REASONS TO BUY
Practically perfect at holding temperature
Very accurate
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster circulation performance
Average interface
Sousvide Art 850W Immersional Circulator Review
Delivered an acceptable set of results but is far from claiming one of the top spots
RELATED: Best Sous Vide Machine
Our Verdict
Delivering an overall lackluster and uninspiring set of results in most of our assessments, the Sousvide Art 850W Immersional Circulator is far from the best sous vide machine. While we did award it excellent scores in our temperature accuracy and stability evaluations, it didn't deliver awe-inspiring results in the remainder of our tests. See our full sous vide review to check out our favorite options.
Editor's Note: This gear review was updated on February 14, 2022, with new details on the products we would recommend to a friend.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Sousvide Art 850W Immersional Circulator | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Sous Vide Machine |  A Model with Excellent Circulation |  Budget-Friendly with an App | ||
| Price | $110 List $79.97 at Amazon | $150 List $114.99 at Amazon | $130 List $99.99 at Amazon | $149 List $80.99 at Amazon | $100 List $49.77 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Though it holds an accurate and steady temperature, it lags behind with less than stellar circulation and a mediocre interface | This sous vide offers stable temps and an intuitive interface at a more-than-fair price point | With its stellar circulation, it's no surprise that this budget-friendly model heats up quickly, and the large LCD screen is very easy to see | An overall excellent product that doesn't sacrifice much in performance and boasts the addition of an app | If you want to try out sous vide cooking without spending a ton of cash, this is a great choice |
| Rating Categories | Sousvide Art 850W I... | KitchenBoss G320 | Greater Goods Preci... | Anova Culinary Prec... | VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker |
| Temperature (40%) | |||||
| Circulation (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Specs | Sousvide Art 850W I... | KitchenBoss G320 | Greater Goods Preci... | Anova Culinary Prec... | VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker |
| Clamp/Mounts | Fixed screw clamp | Adjustable and removeable screw clamp | Fixed plastic clip | Fixed screw clamp | Removeable fixed plastic clip |
| App Control | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Wattage | 850W | 1100W | 1100W | 750W | 1000W |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
This fairly uninspiring sous vide costs a bit more than we would expect.
Credit: Laura Casner
Likes
As mentioned above, the main things that stood out to us about the Sousvide Art 850W are its top-tier temperature accuracy and how well it can maintain a steady-state water bath. We tested and measured the stability of each model in the sous vide review by encasing a digital temperature logger in a vacuum-sealed package inside the water bath and having it measure the temperature to a tenth of a degree every minute for an hour. Scores were based on the percentage of the hour that the thermochron data logger showed a discrepancy from the steady-state temperature. It earned top marks, with the logger showing the same temperature for the entire hour.
The Sousvide Art makes it easy to poach perfect eggs for a crowd.
Credit: Michelle Powell
We evaluated accuracy by setting the Sousvide Art 850W to a temperature (135°F) and measuring the water in six different spots with a precise digital lab-grade thermometer and averaging results. We repeated this process with the Art 850W set to 147°F as well. It displayed an average temperature error of 0.05°F above the set temperature of 135°F and 0.33°F under when it was set to 147°F.
The bulk of our testing focused on the temperature performance of each appliance.
Credit: Laura Casner
The Art 850W delivered mediocre results when initially heating water. This machine took just under an hour to heat a full container (9.5 quarts) of tap water to 147°F — a bit slower than the fastest time of 36 minutes.
The SousVide Art was one of the slower models when it came to circulating the dye.
Credit: Michelle Powell
Dislikes
It disappointed us a bit in our circulation tests, a fairly significant test that accounts for 30% of the total score for each product. We assessed the performance of the Art 850W by adding some water tinted with food dye using a syringe and tube into a corner of the water bath while the circulator pump was operating and then timing how long it took for the entire bath to become evenly colored. The best models took 20 seconds or less, while the Sousvide Art 850W required a whopping 2:16 to achieve the same level of dispersion.
The interface on this appliance isn't our favorite.
Credit: Laura Casner
We also didn't find the interface on the Art 850W to be all that intuitive, as you need to tap a button to get it started preheating the water and hit it again to start the timer. The mounting bracket and a screw clamp to hold it to the side of the container are fairly typical, but we wish it spun a little easier to speed up installing or removing.
This model has a fairly standard screw clamp.
Credit: Laura Casner
Should You Buy the Sousvide Art 850W?
While the Sousvide Art 850W did have a noteworthy combined performance when you consider its stability and accuracy, we found its flaws to be too significant to earn it a place in most kitchens. It gets the job done, but some of our all-time favorite models cost about the same, so we think it makes sense to stick with one of those if you are going to spend the same amount. It did well in our accuracy tests and earned top marks in the stability test, so it could be a good choice if you care about accuracy above all else. However, this could vary between machines, so you may want to double-check with your own baseline thermometer if you genuinely need accuracy with a few tenths of a degree. Overall, we didn't find this to be a high-value product. It has a list price comparable with some of the top-tier products but scored close to the back of the group.
What Other Sous Vide Machine Should You Consider?
If this is your budget, we prefer the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano and the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker AN500-US00. The first is a high-ranking choice that provides excellent test results in most metrics, and it has a price similar to the Art. The latter will cost a touch more, but it has better circulation than both.
—
Michelle Powell and David Wise
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