Every year, millions of tons of food are wasted all over the world, with most, citing problems with storage and sealing. Fortunately, the continued advancement in technology has made it easy to seal food for later use. Foodsavers or food sealers, are the way forward to abolish waste food. With the food vacuum sealer, you can easily package your bulk purchases, hunting meat and leftovers into zipper-locked or reusable heat vacuum sealed bags. You simply vacuum out the air to increase its longevity and maximize its freshness while the package is stored in a freezer or refrigerator.
What are the benefits of using a vacuum food sealer?
• Increased shelf life: according to recent studies, packaging food using a vacuum sealer can increase the shelf life of a product by 50-400%. Vacuum packaging also helps reduce freezer burns.
• Reduced product loss
• Easy to use vacuum sealed bags
• No chemical preservatives are required
• Comes with multiple packaging options such as reclosed zippers, foil lined, open tear notches, channeled and numerous other options
• Seals in flavors
• It is a quick and efficient method of packaging
• Improved product presentation
• The vacuum sealed barriers protect the packaged food from external elements
The Different Types Of Vacuum Sealer
Handheld Sealers
One of the newer types now available is a handheld vacuum sealer. Major companies that make plastic bags and storage containers make these devices. The device itself fits into the palm of your hand. You insert the device into a hole on the bag and press a button to remove the air. Though hand-held models do work well, they usually only work with the bags that the manufacturer makes and you cannot reuse those bags. Some find that they do not remove as much air as other models do either.
External Vacuum Sealers
Most of the vacuum sealers that you see sold for home use are external vacuum sealers. They come with both the vacuum sealer and a series of plastic bags. To use one, you lift up the lid on the vacuum sealer until you can see the seal bar. You will then place the lip of the bag on this bar and fill the bag with your items. Once you close and lock the lid and press a button, the vacuum sealer will carefully pump the air out of the bag and create an airtight seal. External vacuum sealers can work with both large and small items.
Chamber Vacuum Sealers
One of the most effective models is a chamber vacuum sealer. As these are larger in size and use big bags, manufacturers typically market them to restaurants and other businesses. The vacuum sealer has a large chamber inside where you place the plastic bag. When you fill the bag, the vacuum sealer will remove all the air from the inside and create a heat seal in the plastic that won’t break or come open. Chamber vacuum sealers are more expensive and may require more maintenance or repair work than other models do, but these machines are more efficient and effective.
What to Look for When Purchasing a Vacuum Sealer
Machine Orientation
One feature you might not consider is the orientation of the machine. This is important if you want to use it with liquids though. Vacuum sealers with a horizontal orientation sit flush with a table or counter and can make sealing a bag or bottle with liquid very difficult. Upright vacuum sealers are easier to use with different bags and jars.
Roller Design
Most vacuum sealers can work with different types of bags. One thing worth considering is whether the machine has rollers inside that can hold those bags. These models also have internal cutters that can save time and money. Instead of cutting the bag and risk wasting plastic, the cutters will automatically cut the bags and save that plastic. Machines that come with internal rollers can also hold the plastic and save some space in your kitchen.
Overheating Protection
If you hunt for wild game or have a garden and like to save your ingredients for future use, you need a vacuum sealer with built-in protection against overheating. Models designed for home use can come up to temperature quickly and then take up to 30 minutes to cool down between cycles. Until the machine cools down, you cannot use it again without risking the machine overheating. Large models can run multiple cycles in a row without overheating.
Size
The right vacuum sealer for you might depend on the overall size of your kitchen. A commercial model that requires more space might not fit in your cabinets or pantry. Size is also important if you want a vacuum sealer that you can use in other rooms. You may want to reduce the space needed for winter clothes or to can fresh herbs and vegetables that you picked from your garden. A lightweight and compact vacuum sealer can go anywhere you do.
Attachment Compatibility
Another thing to think about is whether the vacuum sealer is compatible with different attachments and accessories. Some machines will work with plastic or glass containers that you can use to store leftover soup and homemade spaghetti sauce. Almost any type of liquid will fit inside the jar, which has a lid you can attach to the sealer to remove the excess air. Other machines work with similar containers designed for marinating foods. You can add meat and your marinade and then use the machine to remove the air. This helps the ingredients penetrate deep into the meat faster than they otherwise would.
Pause Option
If you love making baked goods at home and sharing those sweet treats with others, you should look for a vacuum sealer with a pause option. Most vacuum sealers monitor the amount of air inside the bag or container and will only stop when it no longer detects any air. When you want to save baked goods and other delicate items though, you want to make sure that you can stop the machine before it removes all that air and crushes your dishes.
