If you like to buy groceries in bulk, meal prep, or sous vide your food, then you, my friend, need to consider buying a vacuum sealer. These handy machines help suck the air out of specific bags or containers to keep your food fresh, which means no more stale pantry items or frozen foods that are unrecognizable (and probably inedible) due to freezer burn. You can use them for produce, meats, liquids, bread, crackers, and pretty much anything you want to save for later, and they’re not only fun to use, but can also help save you some time and money so you’re not tossing out good food before you have a chance to eat it.
Here are 14 of the best vacuum sealers, including budget, commercial, countertop, and handheld models, that will all help you enjoy your food for longer.
Best Food Vacuum Sealers
The NESCO vacuum sealer has multiple pressure and sealing options, including a double seal feature, to make sure all types of food, whether dry or moist or fragile in nature, stay fresh. It has a large handle and display that makes it easy to use, and a built-in bag storage compartment and cutter that allows you to use standard vacuum sealer bags or customize your own size. And you can get started right away: the vacuum sealer includes two roll bags. One reviewer loves the simplicity, saying “The button setup is simple and intuitive, the vacuum well is large so you don’t have to struggle getting the bag to sit perfectly in order for it to vacuum out the air, the double pump vacuum is quick and it seals perfectly the first time.”
With a sleek design, the Nutrichef vacuum sealer won’t be an eyesore on your countertop. The one-touch control panel is on the top of the machine and it has sealing options for both dry and moist foods. It comes with a suction hose attachment that can be used with vacuum canisters, as well as a wine stopper cork, five medium vacuum bags, and an extra long vacuum bag roll. One reviewer said it helped in cooking as well, especially with sous vide, saying “When it arrived, I vacuum sealed maybe a dozen things. It’s SO easy to use, works perfectly, and seems very durable. I sous vide some spareribs (they take 24 hours in a 158 degree water bath!) & the seal held up the entire time. No air or water got into the bags. I’m very, very impressed & glad I decided on the Nutrichef vacuum sealer.”
This unit has both a heat vacuum sealer for freezer bags and a built-in handheld sealer for smaller jobs or things you just want to store in the pantry. The roll storage compartment has an alignment tool to ensure you’re making the most of your vacuum bags, and a cutter bar that allows you to cut your bag while sealing the next. There are dry, moist, and pulse (for delicate foods) sealing options, and it includes two vacuum seal rolls, two one-quart vacuum seal bags, and two one-quart vacuum seal zipper bags. One reviewer commented, “Just seriously the absolute easiest Food Saver I’ve ever used. After more than 20 years, and a few households I’ve used more than a couple. Not much in the way of footprint which is always nice. Some of these machines are just entirely too big. Bigger is not better. After slipping the bag across the sealing bar and closing the top, selecting your sealing or vacuum mode, simply flip the handle on the right side of the appliance.”
Plug and preserve with the Mueller vacuum sealer, which has a simple control panel and modes for dry and moist food, and gentle or airtight options. It comes with an air suction hose, five medium vacuum bags, and one extra-long vacuum bag roll. Said one reviewer, “This is so much smaller and quieter than my old vacuum sealer. It worked wonderfully right out of the box. It’s easy to figure out how to use and seals great. I used bags from a roll I already had of a different brand and it worked well. Great value for the money.”
The super compact Anova precision vacuum sealer is for anyone who has limited kitchen space; it’s small enough to fit in a drawer. It has just three buttons on the top — vacuum + seal, seal, and pulse vacuum for delicate foods, and comes with 10 pre-cut bags you can use to sous vide or store leftovers. One reviewer said, “It works quickly, completely, and fairly (for what it’s doing) quietly. Actually, I’m thrilled. It’s small enough to leave in a drawer. It’s simple enough to use for all sorts of storage needs. Grated cheese, asparagus, coped rice, hamburgers, steaks, nuts, I think you get the picture.”
Even though it’s affordable, this vacuum sealer still has plenty of features, including six food settings, soft touch buttons, and LED indicator lights. You can also take off the top lid to clean or wipe down the machine easily. The vacuum sealer includes a vacuum tube, one vacuum roll, and five pre-cut bags. It’s simple enough for beginners, too, as this reviewer says, “This is the first vacuum sealer I’ve ever owned. Super simple to use with great directions. A guide is included to educate you as to which settings to use when vacuum sealing your foods. I’ve used this machine so many times already and we absolutely love it! So far we’ve put up vegetables from our garden to enjoy throughout the winter season and I love it for extending the life of produce from lettuce, tomatoes to berries. Also great for keeping chips and crackers fresh.”
