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Because when you have a lot to seal, you need a machine that stands up to the task.
Despite best intentions, food waste can be hard to avoid. Vacuum sealers offer a great way to extend food’s shelf life by removing unwanted air before storage, ideally before being stored in a freezer. Though standard vacuum sealers work for many jobs, the best chamber vacuum sealers offer more power and versatility. Along with adjustable vacuum strengths, these machines can seal larger items, wet food, and some can create multiple, separate portions at a time. If this is your first time buying a chamber vacuum sealer, here are some things to consider.
What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Chamber Vacuum Sealers
First, you should know that chamber vacuum sealers don’t come cheap, however with proper care, they’ll last for years, and can save you a lot of money by preserving food that would otherwise spoil or get freezer burn. Of course, they also work great as sealing machines for sous vide cooking — a benefit many home chefs will appreciate.
Helpful Features
Certain vacuum sealers allow you to operate them continuously, which can be helpful if you have a surplus of food from bulk shopping, or are just returning from a hunting or fishing excursion. Otherwise, you may have to wait for the machine to cool down between uses. Adjustable vacuum pressures allow you to choose the right seal for your food type — fragile foods, for example, will fare better with a lower level of pressure than heavier meats. You may also want to look for features like a marinating function or a wide sealing bar that can close multiple portions at once — a timesaver if you have a number of packages to process.
Size & Weight
Commercial-grade vacuum sealers can vary widely in size, so be sure you have enough storage space for the model you choose. (You’ll also want to check to see that the machine is compatible with the size of vacuum seal bags you plan to use.) They can also get quite heavy, with some machines weighing upwards of 80 pounds. The heft usually comes courtesy of industrial-strength motors, but in any case — make sure you have the strength or manpower to move the machine when necessary (or place it in a spot where you’ll rarely have to move it).
I've rounded up the best chamber vacuum sealers below, as well as a classic vacuum sealer for anyone who is looking for a smaller, more affordable solution.
Shop The Best Chamber Vacuum Sealers
In a hurry? These are the best chamber vacuum sealers:
- The Overall Best Chamber Vacuum Sealer: VacMaster VP215 Chamber Vacuum Sealer
- The Best Value: Avid Armor Chamber Vacuum Sealer
- The Best For Large Portions: Weston Pro-2500 Chamber Vacuum Sealer
- Also Nice: A Classic Vacuum Sealer: GERYON Vacuum Sealer Machine
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The Overall Best Chamber Vacuum Sealer
The VacMaster chamber vacuum sealer is powered by an efficient and quiet oil pump that allows you to seal multiple pouches back to back — no need to wait for the machine to cool down between uses. This is a bonus if you’ve got a lot of sealing to do, such as flats of chicken breasts or individual portions of meat or vegetables. It can process pouches up to 10 by 13 inches in size, so large food loads can be accommodated. Each pouch gets double-sealed by the VacMaster, which creates a strong, leakproof package — especially helpful when sealing liquid items such as stews and marinades (a messy ordeal when using a traditional sealer).
The controls allow you to set the vacuum time, sealing time, and cooling time depending on the task at hand and the kind of pouch you’re using. Along with adjustable vacuum pressure, it can seal multiple portions simultaneously, but since it has an 11-inch sealing bar head, this can only be done if those portions are narrow. A pressure dial displays the current process status of each item. One note: Due to its hefty motor and durable construction, the VacMaster vacuum sealer is one of the heaviest options featured here, weighing in at 84 pounds.
Helpful Review: “Sealing sessions that used to take me hours with my old food saver (seal a couple of bags, wait a few minutes for it to cool down, repeat) are now done in minutes and I can finally seal liquids without hassle. Sous Vide has never been easier. No more wasted sauces and gravies. A trip to Costco no longer takes me multiple days to get everything packaged. I did purchase a Stainless Steel cart on casters so I can roll this monster around because it's far too heavy to carry and despite using it "all the time" I don't want to take up counter space with this big machine.”
