Sous Vide Circulators

The Buffalo portable sous vide is a clip-on immersion circulator designed for commercial kitchens where sous vide cooking is used occasionally rather than as a high-volume daily process. Rather than requiring a dedicated vessel, the unit clips directly onto most containers, pots, or tanks with rounded or flat walls, which gives it a degree of flexibility that fixed sous vide units simply cannot offer.

In practice, this type of unit suits kitchens that prepare proteins, vegetables, or desserts sous vide as part of a broader menu — not operations running sustained high-volume output across a full service. The circulator draws water continuously around the container, maintaining consistent temperature throughout, which is the fundamental requirement for reliable sous vide results. At up to a 40-litre working capacity, it can handle a reasonable batch size for its class.

The practical advantages of this format are worth considering:

• Clips to gastronorm containers, stockpots, and most flat or rounded-wall vessels already in use
• Lightweight and compact enough to store easily when not in use
• No fixed plumbing or installation required — plugs into a standard socket
• Consistent water circulation supports accurate, repeatable results
• Simple to clean and maintain with no complex components

Because the unit is portable and requires no fixed installation, there is very little to consider in terms of setup. It will need a stable surface and a suitable container of the right depth to allow safe clip attachment and adequate water circulation. It is not designed for continuous heavy-volume use — kitchens running sous vide as a core, high-throughput technique daily would likely benefit from a more robust, higher-capacity dedicated unit.

This unit is well suited to smaller restaurants, hotel kitchens, and catering operations where sous vide features on the menu without being a primary cooking method. It is also practical for chefs who need a portable solution across multiple sites or temporary setups.

If you are unsure whether this capacity suits your service style or menu volume, the team is happy to talk through what would work best for your kitchen.

Sous vide cooking has become a standard technique in many professional kitchens, and this portable unit from Caterlite offers a practical entry point for operators who want the method without committing to a dedicated sous vide tank. The machine clips directly onto the side of almost any suitable container — a stockpot, a deep gastronorm container, a polycarbonate tank — and circulates the water continuously to maintain an even temperature throughout the bath.

In a working kitchen environment, the clip-on format is useful where bench space is at a premium. There is no fixed footprint; the unit stores away when not in use and can be deployed quickly during prep. Continuous water circulation means temperature stratification is kept in check, which is the core requirement for reliable sous vide results. At 1.45kg, it is genuinely portable and straightforward to move between stations or sites if needed.

Practically, this type of unit suits lower-volume output — finishing proteins ahead of service, holding portions at temperature, or preparing smaller batch quantities. It is not designed for continuous high-throughput production runs or large simultaneous batch loads. Operators running a high volume of sous vide covers daily may find a purpose-built tank with greater capacity better suited to their needs.

• Clips to existing containers, keeping equipment investment low
• Compact and easy to store when not in active use
• Consistent water circulation for even temperature across the bath
• Compatible with most containers at least 180mm deep
• Stainless steel and plastic construction appropriate for kitchen use

If you are unsure whether this unit will handle your anticipated output, or if you are weighing it against a larger dedicated tank, feel free to get in touch — it is the kind of question worth a quick conversation before ordering.

The Sous Vide Tools iVide Plus is a clip-on thermal circulator designed for professional kitchen use. It clamps to the side of any suitable stainless steel or polycarbonate container up to 80 litres, creating a precisely controlled water bath for sous vide cooking without the need for a dedicated built-in unit. A 5-inch touchscreen provides direct on-unit control, and built-in WiFi allows temperature and timing to be monitored or adjusted remotely via the companion app — useful in busy services where the cook cannot be stationed at the unit continuously.

In practice, the iVide Plus is well regarded for the consistency it brings to high-volume protein cookery. The 2.2kW heating element brings large water volumes up to temperature relatively quickly for a circulator of this type, and the stirred circulation system — running at 10 litres per minute — keeps the bath uniform throughout, eliminating the cold pockets that can compromise consistency in larger containers. Temperature stability to within 0.07°C means that results are reliably repeatable across a full service or an overnight batch cook, which matters when producing large quantities of vacuum-packed proteins or vegetables to a consistent specification.

• Precise temperature control reduces risk of inconsistency across large batch cooks
• Remote WiFi monitoring frees kitchen staff to attend to other tasks during long cooks
• Clip-on design works with existing containers, avoiding the cost of a dedicated vessel
• Consistent water circulation eliminates temperature variation within the bath
• Stainless steel construction holds up well in a commercial kitchen environment

Installation is straightforward — the unit clamps onto a suitable container and connects to a standard 13-amp socket. There are no plumbing or gas connections required. The primary practical consideration is the vessel itself: the container must be capable of holding the water volume safely and withstanding sustained heat, and operators will need to factor evaporation management into longer cook cycles. The unit weighs 4.2kg and is compact enough to store easily between services. WiFi connectivity requires a stable kitchen network signal within reasonable range of the unit.

The iVide Plus is well suited to restaurants, hotel kitchens, and catering operations that use sous vide as a regular part of their production process — particularly where batch volumes justify a serious, reliable circulator rather than a lighter-duty entry-level unit. It is most appropriate for kitchens with established sous vide workflows. For sites running multiple large baths simultaneously or requiring continuous high-volume output, it is worth discussing whether a higher-capacity setup would better match the operation.

If you are unsure whether this circulator matches your batch volumes or existing container setup, the team is happy to talk through the options with you.

The iVide Plus Junior is a clamp-on thermal circulator designed for professional sous vide cooking. It attaches to the side of a suitable stainless steel or polycarbonate container of up to 45 litres, creating a precisely controlled water bath without the need for a dedicated tank. The unit is operated via a four-inch touchscreen and can also be managed remotely through a companion app over WiFi, which gives kitchen teams the flexibility to monitor and adjust cook parameters without being stationed next to the vessel.

In a working kitchen environment, the 1.5kW heating element brings a 45-litre vessel up to temperature at a reasonable pace, and the unit maintains temperature with a high degree of stability throughout the cook cycle. That consistency matters when you are running long, slow cooks — particularly for proteins where precise temperature control is critical to both texture and food safety. The WiFi functionality is genuinely useful in busy services, allowing a chef to check progress or make minor adjustments while managing other sections.

Practical advantages for operators include:

• Remote monitoring via the app reduces the need for constant manual checking during long cooks
• IPX7 water resistance rating provides meaningful protection against splashes and accidental immersion
• Clamp-on design works with containers you may already have, avoiding the cost of a dedicated tank
• Consistent temperature stability supports reliable, repeatable results across batches
• Compact and lightweight, so it stows easily when not in use

Installation requirements are straightforward — the unit runs from a standard 13-amp socket and requires no fixed connection. You will need a suitable container of sufficient depth to allow proper water circulation around the clamp fitting. It is worth noting that the 45-litre capacity is well matched to small-to-medium operations or kitchens running sous vide as part of their menu rather than as a primary production method. For sites with higher-volume requirements or continuous production, a larger-capacity circulator would be worth considering.

This unit is well suited to independent restaurants, boutique hotels, and catering operations introducing or extending their sous vide offering without committing to a large fixed installation. It is a practical choice where counter space is limited or where flexibility to move the unit between stations is useful.

If you are unsure whether this capacity suits your intended service volume or cooking programme, we are happy to talk through how sous vide fits into your specific kitchen operation.