaller devices that clip to the sides of a suitable container you already own. For example:

• A saucepan suitable for the size of the food you want to cook
• Polycarbonate Plastic Tubs, preferably BPA-free
• For other essential sous vide cooking accessories that you might find useful, click here.

The Immersion Circulator heats the water that you added and circulates it around a container or pot to maintain exact temperatures evenly. Popular Sous Vide immersion circulators include The Anova Precision Cooker, Nomiku, Wancle, ChefSteps Joule, and Sansaire.

With the sous vide technique gaining popularity steadily, the machines are becoming more affordable, and the home chef has a lot of available models of immersion circulators and water bath devices to choose from. Let’s break down these two options to see which one will best serve you.

Precise Temperature Control

The Sous Vide technique is based on accurately controlling water temperature down to a fraction of a degree. The sous vide water bath and immersion circulators can maintain water at a steady temperature.

But since the water baths have a lid and are insulated, they contain heat and prevent steam from escaping, making them more energy efficient. However, sous vide water baths do not circulate water around the cooking food, and there can be hot or cold spots in the water, which could affect the sous vide experience – although some high-end water bath models come with self-stirring capabilities.

Immersion circulators continually pump the heated water around a container, maintaining an even temperature. While it doesn’t have the insulation advantage of the water bath, custom-made containers with lids are available with immersion circulators to prevent water evaporation.

Cooking Capacity

For most home chefs who cook only for a handful of people at once, a 10L capacity sous vide water bath will do the job. For chefs who cook for a more significant number of people at once on a regular basis, like in a restaurant, there are larger capacity water baths – up to 56L.

But if you require yet more capacity, whether at home or in a commercial kitchen, the immersion circulators have a distinct advantage. This is because they can be clipped to any container size, whether a cooking pot, drinks cooler, or specialist sous vide container.

Since you can choose the size of the container for the Immersion Circulator, you can cook large quantities at the same time. The versatility of the immersion circulators makes them ideal for use on any occasion, whether cooking for a cosy family dinner or a large party.

While it may seem that immersion circulators can be used in any size of the available container, check with the manufacturers for the rated capacity. An immersion circulator might struggle to keep the water at the correct temperature when it is much more than it can effectively heat and circulate.

Check each brand for the maximum size of the pot.

As a rule, always leave space between your food bags while estimating the cooking capacity required to enable the water to circulate properly.

Available Space

The worktop has always been a prime piece of real estate – whether in a home or a big commercial kitchen. It is, therefore, imperative that you make optimal use of the available space.  This operating space is the main downside of the water bath-type sous vide machines. Even the smallest capacity water bath ovens are bulky compared to immersion circulators. And therefore, it tends to crowd out your worktop, leaving you with less room to work.

And since they can’t be stashed away, they also take up space on the countertop even when not in use, unlike immersion circulators.

The handy and portable immersion circulators are compact and take no more space than a cutting board. When not in use, they can be slipped into your cabinet drawer or into a tote bag for when you are on the move.

So, if your kitchen is a bit small and you do not often cook sous vide, an immersion circulator is ideal for those mouth-watering dishes.

Cleaning And Maintenance

The innards of a water bath sous vide consist of heating elements and no moving parts, making it a breeze to clean and maintain. Just drain the water and wipe the insides with a clean cloth. The Immersion Circulators use a motor-driven water pump that moves the water around to ensure an even temperature. You’ll have to take the equipment apart from time to time and clean it thoroughly because mineral deposits or food debris tend to accumulate on the propeller surfaces. It requires regular maintenance to ensure it works optimally.

Silent Operation

The water bath sous vide heats water through heating elements wrapped around it. The thermal convention properties of the heated water then ensure that even temperatures are maintained all around. Hence, they do not need moving parts – like a motor-driven pump – to circulate the water and run noiselessly, unlike immersion circulators that make a constant whirring sound and vibrate as the pump drives water around the container. Residual noise is an especially important consideration when cooking for long periods of time; some sous vide recipes can take up to 2 or 3 days.

Safety Concerns

Since water baths are insulated, they are always cool to the touch, even when in operation. On the other hand, immersion circulators can get quite hot when used with ordinary uninsulated containers. There is a risk of accidental scalding if you and your family are not careful around it. This is a critical consideration, especially since some recipes are left to cook for 2 or more days.

Steaming And Evaporation

Water baths are covered with an insulated lid that prevents heat and water loss from evaporation during cooking. When used with an open and uninsulated container, immersion circulators tend to steam up the kitchen and are less energy efficient. More importantly, you need to continually check the cooking because there’s a possibility that the water in an uncovered, uninsulated container can dry out due to evaporation. Especially while cooking long-duration recipes with an immersion circulator. This can fry the motor that powers the circulator’s pump and damage the unit.

Affordability

With the growing popularity of the Sous Vide technique, both types of sous vide are becoming more and more affordable. However, immersion circulators are generally less expensive than their bulkier cousins. Home-grade water bath sous vide can set you back a neat $300 to $500, with the commercial version starting from $380 to $ 1,500. Immersion circulators typically range in price from $130 for home kitchen models to $850 for higher-end professional models.

So which Sous vide machine?

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Should You Invest In A Water Bath Cooker Or An Immersion Circulator?

• Self-contained units the size of a microwave

  Clip to the sides of your own suitable container

• Precise Temperature Control

  Precise Temperature Control

• 10 Litres to 56 Litres Cooking Capacity

  Flexible cooking capacity and clips to the side of your own container

• Dedicated space required

  Handy and portable. Easy to keep inside your kitchen drawers and cabinet

• Easy to clean. Just drain the water and wipe the insides.

  Requires regular maintenance. Have to take apart from time to time to clean any debris and mineral deposits accumulated on the propeller surfaces.

• Silent Operation

  Constant whirring sound and vibration

• Safe to touch. Water Baths are always cool outside because of insulated containers.

  Depends if the container is insulated or not, the container can get very hot.

• Covered with insulated lid. Prevents heat and water loss due to evaporation.

  Open lid containers need to regularly check the water level. This can fry the motor that powers the circulator’s pump and damage the unit if left unchecked.

• Prices for home-grade models from $300-$500. Commercial models from $380-$1500.

  Around $130 for home kitchen models up to $850 for high-end professional models.

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Conclusion: Sous Vide Water Bath vs Circulator?

There’s not a single, straightforward answer to this question.

For those starting out with Sous vide or are constrained by cost, Immersion circulators are a good choice due to their pricing and ease of usage.  But for professional chefs in commercial kitchens, the extra cash for a water bath device may be well worth it.

One compelling reason to go for an immersion circulator is its versatility to be used with various sizes of containers. This means you can prepare meals for 2 or 15 as the occasion demands. Even for professional settings, an immersion circulator coupled with a large container is the way to go if you need to cook huge quantities.

Whatever your cooking goals are, both options have their redeeming qualities. We hope these comparisons will assist you in choosing a sous vide device that best suits your needs and lifestyle and keep those delicious meals coming.