Gear Heads | Which Vacuum Sealers Seal the Deal?
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Have you ever frozen ground meat or berries inside a zipper-lock bag and found them covered in ice crystals only a week later? We have. Vacuum sealers can prevent that disappointment.
Buy our winning vacuum sealer: cooks.io/4bOSIYO
Buy a vacuum sealer we also love: cooks.io/3yVZjBS
Buy our winning chamber vacuum sealer: cooks.io/4bOSSiS
Read the full review: cooks.io/364zOLL
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OK, now for a food vacuum packing tip. Freezing fresh fruit such as strawberries or foods with high moisture content should be pre-frozen till hard, then the food is ready to vacuum seal. Liquids too can be vacuumed packed by first pre-freezing.
... I thought the point of vacuum sealing was to prevent ice crystals from being inside the food?
If you, "pre-freeze", what is the point of vacuum sealing?
Do the crystals form when having the food frozen for longer periods of time?
Thank you.
.
@@240LTS To me it can happen either way, but once you freeze something and then you open the fridge you let moisture in that then freezes on whatever is in the fridge. So a quick freeze and then vacuum sealing can work. At least that's been my experience.
@@240LTS ...Its minimal and necessary for not sucking up the liquids. Evacuating the air is the most important thing.
This is my second sous vide cooker ruclips.net/user/postUgkxK2YRU9uBOXzuIEV660Qo3sX7dJDJLg72 and I don’t know why you would cook meat any other way. This model is more compact and quieter than our older version that this one is replacing. We have done creme brûlée, cookie dough and tons of meat. They all come out perfect every time. I recommend this to EVERYONE. The app is great and easy to use. It stays at a consistent temperature. This model is extremely quiet. I just love it. We also have the anovo sous vide cooker 16L box thing and this fits inside that which is great because I can store them together. I just love that I can set this and walk away to deal with the rest of dinner.
I bought mine at a resale shop for $12..
The important thing is to NEVER store a sealer with the lid latched closed because it compresses the seal and causes air leaks when you try to seal a bag.
Underrated Forsure
I have a foodsaver sealer and I think it was designed to have the top half 'latched' in place. I've had it for years and it seals just fine, but you make a good point. It also disassembles well for easy clean up.
I'm sure your analysis is spot on for the occasional user but I think you overlooked one important factor., duty cycle. I purchase in bulk when prices are low and stock my freezer after vacuum sealing the food. Over the years I have tried most of the home user machines in their basic and more elaborate "pro" versions and the weak link in all those machines is the vacuum pump. The Weston machine you mocked for its heft is the only sealer I have found that will stand up to repeated cycles without failure. Waiting 20 seconds between bagging cycles will let you process food all day long.
My experience with all the others is that after some use, the machines require a significant cool down period before the vacuum pump will operate properly. A family pack of steaks from the local grocery store was enough to overtax the machines. Also if you hunt or fish, don't waste your time and money on the lightweights.
I completely agree with this commenter. I have used a Weston Pro-2300 for a few years. It is a "heavyweight" vacuum sealer that I keep in my pantry, and move to the counter top when I use it. I can understand that someone in an apartment with limited storage space would want to use a smaller, lighter vacuum sealer. The one limitation is sealing liquids, which is a risky task, as the liquid can be sucked into the sealer, with deleterious consequences. A chamber vacuum sealer can seal liquids (soups, stews, etc.), but they cost more than $700, are very large by comparison, and weigh well in excess of 50 pounds;
Over the years I've processed many pounds of venison and fish with my FoodSaver without any problems. Using a little common sense goes a long ways. For example, I fill a bag, seal it, label it and move onto the next bag. Nothing gained by filling a stack of bags, then expecting the pump/sealer to be in continuous operation for long periods of time. Approximately the same amount of time is needed to complete each processing method, so why overload the machine? Even if there's 15 minutes difference, is it worth the hundreds of dollars difference in price? I don't know, I've never owned one of those high end machines. Never had a problem with my FoodSaver either.
@Avshalom Chotawm My experience with FoodSaver is that the 2 I've owned, each lasted much longer than 2 years. I've vac sealed venison for myself and some friends. Have vac sealed no telling how many pounds of fish, BBQ chickens, and a host of other food and non-food items. If the one I have doesn't last the rest of my life time, I'm sure another one will, based on my own experience.
A $450 dollar vac sealer is fine for anyone who wants one and/or anyone who can justify the expense, for themselves. I can't. As long as a FoodSaver does what I need for it to do, that's all I need.
Don't if you guys are vac/sealing 55 gallon bags or what, but I just did my meat order yesterday with my over two year old Foodsaver. I fill about 20 bags at a time. Chicken, pork and beef. Never needs a cool down period. Would I like a bit stronger vacuum pulled, sure, but then It likely suck juice into the tray. Plus it's light weight and easy to store in the cupboard. To each their own. Just find the "needs a cool down period" comments odd.
Totally agree about the Food Saver. Mine stopped being able to evacuate the bag after several years use and it was necessary to really push on the lead to get the bag to seal. It also sometimes required a second heat cycle to seal. Thanks for the suggestion about the Weston.
I have the lower priced Nesco sealer, and it is just wonderful. It actually got a place to live on my counter because I use it often enough, even though it's lightweight and easy to store elsewhere. I find myself using it for other than freezing, like resealing potato chip bags. When I make burgers to freeze, I put about 10 in a package, freeze, and when I need two, I cut open the package, remove and reseal. Years ago, I had a FoodSaver, but it unexpectedly died one day just after the warranty expired - my Nesco has had zero issues. The only thing to remember is not to lock it when not in use and to wait about 30 seconds between seals.