Those are just some of the benefits that vacuum packaging has to offer and if you are still not yet convinced, then read the review and then decide.
Best Vacuum Sealers Comparison Guide
| Image | Model | Sealing Capacity | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer | 4.11 Inch Sealing Capacity | 4.5 | $$$ |
 | FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System | 11"x10" Heat Seal Roll | 3.8 | $$ |
 | Crenova Vs100S Vacuum Sealing System | 30cm Heat-Seal Bags | 4.3 | $$ |
 | Weston Vacuum Sealer 65-0201 | 15 inches wide bags | 4.3 | $$$$ |
 | Sous Vide Suspreme, SVV-00300 | - | 3.1 | $$$ |
 | Seal-a-meal Vacuum Sealer FSSMSL0160-000 | 11 inch bags | 3.6 | $ |
 | Nesco Vs-02, Black/Silver | 11.8” wide roll bag | 4.1 | $ |
 | Waring Vacuum Sealer Pro | - | 3.9 | $$ |
 | Chamber Vacuum Sealer | - | 4.3 | $$$$ |
 | Weston Vacuum Sealer 65-0501-W, Silver | 11 inches | 3.5 | $$ |
FoodSaver Vacuum Food Sealer
The FoodSaver vacuum sealer is designed to function as a handheld vacuum sealing machine and also a countertop vacuum sealing machine. It’s a top pick on Amazon and its very popular. It features a fully automated touch operation that makes it easy for the user to operate. It automatically dispenses, seals, rewinds and cuts the packaging bag for sealing. It comes with a handheld retractable sealer that you can use to seal jars, bags, and canisters without using heat. It works best with FoodSaver rolls and bags.
It’s fitted with six buttons; a power button, dispense button, rewind button, seal & cut button, cancel button and seal now button. It also has simplified maintenance light indicators such as close lid, empty tray, close drawer and check roll lights. Also available are the vacuum and the one-touch marinate modes. It is ideal for people looking to carry out the vacuum packaging process at the simplest level possible. Comes with a 5 year limited warranty.
FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System
The V2244 is one of the most popular vacuum food sealing systems on the market today. It is one of the easiest sealers to use such that even a beginner can use it with little or no difficulties at all. In just three easy steps, you’ll have your food packaged and ready to store.
It comes with a patented drip tray that allows it to handle foods with liquids. However, it is recommended that you first freeze your food to make the juice a little bit thick. This will make it easy for vacuum sealer to package your food. Generally, the V2244 is small in size but with its large width, it is able to handle even a full rack of ribs.
It features a starter kit that includes pre-cut gallon-sized and heat-seal quart-sized bags. It also comes with an accessory hose, a user manual and one heat-seal roll.
Comes with a 2 year warranty
Crenova Vs100S Vacuum Sealing System
In terms of functionality, the Vs100S is at the top of the list. It boasts an 80kPA pressure that can remove air from virtually any food storage bag. It’s highly versatile that you can use it to preserve any type of food from snacks to fresh meat. It is designed with stainless steel materials that ensures its durability. It features an intelligent operation that allows the user to operate and manage the packaging process automatically.
Its design ensures that the taste, juiciness, and tenderness remains even after packaging. Like most vacuum sealers, the Vs100S is easy to maintain and clean, as all you have to do is use a damp piece of cloth to clean it. In terms of functionality, features, and versatility, the Crenova Vs100S does not disappoint.
Weston Vacuum Sealer 65-0201
The Weston Vacuum Sealer is one of the best vacuum cleaners for meat. It is designed for both personal and commercial use. With this product, the manufacturer uses a transparent charcoal colored lid and high-quality stainless steel to ensure that it is one of the best if not the best.
It is more durable and sturdier than previous models. It has a large sized opening that makes it easy for the use to seal 15” bags. It comes with an extra long sealing strip that provides extra security. Its air tight seal is two times wider than normal seals, which makes it easy to seal two bags at the same time. This helps save on electricity. The manufacturer went an extra mile to make this product even more versatile by positioning the accessory port under the lid. It also has a drip tray that’s designed to hold all spills during the packaging process, especially when sealing wet foods. To provide enough heat for sealing the bags, it comes with Teflon coated sealing rod.
