I have both the Anova WIFI cooker and this Joule cooker. I love both cookers, but the apps for both leave a lot to be desired, which is the reason for the 4 stars. Comparing the two sous vide cookers, both have their advantages and disadvantages.
1 - The Joule cooker is 1100 Watts vs. the 900 Watts of the Anova. So the Joule will heat the water more quickly than the Anova. Joule wins
2 - The Joule cooker has a magnetic bottom that will hold it up in a pot that is magnetic such as a cast iron pot, and the Anova must be secured with the clamp attachment. Joule wins.
3 - The Joule cooker has a clamp that works only on thin rimmed containers, and the Anova has a clamp attachment that will accommodate thick rimmed containers. Anova wins.
4 - The Joule cooker must be controlled with the app as there are no controls on the device, and the Anova may be controlled manually for temperature and time settings on the device without the use of the app. Anova wins.
5 - The Joule cooker requires a minimum 1.5 inches of water to operate and the Anova requires 2.75 inches minimum of water. Joule wins.
6 - The Joule cooker can heat up to 10 gallons of water, and the Anova can heat up to 5.5 gallons. Joule wins.
7 - The apps for both cookers do not have much in presets that would be used for everyday meals. Most of the time, the manual modes would be used, A draw for both cookers.
8 - When setting temperature in time for both cookers, the temperature must be attained for the Joule cooker before the timer is set since the timer countdown starts as soon as it is set and before the cook temperature is reached. For the Anova cooker, the timer doesn't start until the cooking temperature is attained. In this case, it is sort of a draw as the food shouldn't be put into the water until the cook temperature is reached, The plus with the Anova is that an ice bath can be used to keep the temperature down for longer and the cook time won't start until the cook temperature is attained. In this case, the Anova wins.
Whether or not the Joule or the Anova cooker is best for you depends on your uses and your availability to the apps. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I generally use the manual modes for both as the presets don't allow for many of the foods that I cook. In addition, the presets are for store bought meats and we us only pasture fed and pasture finished meats that take less cook time. As mentioned previously, both apps leave a lot to be desired, but both cookers are excellent if you do your research and use the manual modes.
UPDATE 717/18
I have been using this sous vide cooker for about 7 months, and tend to gravitate to the Joule more than than the Anova. The Joule is much easier and faster to clip onto a cooking container than having to install the screw on holder for the Anova. Although the Anova can be used manually without the use of a phone app, I use my cookers in a second kitchen, and use the phone apps to check on progress from the main kitchen. With the phone apps, I can easily flip back and forth between cookers. I often have the meats for more than one meal cooking at a time, and have them timed so they are finished on the day the meal is planned for as some cuts of meat can take as long as 72 hours to cook. So far I have sous vide cooked chicken (whole and cut in half), roasts (pork, beef, and bison), ribs, tuna steaks, and a few others. I have never been disappointed with the results. I have also found that it is easier to set the timer after the sous vide cooker has come to temperature than to try to get the food in at the moment the timer starts. So, the timer issue mentioned above isn't a problem for me.
I have also found that one of the best features of the sous vide cooker is rewarming foods. How many times have you cooked the perfectly cooked roast, and rewarming overcooked the leftovers. This won't happen with sous vide cooking even if the leftovers are frozen. Simply set the temperature for your desired doneness, and the leftovers won't cook more than the temperature set.
As an experienced cook, I have methods to cook the perfect steak and perfectly cooked fish, but have never found a method to cook tuna steaks as perfectly as when they are done with the sous vide method. By cooking them sous vide, they come out a light pink inside and so very moist - never dried out.
Another thing that I really love about sous vide cooking is that foods don't get overcooked if you leave them in the cooker until the rest of your meal is ready. This isn't true with any other cooking method. If you are running late, you can leave food in the cooker to keep warm until you are ready for it without fear of overcooking it. I do love the Joule sous vide cooker for the speed that it get the water to temperature and for the consistency of temperature control.
UPDATE 08/14/18:
Other than the Mellow sous vide that I have, the Joule cooker has become my favorite sous vide cooker. I like the Mellow because it is small and convenient to keep handy on the counter, but the Joule is always the cooker that I use for larger portions, like roast and ribs, since I can use a larger water container. This cooker is small, but it heats up a large amount of water much faster than many cookers, and keeps the temperature extremely accurate. If the app contains the meat you are cooking, it shows pictures of what the meat will look like at each different doneness, and describes them so you can choose what you would like best. If you find one of the presets that works for you, the cooker will set the time and temperature for you. If you work and want to set up a meal before you go to work, you can add ice cubes to the water to keep the meat cool until it is ready to cook. I like the Joule app better than the Anova app because it has presets for meats, poultry, and seafood rather an recipes that do nothing for me when planning the cooking of a protein.
