So what does a Vacuum Sealer do? –
The main thing to know is that not all vacuum sealer machines are created equal: vacuum sealers are available as large scale, commercial-use machines (chamber vacs) and also smaller, simpler models for the regular home kitchen (external/suction or handheld).
Machines range in price from around $50 for basic handheld devices to upwards of $10,000 for commercial chamber vacuum sealers designed for professional kitchens. Unless you are planning on running a catering company from home or are likely to require the regular sealing of bulk quantities of fresh protein (eg. if you are keen – and successful! – fisherman), we recommend looking at these (or similar) models:
- One of the handheld models (eg. a FoodSaver Handheld Vacuum Sealer), or,
- An external/suction Vacuum Sealer Machine (from either Geryon or FoodSaver), or
- For the keen angler/ hunter/ home caterer a smaller chamber vac like those from NutriChef or Apuro
All of the above models vacuum and seal food efficiently and sit at the budget end of their respective price scales. It is important to remember that a vacuum sealer is simply a kitchen appliance which removes the air from a food package and then seals it closed. There is no need to break the bank unnecessarily.
For a more detailed run through of the various kinds of vacuum sealers on the market and the main differences between them, see our article Types Of Vacuum Sealers.
But do you really need a vacuum sealer? After all, how often would you realistically use one?…. Well, I reckon you’d be surprised.
You probably know that vacuum sealers go hand-in-hand with sous vide cooking, but this really is only the tip of the vacuum sealer iceberg. Here are just some of their many advantages:
- Money saving
- Food preservation
- Extending shelf life
- Keeping food safe
- Preventing freezer burn
- Efficient food organisation
- Bulk buying
- Resealing packets
- Storing loose items
- Keeping items dry and compact when camping
- Protecting jewellery
- Improving the flavour of food
The list goes on…
For a full and detailed article on the various things that you can do with a vacuum sealer, see our article Why Buy A Vacuum Sealer. I’m confident that once you own a vacuum sealer, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Rather than being another expensive appliance that takes up valuable pantry space and only comes out three times a year, you’ll be using your vacuum sealer for all kinds of things that had likely never crossed your mind before.
I even have a friend who vacuum seals all of her kids’ favourite board games and playing cards into neat, organised packages when they go away on holidays. It’s a brilliant solution to the problem of lost pieces and bulky boxes.
A vacuum sealer is a useful, value for money appliance and not another over-hyped gadget.
The video below is a quick overview of the differences between external and chamber vacuum sealers and how they shape up for household purposes. It showcases US models but if you’re new to vacuum sealer machines it will give you a helpful introduction to how they work:
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