Sous vide cookers are nothing new in many home kitchens. You might have spotted them on cooking TV shows, where they heat water to a specific temperature and maintain it, ensuring your food is cooked perfectly to the exact temperature every time. Over the past decade, sous vide cookers have gone from expensive, high-end restaurant-only appliances to affordable kitchen gadgets.
INKBIRD, a company that specializes in smart IoT devices, especially in temperature control devices, has also jumped into the sous vide space in the past few years with some budget-friendly options. Whether you have used INKBIRD’s sous vide cookers or not, this review will take you deep into whether their affordable and competitive sous vide cooker model, the ISV-300W, is really worth buying.
ISV-300W First Impression
The INKBIRD ISV-300W comes with an instruction manual and a warranty card in the box. I wish it included a paper recipe book or something like that, although you can choose recipe either in the control panel or the mobile app. I would also like to see something like reusable or disposable vacuum bags in the box as they are essential for sous vide cooking. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can still seal food airtight using a tub of water.
Back to the machine itself, the ISV-300W may look similar to other sous vide cookers, but it’s build quality is actually very good. The silicone handle has no gaps and burrs, and the bottom heater is made of food-grade stainless steel. Plus, it’s IPX7 waterproof, so you can rinse it off after cooking without worry. We also checked the clip on the back, and it holds firmly, which is important since many sous vide cookers can slip off due to weak clips.
ISV-300W Sous Vide Cooker Review
So far, I’ve spent over 200 hours using the INKBIRD ISV-300W, and I’m ready to break down my thoughts on this sous vide cooker by looking at six key areas, including heating power and stability, temperature range and accuracy, display and control panel, the app, safety and noise level.
Heating Power and Stability
The ISV-300W packs a punch with its 1000W power, matching the Anova premium model but at half the cost. I did a side-by-side with the Anova Nano and the INKBIRD ISV-300W, both in the same price range, heating 10 liters of water.
The ISV-300W heated from 77℉ to 131℉ in just 20 minutes and from 77℉ to 180℉ in 53 minutes. In comparison, the Nano took 31 minutes to reach 131℉ and an hour to hit 180℉.
Clearly, the ISV-300W heats up way faster than the Nano and holds its own against the pricier Anova models. We also tested them with 12 and 15 liters of water, and the results were the same.
Once the water bath was heated up, I placed two steaks in each container. They cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. I let them sous vide for an hour, checking the temperature every 10 minutes with a calibrated instant-read thermometer. The temperature barely changed, staying within 1℉.
In short, the ISV-300W offers great heating efficiency and impressive temperature consistency for its price.
Display and Control Panel
The ISV-300W features an LCD screen, but unfortunately, it’s just blue and white, which feels a bid old-fashioned to me. I’d prefer a color display like the one on ISV-101W instead. Below the screen, there are four touch buttons that can be tricky to navigate for newcomers. After checking the manual, I found that the control panel lets me adjust time, temperature, and screen brightness, plus it includes some preset cooking recipes, and you can also create your own.
All in all, while the controls seem a bit outdated, it covers all the essential functions. I wonder if the IPX7 waterproof rating has something to do with the design. If so, I’d definitely welcome the waterproof feature since I can control it on my smartphone.
The App
You can easily link the ISV-300W to your phone via 2.4GHz WiFi, giving you access to all the app’s features. The INKBIRD app offers more recipes for different meats like beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and more, and the operation is very simple, just one tap for lazy cooking. You can also fine-tune the temperature in 0.1℉ increments on the app, while the control panel only allows for 1℉ adjustments. Plus, you’ll get a notification when your meal is done.
However, it would be great if the app included more detailed recipes. For instance, I’d love to see step-by-step instructions for sous vide lamb shoulder chop without needing to switch to other separate recipe apps.
Safety
Safety can be very important when it comes to sous vide cooking since it usually takes 1 to 4 hours and you can’t always be there to monitor it. So far, I haven’t run into any safety problems, just make sure to keep the water level between the minimum and maximum lines indicated on the heater. If the water drops too low or if the temperature sensor malfunctions, the sous vide machine will stop and alert you. And, compare to other precision cookers, the ISV-300W is rated IPX7, which makes it less likely to suffer from water damage.
Noise Level
Surprisingly, the ISV-300W is the quietest sous vide machine I’ve ever tried. I placed a sound meter above it and it read just 20dB, which is equivalent to whispering from 5 feet away. If you’re on the second floor, this is completely negligible.
Should You Buy the ISV-300W?
After putting in 200 hours of heavy use, I must admit that the ISV-300W is an awesome sous vide machine that offers fantastic value for its price, making it tough for competitors to keep up. In addition, INKBIRD throws in free shipping and a hassle-free 30-day return policy.
Honestly, INKBIRD matches the precision and cooking quality of pricier sous vide cookers but at half the cost, and it even boasts an IPX7 waterproof rating. If you’re looking to elevate your home cooking or your current sous vide setup feels outdated, I highly recommend giving the INKBIRD ISV-300W a shot, which will transform your ingredients into deliciously tender meals.
