The Best Sous Vide Accessories: Our Reviews & Buying Guide (Updated May 2019)

Although the sous vide cooking method is a breeze with the proper cooking devices, you cannot go wrong with extra sous vide accessories. To get the absolute best experience and results with ease from your sous vide experience, consider some of the great sous vide accessories that are often paired with sous vide machines. From cookbooks to add on racks and sous vide vacuum sealers, there are spare parts and accessories that will add highlight to your culinary experience.

Vacuum Sealers and Vacuum Pouches/Bags and Rolls

You can easily get by without a Vacuum Sealer by using “food grade” zip lock bags.  However, a vacuum sealer is a great sous vide cooking accessory.

Note the emphasis on “food grade”though.

Please check your zip lock bags before you use them to sous vide.  Remember you will be adding this plastic to heated water, so if you are using the wrong plastic you could end up with food that has become a little toxic.

Why I use a Vacuum Sealer

Other than the problems of getting food grade zip lock bags, it is a lot harder to get all the air out of the zip lock bags.  If you don’t get all the air out your food tends to float to the surface and then doesn’t cook evenly.  The Vacuum Sealers remove all of the air.  This allows the food to sit on the bottom of the container.  If you are using zip lock bags you might need to weigh down the bags with a spoon or something similar to get them to stay on the bottom of the container.

When you purchase a Vacuum Sealer, try and get one where the roll sits in the machine, so much better for storage and use.

Most Vacuum sealers come with a start pack of bags and a roll. Often there is a couple of different widths of rolls. As a home cook I find the narrower of the rolls is more than sufficient for what I do.  You only need the wider roll when cooking much larger cuts of meat.

These purpose manufactured rolls and bags are all food grade and suitable to be used with high cooking temperatures and still be safe.  I look for BPA free rolls that are also free of lead and phthalates

Food Saver Vacuum Sealer

 

Sous Vide Cook Books

If you are needing a bit of guidance consider some of the amazing cookbooks that are available for purchase.

Recommended Product: The Effortless Sous Vide Cookbook: 140 Recipes for Crafting Restaurant-Quality Meals Every Day

Whether you are looking to expand your recipe collection or you wish to increase your culinary skillset with sous vide dishes, The Effortless Sous Vide Cookbook by Carey Copeling is an excellent option. This cookbook features brilliant, restaurant quality recipes that you can quickly cook every day. It also comes with helpful charts for keeping track of the temperature, power and timing for your sous vide cooker.

For beginners, this cookbook is a great first look into sous vide cooking. The author, Cary Copeling, provides excellent fundamental information about sous vide cooking along with reviews of all the best immersion circulators available today. Afterwards, he takes it a step forward with an incredible range of recipes for preparing high-quality meals every day, from appetisers and marinades to desserts, veggies, proteins and even drink recipes

For experienced chefs, the Effortless Sous Vide Cookbook will help you hone your skills with its diverse range of recipes and for infusing some excitement back to your meals. All the 140 recipes are comprehensively introduced, well-structured and well-balanced. Recipes like butter chicken, espresso martini, spicy garlic green beans, teriyaki salmon and veggie halloumi kebabs will be quite easy to prepare once you use this Effortless Sous Vide Cookbook.

Highlights

• Plenty of diverse recipes from different countries
• Perfect for beginners
• User-friendly with simple instructions
• Includes comprehensive details about the best sous vide circulators
• Gives safety tips on proper sous vie preparation

 

 

 

Sansaire Searing Kit

Are you looking to have a stunning and crisp seared finish on your already perfectly cooked sous vide meat and vegetables? The Sansaire Searing Kit will do just that! This searing kit works similarly to a blow torch but is customized for home kitchen perfection.

The Sansaire Searing Kit includes a handheld propane cylinder along with a Sansaire torch head. What is also included in this kit is a searing rack and a tray to protect your countertop from any flames or juices if you are searing meat.

To use the kit, slide the included tray into the searing rack and screw the torch head onto the propane cylinder. There is a feature on the torch head that locks and unlocks the torch for safety purposes. Ensure that it is unlocked prior to use. There is also another lock button that can be very useful if you are torching for an extended period of time. If you are using this feature, use it with extreme caution.

Take your freshly sous vide produce and cut it out of its vacuum pouch and place it onto the searing rack. Pat your cooked food item dry and ensure that you are searing away from anything that could possibly catch flame. Press the “on” button to light the torch: Do this away from the food. Once the torch is lit, in a slow, sweeping motion, evenly hover over the food item until it is seared to your desire. If you are cooking meats, do not forget to hover over the sides to get an all around delightful sear. Flip the food over and repeat these steps for the other side: Pat dry, light your torch, and sear!

