This Anova Sous Vide is my secret hack to cooking meat like a five-star chef

I am the last person on earth who knows how to cook a piece of meat. Seriously.

It is really hard for me to cook something without it being super dry and unflavorful. It doesn’t even matter if I buy my meat from Hudson and Charles, the best butcher on the Upper West Side; I have historically found a way to ruin it.

But now I have the Anova Precision COOKER PRO Sous Vide.

It is the only difference in my cooking routine, and it has proved itself worth every cent. It’s changed everything for me.

I made the most heavenly brisket in this world; you could not even buy it at most five-star dinners, it was that good. The meat was tender and savory with just salt and pepper, and I have this device to thank for it all.

Anova Precision COOKER PRO Sous Vide

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• Almost zero cleanup required
• Bulletproof cooking for excellent meals
• Can be activated from anywhere using the app

Cons:

• Activation from remote locations requires a subscription

Getting started was surprisingly easy with 4 simple Anova sous vide instructions.

Drop: Put your seasoned meat in a bag, submerge it and hit start on your phone.

Attach: Clamp the device to any large pot.

Fill: Add water between the min/max lines.

App: Open the Anova Sous Vide app on your phone..

If you want a steak at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, it stays at exactly 131 degrees Fahrenheit because the water never exceeds that temperature. The meat simply cannot overcook, making it feel as though you have a professional chef standing over your shoulder, holding a thermometer every second for 24 hours.

Power: 1200 Watts (Insanely powerful), Flow Rate: 12 Liters/min, Durability: IPX7 waterproof and drop-tested. Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi (works with the Anova Sous Vide app).

AMAZON $399.00 $198.96 
ANOVA $459.00 $199.00

My review on how to use an Anova Sous Vide

Start with a quality piece of meat. I’m sure the dish would still taste excellent with a cheaper cut, but if you’re going for a truly delicious meal, I love to start with a high-quality, premium slice.

As a total newcomer to cooking with a sous vide machine, I was initially stumped on whether I needed a fancy vacuum sealer or if I could just start with a standard Ziploc bag. It turns out you can absolutely use a Ziploc, though it requires a bit more finesse when prepping your dish. Use the water displacement method by slowly lowering the unsealed bag into the water to let the pressure push the air out, then snap it shut to make sure no water slips inside.

After you remove the air pockets from your bag, begin to activate your sous vide machine. It easily locks onto the side of a dish, which I used a Staub cast-iron pot for.

Once activated, the Anova sous vide circulates that water at a specific temperature. Unlike an oven, which fluctuates wildly — especially in New York! — The Anova stays exactly where you set it, so everything cooks to perfection. It’s basically bulletproof.

The app allows you to activate and monitor your cooker from anywhere, whether you’re at the office or heading home from the gym.

While the app is free to use on your home Wi-Fi network, accessing remote features, like starting or stopping a cook from miles away, requires a small monthly or annual subscription for new users.

I’ll admit, I don’t think the subscription is worth spending the money. You can activate it before you leave home, and it’s safe to leave while you are gone for the whole day, as it often takes several hours to cook the meat.

Plus, it still requires you to manually place the Anova on the pot, fill it with water, and place the meat inside. So, if you need to assemble all of this before you leave work, just hit the start button. If you’re one of those people who likes to adjust it throughout the day, then the subscription is for you.

Since the device only comes into contact with water, cleaning is easy. The stainless steel skirt at the bottom twists off and can be tossed in the dishwasher or wiped down with a cloth, but the only thing touching it is water. If you get scale buildup from hard water, a quick soak in a vinegar-water bath makes it look brand new.

One thing I did not expect was just how much patience is required for a cut like this; my brisket took over 20 hours to cook in the Anova sous vide machine, so you definitely need to plan if you are tackling something advanced.

I also learned a crucial lesson about meat that I had been missing. After it finishes in the water bath, you must let it rest on a cutting board for at least an hour. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, so the meat is tender and juicy when you finally slice into it; otherwise, you risk it becoming tough, which was likely the culprit behind my past kitchen failures.

Is it worth it?

If you are a bad cook who is tired of eating dry chicken and chewy steaks, this is the exit ramp. This is a foolproof way to cook like a five-star chef in the kitchen. I 100% recommend it if you do not know how to cook meat well or feel intimidated when hosting dinner parties.

It removes the guesswork from cooking. I spent years frustrated by my lack of talent, skill, and taste in the kitchen, but the Anova sous vide machine proved that I just needed better technology to overcome my limitations.

My brisket was tender, savory and better than most restaurants, all with low effort.

How I tested

I tested the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker by using a high-end brisket from Hudson and Charles’ butcher shop and following the “how to use anova sous vide” guide in the app, which you can easily scan as soon as you open the box. I set it for over 20 hours and didn’t touch or worry about it once; after it finished, I gave it a quick 2-minute sear in a hot cast-iron pan to develop that perfect crust, though you can also finish it in the oven for an hour if you haven’t run out of patience. The result was a truly heavenly texture that literally fell apart with a fork.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Looking for a headline-worthy haul? Keep shopping Post Wanted.