I own that exact Foodsaver model, and gave one to each of my kids as gifts. We are all completely satisfied with this product, which is $30 cheaper than your recommendation, uses generic bags easily, and is very lightweight and easy to store and clean. Over 2 years of frequent use and still going strong.
Lisa Boban I was wondering if longevity was a factor they could have looked at! I wonder how the more expensive ones held up comparatively, especially since lots of vacuums tend to lose power over the years
@@Ronsonpeters Mine gets pretty extensive use - at least 3 or 4 times a week. One of the units I bought was bad, but it was an easy exchange.
Which Foodsaver model do you have?
can you tell me which model of Foodsaver you have? thanks
Love how you mentioned that, essentially, all the machines did an okay job vacuuming, so the differences in features was more about the user experience! As a someone on a student budget, really appreciate that.
On that note, maybe you could branch out and do a student essentials recommendations video, or a residence hall living haul, or the like. ATK is getting more creative and contextual, and I'm here for it!
I got a vacuum sealer off of Wish that works really well and isn't complicated at all. And it was 1/4 the price of the cheapest model they tested here.
I feel like you missed some of the important performance aspects. As several others mentioned, sealing wet foods--even meat that is raw--can be problematic for some machines. Also, recycle time is extremely important if you're freezing substantial quantities of foods. If you need to seal 10 packages and you have to wait 5 minutes for the sealer to re-warm between each, it's a pain in the neck. Also, for meats, if you tightly wrap with cellophane freezer wrap before vacuum sealing, you'll double your storage time.
I've contemplated buying a vacuum sealer for years but just couldn't pull the trigger because of the initial price, worse yet the cost of the bags/rolls, they're noisy, slow and take up far too much valuable kitchen real estate. I'm so glad I didn't buy one! The enemy of frozen food is air, you don't need to pull a vacuum, so enter the "water displacement technique" which uses Ziploc Freezer Bags that are 1/4 the cost of vacuum sealer bags, it's silent and fast. I fill a large pot halfway with water, zip the bag almost completely except for the last inch, lower the bag into the water which pushes out all of the air until the zipper is under the water but the top edge is above and zip that last inch. I then take the bag out letting it drip for a few seconds and then dry it off with a kitchen towel. I've got gorgeous bright red beef roasts that are 3-5 months old and frost free in my deep freeze along with everything else from chicken to fish. I even freeze 3lbs of butter sticks in gallon bags and the bottom corners are perfectly flattened triangles just as though they're vacuum sealed, it's amazing. For vacuum sealing canning jars I grabbed the Foodsaver Jar adapter set and a $20 vacuum brake bleeder kit and it all works silently and quickly. Best of all, both techniques are completely independent of electricity, just in case. Pro tip: Turn down the top 2 inches of your Ziploc bags (like a turtleneck) when you fill them to keep the zipper completely clean. I can't stress enough how well this works and what a much nicer and less expensive solution this is. Cheers!
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I got the Nesco V12 machine after watching this, and that machine is amazing. It seals tight, vacuums tight, and works everytime. Thank you for guiding me with the right choice!
I'm thinking about getting this one, does it still work good for you?
@@Mandy_39
I don't think he's going to reply
@@klee9016 you think?
@@Mandy_39
Kinda'! LoL 😅
BTW, I ordered the Nesco one. I DID get this one to work but it's quite unreliable. I wasted so much time, bags, the entire roll of plastic. It's just not reliable.
@@Mandy_39
I got my Nesco VS-12 and I just LOVE IT! I've sealed EVERYTHING I could find and have not wasted even ONE piece of plastic like I did with that miserable Nurti thing. I JUST LOVE IT! I created a video as I just HAD to share!
ruclips.net/video/rREHULyrDgs/видео.html&feature=share
most of these sealers do the same but I've learned that it comes down to the bags that truly out perform one another as far as freshness and longevity... ok just gave you your next episode, your welcome
We could tell who your pick was going to be throughout the video. It was that status indicator on the Nesco. The Foodsaver may not have a countdown timer, but it lets you know when the sealing is complete. It's an absolute workhorse in my kitchen since portioning out proteins and sous vide cooking helps reduce waste and ensures nothing gets overcooked.
Agree 100%. Plus, it doesn't take long to learn the sound changes it makes as the process completes. Can't remember how long I've been using FoodSaver. I know it's well over 20 years. During that time I've only owned 2 machines. The first one was still working when I gave it to a family member. Last time I mentioned it, she said it was still working.
It’s a worthless gimmick.
I have had a Foodsaver for well over 30 years. I watched this to see if it was time to upgrade. They didn’t mention jar sealing at all. My Foodsaver is old and has yellowed a bit but still works just as well as when I got it, so the answer is , no upgrade.
What is your Foodsaver model number? Thank you!
so you would recommend the foodsaver brand over nesco ?
i bought the Nesco thanks to this video and couldn't be happier. You guys did however forget to mention one of the greatest features of the Nescao which I use ALL the time and that is the double seal function.
I have a food saver. It sits on my counter top and it has about the same foot print as these. I use a lot of mason jars to store spices, rubs etc. I suspect they didn’t include FS as all of the ones you tested would have been beat coming out of the gate. I buy whole chickens for $0.99 a pound and break them down and vacu seal the parts.
