The Best Vacuum Sealer - Throwdown! | The Best Chamber and Best External Sealers Go Head To Head

Finding the best vacuum sealer is easy when you can see them in action. We take 8 vacuum sealers of both the external and chamber varieties and run them head to head in a battle royale of vacuum sealer goodness.

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[SuperMatt]

I now own the vp230 and have owned pretty much all the different types you tested and the vp230 is by far the best to buy. Yes it’s pricey but it’s the last sealer you’ll buy and you will never regret the purchase. Buy once cry once applies here

[greglarson]

if you flatten the ground meat before Vac Sealing you get a higher chance of trapping an air bubble in the 2 corners. I have found that leaving it in a loose lump and sealing 1 lb in a quart (8x10?) chamber bag you can flatten it down afterwards to about 1/4 inch and stack them nicely in the freezer. Just make sure to prepare a flat spot for them before hand or you end up with lump shaped flats of meat that won't stack nice again if you move anything around. Love my VP 215C

[SeattleSandro]

I have an older model of the VP230, the 210 and that thing is a beast. We use it constantly for left-overs, bulk cheese, and meats (cooked and raw). One trick I've picked up is to fill the chamber with small jars or cans, in addition to my bagged food, to reduce the amount of air in the chamber. This helps the pump last longer since it doesn't have to work as hard and seals the bag faster. I bought 1000 small bags and 1000 large bags over 5 years ago and still have plenty left.

[mikeoreilly]

SPECTACULAR VIDEO! I watch a lot of reviews and this is one of the most thorough . Thank you. I've had a chamber vac for 2 years now, after many years of using external vacs, and I'd never go back.

[whatsapoop]

We upgraded from the FoodSaver we've had for about 20 years to the VacMaster 320. Never looked back. We buy copious amounts of bulk meat from Costco, Sams and BJ's, break it down to portion sizes to suit our needs and seal. Another advantage to using a chamber vac is because it removes ALL OF THE AIR you rarely have to worry about freezer burn, unless a bag suffers an accidental puncture. To avoid this we purchase the 4mil bags and double bag things such as shrimp (unpeeled and/or with tails), meats with bones, etc. as there is a tendency for these products to puncture the bag. Yes, it is expensive, yes, it is heavy, and yes it is big. However, if you have a space, which we do in our garage converted to office, you set it up and leave it alone. Bags are a fraction of the cost of the special bags required for external vacuum machines. We've also used it to vac-seal clothing which we toss in the trunks of our vehicles for emergencies. The uses for these machines are incalculable. Great video review of all products across the spectrum of individual affordability.

[gymsim]

Thanks David for the very nice and informative video! Been using a VP-210 for many years when it was a bit cheaper and love it. The biggest concern of why I chose a chamber vacuum sealer was because of the cost of the bags which unfortunately wasn't a topic of your ratings. 3 -4 mill mylar vacuum bags for chamber sealers are a fraction of the price for those requiring special bags for non-chamber vacuum sealers. Another item that should be included in the ratings is vacuuming liquids, not just the juice from the meats. There would be no comparisons for the rating as you can really only do that in a chamber vac sealer. You can literally seal up bags of water to make ice packs for camping or fishing trips and use the thawed water for drinking or cooking. Still have the old external vac sealer but only use it for sealing mason jars with dry foods.

[stronglikebull]

This is the most comprehensive review I've seen for vacs. Great selection of vacs to meet your needs. Some great sleepers in here I would've never considered but still going with the big Vacmaster!

[googacct]

I have had a Vacmaster VP215 for about 13 years now. It is probably the best investment I have made for a kitchen appliance.
One other trick you can do with the chamber vacs is vacuum seal mason jars. This only works for dry items and powders. If you lay the jar on its side and leave the lid very slightly loosened, the air is drawn out and will seal up when the chamber is back to atmospheric pressure.

