Anova vacuum sealers deserve your attention. I’ve tested a number of vacuum sealers, and it’s hard to argue against the quality Anova offers with its line of Anova Vacuum Sealers. Given Anova is the pioneer of bringing sous vide into homes, these vacuum sealers are sous vide battle tested.
Sous vide cooking is among the most trying of conditions for vacuum sealers, making it an ideal test ground. The combination of product benefits, particularly the assurance of a double seal, make the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro a great option for any home kitchen.
A vacuum sealer is a powerful kitchen tool that no one should be without. I struggle to think of a kitchen tool has the power to save you money the way that it can. And if you enjoy cooking sous vide, this is a particularly great option for you. Given how reasonably priced the Anova vacuum sealer is, you’ll likely save what you spend on it within months.
Table of Contents
My Video on Using the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro
Let me tell you why the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro is my BEST OVERALL pick amongst ALL vacuum sealers.
- High power vacuum, reliable double sealer, built-in bag storage and cutter, an accessory port for sealing containers, and the ability to seal wet foods without worry – all with just one hand.
- MARINADE FRIENDLY: Switch modes to wet-function to activate a low pressure suction and reliable double sealer – seal the juiciest of foods without fear.
- THINK OUTSIDE THE BAG: An added accessory port and hose open the door to sealing specialized canning jar lids, a wide variety of vacuum-ready containers, resealing wine bottles, and more!
- CUSTOMER PROMISE: Designed in San Francisco, CA with an industry-leading 2-year warranty.
There are a handful of key dimensions I look at when testing and using vacuum sealers. Those key dimensions are: ease of use, size, noise, features and suction power.
I examine the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro along these dimensions below and provide specs and other useful information.
Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro: Our Overall Best Vacuum Sealer Pick
Ease of Use
Vacuum sealers can be overly complicated or cheaply designed, which can make them frustrating to use. I’ve owned and tested my share of these vacuum sealers.
The Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro has straightforward controls, a simple bag feed and the easiest of locking mechanisms. The machine uses a double seal to provide added confidence in the strength of seal.
For me, the double seal is what truly sets this machine apart from others. There are other machines out there that make the same claim, but when you use them you question whether there is actually a double seal.
There is no doubt the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro gives you a true double seal.
What’s missing from an ease of use perspective is a status indicator of any sort. The buttons do light up and turn off to indicate completion, but you are not made aware of progress being made via a countdown or something of the sort.
I don’t view this as a big drawback because with a little use you’ll know what to expect from a timing perspective. The double seal is a big advantage over other vacuum sealers that trumps the lack of a status indicator.
Controls
There are only 6 buttons on the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro, each of which are clearly labeled.
- Vac & Seal – This initiates the process of automatically vacuuming and then sealing the bag.
- Moist – Pre-setting for moist and marinated food ( i.e. meat, fish, etc.)
- Dry – Pre-setting for dry food ( i.e. rice, grain, etc.)
- Seal – This double seals the bag without the use of vacuum.
- Pulse Vacuum – This is also referred to as Manual mode. This operates the vacuum functionality manually for delicate and soft food (fruit, bread, etc.)
- External Pulse Vacuum – Use hose connector to connect to vacuum food container. Press to vacuum.
What’s noticeably missing here is a Cancel button. Not to fear, simply lift the locking mechanism handle and any process underway will cease.
There is no power button. The unit is ready as soon as you plug it in.
Bag Feed and Locking Mechanism
The vacuum channel is obvious, so it’s a matter of placing the bag down correctly before locking the unit. This is not a blind setup where you feed the bag back through a slot before engaging an action.
Feeding the bag for vacuuming and sealing is very simple with the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro.
The locking mechanism is the easiest and most intuitive I’ve seen on a vacuum sealer. It comes in the form of a body wide handle that is operable with one hand. There is no mistaking when the unit is locked vs unlocked.
Status Indicator
The Anova Pro Vacuum Sealer does not have lights or a countdown to indicate progression. Rather, the buttons light up when a button has been engaged and the button lights shuts off when the process is complete.
Size
The obvious implications of size are capacity and storability.
From a capacity perspective, the max width of bags that can be sealed is your standard 11.8 inches. The unit also holds a standard 20 foot roll of bags.
The ability store a roll of bags in the unit for ease and convenience should be kept in mind when thinking about the dimensions of the unit. The unit measures 15.75″L x 7.1″W x 4.3″H and weighs 4.3lbs without a roll of bags and just over 5lbs with a roll of bags.
The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro is a compact unit for a vacuum sealer that includes bag roll storage. At just over 5lbs with a roll of bags, this model can easily be stored away when not in use.
The power cord also stores within the unit in a housing on the bottom. This helps with storability and countertop visual cleanliness should you choose to keep it on your countertop.
Noise
The reality is all vacuum sealers are noisy, which is bearable given the length of noise lasts seconds, not minutes. That said, the quieter the better.
At 82dBA the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro is on the quiet end of vacuum sealers I’ve tested.
For points of reference, the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine FM5400 measured 97 dBA and the INKBIRD PLUS vacuum sealer measured 74 dBA, which is the quietest I’ve tested. The ambient noise in my kitchen is 39 dBA.
