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The 10 Best Food Vacuum Sealers to Keep Your Meals Fresh

Photo credit: Staff, Courtesy of Nutrichef
Photo credit: Staff, Courtesy of Nutrichef


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Oxygen is what causes food to break down and rot, so the best way to prolong the life of your fruit, veggies, and meat is to remove and block all oxygen from entering the bag or container. That makes a vacuum sealer a great investment to reduce your food waste (and wasted money!), especially if you like to buy and cook in bulk. In fact, vacuum-sealed raw meat will keep on ice for up to three years, and it will be fresh and free of freezer burn when you unseal it. Whether you’re new to cooking sous vide or looking to stock up game, there are plenty of great options here to serve your needs.

Check out quick info below on the top five vacuum sealers, then keep scroll for buying info and full reviews of those models plus other high-ranking options.

What To Look For

There are generally three types of vacuum sealers: automatic, semi-automatic, and handheld. Automatic sealers will sense the bag once it’s placed in the device and seal it. Semi-automatics allow you to open the device and place the bag inside and manually press a button to seal it. And handheld models boast portability but usually work only to remove oxygen from a bag without any heat-sealing capabilities. A vacuum sealer that doesn’t use heat is compatible only with bags and containers that are designed specifically for that sealer, so be sure they’re a match. Otherwise your food might not be well sealed and protected. For models that does use heat to close bags, be aware they can take time to cool off after a certain number of uses (usually around 40 seals in succession).

If you plan on cooking sous vide, you will want a heat-sealing model because it provides the most pressure and reliable seals. Meaning literally under vacuum, sous vide cooking is achieved by vacuum-sealing food (usually meat) and cooking it at a low temperature for a long period of time in a pot of water. This process achieves an even cook while retaining moistness.

Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images
Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images

When it comes to the vacuum, some will suck out all the air in one go. But other models have a pulse feature, which allows you to slowly vacuum by hand, which is best for more delicate foods like vegetables and raw fish.

How to Use a Vacuum Sealer

When operating a vacuum sealer, you will want to be sure that you leave enough room in the bag (about 4 inches from the top) to properly suck the air out. If the bag is filled to the brim with food, there won’t be room left to seal it properly, and it could lead to contamination. And though this might go without saying, sealing foods that are usually refrigerated does not mean that they will be safe in warmer temperatures; sealing will simply prolong their freshness in the environment that they’re usually stored in.

Also, note that you should blanch vegetables before you freeze them to help keep their shape. When you’re ready to defrost your food, be sure to take it out of the bag that it was frozen in; Letting it thaw in the vacuum-sealed bag can lead to food poisoning caused by the bacteria clostridium botulinum, which thrives in low-oxygen environments.

Photo credit: annick vanderschelden photography - Getty Images
Photo credit: annick vanderschelden photography - Getty Images

How We Selected and Rated

We researched 10 expert sources such as Digital Trends, The Spruce Eats, and Wirecutter, as well as 30,000 consumer reviews to select the top ten food vacuum sealers. Our Consumer Score represents the percentage of customers who rated the product at least four out of five stars on retail and review sites like Amazon, Walmart, and the manufacturers’ websites.


—HIGHLY RATED—

Nesco American Harvest VS-12

Consumer Score: 92% give it 4 stars or higher

Settings: Dry, moist, double | Weight: 6 lbs. | Dimensions: 16 x 8 x 4.5 in.

The top pick from testing by Good Housekeeping and Wirecutter, the Nesco American Harvest VS-12 is an efficient and reliable vacuum sealer at a reasonable price for most households. In addition to great suction and a variety of settings, this sealer comes with a built-in bag cutter and a compartment to store your rolls. Users also find it easy to use thanks to the large handle and well-labeled control panel.


—COMPACT—

Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer

Consumer Score: 91% give it 4 stars or higher

Settings: Vacuum, seal, pulse vacuum | Weight: 2.3 lbs. | Dimensions: 17 x 5 x 3 in.

If you want a vacuum sealer with a sleek design that you won’t mind leaving out on the countertop, the Anova vacuum sealer is a great option for beginners and experts alike. It has three buttons for vacuum sealing, sealing, and pulse vacuuming—and does so quickly in just 20 to 30 seconds. However, it does lack convenient features like a bag cutter, accessory port, and roll storage. You can pair it with Anova’s Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano for a complete sous vide set.


—BEST VALUE—

Geryon E2900-MS Multi-Use Vacuum Sealing Food Preservation System

Consumer Score: 82% gave it 4 stars or more

Settings: Vacuum seal, seal, canister, dry, moist | Weight: 2.5 lbs. | Dimensions: 14.4 x 5.5 x 2.7 in.

For a mid-range price, this heat-sealing Geryon machine is a pretty high-end product, ideal for storing bulk items despite its compact size. To get you started, the E2900-MS comes with bags, sealable material (allowing you to create custom-sized bags), large compatible Tupperware, and an extension hose for non-food bags so you can seal and store other items. Its sleek design isn’t an eyesore on the counter, and at just two pounds, it’s easy to pick up and store. Bonus: It has dry and wet settings to appropriately store foods like cereals and soups.


