Looking to buy my parents and in-laws sous vide machines for Christmas but it's been awhile since I bought mine.

What are the go-to models nowadays?

I have an older model Anova that's held up well but was curious on Anova vs Joule or any other brands that are flying under the radar.

Just an honest question - but do they actually want sous vide machines? Or will they actually use it?

My dad bought my mom one and I don't think she's ever looked at it - might have made him return it.

my anova lasted like 2 years and crapped out. have a Joule now and its been solid.

AggieOO said:

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my anova lasted like 2 years and crapped out. have a Joule now and its been solid.

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My original Anova lasted a long time. Maybe 8+ years? Still technically works but started making an awful noise. I replaced it with a new Anova and the build quality has gone way down. I'd probably have gone to a Joule if I'd done more research. I am app averse though.

So Joule has now become Breville?

Ag_07 said:

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So Joule has now become Breville?

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I think Breville bought joule a few years back. I bought the original joule off of kickstarter back in the day, September of 2016 to be exact. The transition to Breville and the app updates have been seamless and I even had Breville send me a new magnetic base after mine broke. I was impressed with the customer service on a ~6 year old appliance that they had no part in manufacturing. I've also been very happy with my other Breville appliances(convection oven and espresso machine).

MichaelJ: Howdy, yours is a very GOOD question. I would really have to know that they wanted one and not just gift them one. Had I Gifted my wife one, I would be wearing it.

I have an Anova, and it's still going strong. I'll second the desire to have appliances that don't need an app.

What makes the joule worth $250?

My first gen Anova still going strong

My ANOVA has worked well for 5 years now.

My gen 1 Anova is still running strong as are the ones I bought for friends and family around the same time. However, I've had friends that have had nothing but trouble with newer versions, so at this point, if my Anova went out, I'd look hard at the Joule.