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

[JoNorvelleWalker]

46 minutes ago, md8232 said:

Just received an email from Anova with "Early Black Friday" sales.

I popped another APO in the cart and the price is @ $37 less than the one

purchased last Thursday.

Too late to call them today, but we'll have a chat in the morning.

I expect them to reduce the price.

 

Never hurts to have a spare.

 

[md8232]

20 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

I don't know what they are doing in Canada, but we were told that they would honor any price reductions for 100 days.  Please let us know how your chat goes.

I was unable to reach them by phone, so sent an email requesting the refund at 12:23.

At 1:56 they had refunded the difference.

Thumbs up for a quick response.

[ElsieD]

On 11/22/2022 at 3:23 PM, md8232 said:

I was unable to reach them by phone, so sent an email requesting the refund at 12:23.

At 1:56 they had refunded the difference.

Thumbs up for a quick response.

 

We too got a refund.  Thanks for the heads up!

[ElsieD]

After I wrote the above post, the oven arrived!  It has been unpacked and is resting comfortably on it's very own little table.  It is currently busy baking the 2nd Swirled Jam Cake I have made in my life.  Thank you @blue_dolphin for the recipe.

[FeChef]

I just recently bought one during the black friday sale. It was a deal too hard to pass up.

[TdeV]

@FeChef, looking forward to hearing reports of your discoveries!

[FeChef]

23 hours ago, TdeV said:

@FeChef, looking forward to hearing reports of your discoveries!

Its out for delivery and i got a brisket point thawing in the fridge and getting my smoker ready. I am thinking of smoking till 185F IT then into the APO. I am still deciding what temp i want to go with in the APO. I want better fat rendering then the usual 155F everyone seems to do for 24 hours sous vide. 

Also debating on humidity level. I heard 100% ruins the bark.

[palo]

I find using the top element is akin to broiling, depending on rack position and temperature.

 

p

[TdeV]

2 minutes ago, palo said:

I find using the top element is akin to broiling, depending on rack position and temperature.

 

Also using the rear element (convection) diminishes the browning effect of broiling.

[FeChef]

Added it to its new home. Hopefully will be cooking with it tommorow.

 

 

[md8232]

I've just requested a return on this.  I'm sick with the Flu and spent most of yesterday trying to make the App work.

Nothing I did was successful.  Customer service was no help.

Good luck to you all with the Anova.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, md8232 said:

I've just requested a return on this.  I'm sick with the Flu and spent most of yesterday trying to make the App work.

Nothing I did was successful.  Customer service was no help.

Good luck to you all with the Anova.

 

You might give the APO another try after you're feeling better.  Meanwhile the oven works just fine without the app.

 

[TdeV]

re: Descaling proceedure

 

I added 1.5 Tablespoons citric acid to 1 litre water (as usual). In my notes someone once recommended TWO rinses but I cannot figure out how to accomplish this. I did look in the app, which didn't help.

 

Any ideas?

 

Edited to add: somehow I started the Descale proceedure again. So that would be from the app.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by TdeV (log)

[TdeV]

Anova now has a perforated pan.

[ElsieD]

In the old days, pre-APO, if I wanted to bake a plain ole cake, I'd bake it in my regular oven at 350F.  What settings do you use to bake your cakes in the APO?  Rack position?  Thank you.

[TdeV]

First, I haven't baked a cake in the APO, @ElsieD

Looking at APO recipes (https://oven.anovaculinary.com/?page=1&query=bake cake)

 

These are by 3 different recipe makers, none of whose styles I know

Lemon loaf cake: 325ºF at 50% steam, Rear heat, Rack 3, 55 min

Chocolate and Raspberry Yogurt, 356ºF, 30% steam, rear heat, Rack 2, 60 minutes

Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake, 320ºF, Steam 50%, rear heat, Rack 3, 75 minutes

 

Please let us know what you decide!

 

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

22 hours ago, ElsieD said:

In the old days, pre-APO, if I wanted to bake a plain ole cake, I'd bake it in my regular oven at 350F.  What settings do you use to bake your cakes in the APO?  Rack position?  Thank you.

 

21 hours ago, TdeV said:

First, I haven't baked a cake in the APO, @ElsieD

Looking at APO recipes (https://oven.anovaculinary.com/?page=1&query=bake cake)

 

These are by 3 different recipe makers, none of whose styles I know

Lemon loaf cake: 325ºF at 50% steam, Rear heat, Rack 3, 55 min

Chocolate and Raspberry Yogurt, 356ºF, 30% steam, rear heat, Rack 2, 60 minutes

Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake, 320ºF, Steam 50%, rear heat, Rack 3, 75 minutes

 

Please let us know what you decide!

 

 

 

 

I don’t have an APO but would be wary of adding steam when baking a cake from a recipe that wasn’t developed with steam oven baking in mind. Emily from Steam and Bake goes over some of the considerations in this post about developing a chocolate cake recipe

[palo]

ATK highly recommends the APO:

 

" Countertop steam ovens resemble toaster ovens but differ in a key way: They inject steam into the oven cavity during cooking. Steam speeds up the cooking process and is especially useful when baking, preparing large cuts of meat, or steaming vegetables or fish. We recommend the Anova Precision Oven as the best countertop steam oven as it offers customization and precision for enthusiasts who want to dial in the perfect settings for a recipe."

