Vacuum Sealer recommendations

posted both here and on the outdoor board.

I have the Avid Armor USV20 Chamber Sealer. Only $100 more than your version, and has worked great. On the small side, but perfect for the wife and I and it's great being able to use plain bags as well as perform quick marinades.

The version I have is HERE if anyone's interested.

I've had mine about a year, and have put it through its paces with zero issues.

These Avid Armor ones look great. I have a cheap foodsaver one that works well for meat and such, but it sucks for non uniform veggies (ex: broccoli) and liquids. When you say small, what are we talking in terms of largest thing you can fit in there? There is this larger version for $200 more, and I am wondering if upgrading to this is worth the extra cash. I am thinking it is, since quality chamber vacs are usually much more than this from what I have seen.

Have you tried the pulse option? The main thing that turns me off of the smaller chamber vac options are the small sealer bars and their overall small chamber dimensions. Definitely couldn’t do a turkey breast or pork but in most of those options.

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When you say small, what are we talking in terms of largest thing you can fit in there?

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Go check out the pictures in my link. They have a couple sealing various foods, along with the person's hands in the picture.

If you needed to seal for more than two people, ya I'd go with the larger one.

I can do a rasher of bacon, enough Bolognese sauce for two large servings, 6 good sized chicken thighs, 2-3 big pork chops, etc.


ETA: The smaller one I have also has a vacuum port to seal jars and containers. I don't believe the bigger one has that port. So that may add in to the equation for you.

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unfamiliar with this. I actually do not have the food saver one now that I think about it. I can't remember the brand I have, and I am not finding it on Amazon. I've had it for a few years now. I'll have to research it when I get home to see what techniques are available to seal liquids and non uniform foods.

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Pulse option allows you to manually control the vacuum. When you hold the button down it sucks until you release it and holds the suction until you press seal. It’s how I do my turkey breasts because of all of the liquid that the sealer will suck if you just let it run its cycle. Works pretty well.

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Definitely couldn’t do a turkey breast or pork but in most of those options.

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If you use the right bags you can hang the bag on the outside of the chamber and use it like a regular suction style sealer. It has to be textured on both sides of the bag. So you could do racks of ribs or slabs of fish etc. I have not tried it but I asked the guy over at JVR about the vac100 doing that and he said it will. He also said he is working on something to make it work with their normal smooth bags I think, i'd have to dig up the email.