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

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367 comments

This is an unbelievable rug pull that I didn’t expect from a company like Anova. I used to evangelize how good the product is to friends because it just worked and was easy to use. now I’m going to be telling them to stay away and look elsewhere. They’ve shown their true stripes and who knows what they will do next.

Chris

I’ve had my first gen Anova since the year it was released. Love it, use it weekly. Bought at least 4 more as gifts and recommended it to many others. Thought the partnership you had with Kenji and Serious Eats was brilliant, effective marketing that showcased your products and educated consumers at the same time.

Now I won’t be spending another dime on your products and certainly would never suggest a friend invest in a product with a transparently greedy subscription-based cash grab to enable basic functionality.

Well done, Anova. Master class in how to completely torch a reputation in one fell swoop.

Justin

This SUBSCRIPTION shit needs to stop. Nope, not gonna do it

Joel

Hilariously, despite the fact that I won’t be charged as an existing user, because of this my next order for vacuum seal bags will be from FoodSaver on Amazon. Online comments seem to indicate they work just as well. You’re not going to get enough paid app users (for features no one wants) to make up for that lost recurring revenue there. Also, how on earth can I keep recommending your product to friends who aren’t swayed by sous vide yet? If I were you, I’d get your money back from whatever second week McKinsey intern you paid to come up with this harebrained idea… you’re gonna need the cash.

Anon

Welp, that was the dumbest decision ever. Need to go change my review on Amazon for this item. Will be making others aware of this stupid change in functionality. Won’t be buying any more of Anova products.

T

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