Anova Precision Oven: Features, Accessories, Troubleshooting, and "Should I Buy One?"

[rotuts]

button is not the issue :

 

does the 

 

ASO

 

Steam Clean 

 

in any manner Above might suggest ?

[TdeV]

@rotuts, next time I have a filthy APO, I'll try to remember to try it out. 462°F at 100% steam. Will report.

[SherryCobySam]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

 Are you using shelves or freestanding units?

I have a shelving unit, so it's anchored to the wall in a bunch of spots. Elfa guesses it holds 100lbs per foot.

[SherryCobySam]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

Ha! I see, Sherry, that you have been around eGullet longer than I have. 🤣

I came about a year before annova came out with their sous vide. I had a kickstarter gadget. I read a ton, but don't post much. I appreciate you all for being more active!

[SherryCobySam]

@TdeV

BTW, I have friends that have used the freestanding Elfa units for fish tanks. The oven would be fine. 
I have a counter with a cabinet at 15 inches.. and it would half cover.. You aren't seeing damage to the cabinet?

 

[TdeV]

6 hours ago, SherryCobySam said:

I have a counter with a cabinet at 15 inches.. and it would half cover.. You aren't seeing damage to the cabinet?

 

I'm sorry, but I've read this sentence several times and I don't understand it. Rephrase, perhaps?

[palo]

10 minutes ago, TdeV said:

 

I'm sorry, but I've read this sentence several times and I don't understand it. Rephrase, perhaps?

I think what is meant is that if she was to put it on the countertop it would be below her upper cabinents which are 15 inches above the countertop - which only gives about 1 inch or so of clearance - I know the steam exit is at the front but I'm not sure about the heat radiated from the top/rear.

 

Mine is on the countertop but I have about 4-5 inches clearance to the cupboards above

[gfweb]

15 minutes ago, TdeV said:

 

I'm sorry, but I've read this sentence several times and I don't understand it. Rephrase, perhaps?

Counter with 15" clearance under a cabinet that covers half of the oven ?

[palo]

1 minute ago, gfweb said:

Counter with 15" clearance under a cabinet that covers half of the oven ?

I think you've got it and explained much more simply than I did ☺️

 

p

[SherryCobySam]

12 hours ago, gfweb said:

Counter with 15" clearance under a cabinet that covers half of the oven ?

15 inches of room under the cabinet. Annova would have to be half under the cabinet with one inch clearance, half not. Would the upper cabinet be destroyed';

[palo]

I'd not recommend it and Anova, I believe, suggests 4 inches of clearance - but hey, it's your cabinet.

 

Then again if you used it only in sous vide mode maybe it's possible lol

 

p

[TdeV]

Mine is 4" under the cabinet and 2" from the wall. When the oven is steaming or smoking, it hardly seems like enough!

[TdeV]

Scott Heimendinger (Anova) published a recipe for dehydrating apple chips.

He uses heat on the bottom of the oven only.

 

A few days ago I dried cherry tomatoes, little noticing the pool of sticky stuff on the bottom of the oven. I subsequently made a steamed cheesecake (100% steam), so afterwards, all that black muck mopped up just fine.

 

But now I'm curious, if one has all racks covered with drying vegetables, there isn't room for the baking tray. Unless it's okay to be putting the tray on the bottom of the oven while using the bottom heating element?

[TdeV]

Thanks to @palo and @JasonsCookingAdventures, I bought these Hamilton Houseware's 12" x 17" cooking racks which fit the APO perfectly

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H94EPJ2

 

which come in handy for dehydrating!

 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by TdeV
Because I always do (log)

[TdeV]

Anova just sent me a replacement pan (I complained)

 

 

[palo]

That's the same replacement pan I got - hasn't warped yet (fingers crossed)

 

p

[JoNorvelleWalker]

When I left for work this afternoon there was a FedEx package on my doorstep.  (I was expecting a DHL delivery, but that's a different topic.)  All evening I kept wondering what was in the FedEx box.  Now I know.  I must say it looks like a sturdy pan.

 

 

[TdeV]

My question didn't really get answered here but here it is rephrased:

 

There's only one recipe on the Anova site which deals with dehydrating and it recommends selecting the bottom element as heat source.

Do you suppose there is a problem if I have the baking tray sitting on the bottom of the oven (with a rack of eggplant on it)?? (All the other racks are occupied).

 

Edited to add: It would be simple to change heat source to the rear element. Okay, do you think?

Edited August 1, 2021 by TdeV (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

All I asked for was my dinner.  Tonight the APO decided to install new firmware.  Whatever I set it to, after a minute or so the oven would reset.  I did a factory reset, and set up as a new oven.  Same problem.

 

I did the factory reset again but this time I asked it, please, please, not to install new firmware.  My dinner is cooking.  It remains to be seen if I shall eat.  And, yes, the obnoxious oven light is flashing.  Thankfully the window on the oven door is too grease splattered to notice much.

 

[FlashJack]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

please, please, not to install new firmware

Jo, I'm mighty unhappy with this. All day my APO was resetting and I put it down to wifi problems. Started it up to bake some buns and ... well you know the problem. Anova posted something to Twitter or Facebook saying there was a problem.

 

We don't need to rehearse the problems with tech companies putting out catastrophic updates.

 

I am pissed of that the QA on firmware is terrible. Seriously wondering if any internet-connected device is a bad idea.

 

Fired up the big oven. Heated. Added ice. Buns good 🙂

 

Jack

[palo]

Question?

 

Could it not have been used in manual mode (not connected) by  just using the control bar settings instead of the app?

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, palo said:

Question?

 

Could it not have been used in manual mode (not connected) by  just using the control bar settings instead of the app?

 

 

 

 

I believe so but you would have had to do the factory reset first to clear the offending firmware.  Thankfully my dinner turned out fine.*

 

 

*well, except for the wretched peas (not cooked in the APO).

 

[palo]

I seldom use the app as I find it just as easy manually make my choices - doing bread at the moment - preheated to 150, turned off to proof - preheating to 482 100%steam - will put in for 5 minutes and reduce heat to 350 bake, steam off for 20 - 30 minutes (going by degree of browning)

 

p

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, palo said:

I seldom use the app as I find it just as easy manually make my choices - doing bread at the moment - preheated to 150, turned off to proof - preheating to 482 100%steam - will put in for 5 minutes and reduce heat to 350 bake, steam off for 20 - 30 minutes (going by degree of browning)

 

p

 

I seldom employ the anova app if only because it turns my screen upside down which causes me to lose my appetite.*

 

However peeking in the app just now I see my APO firmware* is currently 1.1.23 and "up to date".  I believe 1.1.23 is the previous working version.  Apparently the globally offending firmware update has been pulled and desecrated.  I'd hate to be in the shoes of whomever signed off on that.

 

 

*idiots.

 

**I almost wrote "my firmware" however firmware support for me ended some while ago.

 

[FlashJack]

16 hours ago, palo said:

Could it not have been used in manual mode

No, Palo. As Jo correctly says below, the unit was powering up and down every minute or so. I don't think there was a way to take it off air and/or return to a stable state.

 

Anova has pushed a downgrade that makes the APO usable. It is v1.1.10.

 

The app is prompting me to update to 1.1.23 but I might wait a few days on that.