Wevac CV12

I was using a push down sealer to vacuum seal bulk meat purchases. Juices were always a problem with continuous cleanup.I got a freeze dryer to start making MREs for camping and emergency preparedness. They use Mylar bags which a bar vacuum sealer won’t work with. I don’t have to vacuum seal freeze dried food but it helps with space. This has worked perfectly removing the air and sealing the Mylar bags. I’ve also used it to seal regular vacuum seal bags I used on my push down sealer for bulk meat purchases. No more juice messes! I could seal bags of broth and soup and freeze them with no mess!Depth was a deciding factor for me overall and this unit had more depth than other models and I’m glad I got a deep model. During the process some bags and pouches will actually expand like a balloon and I’ve had larger items push against the glass lid and visibly stress their seems continuing to expand where there’s no resistance. Actually had a pouch burst, thankfully it was just dry noodles so no mess. Transferred to another bag, pressed the air out better before starting and that solved that problem.This has a pretty large capacity. I’ve done some 1/2 pint bags with freeze dried fruits and I’ve done gallon size Mylar bags with noodles (pictured) and rice and sugar and such. Gallon is the largest you can go. I included pictures of the gallon bag of noodles to show relative size and depth.The unit is very solid and robust. It has a strong thick metal body, thick glass door and it’s decently balanced when picking up so it doesn’t feel like it wants to tip any certain direction when I pick it up to put it away. Speaking of picking it up. It’s quite heavy but manageable. However, I soon found a permanent location because it was heavy and I didn’t want to risk eventually dropping it. It’s a bit large so not something you may want on your kitchen counter long term.My only real gripe and I believe it’s just me being impatient and this is just the nature of owning and operating a vacuum chamber sealer is, it can take awhile to seal some things. There’s three presets for sizes. S for stuff around 1/2 pint bag, M for quart sizes, and L for gallon. The preset times are 30s, 45s, and 55s respectively for these sizes. That can take awhile to seal a bunch of bags. I’m standing there waiting for around a minute per item. I can go do something else though and then switch the next bag. You can set your own times but that’s content specific I’ve found. I can do a 10-20 second vacuum on freeze dried foods because it doesn’t have to be absolutely air free, but it still draws it down pretty tightly. I also don’t want it too tight because some dried foods have hard edges. But sealing meats like chicken breasts in 2-3s, hot dogs, steaks, they need it to run fairly long to really get that air out. Otherwise you’re left with a couple small air pockets still. With the push down vacuum sealer you can massage the air bubbles out while it’s still drawing air out, not when it’s in the chamber. I like to pre-make and freeze mini smash burgers; basically meatballs. Those will not draw the air fully from between them like the push down can. But everything else it excels at when vacuum sealing. Having this able to do liquids, I’ve started making sweet tea in bulk and sealing them in quart Mylar bags. One bag makes a whole gallon. Just grab it, dump it in a pitcher, fill the rest of the way with water and stir. Perfect like I just made it, but I made 12-20 so I have that mane weeks already done I can just grab and make up real quick. Just something I can do now since I have this instead of making a pot every week. It’s a bit pricy compared to push sealers but it’s a game changer for resealing bulk purchases.Oh, I also just got a smoker so I can use this to marinade meats deeply, and I bought a sous vide capable ninja since this does liquids. Opening new doors all kinds of ways in my kitchen game.

I purchased this three years ago and have sealed over a thousand meals. The only issues that I have had are sealing liquids (like soup) and not allowing enough room in the bag. If the bag doesn't stay in place, I found placing a small towel under the bag solves the problem. Another great trick to keep the shape of food such as lasagna or shepherd pie is to freeze it before sealing. It is easy to use and cleans up very nicely. I am so glad that I purchased this! I used to freeze everything in zip lock bags and this is way better!

The smooth surface of the bags shipped with the unit form a vacuum tight seal foiling the evacuation process. I spent hours trying to deal with this. Using the chamber instead of external vacuum mode helps but the problem is still there. Bags ordered separately are textured and work well. Don’t waste your time with the bags that come with the unit if they are un-textured.There is no OFF button! (Seriously?) You have to unplug the unit which will certainly wear out the connector over time.With the proper bags, I like the chamber vs external vacuum mode which is much faster.

The media could not be loaded. This is my first chamber sealer. I like it for all the same reasons everyone else does. I almost didn’t get this one, because I read that you can’t seal bags from the outside. If you have something too large for the chamber, like a large roast or a whole rack of ribs, you need to be able to vacuum seal it from outside the chamber. If I couldn’t do that, I’d still give this five stars, because this is a really great vacuum sealer.I made a video to show how to vacuum seal from the outside. It’s my first video review, and not very good, but I think it does okay at showing how to do this. I failed to mention you have to use textured bags for this, like FoodSaver bags. The smooth bags you use for chamber vacuum sealing won’t work for outside vacuum sealing.My first attempt at outside sealing failed, because I simply inserted the open end of the bag into the chamber and closed the lid. The machine vacuumed, but it didn’t vacuum the air out of the bag.You have to set it up the same way you would for chamber sealing, with one side of the bag opening under the clips, the other side over the clips, and the bag over the sealing bar, then turned back, so it hangs outside the chamber. Close the lid, and it will vacuum the air out of the bag then seal it. Watch the video and you’ll see what I mean. It’s easier than it sounds.- - -The CV12 is very easy to use. It has three presets for small, medium and large bags, or you can use your own custom settings.You can set the vacuum time from 5 to 80 seconds in one second intervals.You can set the seal time from 0 to 9 seconds in half second intervals.The chamber is smooth and easy to clean. The chamber is larger than I expected. The bottom center is flat for about 6 ½ inches in diameter, then gradually tapers upward as it approaches the sides, but it still leaves plenty of space inside the chamber.You can use the textured bags if you have them, but you can also use the less expensive smooth bags.They’ve improved the design, so it now comes with a port and hose for attachments. The hose plugs into the port inside the chamber. You use one side of the attachment end of the hose for zipper bag valves. Turn it around and use it for canisters. (See photos) I’m able to use all the accessories I used with my FoodSaver.One of my favorite things to do with a vacuum sealer is to reseal jars of partially used products, like pickles, jelly, yeast, etc. If the jar is small enough to fit upright in the chamber, you can reseal it inside the chamber. Set the seal for 0 seconds, and the vacuum time for 40 seconds. You may need to adjust the vacuum time up or down, using experience as your guide. You can do several jars at once, if they fit. Make sure it’s not a tight squeeze or the jar will break. Don’t ask how I know, but I will tell you the chamber is durable and easy to clean.For jars which won’t fit upright inside the chamber, you can place them inside a larger jar or canister outside the chamber, and use your accessories which you purchased separately to vacuum the large outer jar or canister, then release the vacuum and your jar(s) of product will be vacuum sealed.