Ever since I began writing TBG, I’ve had “vacuum sealer” on my list of article ideas. And I keep postponing it because I didn’t know exactly what to say. But shortly before the holidays, I got a couple more questions as people were preparing their “wish lists” and I realized that I can’t duck the issue any longer.
Here’s the deal: I bought a vacuum sealer for Que Tal and loved it, but it was a “luxury.” And the company went out of business shortly after I bought mine and I haven’t seen one that I like nearly enough to really recommend. And most people with boats get by just fine without one.
Whether you’re full- or part-time cruisers, vacuum sealers do a better job of bagging food than Ziplocs. They remove more air, generally use tougher bags and once sealed properly, won’t accidentally pop open. If you head to the boat for weekends or even a week at a time, a vacuum sealer at home is great for preparing bags of snacks and even pre-prepared frozen food that you can put in the cooler or refrigerator on the boat.
If you’re a full-time cruiser, they’re nice when you’re at a major provisioning stop and are stocking up on things that will be hard to find for the next several months.
And on any boat where you’re catching fish, a vacuum sealer is wonderful when you catch more than you can eat immediately. Vacuum-sealed fish (or meat of any type) is much less likely to get freezer burn than fillets just put in Ziplocs, and the overall texture stays better, too.
But a vacuum sealer is only good if it works consistently. And that tends to be the problem. Many don’t always get all the air out and numerous ones have a reputation for not always sealing the bag. Now it’s one thing if it doesn’t seal correctly if you don’t line up the bag correctly (that was true of mine), but just inconsistent sealing can drive you nuts.
A good vacuum sealer is not cheap: the better rated home-use ones go for about $150 and the bags themselves cost 15 cents each (or more!). Small commercial units tend to work better, but are over $300 and the bags cost just as much.
So after all that, what did/would I look for if buying a vacuum sealer now?
- Recent user reviews. Some that were good a few years no longer are, and some models have improved drastically. User reviews are really helpful in this area.
- Size if you’re going to have to store it on the boat or are limited in storage space at home. Some are extremely large! The one that I loved was about 13″ wide, 2-1/2″ high and 4″ deep, which meant that it didn’t take up a lot of space. And don’t forget that your stock of bags will take up quite a bit of space, too (they’re almost impossible to buy in the Caribbean or Mexico, so you’ll have to stock up ahead of time; I don’t know about availability in other places).
- Bag size accepted. You want to be able to use bags that are at least 8 or 9 inches wide, and 10 inches is even better. Yes, you’ll use smaller bags for many things. But I found that I used larger bags far more often than I had anticipated.
- Bag availability. You don’t want a sealer that uses proprietary bags unless it’s a big company that’s not likely to suddenly go out of business or discontinue their bags.
- Return policy. A 30-day or more return period is good. Once you get the unit, try using it immediately . . . and not just on one item, but as many as possible. Make sure it works well, particularly if you’re about to take off cruising. (I’m not saying that it won’t work well, but reading through the reviews, even the best models can have bad units.)
Now, you may have noticed that I haven’t talked about power. If you’re going to be using the sealer at home, it’s not an issue. And I found that at least 90% (probably more) of the time I used it, I was doing major provisioning from a marina where I had shore power. And when I used it otherwise, it was only for a few items — such as fish fillets — at a time and didn’t take many amp-hours. The only thing to watch for is if you do plan to use it on the boat and away from the dock, make sure your inverter is large enough for the unit you choose (read more about inverters here).
My bottom line on sealers: they’re wonderful if you can get a good one, don’t buy just on price, and consider it a luxury — nice to have but if money is particularly tight, there are many other things that are more necessary.
If you’ve got a vacuum sealer, please leave a note with brand/model and whether you’ve been happy with it or not!
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Anne Dunlop on Facebook says
I still have mine, still use it and love it. It’s about 8 years old now and going strong. It’s a Foodsaver Mini (bought in Walmart) and I use the rolls rather than the bags which means I get to choose what size of bag I have. It’s never let me down (yet!). I’ve used it for sealing stuff for the fridge and the freezer. The downside is finding the rolls – I have to buy loads of rolls each time I’m in the States from Walmart because I can’t find them in the Caribbean.
