REASONS TO BUY
Good price
Strong circulation performance
Decent accuracy
REASONS TO AVOID
Attachment clip is far from our favorite
VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker Review
If you are shopping for one of these appliances on a budget, this is one to consider
RELATED: Best Sous Vide Machine
Our Verdict
If you are hoping to give sous vide cooking a try but the price tag of the premium models is out of your reach, then we would strongly suggest checking out the VPCOK. This relatively low-cost option did decently well in our temperature metric and has a simple and easy-to-use interface, all while delivering some of the best results we have seen inour circulation test. It does have a few flaws, but cooked some excellent meals; it's a great starter option to add to your kitchen countertop if you are trying to minimize expenditures.
Editor's Note: We updated this review we two new sections designed to help you zero in on the products that meet your needs. It was updated on February 14, 2022.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  A Model with Excellent Circulation |  Budget-Friendly with an App | |||
| Price | $100 List $49.77 at Amazon | $130 List $99.99 at Amazon | $149 List $80.99 at Amazon | $100 List $46.99 at Amazon | $100 List $69.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | If you want to try out sous vide cooking without spending a ton of cash, this is a great choice | 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 | Offers exceptional performance for the price, though for a little extra cash you can get significantly more features | It's far from our favorite sous vide and costs a bit more than other higher scoring products |
| Rating Categories | VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker | Greater Goods Preci... | Anova Culinary Prec... | Wancle Thermal Imme... | Instant Accu Slim |
| Temperature (40%) | |||||
| Circulation (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Specs | VPCOK Sous Vide Cooker | Greater Goods Preci... | Anova Culinary Prec... | Wancle Thermal Imme... | Instant Accu Slim |
| Clamp/Mounts | Removeable fixed plastic clip | Fixed plastic clip | Fixed screw clamp | Fixed spring clamp | Fixed spring clamp |
| App Control | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Wattage | 1000W | 1100W | 750W | 850W | 800W |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
If you are shopping on a limited budget, then we think this is a good option.
Credit: Laura Casner
Temperature
We started by testing the thermal characteristics of this sous vide machine. We looked at how accurate each appliance is, how quickly they recovered to the set temperature after cold food was added, how stable the set temperature is maintained, and the time to initially heat. The VPCOK overall did a little better than average, doing well in three out of four of our tests.
We like that this model is one of the faster to heat up, raising our test volume of water — approximately 9.5 quarts — from 48°F to 147°F in 39 minutes. This was one of the fastest times of the group, narrowly missing out on the quickest time by only a couple of minutes. It also performed well in our stability assessment. We used digital thermochrons called iButtons vacuum-sealed in a bag to record the water bath temperature every minute for an hour, awarding points based on the amount of variability present. The VPCOK did a phenomenal job, maintaining the temperature within 0.1°F for the entire hour without any thermal swings.
This appliance is one of the fastest when it comes to initially heating up the water bath.
Credit: Laura Casner
This sous vide immersion circulator did average in the rebound test, failing to take a significant amount of time to regain the set temperature after we dropped in three frozen hamburger patties. However, in our accuracy test, we were the most disappointed with the VPCOK. It typically ran 1.03°F less compared to its advertised 135°F temperature and was 1.32°F under when set for 147°F. We measured this using a lab-grade thermometer to measure the temperature at six different locations, averaged our readings, and then compared them to the setpoint.
The VPCOK delivered one of the best performances of the entire group in our circulation test.
Credit: Laura Casner
Circulation
Next, we compared well this immersion circulator moved water around the container compared to its counterparts. We did this by injecting a small amount of diluted food dye into one part of the container, then timing how long it took the VPCOK to circulate the dye to the point where the color was tinted a uniform color. This machine did very well, tying for the top spot overall.
This model took a mere 14 seconds or so to evenly distribute the dye — much faster than the three or more minutes it took some of the slower models.
We like how simple and easy to operate this SV machine is.
Credit: Laura Casner
Ease of Use
Our last round of tests looked at each sous vide machine's user-friendliness and ease of operation. We evaluated the ease of connecting each model to different containers and analyzed the interface. The VPCOK delivered some middle-of-the-road results, earning it a spot in the middle of the pack.
While we really like the controls on this product, it was the clip that dropped it back in the rankings in our minds. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, with most of us feeling that we could set times and temperatures immediately without consulting the manual.
While the clip is removable, the spring clip can be quite a pain to use in our minds.
Credit: Laura Casner
Unfortunately, we did not like the clip on this appliance at all. It does come on and off the machine, but the fixed plastic clip can make it hard to attach to containers — particularly those with a lip.
Should You Buy the VPCOK?
The VPCOK does a decent job overall. We aren't huge fans of its mediocre performance in our accuracy test, but this can be compensated for if you are careful. The clip also limits your choice of containers, but it's more than a passable starting point, offering plenty of bang for the buck. One of our main complaints about this product is its so-so performance in our temperature accuracy tests. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker but something you should know, especially if cooking steaks or other proteins close to the lower end of the acceptable temperature. We would suggest double-checking the temperature of your water bath with another thermometer if you are unsure or bumping up the temperature a few degrees if you think your sous vide might be heating up the water less than it shows. While this kitchen appliance isn't without flaws, we think these can easily be overlooked when you consider the typically lower price of this product and think it's a great bargain for anyone looking to get started with a top-tier sous vide on a tight budget.
What Other Sous Vide Machine Should You Consider?
Depending on sales, you can often find higher ranking options in this review for about the same price as the VPOCK. With better performance for temperature and ease of use, the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano could be a better fit for your needs. If budget is less of a concern, the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker AN500-US00 offers impressive water circulation and ease of use.
—
Michelle Powell and David Wise
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