How to Clean Your Joule Sous Vide

Is your Joule Sous Vide machine the prize possession in your kitchen? I’m sure you’ve cooked dozens of delicious meals with it, with perfect results time and again. You might have even become a sous vide addict by now.

But if you’re using your Joule regularly, you need to make sure you take good care of it, which includes cleaning it properly.

Cleaning your Joule is relatively easy to do, but there are some precautions that you need to take before cleaning it. In this guide, I’ll show you how to clean your Joule Sous Vide safely, as well as address some common questions that you may have when cleaning your Joule.

Cleaning Your Joule: Step by Step Guide

Cleaning your Joule is very simple to do and doesn’t take very long at all. Here’s a simple, and effective step by step guide to cleaning your Joule.

Something to note that many people disregard, is adding the Joule into the dishwasher (or submerging in water). Please don’t do this! It’ll likely break your Joule and will void your warranty, as mentioned in the buyers help guide that came with the product.

Step 1 – Create the Cleaning Liquid

First off, you’ll need to find a small jar or pot, and add equal parts of normal/tap, room temperature water and white vinegar, enough to fill above the minimum line (if you’re using a jar, make sure it can withstand high-temperature; otherwise, use a pot instead).

Step 2 – Adding and Setting Up the Joule

Add the Joule into the water/vinegar mix and use the manual mode on the Joule to set the temperature to around 140°F (60°C), and leave the Joule to do what the Joule does best and let it heat the water and vinegar solution.

Although using the water and vinegar mix at 140°F is ideal, you could run the circulation bath at a lower temperature than you normal would (the lowest temperature the Joule can go is 68°F [20°C]). Regardless of the temperature, you will get good cleaning results using this mixture and cleaning method.

Step 3 – Allow for the Temperature to be Reached

Once the Joule has reached the target temperature, it’ll notify you, and you can take the Joule out of the water/vinegar solution and dry it off. The Joule has now had a deep clean.

If your water is limescale or hard water, using this water and vinegar mixture will be a great way to clear that buildup within the Joule. You can tell if there are issues with buildup when you experience slow-heating times and whistling noises.

Step 4 -Cleaning the Inside of Your Joule

Another step you can take to clean your Joule is by cleaning the internal parts manually. First, unscrew the small foot at the bottom of your Joule, and then remove the propeller using a kitchen utensil to pull it out.

Once the propeller is removed from the Joule, you can clean gently using a small bottle brush, or a cleaning brush that will fit down the end of your Joule. Be careful not to push too hard, or too far as there are some small rubber seals around the nozzle that can be easily broken if pushed against too hard.

Once you’ve cleaned this, push the propeller back into the Joule and then screw the foot back on before using your Joule once again, to get amazing results every time.

Check out this video by the original Joule manufacturer, ChefSteps, for a great visual guide on all of these cleaning steps:

FAQ

How often should I clean my Joule Sous Vide?

Cleaning your Joule sous vide machine is very dependent on how often you use it. For example, there is a rough guide from ChefSteps, who suggest cleaning your Joule as often as you would a coffee machine (once a month).

Doing the deep/water vinegar clean once a month and just wiping down the outside of your Joule after each use is a good practice to get into to keep your Joule is excellent working condition.

Can I put my Joule in the dishwasher, or hand-wash it in a bowl?

No. Washing your Joule in the dishwasher or submerging it in water in a bowl or your kitchen sink won’t help with cleaning your Joule. As the Joule has internal electronics that aren’t protected effectively, submerging these electronics in water and/or in the dishwasher has a great chance to permanently break your Joule. It’ll likely also void your warranty, should you have any.

Will a deep clean help with heating issues, whistling noises, or heavy-scale buildup?

Yes. Deep cleaning using the above guide will not only help with the freshness and efficiency of your results but will also increase the longevity of your device. Heating issues (namely, slow heating times) and whistling noises are all signs of heavy-scale buildup, and using a water/vinegar bath will resolve these issues within your Joule unit.

If you have these issues, or haven’t cleaned your Joule in a while, I recommend letting your Joule run in the water and vinegar solution (step 2 above) for 20 to 30 minutes.

What if I still have issues even after I clean my Joule?

Cleaning your device is a good start to any problems you’re having with the Joule. However, if you’ve cleaned your Joule and you’re still having problems and there are visually no issues, check out my Joule troubleshooting guide here.

You also may want to contact Breville to see if your device is in warranty and/or faulty.

Can I use cleaning products to clean my Joule?

As a guideline, using cleaning products or cleaning agents with the Joule may make water contaminated if you use it in the future if incorrectly cleaned off. As a whole, using the water and vinegar mix will not only ensure a deep clean but will not leave any residue behind that other cleaning products or agents would.

In Summary

Cleaning your Joule Sous Vide is super easy to do, and will enhance both your cooking experience as well as the longevity of your Joule itself.

Following this guide will not only help you clean your Joule but will hopefully answer any questions you have about cleaning your Joule.