Vactec Thermal Immersion Circulator Professional For Sous Vide Cooking

Great idea. Simple to operate, nothing fancy. Except this example doesn't work as it should. I set the temperature and set the time then press start. It heats up the water to temperature, but nothing else happens. No beep to let me know it's at temperature no matter how long I leave it working. If I press start once more to set the timer working nothing happens. The timer doesn't count down. Decided to use the reset button and then switch off, but that made no difference. My settings were still there after switching on. Have I got a Friday afternoon model?

The media could not be loaded. I pondered over this purchase for some time. Should I get the all in one unit from Sous-Vide? Should I go for the cheaper Anova or similar? What about the Buffalo that looks identical at some £50 more? Here's my reasoning for choosing this one...- This unit will allow variable size water baths to be used, unlike an all-in-one, so it's not just for the odd steak, you could do a leg of lamb or a rolled sirloin just up the size of your container.- It has a higher wattage that the Anova types so can heat up larger water baths and warm them quicker.- It was £50 cheaper than the Buffalo and I didn't expect to use it every day.- And shock horror! Spare parts are available if something goes wrong!So, a reasonable decision so far.I have now used it in a large plastic tub and a smaller polycarbonate gastronorm to great success. It heats water very quickly and maintains the temp with or without a lid to a very high degree of accuracy. I have monitored temps with a separate digital probe and although the displayed temp varied by 0.2C it did not fluctuate during the 1 - 3 hour sessions. So this will allow me to cook small amounts for two in a small container or do large amounts in a big tub, so a good decision all around. I will update this for reliability over time.UPDATE 1 - Mine beeps at the end of cooking time, I've read some reviews that says it doesn't.UPDATE 2 - There seems to be quite a few of these reviewed that don't appear to be as good as the one I have. I'll address the "noise" with the attached video. I consider mine quiet. Once you get about 3 paces away from it, the noise is about the same as a quality fridge with the compressor going. That's very quiet in my opinion. The only thing I will agree on is the buttons are a bit tricky when setting temps. A single press doesn't always register but I can set it to the temp I want with a little bit of patience.UPDATE 3 - The video shows a rolled sirloin of beef being cooked. It was placed in 55C for 10 hours, then seared in a cast iron pot for a couple of minutes, then rested for 15 mins. The result was FANTASTIC, tender, moist and full of flavour. I am using this device way more than I expected. Poaching eggs, for chicken breast, pork ribs, fish... will I ever use a conventional cooker again? ; )UPDATE 4 - One year on... and still going strong. So the quality has shown to be good. There was a period of about 6 weeks where it didn't get used during the summer, but it started up without issue and continues to do so. Salmon cooked in a sos vide is still a revelation and is excellent... sous vide it then sear the skin in a hot pan for 30 seconds with some oil. You get a pillow soft bit of fish with a crispy skin. mmmmmmm my mouth waters just thinking about it.

So far I had a great experience with that. As other users say the buttons sometimes don't record at the first push (thus 1 star removed), but it's really not a problem. Can make a great plate out of cheaper cuts, especially the braised ones (provided that you know how to use it). Moreover, cooking meat in sous vide allows you to keep it in the fridge for longer times and no need for freezing it.It doesn't remove the need to pan fry the food to give them the final flavoury crispiness (or initial for the braised), but it allows you to cook the food for hours or days, without the need of checking it every few minutes if it is sticking.Try with chicken breasts to finally have them juicy and tender.

I purchased this item four years ago but have only used it four times... now on my fifth usage I cannot change the temperature because the + feature on the temperature control does not work. I have not even tried to get customer support because of other reviewers with similar issues who tried and were told the usual stuff about 1 year warranties. This is poor and disappointing performance and I am writing this off as a bad decision to buy an unknown brand and a waste of money.