Love my food saver.
I love that there are so many fans of the FoodSaver! There was one model tested, and it was also highly recommended!
I thought you were going to say you vacuum sealed your whole chickens just as they are - whole ! ha ha ha
So where's the FoodSaver??
Also, you need to do the tests where you look for making several bags of food. Often, we will buy large numbers of corn on the cob, blanch them and then cut the kernels off into individual family size bags. When returning from fishing Salmon in Oregon, we filet them and then make several bags of meal size fish. There are many other items we buy in bulk, hunt for or fish for and then use the FoodSaver. It is a workhorse that I have had for years and is still doing the job.
We also use the Food Saver for quick marinates.
Lastly, there are many vacuum sealer bags on the market. SO, if you are going to do a test on the appliance, I would like a test on the bags being made. Durability, how long they hold a seal, suitability for freezing and sous vide, etc.
Seems like you may have left out what many of us are looking for in this appliance. Try Again!
All of that information is available in the linked review.
I have 2 things to say.
1: Why is it that the Weston Professional Advantage was not even shown in this comparison? I bought one of these after watching a regular episode of ATK, and it was rated as BEST BUY for vaccum sealers under $200. I have absolutely no problems with the machine, I just wish it was a little faster.
2: I just want to recommend the “Out Of Air” brand, vaccum sealer bags and rolls of make your own bags. They are cheaper than food saver, and IMO far superior. You can but them on Amazon.
One important thing to note: The defrost cycle in your frost-free refrigerator is the villian in freezer burn.☹️
Chest freezers don't have this problem.
I have frozen foods in my chest freezer that are well over a year old and have no freezer burn.🤗
That said, I LOVE my Nesco, especially the double seal option. 🥰
Another issue I have experienced with more than one machine is the vacuum bags lose seal after a short time. I'd like to see that tested with these machines.
I've heard of people leaving a wide margin on the top of the bag, and putting 1 seal like 1 inch above their food and a 2nd seal an inch above that, so your bad actually has 2 seals. Perhaps that will help. I found the bags 'ready to use' with the little round sealer 'seal here' indicator spot, do not hold a seal all that well.
It doesn't look like you tested your previous winner, the Weston Professional Advantage, which is still available. My 5-year old model is still working fine, not sure why you didn't include it. It has replaceable seals, which I've done once. It would still beat most or all of these.
I seen someone else mention this as well. How is that working for you today?
@@Mandy_39 It's still working great.
Did you test the food saver? I didn't see it but I know it's a popular one. If so how did it do compared to your favorite?
Why was the Food Saver not talked about at all? It was front and center but never mentioned. I have had the food saver for 3 years and it does a great job.
Because FoodSaver didn't sponsor the video. ATK lost their independent integrity a few years ago.
Which Foodsaver model do you have?
@@kostasp1269 simple answer the one Costco sold. But have purchase bags from Costco and Amazon
@@SevenBates how
Seven Bates you mention this on every post but don’t explain your evidence. Besides, I don’t remember them saying this was a fair and unbiased review?
I agree with Dan, I have a food saver model from a few years ago that I purchased through Amazon and have used it for the last 7 years without any issue of loss of sealing integrity. Best purchase ever for under $70.00 and I don't have to hold the lid down, single push button to start and it lets you know when the bag is sealed - plus I can create a bag any size I want. Very disappointed ATK didn't include this brand as they're # 1 in the consumer market.
You missed one of the most important uses in my kitchen: Evacuating storage jars. Being single and a diabetic, I only rarely bake, and the local grocery only sells flour in 5-lb bags, I keep my flour sealed in jars, with oxygen absorbers. A good level of vacuum, (more of the air/oxygen removed), is critical in to keeping the whole grain flour from going rancid. So, a vacuum port which can be coupled to teh sealers for canning jars is a critical feature for me. You didn’t even discuss which machines have the capability to do this.
I know how to cut meat, and typically buy a hind quarter in the fall, and freeze it for the year. This involve running the vacuum sealer pretty much continuously for about an hour. Do the units heat up during long sessions?
And, I cook large quantities of soups and stews, and then freeze them in individual portions. How do the machines handle liquids? How easy is it clean out their catch pans for the liquid which inevitably gets pulled out when you freeze soups, stews, and stocks.
I have a Foodsaver with the accessory vacuum port so I can seal glass jars. This works so well. I have cases of vac-sealed wide mouth Mason jars filled with grains, dry pasta, rice, peas, salt, sugar, etc. So easy to use and after the jars are sealed the rings aren't even needed. The Foodsaver was an excellent purchase for our family.
@@thedoomrunnerxl- would you mind sharing which model FS you own?
I usually like ATK's Gear Heads episodes. I've bought several of the recommended products and, for the most part, they've served me well. This episode is seriously lacking. Our family has two vacuum sealers comparable to those tested. While both worked well when new, and still work today, they both have a serious shortcoming: They won't let you vacuum seal more than one or two bags of food before needing a half-hour (or more!) to cool down. For example, if we buy 10 lbs. of hamburger at Costco, we're going to want to bag and seal that meat in 5 - 7 bags for freezing. Or, if we're having a group over on the holiday and want to sous vide several steaks or, possibly, racks of ribs, we might want to vacuum seal several bags of food. We don't do that everyday. We don't even do it every month. But, we do do it. When we do, the fact we can only get two bags per machine before having to wait 30 minutes or more to bag the rest is a royal pain!