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This item: ChefSteps 4186JW120B Joule Sous Vide, 1100 Watts, All White, 11 x 1.9 x 1.9"
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From the manufacturer
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Saves space
Half the size of other sous vide machines, it’s small enough to slip into a top drawer
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Automated cooking experience takes the guesswork out of cooking with delicious results, hands-free
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Eat when you're ready. Primetime will hold cooked food at its prime for a window of time
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Product information
| Product Dimensions | 1.85"D x 1.85"W x 11"H |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 1 Liters |
| Wattage | 1100 watts |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Item Weight | 1.28 Pounds |
| Brand | ChefSteps |
| Material | Polycarbonate |
| Color | White |
| Control Method | App |
| Upper Temperature Rating | 185 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| UPC | 855869006010 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00855869006010 |
| Item Weight | 1.28 pounds |
| Manufacturer | ChefSteps |
| ASIN | B0727R431B |
| Item model number | 4186JW120B |
| Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #200,318 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining) #103 in Sous Vide Machines |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 27, 2017 |
Warranty & Support
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ] User Manual Manual [PDF ] User Manual Manual [PDF ]
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This Item  Breville ChefSteps 4186JW120B Joule Sous Vide, 1100 Watts, All White, 11 x 1.9 x 1.9" | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $295.00 | $499.95 | -31% $89.99 List: $129.99 | -37% $93.61 Typical: $147.54 | -8% $299.99 Typical: $324.99 | $34.99 |
| Delivery | Get it May 16 - 19 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 13 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 13 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | toys texas | BigKitchen | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | MPA Distribution | EVERIE |
| material | Polycarbonate | Stainless Steel, Plastic | Stainless Steel | Plastic, Stainless Steel | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate |
| capacity | 1 liters | 45 liters | — | 32 liters | 10 liters | 12 quarts |
| control method | application | touch | touch | application | voice | application |
| lower temperature rate | — | 68 degrees fahrenheit | — | 32 degrees fahrenheit | 86 degrees fahrenheit | 32 degrees fahrenheit |
| upper temperature rate | 185 degrees fahrenheit | 194 degrees fahrenheit | 210 degrees fahrenheit | 197 degrees fahrenheit | 210 degrees fahrenheit | — |
| voltage | 120 volts | — | 110 volts | — | 120 volts | — |
| wattage | 1100 watts | 1450 watts | 800 watts | 1000 watts | 1100 watts | 750 watts |
Life Changing.
TL;DR: Cook perfectly every time, can't mess up. Easy to use, great app & controls, great support, heats up fast. Little cleanup (you throw bags away). Doesn't need much water for small cooks. Get it! I never thought a kitchen appliance will change my life. But Joule changed my life. Let's get the Pros and Cons out of the way: Pros: Magnetic Base Amazing App Bluetooth & Wifi Alexa supported App has great recipes and Visual Doneness temp guide Great support & community 1100 watts, temperature accuracy of 0.2 °F / 0.1 °C. Minimum water depth of 1.5 inches Alarms set in the Joule app go off across all devices with the Joule app. Cons: Clip that comes with Joule is... just sad. (you can buy a Big Clip from chef steps but that's another 24 bucks) Plastic QC could be higher Alexa skill can't do timers (yet - more limitation of Alexa itself than Chefsteps). Android app video clips don't load smoothly. Sometimes just stationary image for a long time before loading - happens on both wifi and LTE. Joule: Let's talk about the Joule. Joule connects via Wi-Fi to the internet, so you can use alexa and messenger to set temperatures. But it also has bluetooth, and the Joule app seamlessly switches between the two! Joule also has a powerful heater, it heats a cambro 10L from room temperature to 175 in 20 minutes or so, during which you can prepare some fantastically smooth creme brûlée following the recipe and videos from the app. Basically anytime i'm cooking with joule, i'll start off preheating the water. Before i'm even done preparing the food to go in the bath, the water will be up to temperature. Joule has a magnetic base, a feature none of the other competitors have. You don't even need the clip if you're cooking in a steel container or a cambro + a sheet of metal under it. You just plop it down and it'll stay upright. (Though i'm worried overtime it'll lose magnetism since heat makes magnets lose magnetism...) It also doesn't need much water to work. When I make ramen eggs, I just use a small pot because the minimum water depth is only 1.5 inches - saves a lot of water. App: The app has lots of recipes, and generic temperature suggestions for items with no recipes. The recipes come with detailed instructions and videos on each step, and visual doneness. Visual doneness is basically clips of videos tied to a temperature that shoes you what it will look like when cooked at the temperature. (I've attached some pictures of the creme brûlée one). Back to the Wifi & Bluetooth switching. I was cooking a steak via Wifi when my comcast internet had an outage, and when I checked the app to monitor my cook, after 2 seconds on an "looking for joule" screen, it was automatically connected to Joule via bluetooth - with no intervention on my part, at all. (If your phone can't connect to Joule at all, you can also hold the top button for a few seconds and it'll stop the cook - sometimes I use it because I don't want to reach for my smartphone with wet hands.) The app could be a bit more optimized and faster, and there are some small bugs here and there, but the chef steps team seems to fix them quickly and i've had three updates since I bought the thing. Timers on the Joule App are great. It goes off on all devices that have the Joule app installed and logged onto, and across platforms. (requires wi-fi cook). If I set up a cook & timer on my Android phone via the app, the timer and up to temperature notification will also go off on my iPad and iPhone. Customer Service: When I first got joule, it made a weird sound when cooking and the water stream didn't come out straight from the spout (it shot to the right). I emailed chef steps with a video and they replied promptly saying their engineers listened to the video and that they agreed it didn't sound right, and will process an exchange - but since i purchased on amazon, they requested that i contact amazon - and it was painless. I had a replacement the next day that had burrs on the plastic body, but i cut it off with a razor blade and it's been flawless. (QC could be a bit higher, so i didn't need to contact CS or cut off excess burrs myself). Food: Oh my god. Cooking with water at precision temperatures is freakin amazing! You put food in a bag with salt and pepper, and when the timer goes off, it's perfectly cooked. you want rare? you get rare. you want medium rare? you get medium rare. Sear it on a hot pan for a few minutes each side and it's restaurant quality. Really can't mess up. Never have i cooked food that tasted so good and so perfect. From Steak to Creme brûlée (It's really delicious by the way... i make it every week now). Truly a life changing appliance.
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Top reviews from other countries
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Compact, Easy to store. Must be used with the associated app.
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Alvaro CoronaReviewed in Mexico on December 4, 2019
Excelente y súper facil de usar