[Big_Un]

Thank you for that review. Very well presented. Two of the features that are of more use to me personally, are the choices of vacuum level before the seal, and if the unit will operate without having to hold the buttons to operate them. It appears that the chamber sealers all lock and operate as stand alone, but with the external sealers it was a little less clear. I use my current sealer to seal a lot of marinades, meats, soups and stews, so considering a unit that handles fluids well is very important. My current sealer requires me to maintain pressure on the lid and hold down the button to operate it. It doesn't handle fluids well at all so I usually have to freeze things before sealing them, making vacuum sealing a multi-day process. Additionally, it does not allow me the option to seal without having to run the vacuum first. Things like fresh bread, baked goods, or delicate non-food items, get completely crushed whether they are going into the freezer or not because the unit doesn't seal until the vacuum is maxed out. I'll re-watch the video tomorrow when I'm not so tired and maybe I'll catch some things I missed. LOL
I had been considering Cabela's 15in external but this video not only introduced me to the viability of chamber sealers but also gave me more to think about the overall application of the appliance. Thank you for this information!

[alwayshungry]

i buy meat in bulk from the butcher and make my own sausages and ground meat. We package meats for meals so we have no waste. I fold a paper towel to about 1 inch wide and the length of bag opening and insert about 2 inches from sealing area. this helps with liquids getting into sealing areas. its not perfect but it has helped over the years

[jamiehamilton]

Got a VP230 back in January. Wish I would have gotten a chamber years ago. Excellent reviews.

[HelloFlorida]

We’ve had an Avid Armor USV32 for about a year. Absolutely love it! They recently came out with an attachment for it where you can externally vacuum seal Mason jars. I read today where someone said they reuse jars such as pizza sauce jars and vacuum seal them in the chamber. I haven’t tried this yet…but plan on trying it! One of the best purchases we’ve ever made!

[ZepG]

I've owned a foodsaver sealer for the last 10 years and after learning all the secrets it still works great.
I just vacuum sealed chicken breasts with a thin Teriyaki marinade sauce with almost no air pockets and then sous vide cooked them to perfection.

[louhand]

I have a Vacmaster VP230 and find it absolutely the best investment. #1, it has an oil pump which is much quicker than a dry pump vac. #2. it has a large capacity for the height of the object being sealed. I use large mouth ball jars to store dried fruits, nuts, cut avocados and a host of spices. #3 It can accommodate 12 inch wide by 15 inch long bags. I can sous vide whole lamb racks, as an example. I have also purchased 55 lb bags of pizza flour and each 12x15 bag holds exactly 5 lbs. of flour. My 8x12 bags hold exactly a quart of food. #4 Inexpensive chamber bags will mean you have no excuse to not use the sealer.
One advantage that the external sealers have is that you can seal a very large fish since the size of the bag is adjustable to expand to the required length.
I wish someone would make a set of glass containers, not flimsy plastic ones, with glass lids and a relief valve which can be opened when you want to open the container after sealing.

[smarcanthony]

The vacuum chamber product may be big, but they’re so much fun to watch in action. Great review, Barbecue Lab!

[AVR_]

I like to flatten my ground meat in the vacuum bag as well, it makes them stack better in the freezer, and it also makes them thaw faster. I found that they can be flattened easily after vacuum sealing as well, so no need to do it before hand!

[slick]

I noticed that you used external bags in the chamber vacs. I don't think it will be any problem but one of the good things about chamber vacs is that they don't need a special vacuum bag, and you can find them much cheaper.

[jdoyle]

I used his video to choose his in depth review of wood pellet smokers. After a season of cooking BBQ I was very happy with the well manufactured and good looking Silverbac grill. I am going to make my vacuum sealer purchase based on this video

[oscardelta]

I've owned expensive food saver external vacuum sealers that were large with removable trays but didn't last that long. We bought our Nesco VS12 for $100 at the time. IMO for the price its a great value and easy to store for the average household

[yroy]

3 items you did not address, 1. price of the bags chamber vacuum bags are .005-.10/bag, external bags .50-.70/bag. 2 Thickness of bags chamber bags are 3mil-5mil. Much more durable bags. External vacuum bags are 3mil and I have had trouble with external bags loose their vacuum. 3. Chamber bags you only need to seal 1 side of the bag since they come with 3 sides already sealed. External bags come in rolls if you want custom sizes because of the expense of the bag. So you have to seal 2 sides. The chamber bag is so much cheaper that you don't have to worry about the size of the the bag.