The user interface of the Anova precision cooker is horrible a fair review after upgrade from ONE

been with anova since the 1st kickstarter… Loved my Anova one unit 

got my anova precision cooker and been using it for few months now and I have to say I HATE the user interface controls 
very hard to figure it out, I have read the manual, watched your videos but the next time I need the timer function I have to look for instructions online…

a good device should not even need users manual specially when it has 2 -3 functions like this. 

ANova one was amazing and so easy to set the controls
the touch screen was great 
and it was so strong and would reach the set temp so fast
 
the new unit is much weaker so it gets to the set temp much slower 
the timer function is like opening a secure vault
hold this for 8 sec then that for 3 
then this for 3 second and if all went okay you might have set it…

timer is not used very often but yet it is needed sometimes and it was an advertised feature. 
it should be more like this… click the timer button and set the timer with the roller. boom done!

and finally the Bluetooth… I was so excited for it but I have not found it to be useful once.  
I am at home cooking in the kitchen, get the anova out… oh man I forgot how to set the timer again, go to the room get hte phone run the app connect to the device set the settings and start it…
versus the old anova one this is how I did it… set the food in the pot, set the temp and time and click start…

the Bluetooth function is useless almost… while I could imagine scenarios to use it I have yet to find it useful.

I gave away my NAova one to a family member as a gift and boy I miss it.

to be fair the new unit is smaller and light and it certainly has MUCH better hook and the wheel is kinds cool. 

the user interface can be changed by a firmware upgrade to make it easier to set the timer  but not sure if the old units can receive a firmware upgrade via Bluetooth perhaps? can they?


1 Like

I cannot get the poll to work, but I totally agree with your review. I am lucky enough to have purchased both devices with coupons so I have both and can compare.


The simpler interface of the AOne is superior. I think of the bluetooth interface of the APC to be a high tech solution looking for a problem (that does not exist) to solve. I suppose the goal was to pick an app recipe and do a simple click to program the APC, but I believe users will want to pick their own temperature and times.

The only advantage the APC has is the adjustable depth. Now that I have a dedicated container of the right height the depth adjustability is moot.

Please ANOVA, can we have a firmware upgrade?

Totally agree with you but the poll does not work. Maybe the same engineer that designed the APC designed how the poll works…

Total agreement on both points: the One is far simpler to use than the APC, and the poll does not work.  My solution: use the APC interface for setting temp which is simple to do, and use my iPhone with Siri to set the phone’s timer.   Don’t need to pair the Bluetooth, don’t need to re-learn how to set the APC timer each time I want to use it., don’t even need to use the timer function within the app itself.  And, the iPhone timer is always with me; I may not always be close enough to hear the APC timer go off.

As to the app: I do like the newer incarnations of the app, but frankly I use it only for recipe and prep ideas, not for APC control.

Lastly, I am absolutely in your camp about improving the APC’s timer interface.  I can’t imagine what the user interface design folks were thinking to come up with the current cumbersome process.   Should be as you say: hit the timer button, set time length with wheel, and done!

1 Like