Anova Sous Vide Model Comparison: Which One Is Best for You?
In the sous vide world, Anova is a popular, leading brand. They’re known for their top quality sous vide cookers (or immersion circulators) that are easy to use and give you consistently perfect results every time.
Anova Culinary has three main models:
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3.5
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3.5
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3.5
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$266.89
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$132.40
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$94.99 ($94.99 / Count)
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If you’re thinking about buying a sous vide machine by Anova Culinary and are wondering how they compare, you’re in the right place.
I did some extensive research for this Anova sous vide model comparison, so keep reading to help you find the one that best suits your sous vide cooking needs!
Anova Precision Cookers at a Glance
Anova’s three leading models have quite a few things in common, and you can’t go wrong no matter which you use, but there are a few key differences to point out that might nudge you in one direction or another.
Check out my table below that quickly highlights the key differences between the Anova models.
For the full details on the differences and similarities between the models, in addition to a full table comparing all of the important specifications between each model, read on to the next section.
| Anova Precision Cooker Pro | Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) | Anova Precision Cooker Nano | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Power Versatility Cooking in large batches/for large size groups | Great all around Cooking in medium batches/for medium size groups | Portability Storage Cooking in small-medium batches/for small-medium size groups |
| Dimensions (DxWxH) | 3.46″ x 2.6″ x 13.78″ (88 mm x 60 mm x 350 mm) | 3.1” x 5.3” x12.8” (79 mm x 135 mm x 325 mm) | 4.1” x 2.2” x 12.8” (104 mm x 56 mm x 325 mm) |
| Weight | 2.85 lbs (1.29 kg) | 1.6 lbs (0.7 kg) | 1.6 lbs (0.7 kg) |
| Wattage | 1200 Watts | 1000 Watts | 750 Watts |
| Flow Rate | 12 L/min | 8 L/min | 8 L/min |
| Maximum Water Bath Capacity | 26 gal (100 L) | 4-5 gal (15-19 L) | 4-5 gal (15-19 L) |
| Maximum Continuous Cooking Time | Up to 10,000 hours | Up to 5,000 hours | Up to 3,000 hours |
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi | WiFi | Bluetooth only |
| Temperature Accuracy | +/- 0.09˚F (0.05˚C) | +/- 0.2˚F (0.1˚C) | +/- 0.2˚F (0.1˚C) |
| Display Controls | Displays for each current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; wireless connectivity indicator | One display to toggle between current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; wireless connectivity indicator | One display to toggle between current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; wireless connectivity indicator |
| Clamp | Adjustable and removable | Adjustable and removable | Fixed |
| Price | $$$ (Check price) | $$ (Check price) | $ (Check price) |
Anova Precision Cooker Model Comparison
How They’re Different
Overall Use
Given how powerful the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is, it’s perfect if you have a large family, plant to cook in large batches, or plan to host a lot of large dinner parties.
It’s also the option for you if you want the best of the best in features and versatility.
Since the Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) falls in the middle in terms of power, it’s great for medium-sized groups of people or cooking in medium-sized batches. It’s the best overall pick that you can’t go wrong with.
The Anova Precision Cooker Nano has the lowest amount of power, so you can’t go quite as big as the other two Anova immersion circulators.
But, you still get all of the features you need to get the job done (sacrificing some bonus features) at the lowest price.
Size and Weight
At 2.85 lbs (1.29 kg), the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is the heaviest sous vide cooker by about 1 pound (0.5 kg), but that’s a small price to pay for having the most powerful device of the three.
The Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) falls in the middle, and the Anova Precision Cooker Nano is the smallest and most compact.
That being said, no matter which Anova immersion circulator you choose here, they’re all small enough to fit snugly in your kitchen drawer without taking up counter space.
Wattage
As mentioned, the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is the most powerful Anova sous vide machine at 1200 Watts.
The Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) closely follows at 1000 Watts, and the Anova Precision Cooker Nano comes last at 750 Watts.
Wattage is important because it affects how quickly the sous vide cooker can heat up water. The higher the wattage, the faster it preheats the water bath.
