Best Container for Anova Nano (Reviews and Buying Guide)
Have you recently purchased an Anova Nano? Are you now overwhelmed by which container you should get?
There are so many options out there, and you want to get a container that your Anova Nano will fit in properly and clamp to securely. Also, maybe you’ve thought about getting a lid with your container, too, and want to make sure the lid fits right around your Anova Nano.
Even further, maybe you’ve thought about additional accessories that come with sous vide containers like a sous vide rack and insulation sleeve. Do you need those too?
I’ve done extensive research on the best container for Anova Nano and also additional accessories you might want to consider. Here, I’ll answer all of your questions on the topic and will help you figure out what’s right for you.
Best Container for Anova Nano At A Glance
1. EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid
- Best overall
- Size option(s): 12 quarts
- Bundle options: container with lid, container with lid and rack, or container with lid, rack, and sleeve
2. Anova Precision Cooker Container
- Best quality and brand, BPA-free
- Size option(s): 12L or 16L
- Includes lid and rack
3. VPCOK Sous Vide Container with Lid and Rack
- Good value option
- Size option(s): 12L
- Includes lid and adjustable rack
4. Rubbermaid Food Storage Container
- Cheapest option
- Size option(s): 2-22 quarts
- Container only
5. HOMENOTE Sous Vide Container with Lid, Rack, and Sleeve
- BPA-free, full bundle option
- Size option(s): 12 quarts
- Includes lid, rack, and sleeve
Best Container for Anova Nano Reviews
1. EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Lid
The EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid is my number one recommendation for a container that works with your Anova Nano.
Firstly and most importantly for your Anova Nano is the lid. This lid has a cutout that is compatible with the Anova Nano. Also, it’s made of silicone, so it fits snugly around your Anova Nano and seals nicely over the container to prevent water evaporation and heat loss. Because it’s made of silicone, you can easily lift it up and down and also clean it.
Next let’s talk about the size. Sure it only comes in 12 quarts, but that’s the perfect size that’s not too large to store in your kitchen, and you can feed up with 5 people with it.
You can get a great bundle deal if you choose to add on a rack. The type of rack that comes with it is my personally recommended type of sous vide rack. It has built in clips that hold the dividers securely, and you can also adjust the number and position of the dividers. The rack sits at the bottom of the container and holds your sous vide bags in their own individual slots. This is perfect for keeping your sous vide bags fully submerged and preventing them from touching each other (both benefits for optimal water circulation for even cooking).
You can also get a bundle deal by adding on an insulation sleeve. The insulation sleeve fits perfectly to this container. It’s made of neoprene, which is perfect for preventing heat loss. It’s also great for protecting your countertop from heat.
2. Anova Precision Cooker Container
The Anova Precision Cooker Container is an excellent option for you if you want to go with a well-known, trusted brand in the sous vide world and don’t mind spending a bit more for it.
You can choose between a 12 L container or 16 L container. The 12 L container has a 100% silicone lid that fits tightly over the container. The 16 L container has a food grade polycarbonate lid that is silicone sealed. Both containers have cutouts designed specifically for Anova Precision Cookers, including the Anova Nano.
This container is rounded in shape (rather than having sharp, boxy edges like all of the other containers recommended here). Anova has patented this as their HemiflowTM design, helps water to circulate and heat efficiently.
It also comes with a removable rack that sits below the lid at the top of the container. This isn’t my preferred rack design, because customers report that you have to fill the container all the way to the top with water to fully submerge sous vide bags. Also, to keep sous vide bags from moving around and touching each other, you have to get clips to fasten each bag to the rack.
Additionally, if an insulation sleeve is an important factor to you (see my Buying Guide section below to help you figure out if it is), you might be disappointed to learn that this container doesn’t come with an insulation sleeve. There are insulation sleeves you can purchase separately for most other containers, but due to the unique shape of the Anova Precision Cooker Container, that won’t be an option here.
