What’s the best vacuum sealer? There are a wide range of vacuum food saver sealers on the market and figuring out which is the best can be difficult. Reliability and ease of use are key to what makes a good vacuum sealing machine. We researched reviews and bestsellers and found that the NutriChef Vacuum Sealer is the best food saver machine for most people. Continue reading to learn more.
Best Food Saver Machine:
NutriChef Vacuum Sealer
Of all the vacuum sealing machines we reviewed, the NutriChef Vacuum Sealer came out on top for its low price combined with thousands of outstanding reviews. It is a compact vacuum sealer which makes it easy to store out of the way when not in use and was generally agreed upon to be very durable, reliable, and easy to use. For these reasons we feel it is the best choice for most people.
Keep in mind that this is not a perfect product. Some people complained that the bags the machine works with are somewhat small and others found it to be slightly finicky. Also, it doesn’t work very well with moist foods.
If you think you’ll be putting this machine through its paces on a regular basis you may want to consider our upgrade pick, the FoodSaver 2-n-1. Continue reading to learn more about its unique features and added versatility.
The ratio of top rated reviews to lower rated reviews is impressive as is the shear volume of reviews. This alone should provide a great vote of confidence. If you’re looking to purchase a food saver machine at a bargain price for occasional use then you really can’t go wrong with the NutriChef. It does it’s job ver well and does so reliably.
Upgrade Choice:
FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System
While the FoodSaver 2-n-1 Vacuum Sealing System is significantly more money than the NutriChef, it’s by no means a budget buster. The NutriChef is just amazingly inexpensive. What you get for the extra money however would be worth it if you plan to do quite a bit of regular sealing.
The bag system is very flexible and also very wide for accommodating almost anything you can throw at it. It also comes with a great pull out attachment that even allows you to vacuum seal zip lock bags. This is a handy tool that would pair well with our option to also consider which is listed below.
The FoodSaver handles the sealing process automatically compared to the NutriChef. Just place the edge of the bag in the sealer and it does the rest.
We highly recommend upgrading to the FoodSaver. For the money it is an outstanding machine that is significantly more advanced than the NutriChef. It is highly praised by its owners and has an amazing amount of positive reviews online.
Worth Considering:
iTouchless Handheld Heat Bag Sealer
To be clear, this isn’t a vacuum sealer but as a food saver machine it does a commendable job for the money and can prove to be quite the handy tool for dealing with all sorts of food packaging bags that could benefit from being resealed.
The price is definitely right for this handy gadget, however you should be prepared to know how to properly use it. Some buyers had trouble using it because they weren’t following the instructions properly. The big things to know are that you need to wait a few seconds prior to trying to seal a bag so that it has enough time to heat up the sealing contact. Also, you’ll need to adjust your speed as you slide it across a bag depending on the thickness of the bag. Thicker bags will require you to move more slowly.
Whether you decide to go with the NutriChef or the FoodSaver, adding the iTouchless Handheld Heat Bag Sealer would be a smart addition. It fills a niche that the other 2 don’t fill.
Additional Information:
Things To Keep In Mind
How long can you keep vacuum sealed food?
Vacuum sealing can extend the shelf life of sealed foods by 5 times. This will obviously vary based on what food product you’re sealing and how you store it. For instance, sealing fish and placing it in the freezer will last much longer than sealing it and placing it in the refrigerator. Expect close to 5 times the normal length of time you’d get when storing foods without sealing them under similar conditions.
What foods shouldn’t be vacuum sealed?
- Soft Cheeses
- Bananas
- Mushrooms
- Whole Apples
- Onions
- Garlic
- Cabbages
- Lettuce
- Fresh cooked or steamed vegetables
Can you vacuum seal liquids?
It’s not possible to vacuum seal liquids since they’ll simply get sucked into the vacuum. What you can do is freeze the liquid first and then vacuum seal it to prevent the vacuum from sucking up the liquid.
Can you vacuum seal meat that is already frozen?
Absolutely! In fact, this is a great way to kill off any bacteria that may already be on your meat prior to vacuum sealing.
Do you need to refrigerate food if you have a vacuum sealing system?
Yes. Any food that you would normally refrigerate or freeze should still be refrigerated or frozen. Vacuum sealing doesn’t eliminate this need but it does greatly extend the shelf life.
Can you reuse food saver bags?
Some things such as dry goods allow bags to be reused. Bags that contained moist items shouldn’t be reused.
Wrapping Up:
The Best Food Sealer For The Money
The incredibly reasonably priced and well regarded NutriChef Vacuum Sealer is the best food saver machine for most people. If you’re expecting to put more demand on your food saver machine or have a few extra dollars you’re willing to part with then we highly recommend upgrading to the also very reasonably priced FoodSaver 2-n-1 Vacuum Sealing System. It’s additional features and flexibility really do make up for the added expense.
No matter which path you pick, adding an iTouchless Handheld Heat Bag Sealer is a great idea. It’s a super handy tool that can greatly extend the shelf life of all kinds of bagged foods that a vacuum sealer isn’t ideal for using.