Features
Must Haves
In my opinion, there are two must have features on a vacuum sealer:
The first is the aforementioned bag roll storage, which the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro has. I really prefer not to store bag rolls separately because at some point I know I’ll be fumbling around with frustration trying to find where I put that roll of bags. Furthermore, the built in cutter makes cutting and creating bags from the stored bag roll much simpler and eliminates waste.
The second is the ability to manually control the amount of air vacuumed. The Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro has this with “Pulse Vacuum” mode.
You simply hold the Pulse Vacuum button down when you want the vacuum to start and release when you want it to stop. You can do so repeatedly to your liking.
This comes in handy when sealing delicate foods like fruit or bread.
Nice To Have
A nice to have feature is a port and related hose attachment to seal containers, open bottles of wine, etc. using 3rd party products. The the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro has this too.
What makes it best in class: A double seal provides some extra assurance which can be particularly worth seeking when sous vide cooking. In fact, if you’re sous vide cooking double sealing may be worthy of the must have list. The Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro double seals your bag. No need to do so manually, saving you time and effort.
There’s nothing worse when cooking sous vide than a faulty seal ruining your meal.
The added benefit of the double seal is that it also allows you to make snack size vacuum seal bags with ease. Watch my video below to see how if you’re curious.
Bonus
I think of bonus features as things that I can appreciate, but wouldn’t pay much extra for.
The first bonus feature worth looking for is a way to see where your bag is lines up, even with the lid shut. This implies the cover that locks the bag to seal has some transparency to it, whether a window or a fully transparent cover. If the vacuum sealer is easy enough to use without this feature, there’s not a lot of added value here.
The second feature worth looking for is an explicit countdown to completion. This is one step beyond LED indicator lights. This is nice, but use a vacuum sealer a few times and you get a pretty good sense of how long it’s going to take. That’s why I put it in the “bonus” section.
The Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro does not have either of these bonus features, which clearly doesn’t bother me given it’s my top rated vacuum sealer. However, if these features are important to you, INKBIRD does make a comparably priced vacuum sealer, the INK-VS03, with these features. Note, the INKBIRD VS03 does not double seal your bag.
Bottom Line: The the Anova Vacuum Sealer Pro has all the features you need. It’s focused on functionality and clean design, which it does better than any vacuum sealer in its class.
Suction Power
An underpowered vacuum sealer is going to lead to air pockets in your vacuum sealed bags. Air pockets lead freezer burn and other structural integrity issues for the food being stored that compromises its quality. I haven’t experienced any air pockets using the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro.
Bottom Line: The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro has more than enough suction power to ensure your food stays fresher longer.
Other Notes
Warranty
Anova vacuum sealers are covered by an industry leading two year warranty. Anova is a highly reputed company that stands by its warranty. They’re even known to assist customers beyond the warranty period. If that’s not enough, Anova even offers a 100-day satisfaction guarantee on Anova vacuum sealers.
Package Contents
The INKBIRDPLUS Vacuum Sealer packaging includes replacement parts to make downtime minimal. Both a replacement sealing strip and a foam gasket are included in the contents.
The full list of package contents:
- Vacuum sealer machine
- 20′ bag roll
- Vacuum hose for accessories
- User manual
Anova does offer various options with regard to how many and what type of bags (i.e. rolls vs pre-cut) you receive with the vacuum sealer. Other brands of channel vacuum sealing bags can be used with the Anova.
How To Use the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
1. Line up end of bag roll to seal one end of the bag
Pull the end of the roll out and place it over the sealing strip, leaving a bit of excess.
2. Close and lock
Close the vacuum sealer lid and push the handle down to lock it.
3. Seal the first end
Press the Seal button.
4. Size the bag
Open the vacuum sealer, run the bag roll under the cutter and size the bag appropriately.
5. Cut bag
Cut the bag with the built in cutter.
6. Place food in bag
Insert food and place the open end of the bag in the vacuum channel.
7. Lock
Close the lid and lock the vacuum sealer by pushing down on the handle to close position.
8. Vac and seal
Make sure you have the appropriate preset selected (Moist or Dry) and then press the Vacuum & Seal button.
- High power vacuum, reliable double sealer, built-in bag storage and cutter, an accessory port for sealing containers, and the ability to seal wet foods without worry – all with just one hand.
- MARINADE FRIENDLY: Switch modes to wet-function to activate a low pressure suction and reliable double sealer – seal the juiciest of foods without fear.
- THINK OUTSIDE THE BAG: An added accessory port and hose open the door to sealing specialized canning jar lids, a wide variety of vacuum-ready containers, resealing wine bottles, and more!
- CUSTOMER PROMISE: Designed in San Francisco, CA with an industry-leading 2-year warranty.
If the price of the Anova vacuum sealer has you hesitating, I’d recommend looking at my Best Value pick in vacuum sealers, the INKBIRD vacuum sealer INK-VS02. The biggest difference between the two machines is that the INKBIRD vacuum sealer does not double seal.
- Built-in 11.8’’ Cutter & Bag Storage (Up to 20 Feet Length)
- 7 Operable Modes of Moist/Dry/Pulse/Seal/Canister/Stop/Vac & Seal
- -85KPA Strong Suction Keep Food 10X Fresher
- Easy to Clean and Store
You can read my full review of the INKBIRD PLUS vacuum sealer here.
Click here for our list of best vacuum sealers. You can find our best sous vide starter kits here. We hope we can be a resource to you going forward!
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