Anova Precision Smart Oven, Combination Countertop Oven for the Home Cook, Convection, Steam, Bake, Broil, Roast, and Dehydrate

Steam Oven Has some Unique and Plus FeaturesThe oven has some plus and minus features. The pluses are that it offers steam cooking at a cost much lower than most other steam ovens. My favorite feature is that it can simulate the effects of sous vide cooking without the hassle of the bag and a temperature controlled water bath that can involve hours of cooking.By using the steam setting and a short oven warm-up and then placing the steak (with the temp probe inserted) on the rack, cooking time is significantly reduced while results are just as effective as bag-style, extended time sous vide.Here’s a typical sequence for a typical one-inch rib eye steak I cooked yesterday:Warm oven up to 140 degrees takes 7 minutes;probe inserted into steak on rack, oven convection fan ON, steam 100%, probe target set to 123.7 Fahrenheit degrees (medium rare).Start the cooking sequence.Temperature probe target of 123.7 degrees was reached in 22 minutes. Add 2 minutes for searing both sides of the steak (outside the oven on a metal tray) with a kitchen butane torch, and a couple of minutes to slather on clarified butter and steak seasonings, and that’s it. Perfect medium-rare, tender and flavorful. Minimal clean up (drippings from steak are caught by drip pan below rack). No precise temp immersive water bath, no bagging the steak, no hassles.To avoid the grease droplet mess resulting from traditional post-cooking searing with a super-hot cast iron pan, I use a small butane kitchen torch for about 60 seconds per side to product a nice char, and then season the steak with Monteal-type seasoning and some clarified butter. Seasoning is left until after searing to avoid burning the applied mix with the torch.Based on Internet videos showing other Anova cooking experiences (like chicken ribs, etc.), the interior can get pretty grungy from splattered grease, and since the top has an exposed heating element it cannot be cleaned easily. Also, the rear wall circulating fan assembly seems to require periodic disassembly to get the gunk out from behind the grill and all over the fan. I have limited my cooking to steak sous vide, occasional typical simple toaster over stuff, and baking (great with the steam) to avoid baked-on grease hassles. There are instructional videos on the Internet showing how some owners clean their oven of baked on gunk. Yikes!Alas, a major, respected cooking magazines (Cooks Illustrated, March-April 2022, page 25) just evaluated “smart ovens” and labeled the Anova Precision Smart Oven as NOT RECOMMENDED, apparently because it is difficult to operate (“cryptic controls”) and their inability to consistently turn out well cooked food. I think their comments are is a bit harsh and somewhat misleading (“…required gallons of distilled water for steam”). True, there is an attached distilled water container, but actual cooking usually only uses a minute amount of water to make the necessary steam. Surprisingly, not a word about how the oven can simulate sous vide cooking in a fraction of the time involved in bagged water-bath sous vide. Hopefully they will reassess their review when they have more time to understand the oven’s unique features. There is a fairly active on-line community that submits recipes, and the manufacturer maintains a decent web site.The Anova also has WiFi connectivity (most of the time) with a decent mobile phone application which offers additional control features not available on the machine’s mode selection bar.The pseudo-sous vide rapid cooking is, in my view, its best feature, probably made possible because of the steam generator, a wet bulb humidity sensor, and the precision temperature probe..Be aware that the oven is LARGE, so measure carefully before deciding to replace your counter-top toaster oven.Early owner reviews consistently complained that the included aluminum tray warped badly, but the newer units now have a proper tray that is designed to resist warping.

Won’t turn off by itselfI had to return the oven because it will not turn off by itself when the timer runs out. Impossible to use as a regular “set it and forget it” toaster oven without going into the app and adding a cooking step that says, basically, “cook at 75 degrees”. Went to a few forums, discovered that the manufacturer will not add the feature. Will buy another oven in a few years from a competitor that would care more about user experience.

Needs a Great Recipe /instruction bookI am an avid Cook and Baker I even run a small home business baking and cooking. This beautiful well-constructed piece of equipment should have come with a great recipe book and within that recipe book there should have been hundreds of recipes teaching the various different functions of this outstanding combi steam oven. I am not an app person. I do not want the cooking to be done for me, I want this to be an exceptional learning experience and it will be, it just would of be easier with reference material right at your fingertips without the need to search online to learn a new skill. Nonetheless in most instances this will replace my large oven and I love my purchase.

AmazingMy wife and I have had such a great time trying all sort of recipes. Sous Vide is so quick in Apo and bread is amazing. I’ve been able to get great results with brats! Even Eggos are better with Apo. Cleaning is a more involved and there is very little documentation. Basically do a steam cook for 30 minutes and that loosens up baked on things really welll. Clean often and it will stay great.

Fabulous ovenWe love this oven. It does amazing things to plain veggies — enhances the flavor. Ten thumbs up!