Vacuum sealer

[padge31]

Does anyone have anything to say about vac master 380 or 350? I searched the internet on best vacuum sealer and it keeps saying food saver.

[Doug S.]

The Vac Master series is like the Mercedes of vacuum sealers on the market,
hands down far better than the Food Saver brand. Ya get what ya pay for as the saying goes :)

[lantern]

MUCH better than food saver, but in that price range I'd be looking at the Weston pro 2300. heck of a sealing machine that doesn't overheat after several uses.

In my opinion, after these units it's time to go with a chamber vacuum unit if you have the room(which I DO NOT right now.):laugh:

[Springram]

I think it depends on what you plan to be doing....if you are vacuum sealing a lot of stuff all the time then the Weston's and Vac Masters , etc are very much worth the dough. If you are going to seal up some leftovers every once in a while..the Food Saver brand works quite well

[OSD]

The vac master 350 is an animal. I been using one for a couple years with no complaints. Use one time and you will see the difference over a food saver.

[IamMadMan]

You need to figure out what you want from your sealer and just how often you will use it before making an educated choice.

I started out with a FoodSaver which made poor seals and within 4 months it bit the dust. Then a second FoodSaver which lasted a little over 6 months. However, I used it a lot, much more than the average kitchen. For occasional use it probably would be a great unit. After the second FoodSaver went bad, I realized that I would have to keep buying these units for who knows how long... They are not repairable, parts are not available for them, and they are considered disposable units.

For someone who do not seal items on a regular basis, it is probably a great unit for the price and will work very well with low frequency. It is light and it stores easily between uses in a cabinet or on a shelf taking up very little space.

After my second Foodsaver failure, I figured I had already spent enough to buy a heavy duty unit, so now I actually figured it was time to purchase one and be done. I chose the Weston because it has dual piston pumps rather than a singe pump. Although a perfect vacuum is 0 psi, the food saver draw is -7 psi whereas the Weston is -14 psi. We all realize that neither will ever reach the 0 psi of a vacuum, the Weston unit does remove the air with more consistency over a shorter period of time with a stronger seal. It has both manual and automatic seal functions, so one can manually seal wet foods with "manual" operations or let it automatically seal with dry operations.

The Ary machines (Vac-Master) are very similar to the Weston, and service kits are available to repair them. If you plan on sealing a lot of items, I would go with the 380 which has a 16" seal bar and will allow you to use the larger and wider bags. If you don't plan on sealing a lot of items, then the 250 with the 12' seal bar may work just fine for you with pint and quarts sized bags.

The Weston also has user serviceable parts readily available so you can repair the unit if need be, or you can send it back for repair. I have had mine for 3 years now and only recently I replaced foam seals and heater bar for less than 30 dollars. It took less than 10 minutes with minimal effort. Although the unit was still working properly, I felt preventative maintenance is also part of caring for the unit.

While there are many makes models to choose from, I choose the Weston Pro-2300 model because it had a stainless steel shell, the 2100 is identical but has an enamel finish for about fifty dollars less. Weston now has the Pro-3000 model which is the Po-2300 with a visible vacuum gauge and an adjustable seal timer. Vac-Master also makes some lesser priced heavy duty vac-sealers for a little over $200.00.

I have had the Weston for over 3 years now without incident, sealing 10 to 20 bags a week depending upon activities for that week. The downside of the Weston is that it has a very large footprint and weighs about 40 (or more) pounds so it does not store easily unless you have a second kitchen or private prep area where you can leave it out all the time.

The Weston unit seals appears to be twice as wide as FoodSaver, and it seals flawlessly with liquids or food residue present. I have never had a weak or faulty seal with the Weston Pro-2300. The Weston bags are rated food safe for use in boiling water and they are also dishwasher safe. I have never reused bags, but many others have said they have washed and reused bags.

The marketing for some sealers is geared toward recurring sales of sealing bags. they make much more from sales of the bags than from the machine. They lead you to believe that you save money by purchasing their bags on sale, but they won't tell you that other bags of the same size are compatible with their sealer. FoodSaver regularly has sales on their bags and rolls which give you up to 50% off if you buy in volume. The sale price even at 50% off is still higher than the normal prices of Vac-Master and Weston brand bags and rolls. When you compare the prices of other micro-channel bags to FoodSaver, you will save a great deal of money.

I pay $9.99 for 100 pint bags 15.95 for 100 quart bags. Weston Pro Series will also seal the 15" X 18" bags which will easily seal 2 - 3 pulled pork butts. Weston will use any brand of micro-channel vac-seal bags including Foodsaver and Vac-master. Vac-master and Weston bags are so cheap they make the use of rolls to save money an antiquated choice. However the use of rolls is still a great choice for sealing whole racks of ribs and other long items.