Which vacuum sealers can reliably do several bags of food in one session? That's an important question that was not answered in this review. (Note: They all can seal several bags in one session right out of the box. But, can they after the machines have been used a few times?)
it's unfortunate that we keep expecting ATK to provide us with quality content like they used to, but unfortunately they only care about who's paying them to make their videos now. That's why we don't see them testing a large number of products, and they try to keep the videos super short to increase the number of views. It's all about money now.
Can you support that claim?
@@AirrowRocket I doubt that the handsome and talented Mr. Bates can prove his claim beyond a reasonable doubt. However, after Christopher Kimball left America's Test Kitchen, there has been a noticeable shift in the editorial direction of the America's Test Kitchen empire. Under Kimball, the company received virtually its income from its magazine subscribers (and the donations of public television). The new direction is to receive more revenue from 'alternative sources' -- which one suspects includes product placements and endorsements.
Under Kimball, ATK was kinda sorta a Consumer Reports for foodies. If CR started accepting advertising and product placement revenue from the manufacturers of the products it reviewed, no one would blame you if you suspected that the dollars from the manufacturers affected CR's reviews. You might not be able to PROVE it, but everyone would understand your doubts. Also, CR wouldn't be able to PROVE that the dollars DIDN'T bias their reporting. That's the issue with ATK.
I have a $59 Foodsaver brand 5 almost 6 years ago. I buy bulk at Costco biweekly. Go home and use it till the project is done without having to stop and let it rest. I don't know about anyone else but if I get that kind of usage for that little amount of money then I am a happy camper just like my 16 year old B+D $20 coffee maker.
We bought our first food saver from Costco years ago. When they wear out we return it to Costco for a full refund and get another. We seal and tape the receipt to the back of the unit so it is available.We use them a lot, and have been very happy with each one for a year or three.
You may want to have a separate episode to evaluate and review the chamber food sealers. They do a much better job than the cheapies shown in this episode, and they can even seal liquids in the bags. And some models are quite affordable.
I have a food saver and have had it for many years and it was losing it's power so I bought a new one and it was defective and the company is giving me a run around for over a year now. I ended up buying anther brand to find one that would work like I needed it to. I won't buy a food saver again and am glad to see these tests. I now have an idea of what brand I will buy if I need anther vacuum sealer!
I'm disappointed that the Foodsaver which is mid-priced and commonly available was not reviewed. I've had mine for several years and I use it extensively with excellent success.
I would've loved if they tested liquid with these vac sellers
You van vac seal bags of liquid with these syle of machines, that requires a chamber type vac sealer, and theyre obscenely expensive.
See above comment...there are great tips on how you can do just that without them doing another show on it. RUclips has video tips on how to as well.
What's the difference between that and squeezing a ziplock until there's no air in the bag and sealing it off?
@@quinlanharsch for example if you wanna sous vide something for a long time inside a bag with marinade, a ziplock might not be able to withstand it. I've had multiple freezer-grade ziplock brand bags break while cooking sous vide, leaking liquid into the bath and forcing me to stop to clean my circulator
Wish they would have ranked them. I have the one that was in the middle Walmart I think ? and I buy bulk bags two sizes 1 larger 1 smaller in bulk from amazon. If I have cooked meat or raw meat I will put them in a store brand freezer bags and then Use the vacuum sealer. Keeps the vacuum bag clean and I can reuse it for something smaller. Also if I have something that has some liquid in it such as pineapple/oranges etc. , I will vacuum the air out until I see the juices reach the lid area and hit the seal button early. Sometimes the liquid will prevent a good seal when it heats up. Allows me to buy/cook meats in bulk and save it cooked for use at a later time ....
Great. Can you do a review of vacuum sealer bags? I have a Food Saver that has served me well for years. I tried some bargain bags that I wasn't happy with but it would be nice to know if there is a decent brand of bargain bags out there.
Try Keep Fresh Bags on Amazon terrific quality fast deliver good prices
I tried the bargain bags too...never again! Stick with the Food Saver or Ziplock brand!
There is another video on the handheld models that go into the fact that some bags contain polyester and some contain nylon. The “polyester “ bags allow air to get in during the test period while the “nylon “ bags do not. Not sure if the label shows this information. It should.
My biggest problem is always sucking up juices. I would have loved to see them try wet items too
Same issue. I will now freeze meats before sealing. An hour or 2 in the freezer makes a big difference.
There are ambient room vacuum sealers and vacuum CHAMBER sealing devices. It is physically IMPOSSIBLE for an ambient room vacuum sealer to NOT suck up liquids because the ambient room air pressure will push liquids out of the bag and into the sealing device while the vacuum is activated if you want a high vacuum. To seal liquids, you need a vacuum CHAMBER sealing device where the entire bag is inside the vacuum sealer itself. That allows all the air to be removed from the chamber AND the bag before sealing takes place. Vacuum chamber sealing devices run $700 to $1500 dollars. They are also very large and very heavy. For some reason, the vacuum bags for vacuum chamber sealers are pennies a bag while vacuum bags for ambient room vacuum sealers are fifty cents to a dollar a bag depending on size. If you have a lot of counter space and use it frequently, you will make up the initial increase in cost because the chamber bags are very cheap.
@@garykitzis1335 While I do agree with you, my Foodsaver, model #FM5200, does a pretty good job, it has a small removable tray to catch liquid, from say, meat. Things that have more liquid, I do freeze, before sealing, easiest way to store stocks and broths.