This awesome home kitchen appliance is easy to use.  The cylinder is easily replaceable if your propane runs out and the torch head will fit on most standard gas cylinders. Be sure to add the searing torch to your sous vide starter pack if you really want an impressive culinary finish on all of your sous vide meals. There’s no doubt this is one of favorite sous vide accessories!

 

Containers

Recommended Product: LIPAVI Sous Vide Container – Model C20

Polycarbonate containers are undoubtedly the best vessels for sous vide cooking due to their high-quality construction along with reasonably priced price takes. That said, one of the best polycarbonate containers you can get today is the LIPAVI Model C20 container. Despite being a relatively new firm in the world of sous vide cooking; LIPAVI is fast becoming popular amongst enthusiasts of this cooking style, and for good reasons.

The smart design and use of premium quality polycarbonate materials help to deliver a perfect sous vide experience. Interestingly enough, a much-loved feature of this container is the lid. Most people have been forced to get creative to cut makeshift holes on sous vide container lids to prevent temperature and evaporation loss. However, LIPAVI understood that desire, and their container comes with more appropriate pre-cut sections for every type of sous vide device.

You may be wondering why you should go for this LIPAVI container instead of an aluminium or steel pot. Well, this model has a few benefits over those traditional pots. Due to its low thermal conductivity compared to metal, it heats up slightly faster and consumes less energy.

Additionally, due to its rectangular shape, it means that it can easily fit lots of food, especially when used together with a rack. Also, the transparent sides allow you to keep a watchful eye on your food to ensure it always stays submerged.

Highlights

• The LIPAVI container is made using transparent and robust polycarbonate
• The 26 quarts capacity is perfect for cooking a large meal as it fits a lot of food
• Available with tailored lids for different sous vide circulators
• Looks sleek and attractive on your counter

Lipavi Sous Vide Container 3.0 Gallon with Rack. Suits A Wide Variety of Tailored Lids For Various Immersion Circulators (Lids Sold Separately)

The Lipavai Sous Vide Container is a great option to go with any Immersion Circulator that you buy.  It comes with the rack that fits perfectly in the tub.  It can be used with the following brands;

• Anova Precision Wifi Bluetooth
• Nomiku
• Sansaire
• Poly Science

The container is the perfect height (8 inches) for all of the above Sous Vide Circulators.  It is made from clear polycarbonate and has a high temperature tolerance form -40 to 210F.

You can also buy a tailored lid for all the above sous vide machines.  It is a great idea to have a lid if you are going to be cooking something that is going to take a long time to cook.  Lids help stop the evaporation and they keep the heat in the water.  You can pick up your lid here:

Lid with cut-out for the Anova Precision Wifi
Lid with cut-out for the Sansaire Immersion Circulator
Lid with cut-out for the Nomiku immersion circulator

Lid cut-out for the PolyScience Professional Chef Immersion Circulator

 

Sous Vide Covers

Recommended Product: CED Sous Vide Container Sleeve Compatible With Cambro Camwear 12 Quart – Sous Vide Container Neoprene Cover – Premium Quality

If you don’t want to use towels anymore to cover your sous vide container, then it is time to consider investing in a cover or sleeve. The CED container sleeve is designed for a 12-quart container and it is much more convenient to use rather than improvising with many, impractical towels.

By providing adequate insulation to your sous vide container, this CED Cambro Camwear helps the cooker to reach the desired cooking temperature a lot faster.  Additionally, the premium neoprene material stabilises the water temperature, thus increasing the efficiency of your immersion calculator.

A general concern when sous vide cooking is the effect of the extended cooking times on the working surface where the container sits. This premium sleeve addresses this issue with its thick and soft insulation base that protects your counter or cooking desk. It minimises heat transfer to the table and also reduces noise during cooking.

The CED sleeve also comes with a high-quality construction as all the seams are finished nicely and seem to be very strong. It fits snugly on a sous vide container and never slides down when cooking.

An interesting benefit of the CED container sleeve has to be its instant aesthetic appeal. That benefit will be highly critical for enthusiasts who leave their sous vide setups up and set to go as it adds more style to your kitchen.