Sara Peterson says
I use a FoodSaver V3860. Here is a link to their website if you want to look around.
http://www.foodsaver.com/index.aspx
I have had mine now for over 8 years and when I had a problem with the first one that we couldn’t fix, they sent me the V3860 to replace it. When my drainpan failed they sent me a new one. When I needed new seals, they sent me 6. I love these people. They will drop ship the bags to wherever you need them sent and you can buy new bags from Ace Hardware to Costco. I cannot say enough good things about these people. This piece of equipment has saved me so much money over the years in keeping food from spoiling it is worth its weight in gold. I got mine the first time at Costco on sale for around $130+/-. I keep myself on their alert email for all sales and try to take advantage of those to reduce my replacement costs. Cannot emphasize how great this product is for those of you who want to preserve your food and save your money.
Janice Fleischmann says
I have a Seal-a-meal which I purchased in Canada at Canadian Tire for $59 on sale. The bags come in rolls so you can choose your size and I watch for them on sale when I am home. I have had steaks last 5 months frozen and even on our small sailboat up north that doesn’t have a proper freezer, vacuum packed meat lasts much longer even when not frozen. I can buy family packs of meat and portion out for two people per vac bag. I can’t do without it now.
Charles says
Pump-n-Seal. Small, low price, zero power, leaves less air than some commercial grade sealers. Really, really hard to go wrong with this choice.
Rosie says
Have you sealed meats or fish? Do they “pop” open easily? Do freeze well? And what brand do you use? Thanks!
Susan Parker says
I’ve had two vacuum sealers to fail so I switched to the manual ZipLoc pump. It’s great for the boat because it is small and requires no amps.
Michael Mangione says
Carolyn, Excellent blog entry. Like many readers, Robin and I have a food sealer. We do find that the bags are expensive. In addition to our food saver, we have a mason jar attachment, which vacuums the air out of an standard mason jar. We have found that we can dramatically extend the life of lettuce in a vacuum. Also, Robin uses it as a bug-free way to store flour, brown sugar, and other pantry items. The best part is that its reusable, unlike canning, mason jar lids can be used over and over again.
We plan to be cruising next fall, and I think we are going to have to make room for our food saver.
Mike and Robin Mangione
“Sea Change”
Catalina 380
Susan Chang says
Hi Carolyn, I just found your blog today and it’s very informative. Thank you for putting it together! It’s fun to read your take on the luxurious vacuum sealer 8-). It is rated one of our “I’M SO GLAD WE HAVE ONE” mobile abode devices.
Our first year of cruising in the Bahamas for the winter I froze all our meats in double zip lock bags on land and stashed them in our top load freezer on our cat. The balmy temps made it tough to keep the meats constantly frozen solid and eventually we had a b***y icy mess, even with the double ziplocks.
We bought a VacMaster Pro 90 for $100. A year later it didn’t power on. Dave opened the unit and there was a bad connection. A little light soldering got it running again. We’ve had it 3 years now. The VMP unit accepts 11″ bags, has a compact footprint, it’s light, easy to clean and store. I’ve used my friend’s FoodSaver and found the vacuum is stronger and the sealed seam is wider, but the trade off is it’s weight and size. The VMP vacuums out air, seals in contents, there’s no more mess, so it’s totally adequate for our needs. We even use it to keep electronics and health and beauty aids dry until we need them,
The one gem I can share with vacuum sealer lovers on a budget is my source for vacuum bags and rolls: vacuumsealersunlimited.com. Lisa, the small business owner, is friendly and is available to answer all questions.
How do they compare to others? FoodSaver bags are really nice but expensive (especially when you use them in bulk). The gauge is thick and it has a white strip for labeling. The VSU bags and rolls are thinner gauge, the inside texture is not as pronounced, and there’s no labeling strip. Of the two residential grades available, Premium (texture down the center only) and Economy (texture throughout), I prefer the economy. Lisa offers “Combo Packs” of multiple sizes in small and bulk quantities. Once I figured out which sizes I tend to use most I just fill in when I run low. I have to pay shipping but their reliability and cost savings make this savvy shopper satisfied.
If you purchase from Lisa at vacuumsealersunlimited.com please mention Susan on Luna Sea Catamaran. Fair winds y’all!
Susan and Dave
s/v Luna Sea
1999 Lagoon 410
Carolyn Shearlock says
Thanks for the recommendation and good info! I loved mine, but it’s not made any longer and I hadn’t found another model I liked as well. Glad to hear about the VacMaster Pro 90!!
