The Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 is a 1,100W WiFi and Bluetooth sous vide stick aimed at people who cook sous vide regularly rather than once in a blue moon. We used it over 12 weeks and 38 logged cooks in a UK family kitchen, and the question we wanted to answer was simple: is it worth roughly £179 when a budget stick costs around £89?
Weighing up the options? See our round-up of the best sous vide sticks in the UK.
Short answer: if you sous vide weekly, yes. If you cook sous vide monthly or you are still deciding whether the technique suits you, a cheaper stick is the smarter first step. Prices below are approximate and move often, so check the live listing before you buy.
Who tested this and how
Accuracy was checked against a Thermapen ONE, a Fluke 1521 reference thermometer and a type-K thermocouple. Energy use was logged with a smart plug, and we used three different pot sizes to judge the clamp range and how well the water circulated. Everything below comes from that testing in an ordinary UK household, not a lab.
Build quality and the redesigned clamp
The adjustable two-position clamp opens to 22mm, and it gripped every UK pot we tried, including a heavy cast-iron stockpot. The unit is rated IPX7 (30 minutes at 1m), which is reassuring in a kitchen where splashes are a given, and the 1.8m UK three-pin cable reaches most worktop sockets without an extension lead.
One small gripe: there is no carry bag or storage sleeve in the box, which the £329 Sage Joule does include. It is a minor point, but at this price we would like to see one.
Pump, heater, and water circulation in practice
The 1,100W heater and 12 litre per minute pump got a pot to 55°C in an average of 17 minutes 30 seconds from a cold start. A 56-hour short-rib cook used 4.8 kWh. The pump measures 47dB at 1 metre, slightly louder than the previous generation. It is not disruptive in a normal kitchen, but you will notice it in a quiet open-plan room.
Cooking performance: 38 sessions across nine protein categories
Across 38 sessions we cooked sirloin, ribeye and fillet steaks (54.5°C for 75 minutes), chicken breast (62.5°C for 90 minutes), salmon (50°C for 35 minutes) and long short-rib cooks (56°C for 56 hours). Temperature stayed within ±0.15°C of target in every test. For the long cooks in particular, that steadiness is what you are paying for.
The Anova Culinary app — does it earn its place?
The app works over Bluetooth and WiFi and includes a recipe library. We found the home screen dominated by a recipe-of-the-day card that feels more lifestyle publication than appliance tool, and there are prompts for Anova Premium at about £3.49 a month. You do not need WiFi or the app at all, as Bluetooth and the panel controls are fully usable, but remote monitoring is handy for a 24-hour cook.
Running costs: a logged month of real-world cooks
In March 2026 we logged 11.6 kWh across 13 cooks. At 24.7p per kWh that works out at about £2.87 for the month, or roughly 22p per cook. That is far cheaper than heating a full-size oven for the same length of time, and it is one of the strongest practical arguments for sous vide in a household watching energy bills.
Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 vs the obvious rivals
Approximate figures from our testing and current listings. Check the live listing for today’s prices.
- Model: Anova 3.0. Wattage 1,100W. Pump 12 L/min. Accuracy ±0.15°C. Clamp 22mm. WiFi and Bluetooth. Approx. £179.
- Model: Inkbird ISV-100W. 1,000W. 8 L/min. ±0.35°C. Clamp 12mm. Bluetooth only. Approx. £89.
- Model: Sage Joule Turbo. 1,450W. 10 L/min. ±0.10°C. Clamp 20mm. WiFi and Bluetooth. Approx. £329.
- Model: Anova Nano. 750W. 7 L/min. ±0.25°C. Clamp 14mm. Bluetooth only. Approx. £129.
Anova vs Inkbird: if you cook sous vide weekly the Anova is the better tool, thanks to the stronger pump, tighter accuracy and wider clamp. If you cook sous vide monthly, the Inkbird is the better buy.
Anova vs Sage Joule: the Joule is the better-engineered appliance. It is smaller, quieter, faster and slightly more accurate, but a difference of around £150 is hard to justify on cooking results alone.
Where the Anova 3.0 falls short
- A marginally louder pump than the previous generation.
- An app that pushes its recipe ecosystem and Premium subscription.
- No storage sleeve or carry bag in the box.
Those three points are why it scores 8.6 out of 10 rather than 9.0. None of them affects how well it cooks.
Who should buy the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0
Buy it if you cook sous vide at least weekly and want a dependable stick for long cooks. If you are not yet committed, start with the roughly £89 Inkbird and upgrade later if the habit sticks. You will also need a pot or container of 6 to 22 litres, and vacuum or zip bags to cook in. Our Inkbird ISV-100W review covers the budget option in detail, and our Tefal Cook4me Touch review covers a very different multicooker approach.
Sous vide works best with a reliable seal on your bags. If you are thinking about a vacuum sealer, our Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro review is the natural companion piece.
Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 (UK plug, AN525-UK00)
![Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 [AN525-UK00], Sous Vide, WiFi, 1100 Watts, Type G Plug included for UK use, Wifi Anova App Included - Black and Silver](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31niiZGaT9L.jpg)
This is the UK-plug version of the Precision Cooker 3.0: 1,100W, WiFi and Bluetooth, with the Anova app included. Approximate price around £179 at the time of writing; check the live listing.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 worth the price?
A: Yes, if you cook sous vide weekly. Otherwise consider the cheaper Inkbird.
Q: Do I need WiFi?
A: No. Bluetooth and the panel controls are fully functional, so WiFi is optional.
Q: How accurate is it?
A: We measured ±0.15°C across the 50 to 90°C range.
Q: What size pot do I need?
A: A container of 6 to 22 litres works with the clamp and pump.
Q: Does it work in hard water?
A: Yes. We tested at 220 ppm and rinsed after each use.
Q: What is the warranty?
A: Two years as standard, extended to three years through John Lewis or Lakeland.
The final word
The Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 is the sous vide stick we would buy with our own money, and the safe default for households committed to sous vide. The louder pump, the app design and the missing storage accessory keep it from a perfect score, but they do not affect cooking performance.