 

"This steam oven is the best current option for an ambitious cook or baker, but there is room for improvement. You can calibrate the humidity level (amount of steam injected) in 5 percent increments, which is more customization than any of the other ovens in our lineup. A sous vide mode “seals” the food with humid air instead of submerging it in water, making sous vide cooking an easier endeavor because you don’t have to use plastic bags. Additionally, you can sear things off in the oven, saving the extra dishes usually created by the stovetop sear that many sous vide dishes require at the end to add color and texture. We also like that it has a built-in probe thermometer, which helps us track and monitor the internal temperature of the food. Its sleek control panel is easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. We got good food results, including some of the most gorgeous golden-brown toast we've ever seen. We proofed and baked a loaf of fluffy shokupan that stood tall thanks to steam and made Basque cheesecake with a deep caramel-colored top and soft, melty interior. We were also pleased with an exceptionally tender, juicy steamed whole white fish. Unfortunately, one of its biggest features—its app—fell far short. In theory, users can activate the oven from their phones and use its guided cooking without ever touching the control panel. However, we were never able to successfully connect to the oven via Bluetooth and had to set it manually to follow its recipes. We hope future versions of the app are more reliable so that the oven truly delivers on the streamlined experience it promises."

 

The full review and comparisons to to others is behind a paywall.

 

p

[rotuts]

ATK reviews , for me , are problematic .

 

just their reviews , not necessarily the item in question .

 

they recommended a conventional pressure cooker

 

( a great one :  I have it , used it possibly twice .  worked very well )

 

missing the iPot cleanly .     

 

missed the implications of SV for some time 

 

so their enthusiasm for Anova // steam cooking @ home 

 

come very late in the game .

 

but its accurate Id say , just Old .

 

bandwagoning ?

 

[ElsieD]

@rotuts. Coming soon to a book store near you "The Bestest, Greatest of All Time Recipes using the Anova Precision Oven" by America's Test Kitchen.

Edited March 8, 2023 by ElsieD
Added ATK (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, palo said:

ATK highly recommends the APO:

 

" Countertop steam ovens resemble toaster ovens but differ in a key way: They inject steam into the oven cavity during cooking. Steam speeds up the cooking process and is especially useful when baking, preparing large cuts of meat, or steaming vegetables or fish. We recommend the Anova Precision Oven as the best countertop steam oven as it offers customization and precision for enthusiasts who want to dial in the perfect settings for a recipe."

 

"This steam oven is the best current option for an ambitious cook or baker, but there is room for improvement. You can calibrate the humidity level (amount of steam injected) in 5 percent increments, which is more customization than any of the other ovens in our lineup. A sous vide mode “seals” the food with humid air instead of submerging it in water, making sous vide cooking an easier endeavor because you don’t have to use plastic bags. Additionally, you can sear things off in the oven, saving the extra dishes usually created by the stovetop sear that many sous vide dishes require at the end to add color and texture. We also like that it has a built-in probe thermometer, which helps us track and monitor the internal temperature of the food. Its sleek control panel is easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. We got good food results, including some of the most gorgeous golden-brown toast we've ever seen. We proofed and baked a loaf of fluffy shokupan that stood tall thanks to steam and made Basque cheesecake with a deep caramel-colored top and soft, melty interior. We were also pleased with an exceptionally tender, juicy steamed whole white fish. Unfortunately, one of its biggest features—its app—fell far short. In theory, users can activate the oven from their phones and use its guided cooking without ever touching the control panel. However, we were never able to successfully connect to the oven via Bluetooth and had to set it manually to follow its recipes. We hope future versions of the app are more reliable so that the oven truly delivers on the streamlined experience it promises."

 

The full review and comparisons to to others is behind a paywall.

 

p

 

As far as I know the APO does not have Bluetooth, so it is unsurprising ATK had a hard time connecting via Bluetooth.

 

[gfweb]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

ATK reviews , for me , are problematic .

 

just their reviews , not necessarily the item in question .

 

they recommended a conventional pressure cooker

 

( a great one :  I have it , used it possibly twice .  worked very well )

 

missing the iPot cleanly .     

 

missed the implications of SV for some time 

 

so their enthusiasm for Anova // steam cooking @ home 

 

come very late in the game .

 

but its accurate Id say , just Old .

 

bandwagoning ?

 

 

Just so.

I'm willing to say that an ATK endorsement is the culinary world's shark jump.

[ElsieD]

I have come across a web site that I feel will be very helpful to me in getting comfortable using the Anova.  In case others might be interested, it is this:

 

https://steamandbake.com/

[ElsieD]

Are there any generalities regarding when to use bottom, top, rear, or combinations thereof?  And while I'm asking, what about rack positions?

[TdeV]

Elsie, I mostly use rear which is convection, unless I want browning, then I use top.

Most of Anova's recommendations use rack position 3 (middle).