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Breville Joule Turbo Review

A smart and capable device that can cut down on the typical sous vide cooking time but lacks manual controls
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Breville Joule Turbo Review (The Breville Joule Turbo is our Top Pick compact sous vide.)
The Breville Joule Turbo is our Top Pick compact sous vide.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $250 List
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Manufacturer:   Breville
By Lesley Robinson, Arthur McMahon  ⋅  Dec 4, 2024
84
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 7
  • Temperature - 40% 8.5
  • Circulation - 25% 9.0
  • Ease of Use - 25% 8.4
  • Cooking - 10% 6.5

Our Verdict

The Breville Joule Turbo is a compact, smart sous vide with contemporary features and styling for the modern home kitchen. Its forward-thinking design eliminates manual on-device controls in favor of smartphone connectivity and control. Since it's small in size and light in weight, it can be used in smaller containers and with less water, and it is easier to store when not in use. It also features a flat magnetic base, which enables it to stand in pots or cooking containers without needing to use the attachment clip. Plus, you can cook dozens of turbo recipes much quicker than with a conventional sous vide. See how it compares to other top-ranked sous vide machines we tested.
REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Easy-to-use app
Fast-cooking turbo mode
Flat magnetic base
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks on-device controls
Narrow attachment clip

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Compact and Powerful with Smart Features
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Sous Vide Machine
Best Buy Award
Budget-Friendly with an App
Best Buy Award
Inexpensive with Excellent Circulation
 
Price $250 List
$249.95 at Amazon
$199 List
$119.00 at Amazon
$149 List
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$130 List
$99.99 at Amazon
$90 List
$90.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line A sleek device that's loaded with smart features and can cook faster than typical sous vides, but requires a smartphone app to operateA well-rounded sous vide that's powerful, accurate, easy to use, and comes with a useful phone appThe simple interface, helpful companion app, and temperature accuracy make this budget-friendly sous vide a great choice for beginnersWith its stellar circulation, it's no surprise that this budget-friendly model heats up quickly, and the large LCD screen is very easy to seeOffers excellent heat control and circulation in an oversized and top-heavy design that's paired with a less-than-helpful app
Rating Categories Breville Joule Turbo Anova Culinary Prec... Anova Culinary Prec... Greater Goods Preci... Inkbird WiFi Cooker...
Temperature (40%)
8.5
9.0
8.0
6.8
9.0
Circulation (25%)
9.0
10.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
Ease of Use (25%)
8.4
9.7
8.8
7.3
5.3
Cooking (10%)
6.5
9.0
9.0
9.0
5.0
Specs Breville Joule Turbo Anova Culinary Prec... Anova Culinary Prec... Greater Goods Preci... Inkbird WiFi Cooker...
Time to heat to 147 F 32 min 36 min 47 min 39 min 39 min
Max Temp setting 197.4 F 197.0 F 197.0 F 203.0 F 210.0 F
Clamp/Mounts Removable Clip Adjustable screw clamp Fixed screw clamp Adjustable screw clamp Fixed spring clamp
Heating Degree per Minute 3.00 F 2.69 F 2.01 F 2.54 F 2.49 F
Wattage 1100 W 1100 W 850 W 1100 W 1000 W
Measured Weight 1.3 lbs 1.9 lbs 1.4 lbs 2.6 lbs 2.6 lbs
Measured Dimensions 12.25"L x 1.9"W x 2.9"D 12.8"L x 3.1"W x 5.5"D 12.7"L x 3.1"W x 4.1"D 15.5"L x 2.75"W x 6.2"D 16"L x 2.8"W x 4.5"D
App Control Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

This high-quality sous vide boasts powerful circulation, efficient heating, and a unique turbo feature that can cook dozens of pre-made recipes quicker than the typical sous vide. It's an incredibly capable device that, paired with the Breville+ companion app, can be controlled remotely with voice commands and offers many video-guided recipes.

Performance Comparison


breville joule turbo - the joule turbo doesn't require much water, which means you can heat...
The Joule Turbo doesn't require much water, which means you can heat smaller amounts faster.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Temperature


We consider a sous vide's ability to heat water a major factor in its performance, which is why the temperature rating comprises 40% of our overall score. To test this, we measured how fast the Breville Joule Turbo could heat water and its accuracy in achieving and maintaining a set temperature.


The Breville proved to be exceptionally fast. We filled a 9.5-quart container with 50.9-degree tap water and set the device to 147 degrees, then timed how long it took for the sous vide to heat the water to that temperature. The Breville accomplished this in an impressive 32 minutes, averaging a temperature increase of three degrees per minute. With 1100 watts of power at its disposal, this sous vide machine will get your pot of water hot and ready to cook faster than most.

breville joule turbo - we were surprised by how fast this small appliance heats a tub of...
We were surprised by how fast this small appliance heats a tub of water.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Next, we set the Joule Turbo to heat the water to 135 degrees and recorded the actual water temperature with a super thermometer multiple times throughout the water bath. There was a bit of variance, but nothing too significant. The average temperature discrepancy was less than half a degree from the set temperature, showing that it was relatively accurate but not perfect.

breville joule turbo - excellent circulation is a must for a top-quality sous vide.
Excellent circulation is a must for a top-quality sous vide.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Circulation


A good sous vide needs to circulate the water efficiently to heat food evenly. The Breville Joule Turbo didn't have any problems creating a gentle yet consistent whirlpool in our cooking vessel.