Carolyn
Jacques Landry says
My vacuum sealer is now 57 years old, and never failed (well, not at sealing). I use one of these small cocktail straw, put the stuff in a ziplock, close most of it and insert the straw at the end of the zip. You just have to suck the air out, and close quickly. You can even have many shots at it. It seals as well as most of the bargain home sealers, cost nothing and uses no electricity! Try it, you’ll never buy a vacuum sealer. Yes the big machine will do better, but I have no space for one of these. Note that you will be packaging the food at a warmer temp than your fridge, so there will be extra vacuum!
Linda says
I know of someone who was hospitalized with salmonella after sucking air out of a bag of chicken. Whatever is in the bag could potentially get into your lungs.
Karen Haver says
I bought a food saver (maybe the mini) and 2 rolls of bags for $7 at goodwill. I see them fairly often (except last year when I was looking for one) and have been thrilled so far.
I tried the ziplock pump, but it constantly broke the vacuum in the freezer.
At home I have chicken in marinade in the freezer, ready to go when I need a quick diner
Carol Ann says
Very good article!!
Patricia Royall says
I bought a Deni Champion 1750 Vacuum Sealer about 9 years ago. I have never had a problem with it and I had enough bags and rolls to last me a long time. Now, I am running out of bags/rolls and I can no linger find the original website. Comments from people who have recently purchased bags from other sources are complaining that they are way too thin. I am hoping I can find the original bags/rolls. They we we very sturdy. Can anyone help me?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I always got mine through commercial outlets or companies that sell stuff for hunters. One of my favorite companies was Meat Processing Products — I’d buy them in bulk and they were always heavy. Try Googling “vacuum sealer bags for hunters”
Rebecca Hammond Vaughan says
We loved having it for provisioning before the Bahamas. Chopped up onions and peppers, sealed and froze them, great to add to dishes!
Sue says
Yes they are luxuries, but a small one does not take up much room. I hsve a small Sunbeam Foodsaver. We use the rolls and wash out and reuse when we can. We use it to seal up blocks of cheese after we have broken down a 2.5 kg megablock. When we find cheese in Malaysia it came in caterers packs. So each 250 g pack is resealed and it lasts for ages, opening one block at a time, the rest sitting in the bottom of the fridge. I have also used it to seal dried goods like crispy noodles if resupplying for a long passage as they get a bit chewy if not sealed up. Good for meat and fish too
We get new rolls in Australia when back home or get our visitors to bring us some if we need them.
Candy Ann Williams says
As far as I am concerned it’s darn close to a necessity! Lol
Becky Croston says
Use ours for hunting and will use it for boat prep — check out Costco for the rolls. We pre -seal one end at home to make our own bags cheaper.
The Sea and Sailors says
It is great! I wana use it! How much it costs? I hope I can buy it in Sweden!
Kenneth Arnold says
I have the small Hand Held version w/ the special Zip Lock Bags, works great and it takes up very little room. “FoodSaver Fresh Saver”
Brenda Harbottle says
I’ve had the Foodsaver V3840 for the past 12 years and it’s still running great. I use it at home for everything I pack for boat trips. Food, ice blocks, even spare engine parts. 🙂
Katerine Boivin says
Hi Carolyn,
love your site, your book and all the various subjects that you cover in your blog!
I bought the Manual ‘ Vac N Store’ storage system with reusable bags (3 sizes, S-M-L) at Home Hardware in Ontario 3 years ago and been using it ever since. The initial kit comes with the pump and 6 bags. You can buy separate sizes after depending what you prefer. When dealing with meat I find that by rapping it first with ‘Press N Seal’ (Glad) before sealing keeps the bag very clean.
Kathy Orr says
I’vd got a Seal-a-Meal, which I like. I use it almost exclusively for provisioning for long voyages. I make meals ahead at home, cut them into 2 portion units, freeze them, and then seal them. I’ve found that with many juicy things, if I don’t freeze it first the sealer sucks juice out along with air and then it won’t seal properly. For soup, stew, chili, etc., I turn the edges of the bag over, pour 2 servings into it, lay it in the freezer, getting it as flat as I can without it spilling out, and freeze it overnight. Then the next day I seal it shut. I’ve been much happier with my sealer since I discovered doing it this way vs. sealing it right away.
JoySea says
I have a vacuum sealer, but I don’t use it much anymore and I never take it out on the boat. I find that I like to use zip lock bags for storing my fish. I put the fish in, and a little water. Then I seal the bag until I have about 1 inch left. I carefully roll the bag up pushing all of the air out I roll the water by the sealed part of the bag, and then roll past that last 1 inch as I seal the last of it up (put a towel under the bag to catch the water at the end). This way the air is 99% gone, and the fish lasts a long time. I think a vacuum may be better for other things, but the bags are so expensive.
