Vacuum Sealers

[NBK]

Haha - this is a good thread. There are two camps, the Cadillac camp and the Yugo camp (or should I say RecTeq camp and Traeger camp). Both camps have good points.

I like Cadillacs...

 

[woody31949]

I am a Costco FoodSaver owner for many years and have until recently been using the rolls which I always thought was a pain as I had to cut to length and then seal one end, put the food in and then seal the other end. Unrelated but even more annoying is buying 40 lb of fresh shrimp at season end and sealing and freezing in 1lb+ bags. I found that Amazon sells many sizes of bags and thicknesses that are food safe and only have one end unsealed. They are reasonably priced. I have been sealing brisket leftovers and other larger smokes in them. I either freeze the meat or store them in the refrigerator until I want to use. I heat up a pan of water to just about boiling and drop the sealed bag in the pan and let it heat the meat up. Juices pretty much stay in the meat as there is little room in a vacuum bag. Best I know, this is fine as you are only heating the meat up. You are not supposed to use these bags to cook raw meat.

 

[Hipplewm]

Haha - this is a good thread. There are two camps, the Cadillac camp and the Yugo camp (or should I say RecTeq camp and Traeger camp). Both camps have good points.

I like Cadillacs...

https://www.vacmasterfresh.com/vacmaster-vp230-commercial-chamber-vacuum-sealer/

Picked that up at a restaurant auction (They were closing) for $180 plus a 15% auction fee. BEST PURCHASE EVER - cost me another $100 in new oil, bags etc - but it has been a champ for the last 5 years

 

[NBK]

I have had mine for a few weeks now and could not go back. One of the better purchases for sure. We have virtually eliminated ziplock bags and use it for everything. Purchased bags in bulk and it is now pennies per bag.

 

[gkal1964]

There are a couple of old vacuum sealer related threads out here, but none specific for what I'm looking for.

I have never used a vacuum sealer before, but see how the RT people here are always referring to it. There is such a huge range in price, size, etc.
Can anyone speak to a smaller, less expensive model that they would recommend?

See below link for one that gets great reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B87SY6JW?tag=track-ect-usa-554612-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=

Late response but I have had the Nesco Deluxe VS-12 unit for years and it works flawlessly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B87SY6JW?tag=track-ect-usa-554612-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=

 

[Pops]

I got a vacuum sealer at Costo in a bundle for 99.00 , it is a Foodsaver. At first I was concerned about it holding up, but I have used it ALOT in the last 2 years and it is a game changer.
I use it to freeze leftover meat for later and for sous vide.

I would get a less expensive one, like this one at Costco, at first then you can step up your game if you use one alot. IMHO

 

[Motodad1776]

https://www.vacmasterfresh.com/vacmaster-vp230-commercial-chamber-vacuum-sealer/

Picked that up at a restaurant auction (They were closing) for $180 plus a 15% auction fee. BEST PURCHASE EVER - cost me another $100 in new oil, bags etc - but it has been a champ for the last 5 years

For that price, my business had better be vacuum sealing food for a living........just sayin. Let's have a discussion on carpet vacuums as well, seems it would be a similar argument? Considering that most here have foodsaver units and have had very good results and longevity, the argument for them as a good option for most appears to be solid.

 

[Greg Jones]

Considering that most here have foodsaver units and have had very good results and longevity, the argument for them as a good option for most appears to be solid.

I have a FoodSaver and am quite pleased with if. My only complaint is that you can’t easily marinate stuff with that type of sealer. A chamber vac handles that task with ease. I’ve looked at a couple of chamber units that were under $500, but that’s still a lot of money.

 

[Kendallsbbq]

Finally decided and purchased today, Food Saver brand at Costco....Currently $25 off....so $75.

 

[AlphaPapa]

Several have mentioned that at some point, the additional cost of the chamber sealer is offset by the cheaper bags. Here is a quick break-even calculation using numbers that others have posted here.

Assumptions:
Cost of end sealed bags: $0.25
Cost of chamber bags: $0.10

Savings per use: $0.15

I am not sure how much more expensive chamber sealers are. So, I will calculate break-even per $100 difference.

