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Head-to-head · Best Vacuum Sealers

Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro vs Nesco Deluxe VS-12

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro and Nesco Deluxe VS-12 score essentially the same (4.5 vs 4.5). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
Ranked #1 in Best Vacuum Sealers
Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
2 sourcesall derived$100.99as of Oct 18

The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro is a compact edge sealer with moist and dry modes, a pulse control, an accessory port, built-in bag storage and a sliding cutter. Wirecutter makes it its top pick, measuring 25.1 inHg of suction and finding that bags sealed with it still held after six months in the freezer. Serious Eats calls it the best of the 25 models its team tested and found its double seal never failed during sous vide cooking. The drawbacks are minor: Wirecutter notes there is no removable drip tray and that it reached 83 dBA, and Serious Eats says it costs more than comparable models when not on sale.

Strengths
  • — Wirecutter's top pick and Serious Eats' best overall
  • — Serious Eats found its double seal never failed during long sous vide cooks
  • — Bag storage, a sliding cutter and an accessory port in a compact 15¾ by 7½ by 4¼ inch body, per Wirecutter
Watch-outs
  • — No removable drip tray; Wirecutter says liquid in the channel has to be wiped out with a paper towel
  • — Wirecutter recorded 83 dBA while vacuuming, about as loud as a vacuum cleaner
  • — No cancel button, per Wirecutter, though lifting the handle stops the vacuum
$100.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Nesco Deluxe VS-12
Ranked #3 in Best Vacuum Sealers
Nesco Deluxe VS-12
1 source

TechGearLab named the Nesco Deluxe VS-12 its Best Overall Vacuum Sealer with a score of 81 out of 100. Both labs recorded the strongest suction in their tests, and both praise the one-handed locking handle, built-in roll storage and cutter, and optional double seal. The trade-offs they report are a large footprint, slower cycles, no removable drip tray, and enough suction to crush fragile foods; Shouldit also needed three attempts to pass its sous vide seal test.

Strengths
  • — Strongest suction in both tests: 21.0 inHg at TechGearLab, 80 kPa at Shouldit
  • — Lever handle locks the lid with one hand, a favourite feature of TechGearLab's testers
  • — Built-in roll storage, bag cutter and bag hooks
Watch-outs
  • — Large footprint; Shouldit calls it more of a permanent fixture than a stow-away appliance
  • — Shouldit recorded 29% breakage of crunchy food even in Gentle mode
  • — Needed three attempts to pass Shouldit's sous vide seal test
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Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro

The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro adds the bag roll storage, cutter and accessory port that the base Anova Vacuum Sealer lacks, and Wirecutter found its double seal stronger than the base model's single seal. Wirecutter rates the Nesco Deluxe VS-12 as having the same suction power as the Pro in a bulkier, heavier body with a cancel button the Pro does not have.

Nesco Deluxe VS-12

TechGearLab scored the Nesco VS-12 at 81 out of 100, ahead of the FoodSaver V4400 at 71 and the base Anova Vacuum Sealer at 45. Shouldit measured stronger suction from it than from the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro (80 kPa to 68 kPa) but a weaker sous vide result: three attempts where the Pro passed on the first. At 6.0 lbs it is lighter than the roughly 10 lb V4400.

Specs side-by-side

SpecAnova Precision Vacuum Sealer ProNesco Deluxe VS-12
TypeExternal (edge) vacuum sealer—
Dimensions15¾ x 7½ x 4¼ in, per Wirecutter15.6 x 7.8 x 4.5 in (TechGearLab measured)
Vacuum25.1 inHg, per Wirecutter—
ModesVacuum and seal (moist or dry), pulse vacuum, seal only—
SealDouble seal, foot-long sealing barSingle 3.0 mm or double 3.0 mm (TechGearLab)
Bag Storage and CutterBuilt-in roll storage and sliding cutter—
Accessory PortYes—
Continuous UseUp to 100 consecutive seals, Anova's claim per Serious Eats—
Warranty2 years, per Wirecutter—
MaterialPlastic—
Vacuum Modes—Dry, Moist, Double seal, Normal or Gentle pressure, Pulse
Weight—6.0 lbs (measured by TechGearLab and Shouldit)
Suction Power—80 kPa (Shouldit measured); 21.0 inHg at 6,200 ft (TechGearLab measured)
Bag Cutter—Built-in
Roll Storage—Built-in
Noise—83.4 dBA maximum (Shouldit)
Included—Two bag rolls, 8.6 in x 9.85 ft and 11.8 in x 9.85 ft
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