REASONS TO BUY
Solid suction power
REASONS TO AVOID
Terrible with delicate foods
Sealing performance results could be a bit better
Nesco VS-02 Review
We weren't enamored with the overall performance of this sealer and liked other models far more
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
RELATED: Best Vacuum Sealers
Our Verdict
The Nesco VS-02 finished at the back of the entire group of vacuum sealers. While it is reasonably convenient to use and pulls quite a strong vacuum, its downsides far outweigh its merits. It does an absolutely abysmal job with delicate types of food, almost always crushing them far more than you would desire, has a heat seal that is undesirably thin, and can only do a few bags at a time before needing a break. This kitchen appliance is also a bit on the pricey side for its less than stellar performance, thoroughly precluding it from winning an award.
Editor's Note: The Nesco VS-02 review was updated on February 15th, 2022, to include additional tips and comparisons between products.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Nesco VS-02 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Vacuum Sealer |  Best for Delicate Foods | |||
| Price | $90 List $68.40 at Amazon | $50 List | $70 List | $82 List $75.63 at Amazon | $120 List |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Finishing with a very low score, it's hard for us to get excited about this sealer | This affordable and convenient unit can seal up to 30 bags in a row while remaining gentle on tender food | This relatively inexpensive unit is packed with convenience features, is easy to operate, and has a soft touch for delicate foods | This sealer offers above-average performance particularly in delicate foods assessment | This mid-size model is convenient and generally performs well across the board |
| Rating Categories | Nesco VS-02 | Amazon Basics Vacuu... | Mueller Vacuum Sealer | NutriChef PKVS18BK | FoodSaver FM2000 |
| Sealing Performance (40%) | |||||
| Convenience (30%) | |||||
| Delicate Foods (20%) | |||||
| Suction Power (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Nesco VS-02 | Amazon Basics Vacuu... | Mueller Vacuum Sealer | NutriChef PKVS18BK | FoodSaver FM2000 |
| Measured Vacuum Strength @ 6200' | 18.8 -inHg | 14.5 -inHg | 19 -inHg | 18 -inHg | 15 -inHg |
| Measured Weight | 4.8 lbs | 3.1 lbs | 2.7 lbs | 2.9 lbs | 3.7 Ibs |
| Air Suction Hose Included? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Removable Tray? | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Built-in Roll Storage? | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Built-in Bag Cutter? | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Measured Seal Thickness | 1.5 mm | 3 mm | 2 mm | 2.5 mm | 3mm |
| Measured Average Seal Time | 6 seconds | 9 seconds | 6 seconds | 7 seconds | 13 seconds |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Nesco VS-02 has a strong vacuum, but it does terribly with delicate foods, especially for the above-average price. If everything you're sealing is hardy and not easily damaged, this could be a fine choice, but if you want to seal any softer items, this isn't what we would recommend.
Performance Comparison
The Nesco finished at the bottom of our test group.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Sealing Performance
For this metric, we compared the thickness and the corresponding strength of the heat seal created by each product, the speed at which it sealed different types of food, and the number of bags it could pack in a row. We also noted if the internal bag pressure changed when you manually triggered the machine to start sealing the bag, rather than waiting for it to do it automatically.
The Nesco was quite speedy when it came to vacuum sealing four sausages.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Nesco got off to a strong start in the speed tests for this metric, delivering one of the fastest sets of times out of the entire group. We used four different types of food as our sample items: ground meat, precooked sausages, uncooked rice, and slices of standard white bread. The Nesco delivered a faster than average time in all four of them and is particularly speedy when vacuum sealing bread. Unfortunately, it didn't do very well in the remaining tests in this metric. It could only seal six bags in a row before it needed a break, and it had one of the thinnest heat seals of the entire group, only measuring 1.5mm across.
The heat seal area created by the Nesco is a little on the thin side for our taste.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The vacuum pump also doesn't stop if you hit the “Seal” button early, with it continuing to draw air out. Our vacuum gauge measured a change of five inches of mercury before the bag actually sealed.
Most of the products sealed the dry rice fairly quickly.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Convenience
Our next round of evaluations for these kitchen appliances focused on general ease of use. We evaluate how easy it is to clean each product, check if there is an easy way to store extra quilted vacuum bags, measure the overall size and weight, gauge how responsive the controls are, and check if there is a locking lid. We also considered any extra accessory pump attachments for sealing things besides bags. The Nesco scored average, but it earned some bonus points by having a convenient location to store bags and an integrated cutter.
We are big fans of the integrated bag cutter on the Nesco.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Unfortunately, this sealer lacks a tray that you can take out for easy cleanup, and it is a little bit larger and heavier than the average vacuum sealer. It doesn't include any accessory attachments, but there is a port for ones that you can purchase separately to seal other types of containers.
The interface is quite intuitive and easy to understand.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The interface is responsive, and the pushbuttons provide a good tactile feel, making it hard to hit one inadvertently. We also awarded the Nesco some points for the lid locking into the down position while sealing, so you don't have to hold it in place.
The Nesco is above average when it comes to being convenient to operate.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Delicate Foods
For our third round of evaluations, we analyzed how well each product performed with foods that would be totally crushed by a regular vacuum. We scored each one on how easy it was to finely control the amount of vacuum and how well you could vacuum seal two slices of bread without crushing them. The Nesco did terribly in this metric.
While it is relatively easy to pulse the operation of the Nesco, it either lets in a ton of air or continues the vacuum pump for quite a while, meaning you end up crushing things like bread or sealing a ton of air in the bag with it. We tried a handful of times and never even got close to an ideal amount of air sucked out of the bag or a proper seal.
The Nesco didn't do the best with most delicate food items.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Suction Power
The Nesco finished our testing process with a solid showing in our last metric. For this category, we measured the overall suction power of each appliance using a dial vacuum gauge. The group average was 16.8 inches of mercury, and the Nesco pulled a slightly stronger vacuum that registered 18.8 inches.
The suction power of the Nesco is decently strong.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the Nesco VS-02?
This product isn't a great value, as it scored much lower than products that cost a lot less. Considering its below-average performance in most metrics, it is not an appliance we would add to our own kitchen, and we do not recommend the Nesco.
What Other Vacuum Sealers Should You Consider?
While the Nesco VS-02 does have a few interesting features, its drawbacks thoroughly outweigh them, and we subsequently don't really recommend it. Instead, we encourage you to take a look at any of the other vacuum sealers we tested, and especially recommend the Amazon Basics Vacuum Sealer and the Mueller Vacuum Sealer.
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
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