(checked 2026-10-10)
The most consistently recommended sealer: it's the top pick at Food & Wine and America's Test Kitchen and the runner-up at Wirecutter and Serious Eats, with fine-grained controls and seals that last for years. It needs up to 2 minutes of rest between bags, and some owners report the cycle stopping partway.
Top complaints
- Cycle stops partway or vacuum quits
Amazon's review summary says multiple owners report the vacuum function stopping after a few months. Several 1-star Walmart reviews describe the countdown stopping at 6 or 7 seconds without finishing the seal. A long-term Wirecutter tester also gets an error message mid-cycle.
- Long rest between bags
Serious Eats and Food & Wine both flag the recommended 2-minute refractory period. If you skip it, seals can be compromised, which makes bulk sessions slow.
Source: Serious Eats, Food & Wine - Bulkier, with a hard-to-clean juice channel
Wirecutter says it is bulkier and a pound heavier than the Anova Pro. Its long-term testers say the juice canal is hard to clean, and Serious Eats notes the drip tray doesn't come out. In one Food & Wine test, marinade crept past both seals.
What owners love
- Seals that last years
In Wirecutter's long-term test, beef and pork chops sealed more than two years earlier showed minimal freezer burn and no broken seals. It also never leaked in Serious Eats' sous vide tests.
Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats - Gentle on delicate foods
Normal/gentle pressure, a pulse button and moist/dry/double-seal modes. Serious Eats' cereal stayed uncrushed on the gentle setting, and ATK says the gentle and pulse modes both worked well.
Source: Serious Eats, America's Test Kitchen - Easy to use, works with any bags
Ease of use is the top theme in Amazon's summary, and Walmart's summary agrees. CNN Underscored notes it works with any brand of vacuum-sealer bags.
- You seal dozens of bags in one session
- You want the smallest footprint
- You want a removable drip tray
- Long-term freezer storage
- Delicate foods (gentle mode and pulse)
- Using any brand of bags
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Food & Wine: Best overall (2026-09-03): easy even for beginners and removed air without crushing food. Cons are the long refractory period and liquid that crept past the double seal once.
- Wirecutter (NYT): Runner-up with the same 25.1 inHg suction as the Anova Pro and extra controls, but bulkier. Get it if the Anova is out of stock or you want a cancel button and gentle mode.
- America's Test Kitchen: Best overall (June 2025) for a simple, intuitive panel and stellar performance; the seal bar and gaskets sit fairly high off the counter.