$100/$0.15 = 667 uses.

So, for every $100 difference in price you would need to seal 667 meals to reach break-even. So, if a chamber sealer is actually $500 more than an edge sealer you would need to seal 3,333 meals to break-even. If you seal 100 meals per year, it would take you 33 years to break even.

Of course, this analysis doesn’t take into account any differences in:
- longevity of the machines
- maintenance
- quality of the seal
- time to seal
- ease of use
- storage requirements
- etc.

For non-professional use, I think it is hard to justify the chamber sealer from a financial point of view. However, there are plenty of other, non-quantitative factors that can be used.

 

[Greg Jones]

I’m still using my FoodSaver, but the bigger difference for me is not the cost of bags, it’s that the vac sealers may/can have a serious performance difference as I mentioned above. I cannot marinate in a vac sealer, and that’s a big limitation for some of us.

 

[Jim6820]

I’m still using my FoodSaver, but the bigger difference for me is not the cost of bags, it’s that the vac sealers may/can have a serious performance difference as I mentioned above. I cannot marinate in a vac sealer, and that’s a big limitation for some of us.

@Greg Jones, why can’t you marinate in FoodSaver bags? I have done it quite a few times. Have I missed something?

Yes, you need to be careful when vac sealing that you don’t start to suck the marinade out, but I use an extra-long bag, watch the marinade level carefully and hit the ”seal” button before any of it gets near the sealer strip.

Please help me understand why I shouldn’t be doing this. Thanks.

 

[Greg Jones]

Yes, you need to be careful when vac sealing that you don’t start to suck the marinade out, but I use an extra-long bag, watch the marinade level carefully and hit the ”seal” button before any of it gets near the sealer strip.

Well, this is something I need to explore with my FoodSaver. I have a seal button and a vac and seal button, I wasn’t aware that you could hit the seal button and override the vac and seal process. Thanks!

 

[Chevys10zr2003]

My main reason for wanting a chamber sealer is because I make/eat lots of soups and chili and like making large batches and freezing the rest for quick meals.

 

[Greg Jones]

My main reason for wanting a chamber sealer is because I make/eat lots of soups and chili and like making large batches and freezing the rest for quick meals.

I make large batches myself, and freeze them in what is commonly called take-out food containers. Same for chicken stock. Last night I thawed a container of chili, added some stock and fresh brisket, and it was even better than the day I originally made the chili.

 

[Chevys10zr2003]

I make large batches myself, and freeze them in what is commonly called take-out food containers. Same for chicken stock. Last night I thawed a container of chili, added some stock and fresh brisket, and it was even better than the day I originally made the chili.

I do that too or use ice cream buckets or large ziplocs but would be nice to be able to vacuum seal them.

 

[PRC]

I do that too or use ice cream buckets or large ziplocs but would be nice to be able to vacuum seal them.

I do the same, I freeze them in a container and when completely frozen I run the container under warm water for just a minute and it will pop right out, then I vacuum seal it. Works great for all liquids.

 

[SmokeOCD]

We save batch food in Italian beef containers with a piece of saran pushed down on the surface. Still don't need to save much - two college kids still at home. Have a vac sealer - used mostly for cold cured pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork belly.

 

[Jim6820]

We save batch food in Italian beef containers with a piece of saran pushed down on the surface. Still don't need to save much - two college kids still at home. Have a vac sealer - used mostly for cold cured pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork belly.

With “…two college kids still at home,” the leftovers would be pretty limited all right! Been there, done that!

 

[davscott1]

I have the Avid Armor. USV32. The oil pump machines weren’t available at the time. it isn’t heavy and doesn’t look bulky. I don’t know if I would need the oil pump machine. I think it is more for heavy duty use. I use mine about once a week. you can get the bags from their site or find cheaper sources.

it is a lot better than those external suction sealers that need the special type bags that are embossed.

I'm seriously considering the Avid Armor USV32. Are you still happy with yours?