Meet my $600 toaster oven

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HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
37,089
29,424
136
Is the OP a chef? Damn all this stuff look good. Question, isn't this just a small convection oven.

No way I'm going to say anything negative about it. I'm tempted to spend $500 on a light saber and it doesn't make toast.
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,460
5,878
136
this thread's making me jelly

its potential would probably be lost on me though

i'm currently eating days-old dominos hawaiian pizza that i warmed up in the air fryer
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
this thread's making me jelly

its potential would probably be lost on me though

i'm currently eating days-old dominos hawaiian pizza that i warmed up in the air fryer

This machine is an odd combination of two things:

1. The laziest tool you'll ever use. It's a giant airfryer, it's the world's best leftover reheating system, you can live off frozen & packaged foods if you want to.

2. It's also the most creative kitchen tool you'll ever use. You can do a LOT of cool stuff with it due to the combination of features. Again, it's not a gimmicky "12-in-1" tool, it's a serious tool for cooking & for saving money. My food bill has dropped quite a bit since I got it because I eat out so much less now because of how convenient this is!
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,460
5,878
136
since some things cook a long time, have you ever found that it affects your electricity bill in a noticeable way?
 
Reactions: Muse

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
since some things cook a long time, have you ever found that it affects your electricity bill in a noticeable way?

No, it's pretty low-power (1800w/120V) so it's more efficient than a conventional 220V oven. Some discussion here:


Basically, it's the oven of the future. I plan on getting 3 more when I move into a place with an adult-sized kitchen lol. Saving up for the second one right now because I have the space. I recommend using the TurtleSaver approach, which is largely how I fund my kitchen adventures:

 
Reactions: brianmanahan

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,466
1,086
126
In our very dry climate in CO, it is really upping our game. The steam injection is amazing.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
In our very dry climate in CO, it is really upping our game. The steam injection is amazing.

My thoughts on steam injecting baking so far:

1. It's really cool to play with. Have had some fantastic results so far.
2. Baked goods in particular require a lot of recipe-tweaking for it. I think that's 50% to blame for being a very small-sized oven, which also affects other baked goods like cookies. My 350F cookies are 260F in the APO, for example.
3. Per reviews, Asian steamed items like dumplings seem to be lacking for some reason. I usually use my Instapot for that stuff anyway (ex. frozen steamed dumplings that I turn into potstickers).
4. Reheating is amazing. Like it's completely changed my relationship with leftover food, both homemade & take-out. Easily gets most food 90 to 95% as good as the original meal. Just incredible. Have also saved stuff like stale croissants with steam!
5. Using it as a warming drawer is great, like holding dinner rolls with 10% steam until dinner is ready. Just simple stuff like that, which makes life better!
 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,466
1,086
126
@Kaido

we love our oven, but we have been having some issues. last night it was randomly making the turn on sound after we had used it for dinner.
the black tray under the oven has melted spots in the plastic.
the steam seems to go even when you have it off.
the controls are flaky on the front and when you use the app its not always taking the settings correctly.
spider cracks in the plastic water tank, looks like from the steam/heat cycles.

I noticed you had not posted in a while. are you seeing any of these issues? this is why i hate buying the first model of things like this. i want to love it, we love the functionality of it, but i am somewhat disappointed in the engineering.
 
Reactions: Captante

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
@Kaido

we love our oven, but we have been having some issues. last night it was randomly making the turn on sound after we had used it for dinner.
the black tray under the oven has melted spots in the plastic.
the steam seems to go even when you have it off.
the controls are flaky on the front and when you use the app its not always taking the settings correctly.
spider cracks in the plastic water tank, looks like from the steam/heat cycles.

I noticed you had not posted in a while. are you seeing any of these issues? this is why i hate buying the first model of things like this. i want to love it, we love the functionality of it, but i am somewhat disappointed in the engineering.

Yes, the latest firmware update puts it in a boot-loop cycle. Basically you just have to roll back the software. 3-phase method:

1. Unplug it & plug it back in & see if it auto-updates the firmware. The handle will say "OTA" for "Over the Air" firmware upgrade, and then have a percentage counting up. If it does this, you are fixed.
2. If that doesn't happen, go into the App, click on More, then click Firmware, then do the upgrade. Version you want is 1.1.23. If it reboots & shows that version, you are fixed.
3. If the boot-loop prevent this from happening, then you just have to reset it back to factory. Hold down the wifi button & play button together for a few seconds until it resets, then once it reboots, join it to the wi-fi network (down the button down & use the pairing code for the app), then update the firmware to 1.1.23. If it does this, you are fixed.

Regarding the cracks & the plastic - they've had some issues with how the temperature affects the parts over time, especially for where the hot steam hits. Just email customer service support@anovaculinary.com & they'll ship you new ones. Note that this is a first-year release, so there are some teething issues.