Higher wattage also allows you to work with larger volumes of water for your water bath without overworking (and therefore shortening the lifespan) the device.
Flow Rate
The flow rate of the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is 12 L/min, which is the highest of the three. The Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) and Anova Precision Cooker Nano both have a slightly lower flow rate of 8 L/min.
The flow rate refers to the pump speed, or how fast the sous vide immersion cooker circulates water. The purpose of water circulation is to maintain an even temperature throughout the water bath.
So, having a good pump speed means you’re less likely to have hot or cold spots in your water bath.
This is especially important if you plan on using larger containers and have large volumes of water to heat up if you want to cook something like a whole turkey, for example, or cook in large batches.
Maximum Water Bath Capacity
As you’ve been reading up until now, you probably have noticed that the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is the best for handling large water baths.
The last bit of hard evidence to prove this is that this sous vide machine can handle up to 26 gal (100 L) of water!
For the Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) and Anova Precision Cooker Nano, Anova doesn’t state what their water capacities are.
However, given the specs of these two devices, the general recommendation by users is up to 4-5 gal (15-19 L) of water.
This is a big difference compared to the Anova Precision Cooker Pro!
Maximum Continuous Cooking Time
The maximum continuous cooking time is how long you can continuously use the device in one go.
It’s no surprise at the point that the Anova Precision Cooker Pro blows the other two out of the water with a maximum continuous cooking time of up to 10,000 hours.
The Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) comes next at up to 5,000 hours, and the Anova Precision Cooker Nano comes in last at up to 3,000 hours.
This might not be a big deal to you because the longest you might cook anything in one sitting likely won’t be any more than 72 hours, but it’s truly a reflection of how powerful the sous vide immersion circulator can be.
And as you know, that power can translate to advantages for other features (see the ones above).
Wireless Connectivity
Wireless connectivity is firstly an awesome feature because it gives you the option for remotely controlling your immersion circulator from your phone with the Anova app.
Now, by how much of a distance you can be to control your sous vide precision cooker comes down to whether the connectivity is WiFi or Bluetooth.
With WiFi connectivity, you can turn your immersion circulator on or off and adjust the temperature from work if you need to.
With Bluetooth, however, you pretty much need to stay in your house and not too far from your kitchen.
The Anova Precision Cooker Pro and Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) both offer this cool WiFi connectivity feature. The Anova Precision Cooker Nano, however, is Bluetooth only.
Another benefit of the Anova app is that it gives you access to thousands of different sous vide recipes.
Overall, it seems like the Anova app needs some work. Some people still love the app, though, and Anova Culinary is also working on updating it.
Despite some glitches with wireless connectivity and the phone app, you still have the option of using the display controls (more on that next).
Display Controls
While the display controls on each sous vide precision cooker allow you to view the current temperature, target temperature, timer, have increase and decrease buttons, a start/stop button, and a wireless connectivity indicator, the difference is how much you can view at the same time without having to toggle between them.
This refers specifically to the current temperature, target temperature, and timer.
On the Anova Precision Cooker Pro, all three are displayed at once on the control panel. With the Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) and Anova Precision Cooker Nano, on the other hand, you have to press the respective button at the top to toggle between the three.
If you’re busy in the kitchen prepping other things or cleaning, it can be much easier to just look over to your Anova sous vide set up and see everything you need to know about the cooking progress in one glance.
Temperature Accuracy
As I said above, Anova is a well known and reputable brand when it comes to sous vide wands.
All of their products are top quality and this includes one of the most important features for sous vide cooking, temperature accuracy.
The Anova Precision Cooker Pro is the most accurate device with a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.09˚F (0.05˚C). The Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi), and Anova Precision Cooker Nano follow with a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.2˚F (0.1˚C).
Is there a big difference between the two?
I would say not really, especially since with sous vide cooking you can’t ever really overcook your food. But if you want the device that is the absolute best, the Anova Precision Cooker Pro is the one for you.
