What is it?
A sous vide cooking device which utilises precise temperature control to heat water and cook food placed in bags within the liquid, a method used to achieve consistent and even results.
Good points?
The gadget offers the ability to enjoy a steak exactly how you like it, with very little effort and necessitating few culinary skills.
To set up, simply clamp the cooker to the side of a pot or container filled with water, hit the on button, then choose the desired temperature and cooking duration.
Connecting the unit to your home WiFi network, along with the accompanying smartphone app, makes it easy and convenient to automate or monitor your food from any location provided you have an internet connection.
The app includes settings for a variety of recipes including meat, vegetables and seafood. These can be transferred directly to the device without having to be entered manually.
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Controlling heat to an absolute point helps remove variables. Nor do you have to worry about meat sticking to a pan or an oven not circulating heat evenly to all shelves.
With food bags the only point of contact for ingredients, there is minimal clean-up involved.
Bad points?
Most meat dishes need to be finished in a pan or oven to give colour and texture, otherwise you will be staring down at a bland mixture of pink and grey matter.
Best for ...
Those looking to branch out from slow cookers and steamers with the desire to gain ultimate control over how ingredients are cooked.
Avoid if ...
You prefer a more hands-on approach and an artistic flair in cookery rather than clinical precision.
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Score: 8/10.
Anova Precision Cooker, £199 (anovaculinary.com)
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