@@drwgisblaidd2650 Thanks for your reply. I have one of the Food Savers too and I have excellent results freezing foods for quite a while and using it for sous vide prep, but my point was if you have fairly wet or juicy food or straight-up liquids you want to vacuum bag, you must use a vacuum chamber sealer.
I have seen this as a solution but have not tried it. Folding up paper towel to make basically a barrier and then pulling the vacuum.
Do you know if the FoodSaver brand jar sealers for dry canning will work with the Nesco vs-12 air tube? Are these compatible?
I'm curious why you didn't test a food saver? I've had 2 different food saver vacuum sealers(one basic and newer one seals jars) and they work great! Easy to use.
IKR? Seems they only test products that chefs and professional cooks would use! Not us mere mortals.....
They did. See time 1:40
I am looking at a foodsaver right now.. So many choices in general.
What about vacuum sealing wet items, cleaning and accessory sealing (i.e. mason jars)? A lot of us use vacuum sealing for sous vide these are very important for that.
Agree! Especially with accessory sealing of both jars and various canisters. I would like to know how the others stack up to FoodSaver. I have a number of newer & older canisters and both sizes of mason jar sealers. What better way to keep ground coffee fresh than vacuum sealing the canister each morning? Or to do a quick marinade in the canister designed for just that purpose? How well do the other brands function in this area?
That information is in the full review. All of the models they tested did perform well in their "water" test, though!
You guys should review the bags/rolls/accessories (like canisters and tubs) too!
Anyone in the market for a vacuum sealer should check out the chamber vacuum sealers made by avid armor. You can use much cheaper bags, vacuums seal wet things or even liquids like soup, and still have a port for accessories like their containers, or jar sealers.
I'd love to see them tested with moist/wet foods, that's my struggle at the moment with my sunbeam model, I have to freeze most meats before I can seal them and if I'm cooking sous vide with a bit of oil or other liquid in the bag it's just not possible to seal up
I use that Foodsaver model for sous vide all the time - I've got a Chuck roast with a flavored oil in the cooker right now. If you've got alot of liquid, you can manually squeeze out most of the air then just use the machine to seal the bag.
A chamber sealer can seal a bag of water.
DrMilkPillows: Try setting the machine near the edge of the counter so you can dangle the bag over the edge. Gravity will keep the liquid down and the air up. Then, stop the vacuum cycle when almost but not quit all the air is removed, but before any liquid reaches the seal level. (If your sealer doesn't have a manual stop button, just pull the plug.)
Problem is mine is the super basic model, doesn't grip the bag at all really so dangling it off the counter isn't an option.
@@101stsurvivor Mine doesn't grip the bag either; I have to hold it. It's not particularly convenient, but it works.
So glad to see this. Have been using the FoodSaver brand for about 15 years and we are on our 3rd one, though, to be fair, one was lost in a wilfdire. They are not holding up very well, and seem very glitchy, sometimes working well, sometimes not at all. I believe part of the problem is the terrible quality of the bag material itself. One could reasonably expect such material to hold up well in the environment for which it is designed, but in actual practice that isn’t the case. These bags often lose their seal in the freezer, if almost anything with an edge, like a food brand which comes in a plastic zipper lock bag, like french fries, for example, brushes up against them. This brands bag products are very spendy in my opinion. Will be replacing the Food Saver with the Nesco. Thanks for the compare!
You know, you can use any brand of bags with any brand of vacuum sealer. The brands don’t have to match.
My basic 20-year-old FoodSaver just keeps plugging along. I use it 3-4 times a week. When we renovated our kitchen, I had an electrical outlet installed in the pantry specifically for it.
Because it was made 20 years ago lol! Things were built to last back then! I'd keep that thing as long as you can 😉
You guys are so helpful in deciding what to get when it comes to Kitchen Appliances... Thank You
I don’t have a sealer so I came up with my own way. I put my item in a freezer bag and close it all the way except for a tiny end where I put a straw in. I suck out the air through the straw and pull the straw out as I push down the seal. It’s not as great as a machine but it surprisingly does pull out a lot of air. If it’s something in powder form I put it in a brown paper bag first.
Needed to include the Foodsaver in more of the comparisons as it is the arguably the most popular. Many other features to compare for all, including accessories, length of time the bags stayed sealed, improvements ( such as there are now mylar bags that fit in the foodsaver) and many more. Not very informative and a little silly.
That won't happen unless FoodSaver is paying them. ATK is no longer an objective and independent testing organization. They're just a marketing platform for whoever pays them.
Which Foodsaver model do you have?
@@SevenBates sponsored by nesco
Steven Bates Can you support that claim?
It is on their 'highly recommended' list
We found that the vacuum sealer works to seal and remove air but the question you should ask is how long does it keep the seal. We found that the food saver was letting the seal go after a few months. If you are truly looking at longer storage that doesn’t work. So, what do you think and did you do seal any items for say 2 months, 3 months, how about a year? That becomes the true question for vacuum sealer performance.
Do you think the sealer pouches/bags pre-bought have anything to do with how well the machine seals? I ran out fo the bags that came with my machine and bought new ones online. My machine definitely is having an issue sealing.
I got one for my mother years ago and ended up using it for her more than she did. It was REAL simple to use but for whatever reason she always had trouble.🤷🏾♂️
Not to get into how old she is, but, if the lid had to be pressed down until it latched, it's possible she couldn't do it!
