Heavy Duty Vacuum Sealer?

[Pa_BBQ]

I meal prep every day and do lots of BBQ, sausage making, bacon making etc.
I often cook enough on my days off to get me through the week and looking for the best options for freeezing and keeping foods fresh for 5-7 days.
I have a couple foodsavers but they are okay but thinking time to setup and get a VacMaster VP220

Any thoughts on this.

 

[kfdvm]

I do not have that brand, but do have a large vacuum packer. We use it all the time. Open a bottle of wine and do not drink it all, vacuum pack it. Jerky Canadian bacon, left overs chili sausage soups etc.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I have, and love, the Vacmaster 350...


It's a brute of a machine. Worth the price.

 

[Baychilla]

Wow those things have gone up in price.

 

[sleebus.jones]

I've got a VP215. Love it.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

Wow those things have gone up in price.

You can pay less if you want a lesser machine.

 

[Baychilla]

You can pay less if you want a lesser machine.

True that may be, but even the lesser machine is $200-300 more than it was a year or two ago.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

https://vacuumsealersunlimited.com/...se-vacuum-sealing-machines/vacmaster-pro-350/

 

[BGEChicago]

PA BBQ,

My advice is to bite the bullet for the upfront cost and buy it! I use mine daily for your exact reason.For example I like to smoke 16 to 20lb packers at Costco, my family of four can't eat all at once so I seal in 1lb packages and freeze for future use. I found since buying the Vacmaster it has totally (for the good) changed my way of cooking, it's usually a bunch of little bags swimming in boiling water for dinner.. Brisket, brisket, corn, etc.... BTW, buy the Vacmaster brand bags also...Buy it! Here is mine:

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Thanks,
Greg

 

[sudsandswine]

I really want a Vacmaster someday, but I’ve sealed literally thousands of pounds of food and hundreds upon hundreds of bags (I buy rolls and cut to size) with the Foodsaver I got from Costco several+ years ago and it’s still working just as good as the day I got it. Mine is not a clamshell model but the “insert the bag into the slot” style. Had the clamshell model maybe 10 years ago and it didn’t last that long or work that well, IMO. For the <$150 I spent on it, I am happy.

I want a chamber style model mostly due to the physics of it vs the bag vac style models. Just haven’t happened across the right deal yet as it’s not an insignificant purchase.

 

[willsands]

I've had the Vacmaster 215 for a while and recommend the brand to friends. Vacuum chamber sealers have advantages and are worth the added cost over regular vacuum bag sealers.

Bear in mind that Vacmaster machines are too heavy to be conveniently portable. Mine sits permanently on a counter top in the utility room, near the freezer and sous vide bath.

 

[TC Smoke & Que]

That would be a huge upgrade in my opinion. I use my "foodsaver" and would too like to upgrade to one of these.

 

[Pa_BBQ]

I know it is not cheap, but do know as often as I use one and the cheaper bags would help offset the price.

I assume sealing meals for later in the week could easily lengthen shelf life by a few days even without freezing just by removing the air.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I have lusted over a chamber sealer for months now. I don't think I can justify it; my bottom-off-the-line Foodsaver is still ticking along just fine.

 

[rexster314]

Vacmaster 320 owner here. We love it!

 

[halfcocked]

The Vacmaster expense is insane in light of freezer bags for short time freezer storage and the inexpensive Food Saver for longer.

 

[BDAABAT]

I'd love to get a chamber vacuum sealer. At this point, I cannot justify the cost and the counter space (I really dislike stuff sitting out on the kitchen counter!).

However, whenever I'm trying to seal up something that's a liquid or has liquid in it (like when marinading), I think more about getting a chamber sealer. I've had enough instances of marinades that have breached the bag (even when double bagging regular zip bags) and times when my cheap-o vacuum sealer has failed to properly seal to continue to make me think about getting one.

Bruce

 

[sleebus.jones]

I had a foodsaver for many, many years before getting the vacmaster. Chamber is just simply awesome for anything that's wet. Now when I marinade, it all goes in the bag, and then in the sealer. No problems. We go down to the waterfront to buy fish to freeze and have later. All that is always on ice, and very wet. Chamber sealer does it no problem. That's really the main advantage...painless sealing of anything wet, and what an advantage it is. It's also really quiet. I can run it while the SO is watching TV and she doesn't even know it was on.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Can't beat a chamber vac for sure. I don't use enough so the foodsaver does it for me.

 

[Lawnguy]

Vacmaster 215....love it. We use it just about everyday. So quick and easy it makes vac sealing a pleasure.