Regarding the controls - yeah, I've had similar issues. I've been wiping down the handle with an eyeglass cleaner disposable alcoholic cloth & that seems to help a lot (I'd prefer physical button controls personally). The app can be a little flakey. I always set timers on my iPhone to reminder me when it's done. I also have a Breville Smart Oven Air, which has giant physical knobs & pushbuttons, and my family almost exclusively uses that instead of the APO due to convenience haha.

As far as posting goes, I mostly post on reddit under the combi sub & also sometimes on the FB groups. I should probably get an Instagram account or something at some point lol. I absolutely LOVE doing eggs in this thing. I make all kinds of weird omelets, awesome sandwiches, etc. I posted these on the FB group. These are egg bites using duck eggs from a local farmer's market.



Eggs in a Jello mold:



Omelet casserole. The texture & flavor is super fantastic!



Eggs in a tea light holder, because why not haha:



Candle-jar omelet:



More fun with silicone molds:



Egg loaf sandwich, one of my favorite things I make in it (may have posted the picture before, I make these a LOT lol).



Breakfast sliders. Eggs sous-vided in a metal measuring cup. The picture looks dumb but these are SUPER DOPE!



I'm stealing the "easy omelet" picture from the Anova website, but you basically whisk the eggs & put them in a pie dish & cook them for a few minutes, then flip in half with toppings. The texture is soooooo good!

 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
I've perfected the no-smoke wings procedure. Solution was simply to put a tray of baking soda underneath to catch the chicken-fat drippings. ZERO SMOKE! I air-fry them at 450F for 30 minutes. They come out awesome & I make them two or three times a week as a dirt-simple lunch! Note that they also cook from frozen! This saves me so much money on take-out, plus they're not deep-fried but still crispy, so they're healthier!







 
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herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,466
1,086
126
the egg stuff looks disgusting. sorry we just cant do hard cooked eggs. a French omelet is about our limit, and i can do that in like 90 sec on the stove.

meat on the pellet grill, usually. its basically a digital pid controlled suis vide smoker.

ill send them an email and check the firmware. side note: I don't want to have to worry about the firmware version on my small appliances. annoying at best.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
the egg stuff looks disgusting. sorry we just cant do hard cooked eggs. a French omelet is about our limit, and i can do that in like 90 sec on the stove.

meat on the pellet grill, usually. its basically a digital pid controlled suis vide smoker.

ill send them an email and check the firmware. side note: I don't want to have to worry about the firmware version on my small appliances. annoying at best.

I wasn't super into eggs before, I liked them, but now with the sous-vide function, I've (1) eaten more eggs than I have in my entire life, and (2) make some really amazing & easy egg dishes with the oven now!

I love doing smoke + sous-vide. Save SO MUCH time! I only have to smoke things for a few hours now & don't have to babysit the heat source overnight.

What have you been using yours for, for the most part? I got a huge deli slicer off eBay recently & have been doing sous-vide meats to slice at home. Food prices are out of control & it really saves me a lot of money as I cook for seven people right now (elderly extended family mostly), so anything I can do to automate & make things easier & also taste better & do meal-prepping is A+ in my book lol.

I got some Uncrustable molds off Amazon & have been trying out all kinds of crazy options for fillings. Currently family-favorite is air-fried Nutella Fluffernutters. So basically two slices of bread with Nutella & marshmallow fluff, cut with the sandwich ring press, spritz with oil (I have an EVOO), air-fry for a few minutes to get crispy, then top with powdered sugar. Sooooooo good lol!

 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,466
1,086
126
i eat 2 or 3 eggs every morning from our own chickens. i love eggs. my wife cant eat them hard cooked. we almost always have them over easy, from our cast iron pan. i can eat them hard cooked, but prefer not to. a Ramsey style soft scramble is good also, but that's about as much cook as i want on them.

in the pellet grill? home made pizza is a fav. crank the temp and put a baking steel in there. pork belly, steaks, bacon, home grown eggplant, potato's, haloumi cheese is amazing out of the pellet grill. we should be processing 4 or 5 turkeys in the next few weeks and hopefully have a set of kits from the rabbits to try in the pellet grill this fall.
 
Reactions: Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
Oh yes, yes ♥

Also on an Instant Pot tangent, I've mastered the "layered pasta" technique. 30 minutes to cook, but only 2 minutes of hands-on time! I've done meatball marinara, chicken alfredo, ham & pesto, sausage white cheddar, etc. Comes out like Olive Garden, but you don't have to pay $19 per dish! lol. I'll send you the details!



 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
36,568
31,325
136
What's stopping them from making a cost effective full size oven version of this with dual compartments and a normal stovetop to replace a normal range? How bad is it to clean?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,881
5,536
136
What's stopping them from making a cost effective full size oven version of this with dual compartments and a normal stovetop to replace a normal range? How bad is it to clean?

