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If there’s one appliance every modern kitchen needs, then it’s a food vacuum sealer. These stave off freezer burn (which can turn high-quality meat into an off-color mess), allow you to cook sous vide, or seal any other foods for long term storage. It’s an investment that quickly pays for itself as you can buy cheap and store for long periods of time without worrying about spoilage.
How do food vacuum sealers work? They first remove all the air from the bag. The bag is then sealed with heat. This allows food to stay fresh much longer, and it prevents bacterial growth. This tight seal also prevents any moisture loss. Nearly any food benefits from vacuum sealing except for those with anaerobic bacteria (those that love oxygen-free areas). These include raw mushrooms, soft cheese, and garlic.
Speaking of sous vide, we’ve reviewed some versatile kitchen appliances with sous vide functions. Consider checking out the Emeril Lagasse pressure cooker or Instant Pot Duo Nova vs Duo Evo Plus.
We’re going to compare these food sealers based on functionality, settings, versatility, and more. Read on to see which vacuum sealers are best.
| Best Overall: Nesco | Best Value: NutriChef | Best Selling: Geryon |
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Best Overall: Nesco American Harvest VS12 Vacuum Sealer
A highly efficient vacuum sealer at a great price, this food vacuum sealer has strong suction, can be used on a variety of ingredients, and comes with multiple pressure settings. You also get accessories for jar attachments. You can choose between single or double seals on plastic bags.
To make things easier, it has a dedicated bag cutter along with a compartment for roll storage. It’s highly versatile and can be used equally for sealing jars, bags, storage, and meal prep for sous vide. The control panel’s buttons are clearly labeled (which everyone will appreciate), and it even has a large handle for easy movement.
- Strong suction
- Accessory port for jars
- Dedicated bag cutter
- Clearly labeled functions
Best Value: Vacuum Sealer by NutriChef
A great value with lots of features. You can choose between the two modes, dry and moist. Moist sealing is ideal for packing oily foods including fish, marinated meats, or leftovers. This mode ensures a strong seal even if there’s liquid. You’ll also find this useful for sous vide cooking. The design and buttons aren’t just sleek, they also make it easier to clean the food vacuum sealer.
- One-touch controls
- Seals moist and dry food
- Easy to wipe down
Best Selling Food Vacuum Sealer on Amazon: Geryon Vacuum Sealer Machine
With 18,000 reviews and growing, this is easily one of the best selling vacuum sealers. It’s lightweight, compact, versatile, and best of all, easy to use. There are two sealing modes and a simple control panel. You can use either bags or rolls with similar results.
Cleaning is simple. You can remove the upper lid and access all the gaskets and vacuum chamber. This sealer is easy to use and keeps your food fresh longer.
- Lightweight and compact
- Simple to use
- Cleaning is easy
Anova Culinary Precision Sealer
Anova is best known for their sous vide cooker, but they make an equally effective food vacuum sealer. It looks modern, sleek, and is a wonderful addition to your countertop. Best of all, it’s simple to use. There are only three buttons along with simple instructions.
It’s fast, too. You can seal steaks in 20-30 seconds. While it lacks an accessory port or bag cutter, the positives outweigh the negatives.
- Simple operation
- Lightweight and easy to store
- Fast and effective
FoodSaver Cordless Vacuum Sealer
You wouldn’t expect a handheld vacuum sealer to be powerful, but this blew us away. It can seal berries for weeks without signs of mold, chicken without freezer burn, and veggies without brown spots. The rechargeable batteries get through 60 quart-size bags before running out, which is amazing.
- Powerful considering its size
- Rechargeable batteries
- Effective sealing
FoodSaver Multi-Use Vacuum Sealer
FoodSaver again, but with a very different unit. This model is ideal for those who love versatility. The Multi-Use Vacuum Sealer works on dry and moist food, uses either pre-cut bags or rolls, and it even has a handheld adapter.
You can even use extra attachments for more functionality. For example, there are attachments for reusable containers and bottles. Despite all the features, this sealer is easy to use. Fruit will last for weeks and meat can be stored long-term as needed. You’ll also love this for meal prep and sous vide cooking.
- Settings for dry, moist, and pulse sealing
- Multiple accessories
- Comes with handheld unit
| Best Overall: Nesco | Best Value: NutriChef | Best Selling: Geryon |
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Food Vacuum Sealer Buyer’s Guide
Still not sure which sealer is best for you? Here are the factors that you should consider when choosing one:
- Handheld vs Countertop: If countertop space is at a premium, then a handheld sealer might be best for you. They often lack the power of countertop ones, but at least they’re compact. However, countertop models usually have more features.
- Functions: You ideally want a food vacuum sealer that can do both moist and dry sealing. More functions are even better.
- Bags or Rolls: Some sealers only work on bags while others include roll compartments. Bags are good for occasional use while rolls are better for those who will do lots of sealing, sous vide cooking, and long term storage.
- Accessories: What else does the sealer come with? For example, is there a storage compartment or handheld sealer? More accessories are better.
- Size: We covered this with handheld vs countertop vacuum sealers, but you should know that even countertop models come in different sizes. Consider which is best for your kitchen.