Highlights

• It is made of high-quality neoprene along with a base insulation
• It provides enough padding to stabilise and reduce the cooking time
• The sleeve is also easy to clean and fold away when not in use
• The insulated base also minimises heat transfer to the counter

CED Sous Vide Container Sleeve Compatible With Rubbermaid 12 Qt – Sous Vide Container Neoprene Cover- Premium Quality Kitchen Tool – Protects Work Surface – Foldable & Easy To Clean – Save Electricity

Adding a sleeve on a sous vide container is quite helpful. It delivers better insulation when cooking. That means you get faster cooking times. Also, the sleeve reduces the consumption of energy.

The CED container sleeve is made for use with the common Rubbermaid 12-Qt container. It covers all the four sides and the bottom of this container. It provides sufficient heat insulation while preventing heat transmission to the counter.

This sleeve is more functional as compared to other insulation types. It even looks more attractive than wrapping towels on the container. That classy look is essential for people who want to enhance their decor.

It fits firmly around a Rubbermaid container. That means less time taken for water to heat up. Also, the pad provides stable temperatures.

The result is that the CED sleeve minimizes time and energy in sous vide cooking. It even protects your countertop from heat transfer. An added benefit is that it reduces the cooker’s noise.

Highlights

• The base insulation protects the countertop and minimizes noise
• Helps to reach the cooking temperature faster
• Easy to wash and fold away when not in use
• Made of premium quality materials
• It is compatible with Rubbermaid’s 12qt container

Racks

Recommended Product: Stainless Steel Sous Vide Rack with Adjustable No-Float Top Bar for Most 12qt Containers

The Geesta sous vide rack excels at its job. By clearly distancing the food or ingredients, it allows water to reach every pouch in the container equally. It is that spacing that allows for more even cooking, which produces the fantastic results that sous vide enthusiasts know and truly love.

A common difficulty that sous vide chefs face is how to deal with floating pouches. Luckily, this Geesta rack comes with a creative crossbar that holds the food pouches locked in place, thus avoiding floating issues. The rack is also adjustable, and it can accommodate different sizes and shapes of plastic bags.

The overall usability of this Geesta rack is also worth noting. You can conveniently collapse it and store it away when not in use. It also has a handy extended handle that allows you to lift it away from the container once your food is ready without having to touch the hot water. Furthermore, the fact that it is made with premium stainless steel means that it will last a long time without any concerns about corrosion or staining.

Highlights

• The rack is made from durable stainless steel, which guarantees that there should not be any rusting issues
• It solves the floating bag issue with its crossbar attachment
• The adjustable and removable racks accommodate for multiple food portions of varying sizes
• The rack allows for perfectly and evenly cooked food as well as for cooling and freezing

A rack is a great idea to assist with more even cooking.  It separates the food allowing the water to circulate easier.  The rack can be adjusted depending on the size of your pouches. It will also fit in large containers that you already have at home.

 

Spectrum Diversified Euro Lid Organizer, Plate Rack, Lid Holder, Square, Satin Nickel

It is stressful when you can’t locate specific kitchen accessories like covers. Having a tool that will prevent that is quite helpful. Learn more about this organizer here below.

With a classy, minimalist look, its charm lies in its versatility. You can easily put the rack on the countertop or inside a cabinet. It has a capacity of holding eight items, whether plates or lids. Some people have even used it on their office desks for carrying folders and books.

The clear advantage that this Euro kitchen organizer offers is space savings. Cookware and dinnerware can quickly pile up in your cupboard. The organizer helps to store the cooking essentials for faster selection.

The overall width of the organizer is 13.5” with a 1.25” space between sections. The 4.5” depth is enough to fit even large cookware lids. It is short enough that it doesn’t interfere when you want to lift items out.

 

Highlights

• Made of robust steel for a stable, secure construction
• Fits up to eight covers, large plates or cutting boards
• Fits on kitchen countertops, shelves and inside cupboards among other areas
• Helps to organize plates, covers, cutting boards, baking sheets and more
• Great for saving space in the kitchen

Balls

Recommended Product: Sous Vide Water Balls 250 Count with Drying Bag by Wasserstein

These Wasserstein water balls are excellent sous vide accessories that will increase the efficiency of your cooking process. They provide sufficient cover to your sous vide container and can even replace your lids. They help in holding the heat in, thus speeding up the overall heating time, which is especially beneficial when cooking tough meat cuts for an extended duration.

In addition to increasing heat efficiency, these Wasserstein water balls also help in preventing evaporation. That means you will not have to keep replenishing water, which translates to lower electricity bills due to minimised loss of energy.

