Anova, a company that sells smart sous vide cookers, is getting backlash from customers after announcing that it will soon charge a subscription fee for the device’s companion app.
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In a blog post on Thursday, Anova CEO and cofounder Stephen Svajian announced that starting on August 21, people who sign up to use the Anova Culinary App with the cooking devices will have to pay $2 per month, or $10 per year. The app does various things depending on the paired cooker, but it typically offers sous vide cooking guides, cooking notifications, and the ability to view, save, bookmark, and share recipes.
The subscription fee will only apply to people who make an account after August 21. Those who downloaded the app and made an account before August 21 won’t have to pay. But everyone will have to make an account; some people have been using the app without one until now.
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As Digital Trends pointed out, the announcement follows an Anova statement saying it will no longer let users remotely control their kitchen gadgets via Bluetooth starting on September 28, 2025. This means that remote control via the app will only be possible for models offering and using Wi-Fi connectivity.
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Changing or removing features of a tech gadget people have already purchased is a risky move that can anger customers who have paid for a device they expected to work a certain way indefinitely.
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You can also find angry users lamenting the changes on Reddit (examples here and here).
The announcement seems to have forced users to question the value of the Anova app entirely.
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The commenter also challenged the idea of people sharing recipes with an app that will monetize them, saying, “Why would I ever publish a recipe I made to the app if they’re going to charge others to view it?
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Users can avoid the subscription fee and still use the gadget, but it may be hard to swallow the lost functionality for a device you paid three figures for. Customers who can’t stomach the loss may consider alternatives, including those without Wi-Fi connectivity.
Source: Smart sous vide cooker to start charging $2/month for 10-year-old companion app | Ars Technica
Robin Edgar
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