Sansaire Sous Vide Review: Stunningly Sleek and Simple

Sansaire is on a mission to be your go-to for sous vide, with products ranging from their revolutionary immersion circulator to searing kits and steak aging sauces. In this Sansaire review, we’ll dive into every aspect of the sous vide machine including the design, main features, and performance.

Unboxing and Setup

When it comes to gadgets, I tend to get a bit too excited about packaging. As for unboxing the Sansair sous vide cooker, it definitely didn’t disappoint. Starting from the box it came in, the design was impressive. Inside it, you will find the immersion circulator, power cord, user manual and a very practical temperature guide. Let me just say that the guide instantly became a permanent fixture on my fridge.

Now, about the process of setting up the Sansair sous vide machine. Here is a step by step walkthrough to make things easier for you:

Step 1: Plug it in.

Step 2: Done!

Yup, that’s all it takes for you to start your sous vide cooking journey. Simply take your new Sansaire immersion circulator and place it into a water bath: you can use a large pot or a polycarbonate container. In case you didn’t already know this, all immersion circulators require a water container to be provided or bought separately. Check out our recommendations for best sous vide containers here. For this review, I opted for a polycarbonate container in whose lid I cut a hole to place the Sansaire. The lid will prevent evaporation and conserve energy.

Design and Features

I love everything about the Sansaire sous vide machine design. When I compare the look of this immersion circulator to other sous vide machines on the market, it’s easy to see how innovative and sleek it is. Not unlike most immersion circulators, the Sansaire is compact and doesn’t need much counter space like the bulky sous vide ovens do.I keep my Sansaire sous vide cooker in a corner of my kitchen counter- it weighs only 4 pounds and doesn’t take up more than 4 square inches of my countertop. Pretty neat, right?

Stainless Steel Clip

While the metal clasp on the back of the Sansaire circulator looks elegant, it isn’t too sturdy. It doesn’t clip tight and secure to the side of the container, but rather serves as a support- so the immersion circulator doesn’t tip over in the water bath/ Personally, I haven’t had any issues while using it with my 12-quart container, but it doesn’t mean you won’t. If you are using a DIY water bath for sous vide, such as kitchen sinks or old plastic cooler, relying on the Sansaire’s metal clip might not be the wisest idea.  

Temperature Display

Even the way this sous vide machine displays the temperatures is beautifully designed. There is a LED panel on the top of the Sansaire; you can choose between Fahrenheit or Celsius. Perhaps this is my nerdiness speaking, but I was completely impressed by the design of temperature controls and the way you set the temperature. The top of the Sansaire actually rotates You twist the silver ring at the head of the sous vide machine to change the temperature – it moves in increments of 0.1 degree F. The overall temperature ranges from 32 degrees to 212 degrees F, which is quite a bit higher than most other sous vide machines out there.

Powerful Circulator

The Sansaire sous vide machine boasts a powerful 1100 Watt heater which will warm up the water to the set temperature exceptionally fast. For this review,I filled my container with lukewarm (perhaps closer to room temperature) water and it reached 129 degrees F in minutes.

The compact Sansaire cooker also circulates 3 gallons of water per minute, making sure that the temperature throughout the whole water bath is precise and evenly distributed. Sansaire recommends keeping the water bath under 6 gallons (23L) for optimal temperature control and circulation.

International Plug Configurations

Sous vide cooking enthusiasts have been waiting for this option for a long time. It might seem like an obvious thing, but Sansaire is one of the rare immersion circulators that offers different plug configurations depending on your country. Sansaire now has international sous vide plug configurations as follows:

• North America – 110V
• Australia/New Zealand
• International 220/240V

Performance Test

I know you’re all waiting for the true test. How does the Sansaire immersion circulator actually perform during regular home use? I did two separate tests to see its real power.

Test 1 – Ribeye

A juicy, evenly cooked ribeye steak is a true test for any sous vide cooker. I filled my polycarbonate container with water and set my Sansaire sous vide machine to 132 degrees F. While the water was warming up, the meat was being prepared for cooking. I seasoned the ribeye with sea salt, cracked pepper, and rosemary springs and vacuum sealed it.

After roughly an hour and 15 minutes, I pulled it out and tossed it on a hot cast iron pan with avocado oil, searing both sides while flipping every 15 seconds. Towards the end I added a little butter into the pan as well. Results… Extraordinary! I would preferred if the sear was better, but the pan wasn’t hot enough- my mistake. On the other hand, this is a review on the Sansaire, so you probably don’t want to hear about my personal searing fails.

Test 2 – Lemon Dill Atlantic Salmon

Since my salmon was not frozen beforehand, I wanted it to be cooked a little more thoroughly (I also prefer slightly more firmness/texture to my salmon). I set the Sansaire to 130 degree F, vacuum sealed each piece with some butter and olive oil, and cooked it for 25 minutes. After removing them from the bag, I seasoned the salmon with some lemon juice and dill. For the finishing touches, I seared them in a stainless steel pan with a bit of butter and coriander.

While the salmon ended up being a bit too overcooked for my taste, it was because I seared it in a pan after sous vide. Either way, the results were great and the salmon was still delicious.

Final Thoughts

During the testing stage, I was very impressed with the accuracy of the Sansaire and how quickly it heated the water. The price point matches other immersion circulators on the market, and Sansaire’s other sous vide products (searing kit and aging sauce) compliment the machine nicely. International plug options are a huge plus for many consumers, and I must note that he temperature precision was impeccable. The only potential downside we noticed was the relatively weak clip, however this is not enough to deter this from being one of our highest recommended sous vide machines. Overall, the Sansaire immersion circulator combines a powerful performance with modern design, making it a must buy for any sous vide enthusiast.

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