Comparison

Anova Culinary vs CHEF iQ

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Anova Culinary

Discover and create sous vide recipes with a vast collection from professional chefs and home cooks. Control your precision cooker remotely, monitor cooking progress, and share your culinary creations. Offers guided cooking, time and temperature guides, and personal recipe saving.

Highlights
  • Largest sous vide recipe collection
  • Remote cooker control
  • Guided cooking instructions
  • Recipe creation and sharing
  • Time and temperature guides
  • Personalized cooking profiles
Features
Read full description

The Anova family of precision cookers allows everyone to cook like a pro! Paired with the Anova Culinary app, now perfectly cooked restaurant quality meals are as easy as the touch of a button. Browse the largest collection of sous vide recipes by Michelin star chefs and home cooks just like you. Then simply connect your cooker to the app and start, stop, and monitor your cook right from your mobile phone. Feeling inspired? Create and share your own recipes and go viral on the ‘gram. Whatever your pleasure, the Anova Culinary app is the place for everything sous vide. FEATURES ======== • LARGEST COLLECTION OF SOUS VIDE RECIPES: Access sous vide recipes created by Michelin star chefs and home cooks just like you. • COOK FROM AFAR: Start, stop, change the temperature, set the timer, and monitor your cooking status from just about anywhere, as long as your device is within Wi-Fi range. • RECIPE DISCOVERY: Cook recipes by James Beard Award-winning chefs, food editors, celebrity chefs, and more. • GUIDED COOKING: Follow the step-by-step instructions and click start to start cooking. • COOK NOTIFICATIONS: Stay up-to-date on your cooking status without getting tied to the kitchen. • RECIPE SHARING: Share your recipe with friends directly through the app. • TIME AND TEMP GUIDES: Learn the basics with our simple sous vide guides. • MANUAL CONTROL: Customize your cook settings with manual time and temperature control. • RECIPE COLLECTIONS: A series of new and appetizing recipe collections that are sure to keep you cooking. • RECIPE CREATION: Easily create and save your own personal sous vide recipe. • FAVORITES: Have a recipe or two that you love? Mark it as a favorite for quick and easy access. • PERSONAL PROFILE: Create your personal profile and see a history of all the meals you’ve cooked. Try all the features free for 14 days. Options in-app for monthly or yearly subscription terms. Payment will be charged to the iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period, and the renewal cost will be identified. Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CHEF iQ

This app acts as a culinary companion for smart cooking appliances, offering guided recipes, remote control, and ingredient shopping. It connects users with a community of home cooks and provides over-the-air updates for enhanced features.

Highlights
  • Remote appliance control
  • Thousands of pre-programmed settings
  • Guided cooking recipes with videos
  • Instacart integration for ingredient delivery
  • Save favorite recipes and configurations
  • Appliance sharing with friends and family
  • Community forum for cooks
Features
Read full description