Finally, one factor many love about this container is that it’s BPA-free. Although, your food would be sealed in sous vide bags and won’t come into direct contact with the container, some do take comfort in knowing this for food safety reasons.
3. VPCOK Sous Vide Container with Lid and Rack
The VPCOK Sous Vide Container with Lid and Rack is a good value option if you’re looking for just a container and a good rack system that will fit your Anova Nano.
It’s a 12 quart container, which is the preferred container size for sous vide cooking.
The rack sits at the top of the container like the Anova Precision Cooker Container but is unique in that you can adjust the height up and down. This is handy in that you don’t have to worry about filling the container all the way up to the top.
That being said, you have to make sure you insert the adjustment columns with each use and align the rack along the columns correctly. Compare this to the type of rack with the EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid and see which you like more.
Also, this container doesn’t come with an insulation sleeve. Insulation sleeves aren’t absolutely necessary, though. Check out my Buying Guide below to see if an insulation sleeve is right for you.
4. Rubbermaid Food Storage Container
If you’re looking for the cheapest container with the least frills for your Anova Nano, the Rubbermaid Food Storage Container is the way to go.
Since you’re just getting the container, you don’t have to worry about a lid that will fit properly with your Anova Nano. Also, the Anova Nano clamps perfectly to the side of this container.
It does come in many size options. However, I’ve done some careful research to see which size container is ideal for sous vide and have determined that the 6, 8, or 12 quart are best.
I personally recommend the 12 quart size. And if you’re convinced by the benefits of a sous vide container lid (which I think you should be), you can purchase a separate lid. Note this lid only fits the 12, 18, and 22 quart containers, and the 18 and 22 quart containers are not good for sous vide cooking (so only get this lid if you’re getting a 12 quart container).
A sous vide rack can also be purchased separately, and I highly recommend getting one to keep your bags fully submerged.
5. HOMENOTE Sous Vide Container with Lid, Rack, and Sleeve
The HOMENOTE Sous Vide Container with Lid, Rack, and Sleeve is the container for you if you want one that fits your Anova Nano, is BPA-free, and comes in a bundle (including a lid, rack, and insulation sleeve) at a good price.
It’s the ideal size of 12 quarts, has a sturdy polycarbonate lid, and a wave design, stainless steel rack for optimal water circulation around your sous vide bags.
Finally, it’s BPA-free, if that’s a feature that’s important to you.
Best Container for Anova Nano Comparison Chart
| EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid | Anova Precision Cooker Container | VPCOK Sous Vide Container with Lid and Rack | Rubbermaid Food Storage Container | HOMENOTE Sous Vide Container with Lid, Rack, and Sleeve | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits Anova Nano | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Available Sizes | 12 quarts | 12 L or 16 L | 12.6 quarts | 2-22 quarts | 12 quart |
| Product Dimensions | 12.99 x 11.81 x 7.48 inches | 12 L: 15.35 x 9.41 x 8.37 inches 16L: 18.5 x 11.18 x 8.74 inches | 12.20 x 12.20 x 8.07 inches | 12 quart: 11.31 x 10.5 x 7.75 inches | 12.83 x 10.39 x 7.87 inches |
| Lid | Comes with silicone lid | 12 L comes with silicone lid 16 L comes with silicone sealed, food grade polycarbonate lid | Comes with plastic lid | Not included | Comes with polycarbonate lid |
| Rack | Can add on rack for additional cost | Comes with integrated stainless steel rack | Rack is a shelf with adjustable height to keep food submerged | Not included | Comes with wave design stainless steel rack |
| Insulation Sleeve | Can add on sleeve for additional cost | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| BPA-free | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Container for Anova Nano Buying Guide
Feature to Consider: Lid
Lids are used for sous vide containers to prevent water from evaporating and to prevent heat from escaping.
Prevention of water evaporation is most important if you’re cooking foods for long periods of time (a few hours or more). Also, the Anova Nano has an automatic shut-off feature if the water level drops too low. Lids are great here to make sure your Anova Nano keeps running, so your food gets cooked.