The other notable benefit of using these water balls is that they cover the entire surface area of the water. So, whether you are using a small container to prepare some lobster tails or cooking ribs in a large pot, you can rely on these Wasserstein water balls to fit any container. That is one of the reasons many people prefer using water balls as compared to lids.

Lastly, these water balls allow you to have easy access to your food as you only need to push them aside. There is even an included mesh bag for convenient cleaning, drying and storing.

 

Highlights

• These water balls help you to minimise evaporation during cooking which saves time, energy and water
• They are flexible and work with different shapes and sizes of containers
• The mesh bag makes it easy to clean and store them

Sous Vide Weights

SO-VIDA Sous Vide Weights | Reduce Food Risk | Keep Bags Submerged | Better Performance vs. Sous Vide Racks (3 Pack)

When using sous vide cooking style, you must prevent the bags from floating. When the bags float, the food will be undercooked, and you’ll not get your desired results. The other important consideration is that the floating bag does not get cooked to the right temperature. It can potentially result in bacterial grown and unhealthy foods.

These SO-VIDA weights submerge the bags to limit any related food risks. They have a unique cylindrical design that guarantees better water flow for more evenly cooked food. The 5oz weights feature a strong core of stainless steel along with a silicone shell. The shell is food-safe, and it ensures that there’s no effect on the general taste of your dish.

SO-VIDA weights are more useful than racks. They are compatible with all containers and allow you to maximize container capacity. Also, they are more affordable.

They are conveniently dishwasher safe, and an essential sous vide accessory.

Highlights

• User-friendly and uncomplicated to use
• Prevents sous vide bags from floating
• Remarkable design and better than using sous vide racks
• It doesn’t affect the flavor of your sous vide dish

Depps Sous Vide Weights, Pack of 2, Better Way to Keep Sous Vide Bags in Place, BPA Free FDA Approved Upgrade Solution Sous Vide Racks

A huge challenge of sous vide cooking is getting the food bags to submerge in the bath. Achieving that full submersion is even more challenging with vegetables. Depps Sous Vide Weights offer an excellent solution to this problem.

The Depps Sous Vide weights go inside the food bags and help weigh the dish down. The result is that they ensure that the food cooks evenly. They come in two pieces, and you can use both weights when you want to weigh down a heavy pouch.

The 6.2oz weights are made using food grade stainless steel. An FDA-approved silicone shell surrounds the steel for extra safety. The shell also has a high-temperature resistance and does not add any taste to your food.

Using Depps Sous Vide weights is a better solution for floating than other methods. For example, it is a lot better than balancing forks on your food pouch. Also, it is much cheaper compared to buying a rack.

The compact size of these weights ensures that they don’t interfere with your ingredients. Cleaning and storage are also easy due to their small size.

Highlights

• They guarantee your sous vide pouch will sink down and also stay sunk
• They are safe to use and don’t affect your food’s final taste
• Easy to rinse off after cooking and store away

Sous Vide Timer

Wancle SVC001 Sous Vide Cooker, Thermal Immersion Circulator, with Recipe E-Cookbook, Accurate Temperature Digital Timer, Ultra-Quiet, 850 Watts, 120V, Stainless Steel, Black

The budget-friendly Wancle SVC001 is a highly functional immersion calculator. It produces delicious sous vide meals and doesn’t have a high learning curve. Other areas where it shines include temperature accuracy along with a straightforward dial.

You can use the Wancle device with one hand thanks to its unique top handle. The trigger function below the grip activates the clamp. The advantage of this machine is that it is compatible with all containers.

Preparing your sous vide dishes in this immersion calculator is straightforward. The curved display is easy to access to set the desired time and temperature. You can use the included e-book to try out new recipes.

The 850 Watt power supply means that water heats up quickly. The Wancle immersion calculator also has an impressively quiet circulating system. It keeps the water circulating inside the pot with minimal noise production.

This Wancle SVC001 Sous Vide Cooker stands out due to its simplicity. It focuses on the essential functionalities of an immersion calculator. There is no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in this model, which keeps the cost down.

Highlights

• Accurate temperature range
• Works very quietly and distributes the water evenly
• Simple to use and clean
• The accompanying e-book features many interesting recipes
• Significantly cheaper compared to other immersion calculators

Time to Start Cooking Sous Vide!

With so many sous vide accessories and sous vide machines on the market, chef quality results are becoming more and more realistic for home cooks. The next time that you are considering paying hundreds of dollars at a 4-star dining establishment, remember that you can have the same juicy, tender, effortless, and flavorful results in the comfort of your own kitchen with sous vide cooking.