But don't be misled here, no vacuum sealer likes liquids, and liquids can damage the unit if it gets into the vacuum chamber. This is even true with both FoodSaver the Weston Pro, and many others. Chilling soups, stews, and chili for a few hours makes sealing these items easy without incident. You also have the manual seal button which you can press if liquids start to flow into the collection tray before they can be sucked into the the vacuum port. You can also freeze the liquid in a shallow dish and then put the frozen item into the bag and Vac-Seal. The only unit that does well with liquid content is the vacuum chamber sealer which draws the air our of the chamber rather than the bag. But the price of a chamber sealer is usually cost prohibitive, even for the seasoned vac-seal user.

The best advice I can give you, is to do your homework before you buy, Compare, compare, and compare again!!! The final decision is yours and only you will have to live with your choice, whether it be good or bad. In today's market a higher price does not always mean higher quality, but sometimes it is just an opportunity to make a greater profit from an uneducated customer. A higher price does not always mean a better unit, that's why it is important to do your research.

Yes, sometimes you get what you pay for, but without research on the different units you could also wind up a lot less that what you paid for.

Cheap Vac-Seal bags
https://www.sorbentsystems.com/channel_bags.html

Brethern Review of the Weston Pro-1100
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3466434&postcount=1


Comparison of various Foodsaver Models
https://youtu.be/THz60ATXMus

Chamber Sealer
https://youtu.be/YJIIAHIrggg

Weston Pro 2300
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rZ_ehQWLsc

[Lordkifar]

I have three food savers. One was a top of the line and it died with very light use and two more basic models and they seem to be going solid.

I think the Vacmaster pro units you are looking at are just great!

I recently switched to a Vacmaster system albeit a chamber sealer as I need to seal more things with liquids (marinated meats, soups, sauces, etc). Build quality is phenomenal and durability is supposedly great (I cannot yet say much about that as I just received it).

[Smokey-T]

I got the Vacmaster VP112s when it was 40% off and I love it. Wife wasn't happy when she saw the sales slip though. I asked for forgiveness and all was good.

[EdF]

I got the VacMaster VP 112 chamber sealer in 2010. Last year I had to replace the cover because it had developed a leak. $80 part and less than a half hour to do it. I figure that's robust enough for me. Great machine. And not having to think about liquids is a real win. I killed 3 of the other kind over the years with liquids.

[CakeM1x]

I got the vacmaster vp215 a couple years ago and couldn't be happier. I seal everything now. Buy everything when it is on sale and seal/freeze it. Hands down my favorite purchase I've made for my food hobby and I have quite a few toys. My only knock is the 10.25" seal bar which has only been annoying when sealing up a 3-4 rib prime rib but not really a big deal.

[rexster314]

After years of Foodsavers, I bit the bullet last year and bought a Vacmaster 320. 16" seal bar, I can use bags up to 16x22 easily in the chamber. I watched prices fluctuate until I found one that was 200$ off and jumped on it. Haven't regretted it one bit. The proximity sensor fritzed out last month and I had a new replacement from Vacmaster within a week. I did the replacement myself.

[rumpunch]

I have the Weston Pro 2300 and love it. I've had it for several years and it's still going strong. I had a cheap-o Foodsaver for a short period of time-- I don't remember which model, but it was junk. If you're going to get a vacuum sealer, buy a good one the first time.

[retfr8flyr]

I recently upgraded to the Vacmaster VP112s and couldn't be happier with the machine. I had a Weston that was starting to not work well and decided it was worth it to me not to have to deal with the liquid problems of an end sealing machine. The chamber machines are just so great to work with and so versatile that they are well worth the extra cost. I do a lot of Sou Vide cooks and like to have various liquids in the bags when I seal them. The chamber type sealer solves this problem and I am very happy I made the switch.

[snakyjake]

My thoughts...

I'm thinking if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a sealer, might as well go all the way to a chamber sealer.

I've heard of chamber sealers:
Cheaper bags.
Pre-made bags vs. roll = convenience
No failed seals because of moisture
Can marinate in the bag
No tricks to seal moist/juicy meats

I don't like the camber price. ($ 2x)

I don't like the idea of smaller bags vs longer bags of an external sealer, but maybe it would be better to cut meats into smaller bag sized portions.

Chamber is more awesome fun stuff.

But just how much does moisture or meat juice become an issue with an external sealer?? I don't want to employ tricks to seal a bag of juicy meat.

[IamMadMan]

My thoughts...

I'm thinking if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a sealer, might as well go all the way to a chamber sealer.

I've heard of chamber sealers:
Cheaper bags.
Pre-made bags vs. roll = convenience
No failed seals because of moisture
Can marinate in the bag
No tricks to seal moist/juicy meats

I don't like the camber price. ($ 2x)

I don't like the idea of smaller bags vs longer bags of an external sealer, but maybe it would be better to cut meats into smaller bag sized portions.