Since lids are also good for preventing heating from escaping, they help to make sure that your food is cooking at the exact, right temperature the entire time. By keeping heat in, they also make it easier for your Anova Nano to maintain the target temperature, so it doesn’t have to work too hard. Additionally, lids can come in handy for helping to speed up preheating time of the water bath.
These are a lot of good reasons to have a lid for your sous vide container, and a lid is something I highly recommend having.
Feature to Consider: Rack
Racks are excellent for making sure water circulates properly around your sous vide bags for even cooking. They keep sous vide bags fully submerged, and if you have multiple sous vide bags in the water bath, prevent them from touching each other.
From the containers recommended in this review, you probably noticed that there are two different kinds of racks. There’s the kind that sits at the bottom of the container with individual slots to place sous vide bags in, and there’s also the kind that sits at the top of the container, below the lid (like with Anova’s container and VPCOK’s container).
I personally am a bit wary of the type of rack that is positioned at the top of the container. A common issue people have is having to fill the water bath all the way to the rim of the container for the rack to be effective in keeping sous vide bags submerged. However, VPCOK’s container is designed well in that you can adjust the height of the rack (or as they call it, the shelf) to position it further down, so you don’t have to fill the container up as much.
I prefer the racks that sit at the bottom of the container. They give you more leeway in terms of the water level and how much water you need to fill the container with. Also, they’re specifically designed to prevent sous vide bags from touching by having dividers that create slots for each sous vide bag.
Overall, racks are pretty low cost, and you can get a really good deal if you get a container/lid/rack/insulation sleeve bundle. Personally, I think these are definitely worth getting.
Feature to Consider: Insulation Sleeve
Insulation sleeves are really great because they prevent heat loss from the sous vide water bath. This is helpful in making sure your food is cooking at the exact temperature you set it to throughout the whole cooking time. By keeping heat in, they also make it so that your Anova Nano doesn’t have to overwork itself to maintain your target temperature (thus preserving the life of the device).
Other benefits of insulation sleeves include:
- Helping to make sure the water bath preheats in a timely manner
- Maintaining temperature for long cook times
- Maintaining temperature so you don’t have to worry if you leave your sous vide running while you’re not there
- Protecting your countertop from high heat
One downside of insulation sleeves is that you can’t see through the sous vide container to keep an eye on your food and make sure your sous vide bags are staying intact. However, I think as long as your temperature and timer are set, you’re not overloading your sous vide bags, and you’re using high quality sous vide bags, you don’t really have to worry (that’s the beauty of sous vide cooking!).
Due to the great deals you can get with the sous vide container bundles, insulation sleeves are a bonus accesory definitely worth considering.
Feature to Consider: BPA-free
Many sous vide users are wary of sous vide containers that contain BPA due to health concerns.
I’d like to first point out that the majority of sous vide containers are not BPA-free. A very commonly used sous vide container brand, Rubbermaid, put BPA back in their containers because the BPA-free ones weren’t as good at withstanding high heat.
Secondly, since in sous vide cooking your food is contained within sous vide bags (most of which are BPA-free), the food isn’t coming into direct contact with the container. Therefore, this really shouldn’t be a problem.
However, maybe you don’t want to take any risks or you want to use your sous vide container for food storage, and that’s totally acceptable. It’s really a matter of personal choice, and that’s why I recommended Anova’s container and HOMENOTE’s container as BPA-free options.
Best Container for Anova Nano Summary
When it comes to picking the best container for your Anova Nano, the EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid is my favorite.
As you can see from my Buying Guide, a lid and rack are definitely worth getting. The insulation sleeve is an excellent add-on for ensuring precise results and preserving the life of your Anova Nano. The EVERIE Sous Vide Container with Universal Silicone Lid has great bundle options for these add-ons at awesome prices.
The more you cook with your handy Anova Nano, the more you’ll understand the benefits of a good lid, rack, and insulation sleeve. They’re well worth the purchase!
