(checked 2026-10-10)Small sample: 665 ratings (1-star 11%, 2-star 4%).
Wirecutter's top pick: cheap, steady and quiet, with no app to worry about. Serious Eats rejected it as fiddly and unable to reach 190°F, Wirecutter's unit read 1 degree high until calibrated, and 15% of Amazon ratings are 1-2 stars.
Subscription: None: no app or wireless connection (Wirecutter)
Top complaints
- Temperature off out of the box for some
Wirecutter's unit read 1 degree high until calibrated. Serious Eats saw temperature variations and it never reached 190°F. Amazon's review summary says temperature control is mixed.
- Fiddly controls
Serious Eats struggled to set temperature, use the timer and turn it off, and found the toggle wheel frustrating. Amazon owners call the instructions vague.
- Bulky and basic; some failures
About 15 inches long with no low-water alarm or wireless control (Wirecutter). Amazon's summary mentions a loud buzzing for some and units breaking after about a year.
What owners love
- Steady after calibration
Once calibrated, Wirecutter's unit held its bath within ±0.1 degree for two hours, with tender steak, bright carrots and silky eggs.
Source: Wirecutter - Fits many containers
A screw clamp and over 3.5 inches between the min and max lines; it ran fine with 4 quarts of water in a 6-quart tub (Wirecutter).
Source: Wirecutter - Quiet hum, loud alerts
A constant low hum at 48 dB, and beeps loud enough to hear from several rooms away (Wirecutter). Amazon owners say it heats fast and makes great steak.
- You cook vegetables near 190°F
- You want a compact wand
- You won't check calibration with a thermometer
- A low-cost, no-app cooker
- Steaks and eggs at normal sous vide temperatures
- Loud beeps you can hear from other rooms
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Wirecutter (NYT): Top pick: affordable, accurate and easy to use; bigger than rivals and read 1 degree high out of the box.
- Serious Eats: Not recommended: complicated interface, frustrating wheel, bulky, and never hit 190°F.
- Food & Wine: Listed under models that didn't make its list (as 'Monoprice Sous Vide Immersion Cooker').