Welcome to CHEF iQ®, your ultimate culinary companion designed to elevate your cooking experience. Embrace the art of cooking smarter, not harder, with an app that empowers seasoned chefs and kitchen novices. Join our vibrant community of home cooks and embark on a journey toward culinary mastery. COOK SMARTER, NOT HARDER At CHEF iQ®, we believe in simplifying the cooking process while enhancing your confidence in the kitchen. Our app is meticulously crafted to guide you through every step, ensuring that every meal you create is worth sharing. COOK CONTROL Take command of your CHEF iQ® smart cooking appliances effortlessly. With real-time monitoring and notifications, stay in control of your culinary creations no matter where you are. TIMES & TEMPS Unlock thousands of pre-programmed control settings to achieve optimal results with ease. From precise cooking times to ideal temperatures, our app provides the guidance you need to cook like a pro. GUIDED COOKING RECIPES Delve into a treasure trove of expertly curated recipes seamlessly integrated with CHEF iQ® appliances. With step-by-step instructions and professional videos, discover new culinary delights and master your favorite dishes with confidence. SHOP FOR INGREDIENTS Found a recipe you love but are missing a few key ingredients? No problem. Schedule a delivery through our Instacart integration and have everything you need at your doorstep in as little as one hour. FAVORITES Save your favorite recipes and cooking configurations for easy access. Track your culinary adventures and revisit past successes with just a tap. APPLIANCE SHARING Share the joy of cooking with friends and family by inviting them to collaborate on your culinary creations. With appliance sharing, cooking becomes a communal experience like never before. COMMUNITY OF COOKS Engage with fellow chefs, share your thoughts on recipes, and glean valuable tips from our growing community. Together, we can inspire and support each other on our culinary journeys. OVER THE AIR UPDATES Stay ahead of the curve by constantly improving the CHEF iQ® cooking experience. With over- the-air updates, you'll always have the latest features and enhancements. Discover the full suite of CHEF iQ® smart cooking appliances, each designed to streamline your cooking process and unlock new culinary possibilities: SMART COOKER The most capable cooker ever created. - Pressure & multi-cooker - Auto pressure release - 6-quart capacity - 1000s of presets -Built-in scale SMART THERMOMETER Never over or undercook your food again. - Speaker for audio alerts - Ambient alerts for temperature fluctuations - Live Graph display - Unlimited range connectivity over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - Auto-calibrating sensors measure food's true lowest temp - Fast-charging hub iQ MINI OVEN Meal prep made easy for everyone. - Bake, air fry, toast, dehydrate, air sous vide, and more - Smart Thermometer interconnectivity - Guided rack lighting - Heavy-duty glide racks - Natural LED lighting - Soft-close door Ready to embark on your culinary adventure? Download the CHEF iQ® app today and join our community of passionate home cooks. Let's cook up something extraordinary together! support@chefiq.com https://chefiq.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mychefiq https://www.instagram.com/mychefiq

Screenshots

Anova Culinary4 screens
CHEF iQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CHEF iQ at none against Anova Culinary's 2. CHEF iQ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (43% vs 32%). Anova Culinary's advantage is chart position (#34 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Anova Culinary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CHEF iQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CHEF iQ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26K and 34K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Anova Culinary's written reviews are positive against 43% of CHEF iQ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Anova Culinary versus CHEF iQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnova CulinaryCHEF iQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (26K ratings)4.7 (34K ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.6% of reviews43.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings26K34K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#34 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB128 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAnova CulinaryRJ Brands, LLC

Customer experience

Anova Culinary

All ratings25,585 ratings
Positive85.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews1,217 reviews
Positive31.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative59.0%

CHEF iQ

All ratings34,102 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews585 reviews
Positive43.2%
Neutral12.1%
Negative44.6%

User reviews

Anova Culinary

From 26K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Consistent cooking results
  • 🚀 Versatile for various foods
  • 🚀 Game-changing cooking method
  • 🚀 Convenient remote control

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with app
  • 🐛 Unreliable timer functionality
  • 🐛 Glitchy app interface
  • 🐛 Difficult WiFi setup
  • 🐛 Lack of manual controls

CHEF iQ

From 34K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate temperature readings
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Guided cooking makes cooking easy
  • 🚀 Helpful for new cooks
  • 👍 Versatile for different meats

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with WiFi and Bluetooth
  • 🔒 Requires account verification to use
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data access
  • 🐛 Inconsistent notifications
  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and freezes

Bugs and requests

Anova Culinary

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App unable to maintain connection to device
  • Timer resets unexpectedly during cooking
  • Recipes not saving properly in the app
  • Compatibility issues with certain WiFi networks
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved recipe management
  • Better app integration with smart home devices
  • More customization options for cooking
  • Clearer instructions and troubleshooting guides
  • Ability to save personal recipes

CHEF iQ

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Firmware update failures
  • Inability to connect to WiFi
  • Incorrect temperature conversions
  • Cooking time and liquid amount miscalculations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Live Activity support for cooking status
  • Ability to adjust temperature and time during cooking
  • Cooking history and data tracking
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • More generic cooking options beyond recipes

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Anova Culinary

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Sous Vide Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$9.991 Year
None

CHEF iQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Anova Culinary free?
Anova Culinary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CHEF iQ free?
CHEF iQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ?
CHEF iQ is rated higher. Anova Culinary averages 4.4 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while CHEF iQ averages 4.7 from 34K ratings.
Do Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ have ads?
Neither Anova Culinary nor CHEF iQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ?
Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, and CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Anova Culinary was updated on September 24, 2026 and CHEF iQ on September 24, 2026.

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