Clamp
Having a clamp that you can either remove, or more importantly, adjust up and down is very important if you plan to use various types and sizes of containers for sous vide cooking.
You want to have options, so I think this is an important feature to consider. The Anova Precision Cooker Pro and Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi) both have an adjustable and removable clamp, while the clamp on the Anova Precision Cooker Nano is fixed.
Price
Of course price is an important factor when making a new purchase. Prices do vary between the three models—click below to check the current price for each sous vide unit.
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3.5
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3.5
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3.5
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$266.89
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$132.40
|
$94.99 ($94.99 / Count)
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How They’re Similar
Let’s next take a look at what the Anova Precision Cooker Pro, Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi), and Anova Precision Cooker Nano have in common:
- A temperature range of 32-197˚F (0-92˚C), so you have a lot of versatility in what you can cook (or chill).
- You can access the Anova phone app with any of these devices to control your sous vide device remotely or view thousands of different sous vide recipes. The type of wireless connectivity of the sous vide immersion cooker will affect how far away you can be to control it.
- IPX7 water and splash resistance, which means they are fully waterproof and can be fully submerged in water up to about 3 feet (for 30 minutes). So if something happens with the clamp and your sous vide device falls into the bath, you don’t have to worry about it being damaged by water exposure.
Anova Sous Vide Comparison Chart
| Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker Pro | Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker (WiFi) | Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (DxWxH) | 3.46″ x 2.6″ x 13.78″ (88 mm x 60 mm x 350 mm) | 3.1” x 5.3” x12.8” (79 mm x 135 mm x 325 mm) | 4.1” x 2.2” x 12.8” (104 mm x 56 mm x 325 mm) |
| Weight | 2.85 lbs (1.29 kg) | 1.6 lbs (0.7 kg) | 1.6 lbs (0.7 kg) |
| Wattage | 1200 Watts | 1000 Watts | 750 Watts |
| Flow Rate | 12 L/min | 8 L/min | 8 L/min |
| Maximum Water Bath Capacity | 26 gal (100 L) | 4-5 gal (15-19 L) | 4-5 gal (15-19 L) |
| Maximum Water Depth | 6.7″ (170 mm) | 6” (153 mm) | 6” (153 mm) |
| Minimum Water Depth | 2.4″ (62 mm) | 2.6” (65 mm) | 2.6” (65 mm) |
| Maximum Continuous Cooking Time | Up to 10,000 hours | Up to 5,000 hours | Up to 3,000 hours |
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi | WiFi | Bluetooth only |
| Compatible iPhone/Android App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature Range | 32-197˚F (0-92˚C) | 32-197˚F (0-92˚C) | 32-197˚F (0-92˚C) |
| Temperature Accuracy | +/- 0.09˚F (0.05˚C) | +/- 0.2˚F (0.1˚C) | +/- 0.2˚F (0.1˚C) |
| Display Controls | Displays for each current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; WiFi connectivity symbol | One display to toggle between current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; WiFi connectivity symbol | One display to toggle between current temperature, target temperature, and timer; start/stop button; increase and decrease time and temperature buttons; WiFi connectivity symbol |
| Clamp | Adjustable and removable | Adjustable and removable | Fixed |
| Water Resistant | IPX7 water and splash resistant | IPX7 water and splash resistant | IPX7 water and splash resistant |
| Material | Plastic handle, stainless steel and Teflon-coated aluminum | Plastic handle, stainless steel base | Plastic and stainless steel |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Anova Sous Vide Model Comparison Summary
Hopefully this Anova sous vide model comparison helped you to understand the differences between the Anova Precision Cooker Pro, Anova Precision Cooker (WiFi), and Anova Precision Cooker Nano, and now you have a good idea about which sous vide precision cooker is best for you.
You can’t go wrong with any of these choices, but definitely take into consideration the features I highlighted above where they can differ.
Considering these will help you tailor your decision more to your personal preferences, so you can be confident in and happy with the one you choose.
Interested in more Anova Precision Cooker comparisons? Check out my articles below.