This is a review of the importing company as much as it is a review of the machine itself.Normally I object to such approach. When people assign, say… 2 stars because they weren’t happy with Amazon or the delivery company when that has nothing to do with the item they’re reviewing but in this case, since Ecatering are the sole importer (so you literally can’t get it anywhere else unless going for the more expensive Buffalo) their behaviour and service providing mentality is part of the product.As for the machine:ACCURACY:As for the premise and promise of 0.03°C accuracy: it’s not even remotely close to reality.I have a feeling the manufacturer meant 0.3°C (which makes more sense as temp-steps follow 0.1°C) but since it's specified both here and on their website as 0.03°C that is what I will address.First of all as the machine hits the set degree it stops heating.At this point the temperature begins to drop.I found its “responsiveness” to vary to a point that frankly makes no sense.At times the water-temperature will drop by only 0.1°C - 0.2°C and at times by 1.8°C before the machine kicks in. That’s essentially a discrepancy of ~600%.That alone is a huge problem as a difference between (as an example) 54°C and 56°C is the difference between medium-rare and medium.I also measured the claimed accuracy using two ETI probes.On some occasions the degree(s) of the machine varied from the degree(s) of the probes by up to 4°C for a prolonged period of time (around an hour) which is simply unacceptable!(BTW, I suspect that occurs because the ETI probes can be placed elsewhere in the tank, measuring the "uninfluenced" temperature of the water whereas the machine's probe is inevitably placed too close to the heating elements themselves)As an example, let's assume a desired degree of medium was set (for example's sake let's assume we're talking about a piece of meat where 56°C would correlate to medium) but when you then decrease 4°C and add a variability range of 1.8°C that could mean that while you set the machine to 56°C in reality it cooks closer to 50.2°C which can corresponds with blue-rare (that is, under rare).So again, any promise of accuracy is quite frankly ludicrous.The good news is: There is a way around this problem but I will touch on that point in a bit.AUDIBILITY:Many people said that this machine is “quiet”.To that I will say that it seems to me that those people are comparing it to extremely bad “cheap” machines and then compared to that this machine is quiet.Here's what I will say… it might be quiet-er (quieter) than some (or even most) but it is not silent.It’s not something that will make a difference in a busy restaurant kitchen but at home it can make a difference especially when cooking overnight and your bedroom is close to your kitchen.Since it's portable you can always put it somewhere else but I still thought it's worth mentioning.HEATING TIME:At first I was very impressed and if I remember correctly I even mumbled something like “wow, this is fast”.Later on I discovered that its speed at heating to lower degrees is indeed very good but once passed a certain point (around 58°C) it becomes slower and slower and slower.When I wanted to cook at 75°C and used hot water from the tap (that was registered at 46.1°C) it took it nearly 20 minutes to reach said temperature.Here people can argue that it’s always better to heat up the water in advance (using a kettle) but then what’s the difference between this machine or weaker ones?( I will add a note about that in my conclusions)Here I will address the issue of ‘even cooking’:The way around it is to allow the machine to run and heat up the water for a significant amount of time before attempting to cook.How much time?That will vary depending on the container you’re using, how insulated it is, whether or not it’s covered, etc.As you can see from the pictures I included I use a very thick food-grade plastic box where I cut the lid to fit the machine.In addition, I found that placing a towel on top, two folded paper towels on each side of the machine and something to sit on top helps in maintaining the temperature control.Still, I’d say at least an hour if not two of pre-running will be advisable.In addition, actual running time will (or at least should) remedy any discrepancies.Unless all the foods you're cooking are at room temperature they will cause some variability as you place them in the water. The stronger the machine, the less time it will take to bring it back to temperature... however, ultimately, the only thing that can and will even out the small discrepancies is longer cooking time(s).So, even if half an hour to an hour is "enough", running it for two hours and more is preferred.Many people buy coolers and cut the lid to fit their machine. That should work really well but I don't have the equipment for that.For many people that notion alone will defeat the very idea of coming home from work and using Sous Vide to cook something “quick”.BUILD QUALITY:Surprisingly mediocre.On a scale between bad and good I’d even go as far as to say that it’s closer to bad.The first one I got had loose screws or broken pieces of plastic inside it so I sent it back (this is where I’ll speak about my experience with the importing company).When the second one arrived the side of the buttons wasn’t glued properly.The plastic, in general, is pretty “unrefined”. There are gaps, none of it is leveled nicely.The screw on the back is flimsy as well.I saw cheaper Sous Vide machines with far better build quality.So in general, I’d say - disappointing but functional.BUTTONS:They are - OK.If you press and hold the temperature runs quick and smooth but single clicks aren't always registered which can be a bit annoying.SIZE:It’s very big which is something to consider.If you watched videos of smaller machines that you can place in a small Dutch Oven (such as Joule or even Anova) then be advised that this machine is nothing like that.If I put it inside my 6L Le Creuset Dutch