BELLA 8-Piece Removable Handle Cookware Set

This review is based on one extended use, to vacuum seal 20lbs of fresh peaches, frozen and sliced. CONS: — The lid is a pain to lock. (There is a locking mechanism on the two front corners.) I can’t simply press or even lean on each corner to lock it. I have to actually pick up each corner and squeeze the top and bottom together very tightly with both hands while simultaneously making sure the bag stays in place. If not for this ridiculous problem, it would be a decent gadget. — It feels cheap and plastic-y, doesn’t feel like it will stand up to the vigorous handling required to lock the lid in place. Here’s hoping it lasts more than a few uses. PROS: — Although I struggled with each and every bag to lock the lid, it finally did the job. I now have 20lbs of vacuum sealed peaches in my freezer. —I like the roll of bagging material. Yes, you have to cut the bag to the size you prefer, then seal one end, then fill the bag, then seal the other end. It may seem like a lot of steps, but it’s worth it to me. I like having larger bags for baking and small pouches for a smoothie or snacking. NOTES: I froze the sliced peaches first on a cookie sheet, then placed frozen peaches in bags to seal. It worked great while the peaches were fully frozen. Because the peaches were rock hard and not wet, I tried the “dry” setting first. Wrong! That did not work at all. On “moist,” it worked like a charm. Fully vacuumed and sealed. The suction worked best while the peaches were frozen. Once they started to thaw, juice was sucked out the open edge and the seal didn’t function properly. I wiped the excess juice off the machine and edges of the bag and re-sealed the bag with no problem. The fix, of course, was to work with fewer frozen peaches at a time. A better fix, dear manufacturer, would be a lid that locks in place easily so I could work more quickly, then the peaches would not have time to thaw. The roll of bagging material that comes in the box was not quite enough for 20lbs of peaches. If you have a lot of freezing to do like I did, order extra rolls from the start. The product gets three stars because it’s so difficult to lock. If locking was easy, I’d give it four stars, possibly five.