Chamber is more awesome fun stuff.

But just how much does moisture or meat juice become an issue with an external sealer?? I don't want to employ tricks to seal a bag of juicy meat.


If I had the room, I would purchase a chamber sealer, but I have space limitations.

Liquid can be drawn into the suction chamber and clog lines, the pump intake, and even the sensors.

You can marinate in standard bags, just hit the manual seal button.

Even with external sealers, I have never had a bad seal, a weak seal, or a failed seal due to moisture.

I always pack the bags with the meat and juices (sometimes even adding apple juice) then refrigerate for a few hours to gel the proteins, I have never had an issue with liquid from meats getting into the sealer doing this with meats, soups, stews, or chili. I have read where some freeze before sealing or add a portion of a paper towel to absorb juices, but I find that just chilling the food is all that is required for me. Even if the marinade is chilled before putting into the bag with the meat, I have no leakage when sealing to marinade.

Yes chamber bags are much cheaper as they do not need "micro-channels to pull out the air. But even with micro-channel bags if you source your bags it just doesn't pay to make standard size bags from rolls of material, unless you are sealing whole racks of ribs, whole loins, or something that won't fit into standard sized bags. Although some manufacturers would like you to believe that you have to use their brand of bags, most any brand of micro-channel bag will work just fine and they are much cheaper. Pint bags at $9.00 per hundred, Quart bags at $12.00 per 100, even more savings if you buy in volume.

[rexster314]

I've heard of chamber sealers:
Cheaper bags. YES
Pre-made bags vs. roll = convenience YES
No failed seals because of moisture YES
Can marinate in the bag YES
No tricks to seal moist/juicy meats YES

I don't like the camber price. ($ 2x) When I bought mine last year I paid a little more than 1200$ w/shipping from webstaurantstore.com I caught it on sale after a month or so of looking around.
I went with the Vacmaster 320 because it offered the largest vacuum chamber for the money I wanted to spend. It can take 16x20 bags easily and I have used 16x22 bags several times. It can do a 20 pound packer brisket with no problems.

[BillN]

I have a VacMaster Pro350 and have been extremely happy with it until last week just days after the warranty was up. The problem I am having it wont vacuum past 18 it should vac to 27.5, it hits 18 and just keeps running so I have to manually hit the seal button. I just minutes ago sent emails to Vacmaster so I will be interested in what help they can offer.

[snakyjake]

You make a good case that an external sealer doesn't offer an advantage except for cost, space, and bag cost if you do a lot of sealing (it will take a lot of channel bags to break even).

I'm left without a compelling reason to spend an extra $250 for a chamber vacuum.


If I had the room, I would purchase a chamber sealer, but I have space limitations.

Liquid can be drawn into the suction chamber and clog lines, the pump intake, and even the sensors.

You can marinate in standard bags, just hit the manual seal button.

Even with external sealers, I have never had a bad seal, a weak seal, or a failed seal due to moisture.

I always pack the bags with the meat and juices (sometimes even adding apple juice) then refrigerate for a few hours to gel the proteins, I have never had an issue with liquid from meats getting into the sealer doing this with meats, soups, stews, or chili. I have read where some freeze before sealing or add a portion of a paper towel to absorb juices, but I find that just chilling the food is all that is required for me. Even if the marinade is chilled before putting into the bag with the meat, I have no leakage when sealing to marinade.

Yes chamber bags are much cheaper as they do not need "micro-channels to pull out the air. But even with micro-channel bags if you source your bags it just doesn't pay to make standard size bags from rolls of material, unless you are sealing whole racks of ribs, whole loins, or something that won't fit into standard sized bags. Although some manufacturers would like you to believe that you have to use their brand of bags, most any brand of micro-channel bag will work just fine and they are much cheaper. Pint bags at $9.00 per hundred, Quart bags at $12.00 per 100, even more savings if you buy in volume.

[BillN]

I have a VacMaster Pro350 and have been extremely happy with it until last week just days after the warranty was up. The problem I am having it wont vacuum past 18 it should vac to 27.5, it hits 18 and just keeps running so I have to manually hit the seal button. I just minutes ago sent emails to Vacmaster so I will be interested in what help they can offer.

VacMaster got back to me and my problem was solved in under an hour. Great CS, they were patient with my stupidity. Turned out to be the bags. Apparently my VacMaster does not like "Simple Houseware" rolls won't vac past 18. I'm just happy nothing wrong with the machine.

[pjtexas1]

VacMaster got back to me and my problem was solved in under an hour. Great CS, they were patient with my stupidity. Turned out to be the bags. Apparently my VacMaster does not like "Simple Houseware" rolls won't vac past 18. I'm just happy nothing wrong with the machine.Good thing I've never done that...:heh:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[Mankite]

Get a VP215. Expensive up front but you’ll save in the long run as the bags are way cheaper.