Nesco VS-12
VS-12 Deluxe
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- Type
- External suction sealer
- Best For
- Heavy home users who want the strongest seal short of a chamber sealer
Why it ranks here. The machine the sous vide forums recommend most, and the one people buy after a FoodSaver wears out. The pump is stronger than the budget machines and it lays down two seal lines at once, which owners mention first; one has recommended it to six friends and family, another wore the buttons blank in five years and bought the same model again, and Costco rolls work fine in it.
Seal more than three bags in a row and it needs a few minutes to cool or it errors out, and cheap bags do not always seal tight. The failures are a real minority: one unit leaked air and was tossed, one owner had two die inside a year, and a two-year owner's sealing plate developed a bubble that burns through bags. The drip tray does not come out for cleaning.
What owners like
- Double seal line
- Owners at five to eight years
- Strong pump
What owners complain about
- Needs cool-down after three bags
- Fixed drip tray
- A minority fail early
“Had my first Nesco VS-12 for 5 years. Used it to much I wore out the buttons to the point where you couldn't see what was on them any more. Just replaced it with another Nesco VS-12.” — Reddit comment · u/02RC51 · r/sousvide · 2026-08-12
7 positive · 5 mixed · 3 negative · 15 voices · ✓ all 15 linked to source
Read all 15 quotes (15 voices)
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I’ve had the Nesco for years and love it. Doesn’t do well when processing lots of fish since I think the sealing strip stays hot and doesn’t allow for the vacuum to work properly if you’re using it without letting it cool down.
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Very positive experience with the VS-12, I recommend it
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I've had my Nesco for years. Two things to keep in mind. 1. You need to use the Nesco bags. If you try to go cheap they don't always seal tight. (Ask me how I know.) 2. You can't go sealing 1 after the other, non-stop. If you are sealing more than 3 things in a row, give it a few minutes in-between tasks. Otherwise it will overheat and either not seal well, or go into an error mode that will prevent you from sealing. Otherwise, we love it!
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I've been using the Costco rolls and bags on my Nesco for years without issue.
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Have had the Nesco for almost 2 years now, love the double sealing strip, and have had no issues with it other than the teflon tape over the heating element coming off, but I also damaged one of the seals, and the kit I bought included some of the tape so it was more or less a non issue, just something to keep in mind. My biggest pet peeve with the Nesco is that the drip tray does not come out for cleaning.
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I just tossed my Nesco. It was leaking air and new seals did not fix. Never was great at sealing
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I’m having a similar issue. I bought this because I’d heard it was one of the best for the money, but I’ve been pretty let down. It never seems to get all the air out no matter what I’m packaging. On multiple occasions I’ve had stuff in my freezer for a few weeks that looks more like it’s in a ziplock vs vacuum sealed bag
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Had my first Nesco VS-12 for 5 years. Used it to much I wore out the buttons to the point where you couldn't see what was on them any more. Just replaced it with another Nesco VS-12.
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The Nesco is poorly constructed. I had two of them. They both lasted less than a year, the company sent me replacements and they lasted about a year as well.
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Nesco vs12 I've personally recommended it to 6 different friends and family - they all love it. Double seal option is awesome.
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We got a nesco with a double seal. It works well
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We have the Nesco has worked great. Using it mostly for freezer storage for later use.
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I buy in bulk and on sale and store foods in my upright freezer. I also use my Nesco to bag food for sous vide cooking. Buying on sale pays for the food sealer over time. The rolls are more expensive than they should be. That is where a lot of profit is for these companies. I buy generic rather than name brand rolls. They work just as well for me and are cheaper.
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I’ve had the VS12 for nearly 2 years, using it at least once a week for multiple batches. I will say it is much better than the Nutrichef one I had previously, by leaps and bounds. However, last month it developed a small bubble on one of the sealing plates, which burns through the bags causing the seal to fail. I have to use double sealing every time now.
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I used your link and have the Nesco on the way! Well, depending on snow and ice...