—BEST HANDHELD—

FoodSaver V1100 Cordless Handheld Food Vacuum Sealer

Consumer Score: 79% gave it 4 stars or more

Settings: Vacuum | Weight: 9 oz. | Dimensions: 2.2 x 2.3 x 4.7 in.

If you live in a tiny apartment or perhaps don’t use your vacuum sealer too often, this is a great option that you can easily stow away in a small space. Despite fitting easily in your hand, the FoodSaver V1100 can seal up to 60 one-quart bags on a 24-hour charge. It features a lithium-ion battery for cordless operation so you don’t have to position it near an outlet during use. It’s also compatible with any of FoodSaver’s containers, bags, or accessories.


—QUIET—

NutriChef PKVS18SL Vacuum Sealer

Consumer Score: 82% gave it 4 stars or more

Settings: Moist, dry | Weight: 2.9 lbs. | Dimensions: 14.2 x 6 x 3 in.

Vacuum sealers can be noisy. That might not be a dealbreaker, but this model’s quiet operation is certainly a selling point for an already stellar product. Not only is it compact, it’s also speedy and able to seal a three-gallon bag in four minutes and smaller bags in seconds. The PKVS18SL seals both wet and dry foods, making it ideal for sous vide cooking. Although this model is small and light enough to move into storage, it’s also attractive enough to leave on the counter. Like most starter kits, the package includes five reusable bags and a roll of bag material.


—FOR HUNTERS—

FoodSaver GameSaver Big Game

Consumer Score: 87% gave it 4 stars or more

Settings: Seal, vacuum seal | Weight: 9 lbs. | Dimensions: 21.4 x 8.5 x 3.8 in.

If you regularly hunt or fish for your food, you make sure that your game stays as fresh as possible. One of the best ways to preserve your catch is by vacuum sealing it right away—particularly before you put it on ice. The portable GameSaver Big Game is designed to function just as well in the middle of the woods as it would in your kitchen. It features a rugged construction with large, rubber, non-slip buttons and a 12-volt DC adaptor, meaning it can run off of power from autos, boats, and RVs. Unlike most vacuum sealers, it is comes with a built-in handle for easy portability. The manual machine also comes with an 11-inch by 10-foot heat seal roll, an 8-inch by 10-foot heat seal roll, five one-quart pre-cut heat seal bags, five one-gallon pre-cut heat seal bags, and an accessory hose to get you started.


—BEST BUDGET—

Geryon E2800-C Space Saving Food Vacuum Sealer

Consumer Score: 85% gave it 4 stars or more

Settings: Seal, vacuum seal | Weight: 2.1 lbs. | Dimensions: 14.6 x 5.4 x 2.5 in.

Don’t be skeptical at the number after the dollar symbol. Reviewers raved about this vacuum sealer, citing its ease of use and praising its secure and leakproof seal during sous vide cooking. This Geryon can heat-seal bags up to 12 inches wide. The starter kit includes five 8-by-7-inch bags and a roll of 8-by-78-inch bag material. However, this budget model does have cheaper plastic construction, as well as only two settings for seal and vacuum sealing, without wet/dry specificity.


—VERSATILE—

FoodSaver VS3150 Multi-Use

Consumer Score: 84% give it 4 stars or higher

Settings: Pulse, marinate, dry, moist | Weight: 9 lbs. | Dimensions: 18 x 10 x 11 in.

This versatile FoodSaver vacuum sealer can handle pretty much any food thanks to its four settings, including pulse vacuuming, marinate, dry, and moist. The sleek, charcoal stainless-steel construction is not only attractive, but also practical with built-in roll storage, an alignment tool, and a bag cutter. The starter kit comes with two bag rolls, two pre-cut quart storage bags, and two quart zipper bags.


—COMMERCIAL—

Weston Pro-2300

Consumer Score: 88% give it 4 stars or higher

Settings: Automatic, manual | Weight: 22 lbs. | Dimensions: 23 x 15 x 9 in.

If you’re a restaurant owner or just do enough vacuum sealing to justify a commercial-grade appliance, the Weston Pro is a great option thanks to its heavy-duty stainless steel build, fast double-piston pump, and extra-wide seal bar for bags up to 15 inches wide. The fan-cooled motor also ensures the machine won’t overheat if you use it for long periods of time. However, due to its hefty price tag and hefty size, it’s not a model we’d recommend for the average user.


—FOR BEGINNERS—

Mueller Automatic

Consumer Score: 86% give it 4 stars or higher

Settings: Wet, dry, gentle, airtight | Weight: 2.2 lbs. | Dimensions: 14 x 3 x 5 in.

A user-friendly sealer for beginners, the Mueller Automatic has easy settings for wet or moist foods, as well as gentle or airtight vacuuming. It’s a fairly compact and lightweight option, as well as relatively affordable at well under $100. We like that the starter set comes with five medium vacuum bags, an extra-long bag roll, and an air suction hose.

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