I was so excited to get into the world of sous-vide cooking, and this unit was the perfect way for to me to give it a try. So simple to use. You simply clip to the side of a stock pot, plug it in, set the temperature, and off you go. My first meal was pork chops. They were very good, but I can see there will be a little bit of experimentation needed to get the cooking time right, and I know my next effort will be better. I bought the Cuisinart food sealer to go along with it, but you do not need to. I found out after the fact that you can use a good-quality ziplock bags without issue. I'll use the sealer for other things though, so happy with that purchase as well.
Totally excited - TOTALLY recommend as the perfect Christmas gift for any foodie in your life. They will love it!!