LeeZe says
In the early 1990s, there was a company that made a vacuum sealer called foodsaver. It was based on an italian model that I have never been able to find. This one uses canisters and special bags which I found to be a PITA. We use it on LeeZe to vacuum out items stored in glass jars. We also use it with a thing narrow tube to suck the air out of twin seal ziplock bags.
About every 5 years i have to take it apart and apply silicon grease to the vacuum motor. The company went out of business years ago and knock on wood, this sealer has been with me for over 20 years. It runs on 110 VAC but here in Europe, i use a 2:1 step down transformer and to 50Hz does not seem to bother it.
Carolyn Shearlock says
FoodSaver is still in business: https://amzn.to/2JIPvRm
D and Don says
I own the Food Saver V2460. It is large, but I am still glad to have it. Beside preserving food we also us it to vacuum seal tools that will not be used for awhile so they do not rust on the boat. Also clothing. They now make a roll of bags that has pleats so you can get big items in them. I was lucky and bought the machine last year at a yard sale for $25.00. So far so good. My only comment would be that I have found when I seal up really greasy foods, it is a pain to be able to reuse the bag, as it takes a lot of water and soap to get it clean. I may switch to zip locks for greasy stuff, which will be less expensive to throw away after just one use.
D and Don says
Size of the Food Saver V2460 is 4″ high by 9″ wide by 17″ long, including the little handle on the end.
D
Pat says
If you don’t have room for another piece of equipment, GLAD Press and Seal works great. No freezer burn. Package frozen items in freezer bags and they keep 6-12 months
Debbie says
I love my Foodsaver V3240 and seal more than food. I seal spare parts, first aid supplies, documents that we don’t need often, off season clothes if they will fit in a bag, and almost anything that gets stored in the bilge.
dave says
Thanks for the article. I was thinking about getting one for storing some spares and parts in in the bilge. did not think much about food storage. concerning freezing everything. we only have a single box. we have been using it as only a fridge and not a freezer. wondering if you would still have one for food if you only had a fridge and not a freezer?
Carolyn Shearlock says
It’s still good for sealing a lot of dry goods if you’ll be carrying them for more than a month or so, particularly in humid climates. Things like cereal, crackers, baking supplies and, as you mentioned, for spare parts and filters.
Dawn Shindledecker says
http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/handheld-vacuum-sealers/the-foodsaver-freshsaver-handheld-vacuum-sealing-system/FSFRSH0051-P00.html#start=3
I have had this freshsaver for more than a year and I use this daily. It is a very good product and keeps food fresh for weeks. Great for frozen food and keeps odors like onions and garlic in the bag, not the fridge. Great for dried foods as well. And can be purchased through the website or at Walmart around $20.
Pamela Dakin Harwood says
Perfect timing — I’ve just started looking into them.
Martin Henry says
Personally, I say it’s a must have.
Tina Gonsalves says
Couldn’t have been better timing as mine is probably being delivered today. 🙂 I’m not a live-aboard (yet) and it will be perfect for helping provision for our week long trips. Thank you for this and all of your informative articles.
David Lake says
its great if you have a large freezer
John Norman says
Got a sunbeam ,they are fantastic you can portion size precooked meals , when your out on the water or camping pop them in a pot of boiling water, and viola no mess and you have clean hot water for plates etc.
Also great for currys add raw meat and curry paste and cryovac if it’s a little moist I put a piece of paper towel at the top and seal it in ,it won’t seal properly if moisture is on the actual sealing part of the machine
Ken Tobin says
I’ve had a number of vacuum sealers currently on a FoodSaver V4440. Seals well and has a dry and moist vacuum setting but I’ve only used it for 20-30 bags so far. Not sure how long the unit will last as it has an automated mechanism that comes down to close the open end of the bag before it is sealed. I also use the the unit to seal anything in storage: papers, books, socks, shirts, pants, etc. It seems like if you’re not dealing with a new leak or a hatch that somehow was left open you’re battling high humidity and the ensuing mold and mildew.
I use an indelible marking pen to describe and date anything I seal.
If you have the room I highly recommend getting one.
Terry Bogart says
Bought one at a swap sale in VZ. Used the rolls of bags. Was great when we had a tiny freezer and filet mignon was $2/lb!
