When I started looking for a vacuum sealing system, I wanted to know more about how they worked. Eventually, I decided that getting one would be the best education, and I bought the Nesco VS-02 after reading lots of reviews, and even looking at a couple units at retail stores. The only unit I have used is this one, but I can tell you all about it, if you want some hands on information. More than that, I will try to explain how a vacuum sealer operates, because I desperately wanted to know, and some of you may be thirsting for knowledge like I was. There is a compartment inside the Nesco, where you can store a roll of plastic material (as long as it is not too big in diameter) This is nice, but I bought some jumbo rolls of plastic that do not fit. It is only a minor inconvenience, because you can position the large diameter roll behind the unit, and feed the plastic bag material through the hinge slot. The roll of material is like a long flat tube of plastic. It is two pieces of plastic, welded together along both sides. When you cut it off, make sure to allow plenty of extra material for sealing both ends. With a cut piece of plastic, position one open end in the seam sealer (which is a heat strip at the front of the vacuum chamber door,) close the door tight, and press the button labelled "seal." A red light comes on and the seam sealer strip heats up to melt the plastic just enough to weld it together, creating a bag with one open end. When the light goes out, press the release buttons on both sides, and open the door. Fill the bag with the food you want to enclose, and position, flat, the open end into the vacuum chamber. Laying the bag flat, with the open end of the bag inside the vacuum chamber (a long 1" tall rubber sealed chamber) will also automatically position the bag over the seam sealer. Press the chamber cover down until the latches on both ends click shut. Now press the vacuum and seal button, and the red light indicating vacuum will light, at the same time as the vacuum pump starts. It is moderately loud, but the air inside the bag will be removed. There is a sensor that registers what the vacuum reading is, and only starts the sealing process when all of the air is removed. One time I failed to seal one side, and the machine could not establish vacuum, so it never tried to seal. No harm, I tried again with the vacuum door properly sealed, and it worked perfectly. When sufficient vacuum is established, the machine automatically starts the seal process, and continues running the vacuum pump, to make sure that the vacuum does not diminish while the seal is being created. When the seal and vacuum lights go out your food is sealed without air (no freezer burn.) I really love the features that you have at your disposal. If you want to vacuum seal something but the food you are sealing would crush, (like bread, for example,) you can press the vacuum button, and watch the bag start to collapse, and press the seal button long before all the air is removed, and before the bread is flattened by the vacuum action. The seal will form in a few seconds, thus leaving the bread not completely air free, but still in great condition for freezing. You have to time this carefully, because the seal will not happen immediately, and the vacuum action will continue to flatten your food for about 2-3 seconds. Once I got the hang of it, this feature became one of my favorite handy features. I can purchase a loaf of bread, and split it into three parts, freezing two thirds of the loaf, because I just don't use bread fast enough for it to stay fresh otherwise. There is a port that would permit you to vacuum seal a rigid container, for freezing or just storing, food that is wet and sloppy, like homemade chili, or even cereal that was purchase in bulk, but I have not found any source for the connection tubing and canisters. The manual probably has a page for ordering parts and accessories from Nesco, but I am having too much fun with the unit as it is, that I haven't even looked into that. If you are sealing foods that are moist or might have some fluids in them, like meats, the liquids might get vacuumed past the sealing line, and could collect in the vacuum chamber well. As long as it is only a small amount, the vacuum chamber well will catch the liquids, and none of them will foul the pump. Getting a good seal with liquids on the plastic parts that need to weld together can be problematic. This device has a setting that will extend the seal time, to help with this situation. What I have done, after getting a seal that might not be durable, because of liquid contamination, is to use a paper towel to dry up the tail of the bag, and put it back onto the seal, and seal a new weld with no liquid to interfere with the seal. There is some kind of heat or time sensor on the sealer, so that if you try to complete the seal operation several times in a row, it will simply not engage, until either enough time has elapsed, or the sealing heater has cooled a little. This has been my only annoyance. I sometimes want to cut a few bags get them ready by sealing one end, and I have to wait after the third bag, because the sealer duty cycle has been exceeded. One way that I have solved this problem is by purchasing bags instead of rolls, thereby eliminating one seal operation. This was purchased 2 years ago, and I have used it sporadically, but thoroughly while I have had it, and it still works beautifully. One caveat, and one suggestion: Do NOT leave the vacuum door latched down between uses. The unit comes with a note of caution, stating that leaving the door closed and latched tight will result in the rubber gasket seal becoming compressed, and less effective than it should be when the vacuum pump is running. I would also suggest that you keep a moist paper towel handy, so that if any food or liquid gets onto the rubber gasket, you can wipe it away immediately, to preserve the integrity of the rubber seal. I think that just about covers everything I can remember, except that I really have enjoyed having this unit, and at the value price, you can't go wrong with the Nesco VS-02. I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review, unless you count the thrill I get from having an appliance exceed my expectations. :-)