Friends in the Kitchen…we have had our Weston for over 6 years, and points you seemed to overlook/disregard were durability, repairability, and parts replacement. The reason we moved up to the Weston was all three of the aforementioned. Reviews of less expensive models were pretty revealing. Many inexpensive (sub $150 vacuum sealers) tend to die in less than two years. I think this might be a topic you should revisit with a bit more research (which we usually expect from you guys) on the topic.
The other thing you didn't cover was mass-processing. We have done up to 30 bags in a row (back to back) which is impossible with small units. In fact, they are usually only good for a bag or maybe two before having the cool down.
Always come to you guys first, havent been disappointed yet. Thankyou
Did you look at waste? like how much tare is there between the edge and the seal?
What is tare?
Would be helpful for others to explain that term. Most are used to tare weight but not the term as used here.
@@TheTinkerersWife That's what dictionaries and googling are for.
I have the Food saver model and in most of the comments i did notice that you didn't mention that brand, its a very popular brand a most used.. you test wasn't based on much, i like your reviews and tests.. don't take me wrong, but you need to do a review on all food sealers.
They would have to be reviewing for months with all the different food sealers! What they should've done is taken a few from the same price point. Then switch the bags around in them to see if it was the bag or the sealer that was the best.
You missed the big issue with these - how well do they seal the bags after they have been used a while. I've had several and they are OK when new, but lose the ability to seal effectively as they age. A great tool - just wish they would last longer.
I have had the Food Saver for more than twenty years. Best product.
I bought my Foodsaver from Costco 5 or 6 years ago and I love it. Used it many many times. It was $59 USD. It cuts internal roll, seals one end, put food in it then vacuum and seal the other end. It's nice and light, does the job of what I need plus it came with a jar sealer attachment.
I will be using it more with my new Freeze Dryer. Between the 2, I will save on what I used to throw away.
ATK, You need to do a review on Freeze Dryers. They are a little expensive (between $2000.00 and up but after pricing freeze dried food in the store you would actually be saving money. There is only one out there that I know of but would be interested to see ATK put it to the test for a long period of time. It seems a lot of people are buying them.
My choice was the Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator that I've owned for a number of years. While freeze dried is nice, my budget doesn't permit spending that much for a freeze dryer. Doubt I'd live long enough to see the ROI. A dehydrator fits my needs along with the expected shelf life of the finished product. The Excalibur has paid for itself many times over both in dehydrating foodstuff and other uses from making yogurt to quick drying of bottles and such.
Lucky you three in four years, finally gave up.
Outrigger Outdoors makes a very compact, light weight, simple to use model that I love!! Came with a jar sealer and, my favorite, a power cord that runs it off my boat battery!! I can clean, filet, and seal fish fresh out of the lake!!! Cabelas also offers a very light weight and user friendly one. Happy Vaccing!!!!
Quick question did you test all the varying models within the makers. I know that food saver has at least four different models, mine has a vacuum seal for bags and that is the part I like the most
I have the newer version of the Nesco and use it all the time. Picked it up on an Amazon Prime day at a decent discount.
I love my new FoodSaver all you do is stick the bag in the slot it grabs it pulls it up all by itself, sucks out the air and returns the bag back to you completed. Way easier than any of the models you showed in the video.
Which one do you have?
This episode was lacking. I thought y'all were supposed to go deep into the pros/cons of a product category... testing their performance across different scenarios. Like, how the performance varies for different food types. Delicate vs robust... dryer vs items that contain more liquid. Editors trying to game the RUclips algorithm for quick digestible content instead of living up to the promise of the show's title.
I used to love this show series until I started seeing the "holes" and the DRAMA and the darker side of it. NOW even more so I'm starting to see the transparent biased behaviors that comes along from America's Test Kitchen company. NOT LETTING THERE EMPLOYEES AND HOST REALLY "TEST", you can see them at the beginning of this video focusing on ONE PRODUCT WITH POSITIVE FEEDBACK noticing every compliment about one specific machine was giving a PURE FAVORITISM. Making this video more an infomercial than product review and comparison. I know every company is based on marketing and making business sponsorships and endorsements but geez could you at least gave us in depth analysis?
Amythyst Parker
You realize that they have more in depth reviews on the website?
They said that, when seal was achieved, all performed equally in preserving food. Handling and "physicality" were the only difference. Duh.
you imagined a cool show that delved extremely deep into the usage of vac sealers. They never promised that. They're creating a video in which they show some of their actual testings (involving tens if not hundreds of employees gauging the products through robust testing) of different models being performed by their hosts. If you want _everything_, you can check out their website. The title of the video is "Gear Heads | Which Vacuum Sealers Seal the Deal?". "Gear Heads" is a generic show title indicating they're going to focus on gear. "Which Vacuum Sealers Seal the Deal?" literally says that they'll be reviewing and comparing different models.
I would love to see some of the super cheap ones compared. Amazon has some around $25.
I love my Ziplock! Simple, easy, and inexpensive!
I bought the original Food Saver back in the '80s. I bought the ball jar accessories to go with it. This lasted me almost 30 years before I had to replace it. I roasted a turkey soon after buying my Tilia FoodSaver and I vacuumed sealed a breast. That breast went with me from place to place until in the mid '2000s I finally opened it and ate it. It tasted the same as the day I put it in the vacuum bag. I still use the Food saver, and seldom use the ball jars as they broke a little too often for me even though I handled them properly. I get an off-brand bag now from Walmart that works very well and it's about $20 for 250-quart bags and I buy used machines at resale shops.