Kathy Orr says
I used ours in preparation for long passages. I made casserole types of main dishes, then divided them into two portion servings and froze them. Then when it was meal time I took them out of the vacuum bag and wrapped them in tin foil and put them, still frozen, into the pressure cooker. 20 minutes from frozen to a hot meal in the middle of a bouncing ocean.
Claire Ford says
I bought the Food Saver portable, rechargeable pump and bags at Walmart a few months ago because my Ziploc’s
battery powered one battery door broke. So far, I’ve only recharged it once, and the bags are staying completely sealed. Bags are readily available at Walmart or online at Food Saver.com. I also reuse the bags after a thorough cleaning because I wrap the items individually before freezing.
Trish Colton Vitaz says
I have a relatively new…within the last year…FoodSaver 5400 series that is WAY TOO BIG and cumbersome. Also takes octopus-like agility to place the bag in the sealing element and push the activation bar. And, it finally starts the vacuuming and sealing process after pressing the bar more than once. Lots of nice features but I only use the bag sealing so it’s a bit of overkill for me. Besides, the FoodSavers I’ve had only seem to last 5 years or less…at over $100…that’s not cost efficient. Bottom line I don’t recommend FoodSavers. But, I DO recommend a vacuum sealer!!
Judith Nelson Cruzan says
I LOVE mine. I never have to worry about expensive cheese going bad.
Jeffrey Dege says
There is a fundamental problem with vacuum sealers – the tendency of the bag to collapse under the pressure of the vacuum before all the air has been removed.
The common consumer models deal with this by requiring special. vacuum sealer bags that have microscopic channels to allow the air to flow. These work, but the bags are expensive.
Commercial vacuum sealers surrounding the entire bag in a vacuum chamber. These work with much less expensive bags, but they are bulky and very expensive.
The third type have a snorkel that inserts into the bag. I’ve only seen one of these, the Sinbo DZ-280.
This is about the same size as the consumer model vacuum sealers, but it’s a bit heavier and better made. It works with the cheap, unchannelled sealer bags. The sealer itself costs a bit more than the consumer models, but if you use it a lot the primary cost is the bags.
Anastasia Ensminger says
I have had others but just purchased this one during lockdown https://amzn.to/3g0y4aC
So easy to use, fits both size bag rolls (no need to buy the actual bags IMO) and a small footprint which is key on a boat. Sits on the ledge behind the salon settee. Very happy with it and agree that it is a must for small freezer efficiency.
Diane Zbasnik says
I want to share something I found recently that has worked well for us. I saw an ad for a German made portable vacuum sealer that has reusable sous vide bags. I was intrigued. I had trouble getting a regular sealer to work and hated that I couldn’t reuse the plastic. This was my wish come true. It’s a very small cylinder that is put over a valve on the bag and then pulls the air out. The bags come in a couple of sizes and is cordless. It’s easy to store and can be charged while on the hook. I did not buy the German made one. It was pretty expensive. I went with an off brand called MXBold purchased on Amazon. It had one of the better ratings and was around $30. The best part is that you can cook in the bags in boiling water, wash, and reuse. I haven’t cooked using the yet. It’s not great for anything with high liquid content. It does exactly what I need it to do. Make my meat in the freezer and other items more compact. I hope this helps someone. 🙂
Here’s the link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QBKxdJ
Anne Kenny says
I have my mother’s unit, but it is large. I would take it aboard if necessary. But recently I found a small handheld unit at a thrift store. It is a Reynolds Handi-vac. They stopped making bags for it, but I bought a different brand which work perfectly.
It’s about the size of the body of an electric knife, and uses 6 AA batteries. It seals in seconds, with two sizes of bags. They have a small valve that fits under the nozzle. The bags can be washed, so long as you’re careful with the valve.
So far it works great. We haven’t taken it aboard yet, but have used it a number of times at home.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Great! Sounds like the perfect size.
JJ says
Interesting article. I’m a strong advocate for vacuum-sealing food: fresh, frozen, dehydrated. I’ve had a FoodSaver for ages and recently added the mason jar sealer. Both work perfectly.
Now I’m exploring setting up a van for road travel/long(er) term camping and want to find a low-AMP effective vacuum sealer that’s smaller than my model FoodSaver.
Seems that supplies that work for boating is also great for van set ups!
Carolyn Shearlock says
Absolutely! Lots of similarities in the space and power constraints!