I believe Anova's owners (Electrolux) already make full-sized combi-steam ovens. Miele is one of the biggest competitors & already makes a bunch. A few notes on full-sized ones:

1. They are in-wall (APO is free-standing)
2. They are plumbed (APO has a removable tank that also has an easy-refill lid on top)
3. They are expensive (starting price is typically $4,000 & can easily reach more than double that)
4. Most do not have as many features as the APO has (wi-fi, app, probe, low-temp mode for proofing & yogurt-making, etc.)

I consider the APO to be third-wave cooking or "the oven of the future". Wrote a short post on it here:


Basically, it:

1. Stupid-proofs cooking. Repeatable results across a wide variety of functionalities (air-frying, dehydrating, sous-vide cooking, etc.)

2. Makes cooking easy & gives you effortless restaurant-style results. Want sous-vide burgers? Shape & place on tray, cook for an hour or two, sear! Melts in your mouth & can be made ahead of time!

3. Allows you to be as creative as you want in the kitchen. Want to proof dough & then steam-bake it like a commercial kitchen? Or sous-vide up some sliced steak & then dehydrate it into soft jerky that doesn't pull your teeth out? Or use the dehydrator function to turn those old grapes into raisins? Or air-fry some chicken wings? (fresh or frozen!) There's steam-injected baking, there's sous-viding without a bag & without a bath, there's conventional baking, there's convection baking, you name it! It's the ultimate powerhouse for people who want to experiment with different techniques & make really awesome food in their home kitchen!

The newer in-wall combi ovens are catchup up to Anova's technology. Personally, I plan on having 4 Anove ovens total in the future, with an overhead outside-ventilation system. I'll have saved up for my second unit by this Christmas, so then I can run dual cooks (ex. one overnight cook & one cook for dinner), or use them both as warming drawers during the holidays, etc.

If you're cooking exclusively at home using a regular eating schedule, that's 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, 21 meals a week, 80+ meals a month, 1,000+ meals a year. Plus however many servings are required to feed your family. The average family of 4 spends about $7,000 a year on food, with $3,000 of that being fast food, and $1,500 going to waste. So for me, this lets me cook better, cook easier, save money, eat healthier, etc. Between this & the Instant Pot, I have it made in the kitchen haha!
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
36,568
31,325
136
I believe Anova's owners (Electrolux) already make full-sized combi-steam ovens. Miele is one of the biggest competitors & already makes a bunch. A few notes on full-sized ones:

1. They are in-wall (APO is free-standing)
2. They are plumbed (APO has a removable tank that also has an easy-refill lid on top)
3. They are expensive (starting price is typically $4,000 & can easily reach more than double that)
4. Most do not have as many features as the APO has (wi-fi, app, probe, low-temp mode for proofing & yogurt-making, etc.)

I consider the APO to be third-wave cooking or "the oven of the future". Wrote a short post on it here:


Basically, it:

1. Stupid-proofs cooking. Repeatable results across a wide variety of functionalities (air-frying, dehydrating, sous-vide cooking, etc.)

2. Makes cooking easy & gives you effortless restaurant-style results. Want sous-vide burgers? Shape & place on tray, cook for an hour or two, sear! Melts in your mouth & can be made ahead of time!

3. Allows you to be as creative as you want in the kitchen. Want to proof dough & then steam-bake it like a commercial kitchen? Or sous-vide up some sliced steak & then dehydrate it into soft jerky that doesn't pull your teeth out? Or use the dehydrator function to turn those old grapes into raisins? Or air-fry some chicken wings? (fresh or frozen!) There's steam-injected baking, there's sous-viding without a bag & without a bath, there's conventional baking, there's convection baking, you name it! It's the ultimate powerhouse for people who want to experiment with different techniques & make really awesome food in their home kitchen!

The newer in-wall combi ovens are catchup up to Anova's technology. Personally, I plan on having 4 Anove ovens total in the future, with an overhead outside-ventilation system. I'll have saved up for my second unit by this Christmas, so then I can run dual cooks (ex. one overnight cook & one cook for dinner), or use them both as warming drawers during the holidays, etc.

If you're cooking exclusively at home using a regular eating schedule, that's 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, 21 meals a week, 80+ meals a month, 1,000+ meals a year. Plus however many servings are required to feed your family. The average family of 4 spends about $7,000 a year on food, with $3,000 of that being fast food, and $1,500 going to waste. So for me, this lets me cook better, cook easier, save money, eat healthier, etc. Between this & the Instant Pot, I have it made in the kitchen haha!
No I like the tech, but what is stopping Anova from just making a full sized version with all the exact same features, just bigger? Package it right into a normal range. Plumb it if needed. I would buy the hell out of that.

I just came into this thread today for the first time and it sounds great, but I saw that first pic after you just got it and cooked some pork and it looks as dirty as the inside of a regular oven. If I'm going to have to clean it like a regular oven it got me thinking why not just replace the oven/range? Dual compartment would be perfect.
 
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