Thanks a million for the reviews. Wished I had used this resource on appliances in the past.
why was Foodsaver brand not tested? (I've NEVER heard of any of these in this video)
1:42 Foodsaver FM2000
@@user-vc9tt5eg3z thank you...I guess they didn't mention it by name and it didn't look like any Foodsaver I'd ever seen, so totally missed it!
@@rebeccaturner3906 You're welcome
The Foodsaver vac is hands down the best, in my opinion. You didn't even mention wet vs. dry vacuuming.
Their testing methods are linked in the description.
you didn't take into consideration vacuuming juicy or very wet items such as steaks with marinade. you also didn't take into consideration clean up after vacuuming wet items. one of the two sealers I've used (food saver) was absolutely horrible at both. I was looking forward to an episode like this and was hoping that the two test cases mentioned would have been covered, especially since I've been getting into sous vide cooking lately.
It is in the full review linked in the description! 😊
They sell food saver bad with what looks like a square bit of paper towels towards the top of the bag to catch juices on very wet items. This prevents those juices from getting into the seal - drip- tray channel. But the bags are not reusable and are rather expensive.
I’d really love to see you review some smaller models. I am in an apartment and have very limited space. I really want to use one of these, but I just don’t have the room.
We just bought the Nesco VS-12 and found your video. My bff/roommate hates reading! Thanks!
The key performance drawback of vacuum sealing in my experience is how many consecutive sealings can you do? I like to vacuum seal my fish catches, or large quantities of meat, and my sealer fails after about six to nine sealings, and had to be rested. Would like one that doesn't fail in this department.
I use my Ziplock vacuum sealer when I'm stocking up on meat, have not found a limit on number of seals yet! I'll make upwards of thirty bags from rolls and then seal fifteen or twenty pieces of meat! Everything from hamburger, to chicken leg quarters, or thighs, to pork chops, to steaks, and fresh corn on the cobb! I have found it's best to freeze the meat first, the Ziplock machine will pull the juices right out and prevent a good seal!
I own the winning sealer (what a relief that I had chosen wisely!) but the one thing I wish it had was a cancel button.
Don't ever cancel sealing or cross the streams. It isn't good.
True gear heads are going to get a chamber sealer, like ones from Vacmaster.
Scott_Atlanta Agreed. I was surprised that chamber vacuum sealers weren’t mentioned.
That would be a good request to make. I'd be interested in seeing that one as well. They certainly did not do all they could have, but then that is probably a producer decision and not the tester's choice.
A true gear head wouldn't be afraid of all those scary buttons on the more expensive machines .
@@ephraimwilliams8855 because they are technically different from a vaccum sealer.
Question: how long does yours last in freezer compared to vacuum sealed ?
One of the hardest thing to properly vacuum seal is ground meat... part of the problem may come from the bag design but, it is really hard not to get any air bubbles left in the bag...
There’s a twist knob on the nutrichef, you turn to close it, you don’t hold it down.
How wide of a bag will the Nesco seal? How long will it last? I’ll be using my sealer for packaging big game so long use at one time
Hey you gals sold me. I have purchased one of these Nesco vacuum sealers and am anxious to try it out. 😁
Hi before even seeing your vid, I had the Nesco in my cart. The only thing that is stopping me is that there is no hose attachment. Do you have any recommendations for a hose for this unit and also containers to go with the hose? Thanks so much!!!!
Easily one of my favorite channels on youtube
Can you use freezer bags with these machines? Like ones that you pinch seal..
Which food Saver model did you test? Food Saver seems to be the only make that offers Mason jar sealing equipment as an option.
I have the Western for 10 years, it’s the best in my mind.
Would have loved to see what optional equipment each can use (jar sealer). I felt this review was abrupt and lacking important information that people would generally consider when doing food storage. I want the most bang for my buck and a machine that I can use for more than one way of storage is a huge plus. Guess I'll keep looking for more youtube reviews.
The Foodsaver. Picked my last one up on a sale at Costco very reasonably. My old one still works from 25+ years ago but the accessory port broke and Foodsaver said they couldn't tell me when I could get parts for it unfortunately.
FYI, Consumer Reports rates the FoodSaver VS3180 Multi-Use model tops in the consumer market.
Holy Air Suckers Batman! Your price for the Nesco was $90...the link shows it at $249 & $250. Must be like the normally cheap backyard pools, the manufacturers are Corona-Gouging!
If you're talking about on Amazon, people buy things up and relist them at much higher prices, it isn't the manufacturers, hell many of them aren't even open to make things. Go to Nesco's website, same thing happened to me with the Mealthy Crisplid, $59.00, on Amazon, someone bought them all and relisted them for $129.99, went to Meathy's site, and paid 59 bucks.
I purchased the Nesco and am very pleased with it.
It did not seems to be apples to apples some was commercial grade machine and others machines tested was an average kitchen use.. If your doing bulk saving or harvesting a garden with multiple use back to back thinking of the seal and suction would you have pick differently..
I have a ziploc brand vaccuum sealer. It works great and was only $20
We have a NutriChef Vacuum Sealer and are very happy with it. The side lever is just to hold the lid down during sealing.
Mine stopped working properly after less than 25 uses in an 18 month period. It worked great in the first few months, didn't think this would happen.
Do any of the machines suck juices into the inside system where you have to take the machine apart to clean out the juices it suck in? Is this a problem?
Wondering if you could do a meat slicer for home use? Love your reviews!
Yes!