Take part of the guesswork out of saving your foods with this FoodSaver 2-in-1 vacuum sealer, which uses technology to automatically detect bags — put your bag in the vacuum chamber and the machine will do the rest. There’s a pull out drip tray to collect any spills, and a retractable handheld sealer when you want to seal smaller items or containers. One reviewer commented on the ease of automation, saying, “Put the roll in the top and pull out the amount you need and there is a cutter. The vacuum pulls the bag in, seals it and releases it after sealing. This is the easiest sealer I have ever used. It is also the most dependable. I use it almost daily, for sealing everything from fresh produce to leftovers. I also use the sealer to protect important documents.”
With five different settings, the Hamilton Beach vacuum sealer has options depending on what you’re trying to preserve. It has a high or low vacuum level, normal (for dry foods) or extended (for moist foods) seal time, and a pulse mode. It comes with enough bags to seal 20+ gallons of food, including a large roll, four gallon-sized bags, and six quart-sized bags. The extra-wide chamber allows for easy sealing without needing to line up perfectly. Says one reviewer, “The vacuum chamber (where the open end of the bag goes) is wide and accommodating – I no longer have to fiddle with the bag to make it fit exactly in the middle, exactly straight, and exactly ‘just so,’ including having to hold my mouth in a certain way to make it work… I roll the size of the bag I want, seal it, vacuum it, all in seconds, a little, or a lot, no muss, no fuss and I am done. Cleaning is a cinch.”
This stainless steel vacuum cleaner has two vacuum modes and two food seal options, plus canister and seal modes. It fits up to 12” wide vacuum bags and comes with an air suction hose, five vacuum bags, and a roll. When you’re done using it, you can remove the lid for simple and safe machine cleanup. It’s also available in black. One reviewer said, “Third one we’ve owned and by far my favorite. It just goes to show price point doesn’t always equal quality. My last two were at least twice the cost. I can’t speak to longevity, however I can definitely say that initial impression is excellent. Very easy to use and the fact that I can remove the top and wash the lower part makes cleanups a breeze.”
The KOIOS vacuum sealer has an extra wide sealing wire that lets you seal one large bag or multiple small ones at the same time, which can come in handy if you’re trying to save individual portions of food. The powerful motor can handle up to 40 consecutive seals, and the machine comes with a small cutter, a vacuum hose, and 10 vacuum bags. One reviewer liked the different sealing options: “I like the fact that you have a lot of control over how much vacuum you want to apply, so you don’t necessarily have to pre-freeze soft compressible foods like bread to prevent them from collapsing before you vacuum seal them. You can stop the vacuum sealing process by just pressing the vacuum button (to turn it off) at any point during the vacuum cycle. So far, the seals on my bags all seem to be air-tight so you don’t have to worry about checking the bags frequently for air leaks.”
Best Commercial-Grade Food Vacuum Sealers
If you’re looking for something commercial grade, this Weston vacuum sealer is a great option. It has a powerful vacuum and is extra wide to handle large quantities or big food items (like an entire fish or chicken, for example). It’s stainless steel and has a fan-cooled motor that allows for repetitive use without overheating. The automatic sealing mode requires just a press of a button, and there’s also a manual mode for sealing more delicate items. One reviewer said, “The Weston sealer is amazing! The sealer is able to make a 1/4″ wide seal even with oil in the sealing area. The machine requires a short cool down period between seals (average of about 5 seconds), but can seal 50-60 bags without overheating… The price is what kept me from buying this sealer earlier, but it is worth every penny.”
Best Handheld Food Vacuum Sealers
The FoodSaver handheld vacuum sealer is convenient and cordless, weighing less than a pound, so you can use it anywhere in or out of the house. It comes with a charging dock and four one-quart zipper bags. A full 24-hour charge lets you seal up to 60 one-quart bags with a press of a button — you’ll be tempted to vacuum seal everything around the house. Says one reviewer, “I really like it much better than the full size vacuum sealer. There’s no cutting bags and sealing the ends before using. There’s no trying to maneuver the bag in the machine the right way….no error messages. No holding a bag filled with food while waiting for it to vacuum. This is small and portable. After opening the bag to remove some food….. all you have to do is re-vacuum it. I really like the zipper feature, instead of sealing both ends of the bags.”
This USB chargeable portable vacuum sealer has a 1.5 hour charge time and you can use it for two consecutive hours. There are indicator lights to tell you when it’s charging and when it’s ready to use, as well as when it’s sucking out the air in the bag and when it’s done. The machine comes with various accessories, including a dust bag, charger cable, 10 reusable medium bags, 10 reusable small bags, cooking clips, and sealing clips. One reviewer commented this machine was compact but powerful, saying, “I was skeptical at first due to how small the vacuum is. Once I charged it up and tried it out, I was very impressed with how strong the vacuum is. It is very easy to use. It’s great that it is portable even though I will be keeping it in my kitchen. The vacuum comes with everything you need: bags, charging cable, a carrying pouch, and clips. for the price, this is an amazing set!”
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