Oven the ‘minimum’ mark is still higher than the top of the pot.You can use taller stock pots but then the direction will be “inside” as opposed to wide.As explained I had a thick food grade box I re-purposed for it but once I’ve done it all I had to question my initial decision to go with an Immersion Circulator as opposed to an actual Water Bath such as the Supreme.Why?Because I now have a pretty unappealing plastic box on my counter… might as well have something that’s attractive.I'm a home user so I don't think I will ever need a 40L container as I'll never make 10 chickens simultaneously... food for thought.This is not something that will matter to a restaurant and it's very easy to buy a professional container from Nisbets just not one that's cut specifically for this machine.I have no problems with the size. It is what it is and it’s part of why it’s a more powerful machine.Also, it requires vertical storing (so you shouldn’t store it in a drawer) but again, this is not a big deal as most people have those corner cupboards in their kitchen.PRICE:I got mine for £130.Also had a gift card so it turned out to be £80.At that price point I’d say it is competitive by no merit of its own! That is, the fact other machines are strangely priced (here in England) makes the price of this one more competitive than it ought to be.Many machines are at the same price range yet are much more amateuristic.Now, whether or not it’s worth that price is a futile question. It’s a heating element (no different to that of a cheap kettle) and a pump - of course it’s not worth the price.The problem here is that nothing does. Not these days.So the real question is whether or not it’s worth it to you.IMPORTING COMPANY:I found dealing with them extremely unpleasant.They take days on days to respond (and even when they do it’s short and largely unclear), ignore direct questions they don’t feel like answering, take zero responsibility, circumvent things that were said and in general behave suspiciously dubious.I have little doubt that they will not go the extra mile and will not try to help if I needed the warranty.I’ll sum it up by saying that their mentality and service are some of the worst I encountered.The problem here, again, is that quality is literally going “extinct” and customer service is getting worse and worse and will probably one day be gone.So as bad as they are I just don’t know if anything else is “good”.Do your own thinking on that.MAINTENANCE:In terms of keeping it clean all you really need to do is add vinegar to the water and let it run.In general you should never use the same water more than once.I found that the easiest thing is once I’m done cooking in it to simply add vinegar right then and there, maybe up the degrees and just let it run for an hour.It’s a lot easier than a designated cleaning run at specified degrees but of course you should do that as well.It's all in the manual of course.SCORING:I knocked off 1 star because of the importing company and another star for the build quality. I think that knocking a third star would be a bit harsh but that said, anything over 3-stars seems too generous for what it is.RECOMMENDATIONS:If you’re new to Sous Vide, this is not a comfortable solution for everything nor is it the most professional as the food doesn't go through the same transformations (i.e. the Maillard reaction, etc) but the ability to avoid unwanted-side-reactions at lower temperatures (primarily under 85°C) and controlling the core temperature makes it useful. That said, don't expect Sous Vide Ossobuco to taste as good as a braised one and despite the many false claims following the thickness-to-heat chart will produce a better steak.However, for the untrained, inexperienced home cook it will solve a lot of problems.Unless you own a vacuum chamber (which costs hundreds of pounds) it takes pre-freezing (of sauces).The heating takes time.Many dishes require a good deal of planning.The whole process can take many hours.But as a professional tool for a restaurant or a serious home cook it’s undeniable specifically in the transformation of "cheap cuts".In general, my thoughts on this specific machine are… It’s OK but nothing more.It works.It's not built as well as I would like and it's not as accurate as claimed but for the price point it is better than most and as long as you take care of it, it does the job.However, I find many of the 5-star reviews surprising and question how well these people checked it before reviewing and doubt many of them are serious cooks.I’m not saying yes or no and I’m not saying good or bad.Take everything I’ve said into consideration and decide for yourself.A final thing I’d like to add: many people have watched videos online of cooks who Sous Vide cuts for hours and hours.I’m sorry to tell you but that’s just nonsense perpetuated by people who while may be very professional in front of a camera are clearly not well versed in actual science.When taken out of context it’s no more than erroneous information.What adds complexity (by inducing chemical reactions, such as the Millard reaction) is a formula of variable-degrees and time (material makes a difference in the controlling aspect as well but that’s too complicated to explain here) but the bottom line is that most of these occur at degrees that are higher than what you would normally use Sous Vide for if your intention is controlling the internal core temperature.So to make it simple and in layman's terms: if you’re Sous Viding a steak to rare or medium rare and you’re Sous Viding it for hours and hours (let alone days) you are wasting your time.I understand that might be confusing as I suggested a longer cooking time but that was in order to accommodate for any possible minor discrepancies… not because it will help you in achieving further complexity.The only thing that will add complexity (referring to a chemical one) is a braise… period. Sous Vide at lower degrees for hours upon hours will quite literally do nothing.