Before I ask my question, I need to say the biggest thank you I can for your show. Soo helpful in every way. My question, which may be irrelevant, is the air that is being sucked out of the bag goes where? Through the machine? And what goes with it? My concern is bacteria and anything that comes off raw foods being deposited in the machine and left there. How safe are these food savers? And how easy too clean? My concerns may be unwarranted, but would be nice too know before I purchase. Oh one other question, how much longer do these foods last in the freezer? Thank you for any advice.
The fear of bacteria isn't, or shouldn't, be a concern! You should be sealing fresh, or cooked, product! For best results the meat should be frozen prior to vacuum sealing anyway! This prevents liquid being vacuumed out and contaminating the sealer! It has a drip tray, where the air is removed, to catch this, but, the liquid will prevent a good seal on the plastic! Oh, FYI, the air just goes into the room! And I have meat that has been in my freezer for six months, or more, and still looks as fresh as the day I sealed it!
Don’t overthink it. When you put meat in a zip lock bag and try to squeeze the air out, where does that air go? As for how long you can freeze something, there are numerous places to obtain that information, but I will say I’ve kept vacuum-packed meat, fruit, bread and veggies in the freezer for months with no loss of flavor. Be sure your freezer is cold enough.
@@oldschooldiy3240
I don't know why it sounds kind of silly to me to freeze meat and take it out to seal later. That makes absolutely, positively no sense to me at all. Just preparing food to freeze, if you actually know how proteins break down, is a little bit of a chore. But freezing them and taking them out later to seal them to freeze? Thank you for the information but for some reason it's sailing right over my head.
@@klee9016 If you "vacuum seal" raw meat, the vacuum will cause juices to come out of the meat! This can have two effects, like I said in my comment! And also, freezing first will not only prevent this, it will keep the juices in the meat for when you do cook/prepare the meat!
@@oldschooldiy3240
I can't believe it! I tried freezing first and THEN sealing. You are absolutely 💯 CORRECT! I'm absolutely astonished as it seemed to defy logic but it works!
Thank you soooo very much!
Please, please, please, do a review of chamber vacuums. 2 of the current most popular home chamber vacuums are made by Avid Armor and aNova.
Now the Nesco winner from this video is 300 bucks! Not $90 like advertised.
17 days after this video dropped, Nesco more than tripled the price :(
UPDATE: Dec. 21st Nesco dropped the price down to $134! Still not $90, but affordable now.
Exactly!!
Look at bed bath and beyond
wondering how long the Nesco lasts before wearing out and if you can get replacement parts for it. my foodsavers wear out in about 2 years with light use . also wondering how much the Weston weighs because I know you can get replacement parts, but i can only pick up about 7 lbs at a go. can you help, please? i see this is 2 yrs old and that's about when my last food saver died. so am looking again now.
My food saver has been spot on for years and less than your recommendation
In the linked review, the model they tested didn't have the countdown timer like the Nesco! Otherwise, it's a great buy.
My first food saver (Costco) stopped giving me a good vacuum, so when it went on sale again at Costco I got another.
@@Custerd1 I read in another comment section the foam seals go bad & you have to change them out.
I have a food saver and it works great. It has a big space behind the sealer to hold rolls of the plastic 'bags'. that makes it not quite small. It is very easy to use and to use the accessories to seal in mason jar lids for nice storage in jars. I would recommend it. It is also automatic, provided you hold tight and sort of stretch out the bag top as you slide it into the sealer. The machine comes on and shuts off when the sealing is done, all by itself. You can select between, wet or dry products to seal.
What about the bags. Do you have to use a specific brand, or can I use the bargain brands?
Be careful with those! You get what you pay for!
Why would you skip bagging the bag? It's crucial to show that part. The open part of the bag is opposite the top so how on earth do you bag and then seal when it seems like it would be upside down. I think that what you did was cut it by the peripheral line, turned it upside down/filled/bagged it then turned the camera back on.
I usually like and respect Lisa but in this episode, it felt like I was watching an infomercial as the two women exageratingly fumbled with some of the machines to emphasize their problems. Too bad too.
I have a Foodsaver and live it. There is nothing complicated about.
I must say I tend to agree. The way they tested it standing behind the machines for one was ridiculous. Leverage to close models they clearly didn't like made them appear worse than what they probably are, and there were other things that made it seem rather a farse. I have an old foodsaver, still works great. No real review here, just infomercial.
I have had the Nesco now for several years but I cannot find a replacement foam gasket for the VS-12 that won the contest. Are those available or do I have to chuck it and get another Nesco? I have had several Foodsavers and they were not sufficient the Nesco is head and shoulders above those.
the problem is. that new the machines work good but than I read so many turn into broken machines within a year! like the N. one you sampled.
Is the Nesco vacuum sealer available in Europe? I know it's called Pro-Line in Australia but I could not find any information on its availability here in Europe.
UPD: It's called Maxxo.
Ok video in regards to initial quality. But, what happens when you need to change out PTFE tape or perform an oil change on the motor? Just like a car, there is routine maintenance on these machines. Would like to see how easy/possible it is. If you can't do that, then the equipment is junk in my book. The Weston units are extremely reliable in long term use. Also, no chambered sealers were tested. That's a big miss
I love my VS-12, but there is one frustrating aspect. It is impossible to find replacement gaskets/heat tape. You can get replacement seals for every other brand on Amazon, but Nesco keeps theirs hidden for some reason. Has anybody found where to buy them third party?