We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n I have a few hundred pounds of meat and fish in my deep freezer and I know it will keep for well over a year because it\u2019s all vacuum sealed. Whether I\u2019m buying half a cow or coming home with a cooler full of fish, everything gets portioned, sealed, and labeled. I\u2019ve been using the same trusty FoodSaver for nearly eight years. While it served me well, it was time to test some of the newer options on the market that take up less space and are considerably quieter. <\/p>\n Here are three of the best vacuum sealers and a DIY option for when you find yourself without one.\u00a0<\/p>\n I abandoned freezer paper years ago and exclusively use a vacuum sealer while processing fish, wild game, and farmed meat. I used that experience to evaluate vacuum sealers on the following criteria:<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n The FM2100 is only 4 inches tall and 9 inches wide, so it can slide into most deep kitchen drawers. The internal bag storage and cutter are intuitive and convenient, which is really nice when you\u2019re cranking out a lot of bags. To use the sealer, you\u2019ll insert the bag to be sealed or vacuumed, close the lid, and then move the latch on the right side to \u201cOperate.\u201d <\/p>\n I expected the latch to be like flipping a light switch, but it\u2019s more like the force required to move a gear shifter. Then you\u2019ll press the seal or vacuum button. The vacuum is fairly quiet, and you can tell the unit has a lot of power as it\u2019s pulling air from the bag. Once it\u2019s done, it automatically seals off the bag. I can\u2019t stress enough how intuitive it is to make a bag, drop meat in it, and then vacuum seal it with the FM 2100. You can get in a groove and get a lot of food ready for the freezer.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want to vacuum jars, containers, or even a bottle of wine, the FM2100 comes with an accessory hose. The hose attaches to FoodSaver jar sealers, wine stops, and food storage containers. Among those accessories, the storage containers are the most useful to me. That\u2019s because they allow you to vacuum liquids without the mess of trying to do it in a vacuum bag. They open the door to preserving soups and doing quick marinades. Just be aware that the containers aren\u2019t cheap, but there are compatible options from other brands for a lot less money.\u00a0<\/p>\n My old FoodSaver took up a lot of cabinet space, and it was annoyingly loud. The FM2100 solves those two main issues, and I think it\u2019s the best vacuum sealer for home use.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gear decisions often come down to compromises. The Meat! Chamber Vacuum Sealer is the better vacuum sealer because of its versatility and feature set. But that performance comes at a price and size penalty. For a quarter the price of the Chamber Vacuum Sealer and a much smaller footprint, the FM2100 strikes a nice balance of performance and real-world usefulness.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Pros<\/p>\n Cons<\/p>\n Kitchen gadgets take up a lot of space, and if you\u2019re looking for a small vacuum sealer for preserving food, marinating, sous vide, or taking on trips, the VS1150 is the best vacuum sealer out there. It doesn\u2019t have features like bag storage or a bag cutter, but it will still quickly and easily vacuum seal. Remember that it cannot use large bags and will only work with 8-inch or smaller bags.\u00a0<\/p>\n The operation couldn\u2019t be more straightforward. You insert the bag, close the lid, pull the switch, and push the button for your desired operation. The first part of the vacuuming process is very quiet, but it transitions to a high-pitched sound as it finishes, which makes it louder than the FM2100.\u00a0<\/p>\n I think the VS1150 shines as a portable unit to take on fishing trips\u2014I\u2019d prefer the FM2100, which can use large bags for hunting. At the end of each day, you can drop whole cleaned fish or filets into bags, seal them, freeze them, and they\u2019re ready for the journey home. The sealer itself doesn\u2019t take up much space in luggage or even a carry-on bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Next:<\/strong> Best Wireless Meat Thermometers<\/a> <\/p>\n
\n Published Apr 27, 2023 2:56 PM
\n <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow I Evaluated the Best Vacuum Sealers<\/h2>\n
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Best Overall (Best for Home): FoodSaver FM2100<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Compact: FoodSaver VS1150\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Chamber Vacuum Sealer: Meat! Chamber Vacuum Sealer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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