KitchenBoss WIFI Sous Vide Machine G330

the good: * this thing is ultra quiet!!! this is what I was really after. it's actually silent, you can barely hear that it's on right next to it. you will literally hear the water churning above the sound of this device. in comparison my similar anova purchased earlier this year was extremely loud, you could hear it on another floor of the house, and the noise drove me mad. * heats up FAST -- WAY FASTER than my 1000w anova did, which may be odd for a 1100w, and probably says a lot more about the anova. * hasn't died on me yet, now 6 weeks old and used at least once to several times a week. have done a 36 hour cook with it too. I mention this because the anova (which costs more) lasted me about 7 weeks under a similar usage pattern. * it's more accurate than the anova was. * the c-clamp is pretty much a requirement for using these devices with a cooler, there's no way a clip (as the vast majority of devices have) will attach properly to a thick cooler wall. this really narrows your options when buying a sous vide device, so I was glad to find this model. * device hasn't browned my cooler wall from heat after a long or high heat cook, like the anova did. the metal part of the device is much cooler to the touch, meaning you can actually touch it unlike the anova. not that a sane person should touch hot metal. just sayin... * metal shell comes off exposing the inside. not sure why people talk about cleaning in there, I haven't owned one long enough apparently to need to clean it -- or they are using these to heat soup which would definitely need to be cleaned off, I don't know, I just cook in tap water, but it's nice to pull off the metal for draining/drying. the anova didn't do that. the not-so-good: * not nearly as accurate as various reviews suggest. I note that previously in literature they claim the "display" temperature was accurate within 0.1℉. now I see the amazon description says "the accuracy can be up to 0.1℉/0.1℃." note the words "can be" and "up to" in this description and both of these phrases are key. * doesn't reach or maintain set temperature well. in my experience, when I set it to a whole degree, the best I'll see it stay at is up to 0.2℉ below what I set it at. BUT if I set it to 0.2 above (or even 0.1) the degree I want to set it at, it tends to stay at exactly what I set it at. strange. so I typically go with the sweet spot of 0.1 above. * the temp display on the app is often not the same as the temp on the device itself, and sometimes it's wildly different (and obviously inaccurate) for about a minute, then it gets closer to what is on the device. but this doesn't really affect operation so not a deal breaker. the bad: * device is extremely heavy. so much heavier than my anova that you pretty much destroy the outer wall of the cooler getting the c-clamp tight enough to keep it somewhat secure, but even then it isn't *secure* like the anova was. * device is huge. way larger than my anova was (and people complain about the anova's size compared to the breville joule.) it ALMOST means I couldn't use my sous vide rack inside my cooler, in a 9 quart cooler the device occupies so much space the rack is forced to sit against the metal of the sous vide device. so far it's ok, because the metal on this device doesn't get as hot as the anova. * the controls on the touchscreen don't quite do what you think they should. the "buttons" are mostly useless and the power is in using the recipe slots in the images above them. * if there's any way to do a manual temp/time from the stick (key phrase: without modifying one of the few custom recipe slots) then I can't find it. * too many pre-programmed recipe slots the scroll through on the device itself. I read you could modify the pre-programmed recipes and the mods would stick between uses, but most of them I would never use and it's too much of a hassle to scroll through them. * I HATE HATE HATE using the device to start a cook, and instead use the app. I can't stress enough that it's basically useless. I thought it would much be easier and nicer with a touchscreen model, now I really wish I'd gone with the model with the knob on it. * the app (on android) doesn't always notify audibly when the cook is done. sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. notifications on, it has all permissions. I dunno what the deal is. so basically the app is only good for starting a cook, in fact it's pretty much mandatory, but don't bother using it or relying on it for anything else. the worst: * worth mentioning again, starting a cook from the device itself. this is the worst. * doesn't keep heating when timer runs out, so I have to program it to cook hours longer than I need it to cook (in case I can't get to it when the food is done) and then keep a separate timer for when the food is actually done for those times when I CAN get to it. after reading reviews I knew this last part before buying, but it's still worth mentioning to anyone else reading. gotta get the word out, 'lest someone end up throwing away dinner because they can't get back home in time to tend it.