Hello, what the max amount of water different models can circulate / heat? I.e. Precision Cooker Pro page says “with the ability to heat and circulate up to 26 gallons of water at a time”. Does this mean I can’t use lager containers / coolers effectively? Thanks
It is a matter of physics relating to heat loss and time.
Any sous vide device can heat up the water in a 55 gallon barrel given enough insulation and enough time.
The key is for the device to produce more heat than is lost through the walls of the water bath container.
And if the container is large, it is a matter of time to get the water up to setpoint as long as the bath is insulated well enough to retain the heat.
You can use any container of any size as long as you manage heat loss and time is not a factor.
In reality if there is a large quantity of meat/food to be cooked, then it may be better to have several devices in several water baths to cook it all while maintaining the setpoint.
It is also a lot faster to start out with hot water in the bath. I use hottest tap water then adjust with boiling water from stove. You can be up to cooking temperature in a short time this way.