Sous Vide Suspreme, SVV-00300
Unlike most vacuum sealers on this list, the SVV-00300 is designed specifically for Sous Vide cooking (a French Style of Cooking). But that shouldn’t dishearten you from buying it, as it is also suitable for everyday use in the kitchen. It comes with an easy touch-top activation, which makes it easy for the user to start and operate the device. You simply push down its top, and the process begins.
It has a user-friendly control panel that comes with numerous settings, which are easily customizable according to your preferences. It is ideal for sealing meat, vegetables and delicate foods without having to crush them. All this is made possible by its gentle vacuum suction. Overall, it is a nice device with great features and it s definitely worth the price.
Seal-a-meal Vacuum Sealer FSSMSL0160-000
The Seal-a-Meal Vacuum Sealer FSSMSL0160-000 is known as a user-friendly machine that is designed to operate automatically. The machine has removable drip tray, sealing indicator light, sealing strip, lower and upper sealing gasket and a hands-free indicator light. Users can operate the machine using the one touch open/cancel button. The vacuum sealer aids users to store large amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits. The machine does this by portioning and sealing the packages for your daily usage. The machine comes in handy when protecting jewelry, documents and household items.
The Seal-a-meal is structured in a way that it can seal gallon-size heat seal, 11-inch, 8-inch and quarter sizes bags. In case of any accidental overflow of liquids, the patented drip tray will collect it thus maintaining a clean operating area.
Nesco Vs-02, Black/Silver
The Nesco Vs-02 is a top-rated vacuum sealer used in preparing whole meals, reseal food products and save any leftovers that would spoil if left open. Vacuum sealing food helps in controlling food spoilage as well as eradicating freezer burns. The Nesco Vs-02 is a fully automatic machine with one-touch operation to make the operations safe and easy for all users. The Nesco VS-02 is fitted with a seal-only button to seal delicate foods along with a strong piston pump for the purpose of vacuum sealing.
One of the unique features of the Nesco VS-02 vacuum sealer is the roll compartment and the bag cutter that helps in cutting bags of various sizes. The Sealing gasket helps in regulating the required vacuum in the main chamber. Its Sealing bar has a Teflon coated heating element and its main role is sealing the packing bags. The machine has an Override seal function that allows you to seal the bag as the vacuum process takes place. This feature is very important when sealing soft delicate food products.
Waring Vacuum Sealer Pro
The Waring Vacuum Sealer Pro – (Model PVS1000) Pistol has Pistol design making it easy to operate with one hand. This machine can seal 30 to 40 bags when fully charged. The machine comes with heavy duty batteries that are charged for 12 hours to give a supply of power, and once the batteries are fully charged, the LED turns green indicating that the machine is ready to use.
This vacuum sealer comes with 12- one quart and 12 one-gallon packing bag. Once you place the product in the bags, the next step will be sealing the bag using a zip tool. The package will now be ready for the process of air removal. The process takes a few seconds depending on the size of your packing bag. Users love this product since it’s portable thus you can carry it with you to any place.
Chamber Vacuum Sealer
The MVS 45X Chamber machine is designed for commercial food and non-food packaging purposes. The machine has an automated functioning which makes it easy to operate as opposed to the manual controlled Vacuum sealing devices. It is fitted with a Busch KB Oil Rotary pump to suck the air out of the packing bags.
The Chamber Vacuum Sealer MVS45X body is made of high grade stainless steel; it cannot rust. Users love the machine due to its multiple operational features which include extra vacuum, high volume density plate, programmable sealing and vacuum time and excess bag cut off. The display and control panel located on the front has an LED display, customizable program setting control, water-resistant digital display and an electronic millibar sensor.
Weston Vacuum Sealer 65-0501-W, Silver
Weston Vacuum Sealer 65-0501-W is the perfect machine for household and professional vacuum sealing needs for vegetables, foods and any other products. The machine IS ETL certified and has a 210 watts motor that provides great vacuum strength. This machine is unique due to its out-of-chamber sealer, which is compatible with sealing bags that have embossed or textured linings.
The good thing about the Weston Vacuum Sealer machine is that it can be used to seal bags that are 11 inches in width. The machine has a stylish black design that makes it compatible with most kitchen décor. In addition, the machine has a simple control panel thus allowing all users to select food choices, vacuum speed together with two marinate options.
Conclusion
All the models reviewed above are among the best on the market with most having unique features. But still, your choice will rely on your needs and preferences. Although they all have the basic functionality of both vacuuming and sealing, it is important to note that they have all have different features that make them stand out from the rest. It now rests upon you to decide which vacuum sealer you want. The important issue here is to get the best choice you can get.