To measure circulation, we crafted our own testing instrument using an aquarium hose and a syringe to inject 10 milliliters of high-contrast food coloring into a corner of the water container. Then, we switched the flip on the machine and started our time to see how long it took to homogenize the color of the water bath. The Breville got this done in 15 seconds flat. This quick circulation time helps to ensure a thorough and balanced cook without any hot or cool spots in the vessel.

breville joule turbo - the breville+ app provides abundant information and data.
The Breville+ app provides abundant information and data.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Ease of Use


Sous vides are meant to make your cooking more precise but also easier. What good is a kitchen appliance that is so complicated that you don't want to use it anymore? To make sure the Breville Joule Turbo was something we actually wanted to use in a kitchen, we tested and rated the device's interface and attachment style.


If you like controlling appliances with your smartphone, then the Breville is a delight to use. The app is wonderfully intuitive and capable. Through the app, you can set the temperature to the 10th of a degree, which we really appreciate for fine-tuning the cook on sensitive foods like steaks and eggs. The app can also send notifications about your timers and temperatures, be programmed to autostart the timer or wait until the food has been added to start counting and let you know how long your food has been holding at the target temperature. All of these controls help you take a set-it-and-forget-it approach to cooking, which is one of the best benefits of using a sous vide machine. There are no manual on-device controls like buttons or knobs, which is a bit of a bummer if you don't have your phone on you all the time, but who doesn't these days?

breville joule turbo - phone notifications make it so you don't have to sit by the sous...
Phone notifications make it so you don't have to sit by the sous vide and wait.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

We also think the turbo recipes are a great addition, though the fast-cooking functionality is limited to these specific recipes — you can't activate turbo mode for your own creations. Similarly, the step-by-step recipes are helpful, but you do have to pay for a subscription if you want full access to specific chef recipes. That said, the guided recipes provided at purchase are plentiful and have been specifically tuned for the Breville.

breville joule turbo - it would be better if the slim clip were adjustable or if more sizes...
It would be better if the slim clip were adjustable or if more sizes were included with the product at purchase.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

As for the attachment, the included removable clip is narrow, which limits the styles of containers you can attach it to. A larger clip is available as a separate purchase, but we would have liked to see that included as an option from the start. However, the flat magnetic base helps make up for the less-than-ideal attachment. The magnetic foot allows the Breville to stand up in a metal pot on its own — no clip or clamp required. We appreciate this super practical bonus feature.

breville joule turbo - there are many ways to cook an egg. a sous vide should cook it to...
There are many ways to cook an egg. A sous vide should cook it to perfection.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Cooking


At the end of the day, a sous vide machine needs to cook food reliably and to your exact expectations. Our way to measure this ability involves cooking an egg with the Breville Joule Turbo following a set guideline with the goal of delivering an intact egg white with a runny yet slightly thickened yolk — the type of egg we would love to enjoy with a piece of toast.


We cooked the egg for an hour at 144.5 degrees, then cooled it in an ice bath before cracking it open onto a plate to evaluate the results. The Breville produced an egg that was slightly undercooked when weighed against our expectations. The egg white was a little ghostly and runny, and the yolk was a good deal more runny than we had wanted. This falls in line with our temperature test, which showed this device keeping the water about a half degree cooler than it was set, so if you want super precise results, keep this half-degree difference in mind.

breville joule turbo - a stylish sous vide for the modern kitchen.
A stylish sous vide for the modern kitchen.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Should You Buy the Breville Joule Turbo?


The Breville Joule Turbo is a powerhouse machine in a compact package. If you're comfortable operating the device via your smartphone, you'll find the app comprehensive, informative, and easy to use. It's priced at a premium, but its quality and capability make it worth it for some. Though its temperature accuracy was a little off, it was consistent, which means it's something you can adjust to. The benefits certainly outweigh the downsides — that's why it's listed among the best sous vide machines.

breville joule turbo - its small dimensions allow you to store it just about anywhere.
Its small dimensions allow you to store it just about anywhere.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

What Other Sous Vides Should You Consider?


If you're looking for a sous vide with a great companion app but find the price tag of the Breville Joule Turbo a little high, take a look at the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker 3.0. It's a well-rounded option that outperforms the Breville in some aspects, such as temperature accuracy. Similarly, the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano 3.0 uses the same powerful app as the full-size Anova, but it is smaller and more on par with the Breville in terms of size, and it's even less expensive.

breville joule turbo - the right sous vide can up your kitchen game to the next level.
The right sous vide can up your kitchen game to the next level.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Lesley Robinson, Arthur McMahon