Cooking Appliances review
Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 Review: 0.06 Degrees Off
The temperature control is as good as any lab has measured on a domestic circulator. The one thing everybody complains about is a timer that starts before you put the food in.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Anova
Anova Precision Cooker 3.0
Excellent · researched from 3 sources
On the measurement that matters, holding a temperature, this is as good as domestic equipment gets and two independent tests agree. Set the timer yourself after the food goes in, and treat the app as a convenience rather than a dependency.
- Buy if
- Steak, chicken and fish cooked to a precise finished temperature · Long cooks where drift over many hours would ruin the result · Anyone who wants to check on a cook from another room
- Skip if
- Cooking that needs a rolling boil, given the 197°F ceiling · Very large baths, where the Pro's higher flow rate would suit better · Anyone unwilling to have a kitchen appliance on WiFi
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
The only number that matters
Sous vide is a method with one requirement. The water has to sit exactly where you set it, for as long as the cook takes, without drifting.
TechGearLab measured an average discrepancy of 0.06 degrees. Kitchenware Sets, checking independently against a separately calibrated thermometer over several sessions, found it within 0.1°F of the set point.
Anova's own claim is ±0.2°F. Both independent tests came in better than the specification, which is the right way round and rarer than it should be.
And the second one, which people forget
A bath that is accurate at the probe is useless if the water at the far end of the pot is two degrees cooler.
TechGearLab tested this with dye and watched it disperse through the whole bath in ten seconds. They scored circulation a perfect 10 and described the performance as astounding.
That is why a 1.9 pound circulator can handle a large stockpot. The published flow rate is 8 litres a minute, below the Pro model's 12, and the practical ceiling is well above anything a domestic kitchen puts on a hob.
The complaint everybody has
The timer starts when the water reaches temperature.
You reach temperature, then you put the food in. So by the time the cook actually begins, the display is already wrong and you have to reset it.
TechGearLab flags it as their single criticism of an otherwise 94-out-of-100 machine, and it is the kind of design decision that gets noticed on every use rather than once.
Heating, in real containers
TechGearLab: 9.5 quarts of 50°F tap water to 147°F in 36 minutes.
Kitchenware Sets: 8 quarts from 70°F to 130°F in just under 20 minutes, and 12 quarts in roughly 28 to 32.
Those are consistent once you account for volume and starting temperature. The practical lesson is that filling from the hot tap rather than the cold removes most of the wait, and a lid removes more.
The app, and a warning
Dual-band WiFi, which Kitchenware Sets rates as more reliable than earlier Anova models, and then reports dropping the connection a few times across four weeks. Reconnecting was easy. Nathan Sauser describes it as convenient with quirks.
The unit works entirely from its own touchscreen, so a network problem is an inconvenience rather than a ruined dinner.
The forward-looking concern Kitchenware Sets raises is worth repeating: they flag the possibility of subscription charges for advanced app features in future. That has not happened, and it is speculation rather than a finding, but it is the sort of thing worth knowing about before you buy a connected appliance.
Where it stops
197°F is the ceiling, so this will not hold a boil and is not a substitute for a kettle or a stockpot.
And it hums. Kitchenware Sets describes a gentle low-frequency noise that is audible in a quiet kitchen and disappears under any normal activity.
How it scored
The overall 8.9 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Temperature accuracy
TechGearLab measured an average discrepancy of 0.06 degrees and scored the category 9.0. Kitchenware Sets measured within 0.1°F of the set point against an independently calibrated thermometer.
Value
TechGearLab scored it 94 out of 100, ranked it first of seven and gave it their Editors' Choice. Kitchenware Sets rated it 4.8 out of 5.
Build quality
1.9 lb with an adjustable screw clamp that Kitchenware Sets found secure on both metal stockpots and polycarbonate tubs.
Ease of use
TechGearLab scored ease of use 9.7 but criticised the timer starting automatically at temperature. Kitchenware Sets reports occasional WiFi disconnections over four weeks.
Circulation
TechGearLab scored circulation a perfect 10, measuring dye dispersal through the bath in ten seconds and calling the performance astounding.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- TechGearLab measured a 0.06 degree average discrepancy and ranked it first of seven
- Kitchenware Sets independently confirmed accuracy within 0.1°F of the set point
- TechGearLab scored circulation a perfect 10, with dye dispersing in ten seconds
- 1100 W brings an 8 quart bath to 130°F in just under twenty minutes per Kitchenware Sets
- Dual-band WiFi that Kitchenware Sets rates more reliable than earlier models
- A clamp that held on stockpots and thick polycarbonate tubs alike
What we didn’t
- TechGearLab's one criticism is that the timer starts as soon as temperature is reached
- Kitchenware Sets had the app lose its connection several times over four weeks
- Kitchenware Sets raises the possibility of future subscription charges for advanced app features
- The 8 L per minute flow rate is below the Pro model's 12
- It hums audibly in a silent kitchen, per Kitchenware Sets
- Maximum temperature is 197°F, so it will not hold a boil
Specifications
| Temperature accuracy | 0.06 degree average discrepancy per TechGearLab; within 0.1°F per Kitchenware Sets |
|---|---|
| Maximum temperature | 197°F |
| Power | 1100 W |
| Heating time | 36 minutes to 147°F from 50°F tap water in a 9.5 quart bath per TechGearLab |
| Flow rate | 8 litres per minute |
| Circulation | Dye dispersed through the bath in 10 seconds per TechGearLab |
| Weight | 1.9 lb |
| Dimensions | 12.8 x 3.1 x 5.5 in |
| Clamp | Adjustable screw type with a 1.4 inch gap |
| Connectivity | Dual-band WiFi with an iOS and Android app |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
TechGearLab tested it against six other circulators and supplies the category scores, the accuracy measurement, the heating time, the circulation test and the criticism of the timer. Kitchenware Sets ran a four week evaluation and supplies the second independent accuracy check, the heating times for two container sizes, the WiFi behaviour and the noise observation. Nathan Sauser reviews the full-size Precision Cooker without naming a generation, and is used only for the clamp and WiFi impressions rather than for any measurement. No source published sustained hold-time drift figures over a very long cook, so none are claimed here.
What we read
Common questions
How accurate is the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0?
What is wrong with the timer?
How long does it take to heat up?
Is the WiFi reliable?
How does it compare to the Pro model?
The bottom line on the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0
On the measurement that matters, holding a temperature, this is as good as domestic equipment gets and two independent tests agree. Set the timer yourself after the food goes in, and treat the app as a convenience rather than a dependency.
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