Keylitos Sous Vide Cooker Review

This stainless steel sous vide offers 1100 watts of power and a very quiet circulation system. The powerful heating element ensures a fast heat and recovery time, and the IPX7 waterproof rating ensures no steam will motor.

Performance Comparison

Temperature

We test the initial heat time, accuracy, stability, and recovery time during our temperature testing. After extensive testing, it is safe to say that the Keylitos operates very quickly and accurately.

It achieves quality cooked meats and vegetables through an accurate and steady temperature, preserving all those flavorful juices that make up a delicious meal. The stainless steel columns and quality heating element help to ensure a speedy heat time. Our 9.5-quart container of 48-degree tap water reaches the desired temperature of 147 degrees in a quick 38 minutes. Anything under 40 minutes is considered a high performer. After placing three frozen hamburger patties, 135 grams each, into the Keylitos, it only takes 35 seconds to climb back up to 147 degrees. This is a great recovery time as our test suite spans from a matter of seconds to around 20 minutes.

We test the temperature stability of each sous vide over the course of an hour, and the Keylitos does not waver. We also test the accuracy of each option at two different temperatures. The Keylitos has an average temperature discrepancy of 0.20 degrees, which is minimal and typically inconsequential.

Circulation

It is not just a powerful heating element that creates a stable temperature. The circulation must also be plentiful to ensure that the entire container of water is heated up quickly, efficiently, and evenly, which is why this is our next metric.

To test for circulation, we inject a controlled amount of diluted high-contrast food coloring into the 9.5-quart container and record how long it takes for the color to homogenize. The Keylitos takes 18 seconds flat to completely circulate the contents of the Tupperware. This is a few seconds more than our highest performers but minutes faster than our lowest-performing. Overall the Keylitos offers stellar circulation.

Ease of Use

More often than not, if a product is significantly less expensive than its competitors, it is lacking in something.

The LCD smart touch screen offers a high-definition display, but the controls are a little complicated and require additional time to adjust. The temperature can be adjusted by 0.1 degrees with a short press or three degrees with a long press. The time adjustments can be changed by one minute through a short press or 30 minutes with a long press. Long pressing the setting button also allows you to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit. These features are convenient in theory, and the minimal buttons give the Keylitos a nice sleek look, but they feel overly complicated in practice.

The Keylitos uses a clip to attach itself to the water container. This is very convenient but can be easily knocked over, which can be irritating if operating in a busy kitchen. Luckily the waterproof rating ensures that your sous vide will not break if knocked into the water. The IPX7 waterproof certification keeps the machine innards completely safe from moisture, enhancing its overall durability and safety. The IPX7 waterproof rating allows for the device to be completely submerged one meter in water for up to 30 minutes. This waterproof rating and the stainless steel design also make it easy to clean any gaps in the machine, although sous vides don't often need much cleaning as they are not coming in direct contact with the food they are cooking.

A couple more features that add to the Keylitos user-friendliness are that the sous vide will stop cooking and sound an alarm if the water level is lower than the minimum. This means it stops automatically when you remove it from the tank as well, which is a convenient feature. It also alarms you when your desired temperature is reached. While the Keylitos does not offer top-tier performance in our ease of use section, none of its downfalls are dealbreakers at such an affordable price, and it's easy to use once you get the hang of it.

Should You Buy the Keylitos?

The Keylitos is on the lower end of the sous vide price range but performs exceptionally well. This makes it an amazing value. It takes a moment to get used to the controls, but its fast heat time, accurate and stable temperature, and stellar circulation make up for the extra time the learning curve requires. If you are looking for a wallet-friendly option and don't mind taking the time to get to know your sous vide, the Keylitos is an amazing option.

What Other Sous Vides Should You Consider?

The Keylitos offers top-notch performance and a price that is very difficult to beat. The circulation and high-quality heating elements offer quick heat and recovery times, temperature accuracy, and temperature stability. While you can find higher-performing models, there are no other sous vides that perform better for less money.