Dimensions: 20 x 14 x 15 inches | Weight: 84 lbs | Maximum pouch size: 10 x 13 inches
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The Best Value
If you’re looking to for something that’s not quite as expensive, this food vacuum sealer machine is a great buy. Weighing less than 30 pounds, it’s the lightest pick on this list, but still has a roomy 11-inch sealing bar that can close pouches as large as 11 by 13 inches. It boasts an adjustable time function with a function that lets you marinate foods inside the chamber. Like the previous pick, it’s suitable for liquids, and a digital control panel with soft-touch buttons that allow you to program the sealer to your desired settings.
Similar to the VacMaster, this model can continuously seal multiple pouches at once, making it super efficient. One reviewer reported he was able to package 35 steaks in under an hour using this powerful machine. Just note that unlike the top pick, there’s no adjustable vacuum strength (but according to a reviewer, when sealing delicate foods, you can lower the vacuum time or hit the “seal” button when the guage reaches your desired pressure).
Helpful Review: "Wow is all I can say. This sealer is so easy to use - very simple to set up and start using. Controls are very logical and easy to understand so you can adjust based on the bag type you are using and what you are sealing. The vacuum can be adjusted so you do not crush your contents and the seal time can be adjusted to handle varying thickness and material of your bags. You can even vacuum seal mason jars. If you are storing stuff - this is an awesome tool to have in your equipment to get the job done."
Dimensions: 15.5 x 14 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 26.4 lbs | Maximum pouch size: 10 x 13 inches
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The Best For Large Portions
Though similar in capacity as the top two picks, this industrial vacuum sealer from Weston has a chamber that can fit the largest pouches — up to 12 by 14 inches. The simple digital readout allows you to adjust vacuum strength as well as time. The Weston weighs 62 pounds and the instant-seal function allows you to create custom-sized pouches for any food load you wish to vacuum seal. Like the other chamber vacuum sealers featured here, it has a transparent bubble lid, which allows for additional headroom for large food loads, as well as a way to easily view progress while items are being sealed. There’s also an adjustable vacuum strength function as well as a marinate setting. Although it is unclear whether it provides a continuous seal, reviewers said they can use this to seal multiple portions at one time.
Helpful Review: “We packaged over 500 deer so far with this and all we've had to do is replace the teflon tape which is to be expected running it as hard as we've run it.”
Dimensions: 13.75 x 14.25 x 18.50 inches | Weight: 62 lbs | Maximum pouch size: 12 x 14 inches
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Also Nice: A Classic Vacuum Sealer
If you’re on a budget, have limited space, or are just in the market for something more simple, this vacuum food sealer machine is a compact choice — and the easy operation arguably makes it the best vacuum sealer for sous vide. It's also a lot more affordable than chamber vacuum sealers, and includes a generous starter pack of five multi-layer heat-seal bags, and a roll measuring almost 8 inches by 6.5 feet long for creating custom sizes.
The Geryon can seal pouches up to 12 inches in width, and will accept other vacuum sealing brands, as well. Due to the design, the Geryon is best for dry or moist items, however an included air suction hose allows it to be attached to an external canister to seal any kind of food load. The user-friendly control panel allows you to choose canister, vac seal, or seal-and-stop mode for items you wish to close without vacuuming. The Geryon disassembles easily for cleaning between uses, and since it is compact and lightweight, it can be stored in a cabinet or pantry. Keep in mind: This machine is not intended for wet food.
Helpful Review: “I had this vacuum sealer for 2+ years and it has always done a great job on my projects. I use it for pre-packaging my sous vide meals and I even vacuum sealed a whole brisket with this device. Definitively recommend it!!”
Dimensions: 17 x 7.9 x 4 inches | Weight: 2.6 lbs | Maximum pouch size: Up to 12 inches in width (length not listed)
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