- Sep 17, 2018
- 46
- 45
There are a lot of posts about cooler mods for Sous Vide circulators. Most are using 12-20 qt coolers, but I have used a 48qt without any issues, and converted so as to minimize evaporation. Anova says a maximum of 5.5 gallons is the limit for the 900watt unit, but in an insulated cooler, that limit is moot because the water will hold temperature much longer than those uninsulated transparent tubs.
The cooler I did the mod for is a 48qt Coleman that holds about 10 gallons to the MAX line on the Anova. I drilled a 2 3/8 in hole in a far side to accommodate the Anova. Then I split the top so that I could load and check ingredients without interrupting the water circulation from the Anova. I kept the two lids attached to the cooler. I marked the Min/Max levels inside the cooler for water level reference. This makes it easy to load, once the water temp is reached, and without disturbing the Anova.
I recently did 12 boneless chicken breasts, along with 24 chicken drumsticks in one load, as well as two full-sized 15lb packer briskets all in the cooler together in another load. Temp was set and maintained at 145F for 2 hours for the chicken and 142 for the Briskets for 42 hours, and they came out perfectly. I have also sous vide a large number of potatoes at 185 deg for an hour to make super mashed potatoes! Evaporation was virtually nil and only added a water cup of water at 30 hours for the briskets. Size is not an issue with the insulated coolers. It all depends on your needs, and this 48qt works just as well as a 12qt container. No steam evaporation, so no need to constantly monitor water level! Easy to lift one side to check that bags are not floating. The real kicker is that this cooler can be found all over for less than $25! Cheers! Bon Appetite.
The cooler I did the mod for is a 48qt Coleman that holds about 10 gallons to the MAX line on the Anova. I drilled a 2 3/8 in hole in a far side to accommodate the Anova. Then I split the top so that I could load and check ingredients without interrupting the water circulation from the Anova. I kept the two lids attached to the cooler. I marked the Min/Max levels inside the cooler for water level reference. This makes it easy to load, once the water temp is reached, and without disturbing the Anova.
I recently did 12 boneless chicken breasts, along with 24 chicken drumsticks in one load, as well as two full-sized 15lb packer briskets all in the cooler together in another load. Temp was set and maintained at 145F for 2 hours for the chicken and 142 for the Briskets for 42 hours, and they came out perfectly. I have also sous vide a large number of potatoes at 185 deg for an hour to make super mashed potatoes! Evaporation was virtually nil and only added a water cup of water at 30 hours for the briskets. Size is not an issue with the insulated coolers. It all depends on your needs, and this 48qt works just as well as a 12qt container. No steam evaporation, so no need to constantly monitor water level! Easy to lift one side to check that bags are not floating. The real kicker is that this cooler can be found all over for less than $25! Cheers! Bon Appetite.
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