Update: Existing Users Grandfathered in; New Users will Pay a Small App Subscription Fee

Update: Existing Users Grandfathered in; New Users will Pay a Small App Subscription Fee

Updated

Since 2014, we’ve been committed to providing you with high-quality connected cooking through the Anova Culinary app. It’s been thrilling to bring sous vide cooking into your kitchens and see the #anovafoodnerd community grow. We love being part of the journey, from your first sous vide cook to your latest culinary experiment.

As our community has grown, so have the demands on our resources. Our community has literally cooked 100s of millions of times with our app. Unfortunately, each connected cook costs us money. So, to continue delivering the exceptional service and innovative recipes you’ve come to expect, we’re introducing a small subscription fee for our app. The new Anova Sous Vide Subscription will allow us to maintain and enhance the app, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for all of our users. Here are the details:

  • Who will this impact? Only new customers will have to pay for a subscription. Existing customers who have an account with us before August 21st, 2024, will not be charged a subscription fee. To be an existing user, you must have downloaded our app AND made an account in the app before August 21st, 2024. In the event you are an existing user, you will be grandfathered in to free usage of the app. You helped us build Anova and our intent is that you will be grandfathered in forever.
  • What does it cost and what do customers get? The subscription will cost $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year USD. What you get with a subscription will vary from product to product, but in general, here’s what it includes:
    • Anova Sous Vide Guides: Learn the basics with guides created by our experts. Choose your preferred level of doneness and press start to get cooking.
    • Cook Notifications: Remote updates on your cook status.
    • Recipe Discovery: Find recipes from award-winning chefs, #anovafoodnerds, and more.
    • Recipe Saving: Bookmark your favorites and share your recipes with friends directly on the app.
  • When will this go into effect? This subscription will go into effect on August 21st, 2024. Again, if you already have an account with us and purchased a product prior to August, 21 2024, there will be no change in our service for you.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Our mission is to change the way the world cooks and this subscription will help us to continue on with this mission. We are excited to keep cooking with you and can’t wait to see what you create next!

Stephen Svajian
Co-Founder and CEO

Back to blog

353 comments

Ridiculous decision. Take this idea back to business school and wow your classmates with a slick powerpoint presentation because things won’t be so rosy once the grandfathering lapses and users flee for similar products that don’t nickel-and-dime their user base. I have never considered switching to another brand’s sous vide unit, but the search is now on.

Dan Z

Anova, you totally blow. Many people, like me, may very well be grandfathered, but be well aware of the damage to your reputation nonetheless. There are other products out there that do the job just as well as yours, with management that is not quite as rapacious. Good luck.

Unhappy Sous Vider

A horrible customer service decision that seems to be designed to eliminate repeat purchases from the base that already owns machines. Additionally, it appears to be a falsehood; according to my app, my “grandfathering” will expire Sept.28, 2025 and the Bluetooth capability I paid for will cease to function unless I pay the extortionate subscription fee. I will never purchase another Anova product nor recommend it to anyone. This is why ‘Big Business’ gets a bad name.

Howard

If ever there was a proverbial straw, this is it for me. First you’ll be taking away all connectivity to my legacy device and if I was to buy another Anova unit, you’d me charging an annual fee. No thanks. FYI, you aren’t the only player in the game. Cya.

David S.

What’s the point? In September of 2025 we will no longer have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to our devices.
How does it cost them when I connect directly to my Anova through Bluetooth?
Very disappointed. I probably won’t consider Anova when I replace my Sous Vide cooker.

Karl Kuenzel

Leave a comment