Dear #anovafoodnerds,
As we look back on the year two big themes stand out. First, our gratitude for your continued support. We owe everything to you, our loyal and creative #anovafoodnerds.Second, this year was about launching new products we have been working to bring to you for years. In case you missed any of our launch announcements or exciting news, we wanted to offer up a summary of what happened at Anova in 2019 – We launched The Anova Precision Cooker Pro, The New Anova Precision Cooker Wi-Fi, a slew of accessories, a completely rewritten app, a corporate responsibility program, and announced that we’ve been working hard on a new, category-defining product, The Anova Precision Oven.
In April, we launched an all-new device for professionals—The Anova Precision® Cooker Pro. Three years in the making, the Anova Pro is insanely powerful, built to run nonstop, and ruggedized for the most demanding professional kitchens. It’s the best sous vide device that’s ever been produced. Existing professional sous vide devices are not built to run nonstop, they break easily, and they’re big and bulky. The Anova Pro changed all that.
In August, we welcomed The New Anova Precision Cooker Wi-Fi to our family of products. It’s faster, stronger, and more compact. It’s the best pound-for-pound product we’ve created and it will be the future of sous vide.
We launched the all-new Precision Cooker as an upgrade over the device that defined an industry. It’s more powerful, durable, and small enough to store neatly in a kitchen drawer.
In September we released a completely rewritten mobile app.
In 2014, we launched the first connected kitchen device. While others have imitated what we’ve done, we were the first and we’ll continue to be first with truly innovative concepts. And while we’ve spent years iterating on our apps, we still struggled with the vestiges of some of our original decisions. To fix this, we dedicated significant resources into re-engineering our mobile apps and their infrastructure. We released this app in September and, as promised, have increased the velocity by which we ship new features.
As a result of our work on the app, our app user base growth accelerated. We added more new users this year (~2.2 million new users) than in any year prior. Our app will continue to be a primary focus for us moving forward.
New App Users Added
Also in September, we announced a new lineup of accessories. While you have everything you need to cook sous vide at home, there are certain add-ons that make the experience even more delightful. We now proudly have everything you could ever want in a sous vide experience.
In October, we shared that we’ve been working on The Anova Precision Oven, a connected, countertop combination steam oven. It will ship in 2020. For the first time, an easy-to-use, professional-grade combination oven will be available to home chefs. This product will change the way people cook. We’re proud to be driving this next wave of innovation that will offer unlimited possibilities to even the most inventive #anovafoodnerds.
When we launched, most sous vide devices were used exclusively in professional kitchens. They cost north of $1,000, were bulky, and difficult to use. We changed all that. The Anova Precision Cooker, a user-friendly, connected, affordable sous vide device, created the sous vide category.
Similarly, steam is mostly used to cook in professional kitchens around the world. Existing steam ovens are expensive, built-in, or otherwise out-of-reach for home cooks. The Anova Precision Oven will give the world what it needs – a modern, connected, countertop combination steam oven.
The Anova Precision Oven film crew
The Oven will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in a few days. In preparation for CES, we've been doing lots of cooking and capturing photos and video of the oven. We made the best roast chicken I've had in my life, sourdough bread that would be impossible to replicate in an ordinary oven, and numerous other dishes that are going to be fire in 2020. I can't wait to share the photos and video with you.
This sourdough bread cooked with The Anova Precision Oven was ridic
We'll be sharing details on the oven soon. To get email updates, please sign up below:
In November, we launched Anova Cares, a corporate responsibility program. We launched Anova Cares to examine and improve the social and environmental impact of our business.
I'm proud of the Anova culture. We have heart and we've always tried to do the right thing by all our stakeholders, including our customers, community, shareholders, and partners. We've also spent a large amount of time trying to be a great place to work. As we continue to grow, I'm hopeful that having a formal program in place will provide a way for us to hold ourselves accountable with what we do as a business and what we believe.
We made good progress this year. We helped deliver over 296 meals to senior citizens in our community by working closely with the Meals on Wheels San Francisco. We provided 20,000 meals to children, families and individuals in need through our partnership with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. We launched the #AnovaGivingNerd blog, celebrating members of our community that give back in a meaningful way.
In 2020, we are looking forward to introducing 100% eco-friendly packaging, launching a new refurbishment program that will extend the life-cycle of our products, and continuing to engage with our local community to help fight hunger and food waste. To stay up to date on the latest, visit our social impact page or sign up for our #anovagivingnerd community newsletter.
When Anova started in 2013, I never imagined it would grow into what it is today. It’s incredible. You’re incredible.
As 2019 comes to an end, we want you to know how much we appreciate you. Thanks to you, Anova continues to grow and we can continue working towards “what’s next” in the kitchen.
Wishing you a 2020 filled with love and laughter and perfectly cooked food,
Stephen Svajian Co-Founder and CEO