Vacuum sealers make cooking in bulk easy. Of course, you can store them in containers, but it doesn’t guarantee that the food will stay fresh.
In this article, we will talk all about the best food vacuum sealers and frequently ask questions like:
- What is the shelf life of vacuum-sealed food?
- Which foods should not be vacuum sealed?
- Can vacuum-sealed foods be frozen longer?
All these questions will be answered. So make sure to read along. Let’s get right into it!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
Food Saver VS0150 Vacuum Sealing Machine
- Easy to use
- Eco-friendly
- Reliable
If you’re looking for the best quality assured vacuum sealer, then this is your product. Its cool features will change your mindset about Vacuum sealers! Introducing you to the Food Saver VS0150 Vacuum Sealing Machine, the machine that’ll change your kitchen nightmare into a fun kitchen chore.
What we like:
Reliable: Talk about reliability! Now, you don’t have to worry about the freshness and taste of your food. With its double heat, this vacuum sealer will keep your food fresher than ever for a very long time.
Eco-friendly: What’s great about this sealer is that it is earth-friendly. Unlike other sealers that use more bags, this sealer doesn’t waste much of the bag. Instead, it saves 35 percent of it while sealing!
Easy to use: There’s nothing to head-scratch when it comes to this vacuum sealer. All it takes is a button press! You can seal in your dry food and wet food accordingly as it comes with custom settings both for wet and dry foods.
Pros
- The machine is also non-bulky, portable, easy to use, and you can fit it anywhere in the kitchen.
Cons
- Not all food can be vacuum sealed.
How long does vacuum sealed food last?
Worry not. Unlike regular food storage in the refrigerator that doesn’t even last for 3 days, vacuum-sealed food lasts much longer. Most vacuum-sealed foods will last 1-2 weeks in your freezer. Isn’t that amazing?
Speaking of which, if you buy frozen food that is already vacuum-sealed, then know that it’ll last you for a good 1-2 years or even more. The catch is that the freshness of the vacuum-sealed food will solely depend on where you store them; freezer, refrigerator, etc.
If you want to keep your food fresh and juicy for a longer time, then go for vacuum sealers and make sure you store them in a freezer or refrigerator.
How long will vacuum sealed dehydrated food last?
Did you know that its shelf life gets extended when you dehydrate food? Imagine you vacuum seal dehydrated food. It’ll last you a very, very long time, even more than 30 years. However, it mainly depends on what type of food you dehydrate.
You do not need to be worried about nutrients, vitamins, and flavor loss. Keeping dry food vacuum sealed will not produce more nutrients; however, it’ll keep the nutrients and flavors intact. The flavor will be the same as before, even after you open it after a few years.
If you’re worried about the vacuum-sealed dehydrated food at home, you have your answer here.
Do vacuum-sealed foods last longer in the freezer?
No doubt, whatever food you vacuum seal, you know it’s going to last you a long time. So, what if you vacuum seal food and store it in the freezer. Will it last longer? The answer is a straightforward Yes.
Come on, who are we kidding here! Don’t we all store meat in the freezer to make it last longer! If you conventionally store your meat in the freezer, it’ll last you hardly a year. However, if you vacuum seal the meat and stores it in the freezer, it’ll last you for a good two years.
Amazing what a vacuum seal and cool temperature can do to your food! Not only meats, but you can even store vacuum-sealed vegetables, like, for instance, green beans in the freezer, and it’ll last you for 2-3 years. Isn’t that great!
What foods cannot be vacuum sealed?
A vacuum sealer is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful kitchen inventions, and it can seal and lock any food you want. However, certain types of food do not require or should not be vacuum-sealed. In other words, it makes it worse instead of keeping it fresh. Here are some of them:
- Bananas – What happens when you vacuum seal a banana? It turns ripe to brown in no time!
- Mushrooms – You never vacuum seal mushrooms as they will turn back on you by decaying quickly.
- Onion – Pretty sure nobody vacuum seals onions. But if you’re planning to, stop that thought right there. All you will end up with is a smelly bad with rotten onions.
- Vegetables- Vacuum sealing vegetables is alright but not COOKED VEGGIES!
Should I use vacuum sealer bags or rolls?
The question to that answer solely depends on what type of vacuum sealing machine you are using. You can use both bags and rolls for a suction sealer and even a chamber sealer.
If you are a busy person looking for ways to save time, vacuum sealer bags will work fine for you. The bags are already pre-cut, and it’ll save you a lot of time.
However, if you are a person that likes to vacuum seal a lot of your food items, then vacuum sealer rolls are the right choice for you! That way, you can cut any size of a bag from the roll!
What kind of bags should be used with vacuum sealers?
No! You are wrong if you think you can use any bag for your vacuum sealing machine. You cannot just use any bag that you find in the market.
You should be first well aware of how to vacuum sealing works. The trick or key is to remove air from the bag altogether. Then only the shelf life of your sealed food will increase.
Before you purchase bags for your vacuum sealer, make sure it is safe to use on a vacuum sealer (like barrier bags). You can also go to your nearest store where they sell vacuum sealing machines, to find such bags.
Can I use zip lock bags instead of vacuum sealers?
Ziplock bags are storage bags with a zip-like lock that seal the food. They are, no doubt, very useful and they keep the food freshly preserved for some time. Many people who cannot afford vacuum sealers use zip lock bags.
However, when compared to vacuum sealers, zip lock bags don’t seem to be the better choice. The vacuum sealer sucks out air from the bag and locks the food in the right atmosphere. The sealed food can be stored for years. And you can enjoy it as fresh as you stored it at the beginning!
Ziplock bags don’t work like vacuum sealers. Well, whom shall we even blame, though! Vacuum sealers are machines, and they make sure no air is left inside the bag. But with zip lock, the same is not the case, and even the food doesn’t stay fresh as long as vacuum-sealed foods.
Can you vacuum seal soup, bread, and lettuce?
This is one question that gets asked a lot, and for good reasons, there’s always some leftover soup, bread, and lettuce in most kitchens. Isn’t it!
Now, the question is, can you vacuum seal soup? If you plan on vacuum-sealing it in its liquid form, then it’s a big No! You can never vacuum-seal anything liquid in a sealed bag.
However, if you want to store it for future use, there’s a trick to it. First, transfer the soup into a container and freeze it till it becomes rock solid. After it becomes solid, you can transfer it to your bag, vacuum seal it, and store it in the freezer.
Coming to bread, the good news is that you can vacuum-seal any bread. Yay! It is advised first to freeze the sliced bread and then vacuum-seal it.
Want to vacuum seal that lettuce? Of course, you can! Make sure you wash them correctly and that all the water is dried. You can vacuum seal your lettuce and store them for a max of 2 weeks.
Why should you use a vacuum sealer for Sous Vide cooking?
In simple words, Sous Vide is cooking any meat or fish after vacuum sealing it in a bag and letting it cook in boiling water. These are quality dishes that people usually order in big restaurants.
If you’re planning to cook Sous Vide, you should know that a vacuum sealer is necessary. The reason why the meat is vacuum-sealed is to lock in the moisture and its freshness. Your Sous Vide will not taste like Sous Vide if you use other tricks.
Usually, when we cook meat, we sear-fry it or boil it, and during that procedure, all the moisture and flavor goodness gets lost in the oil or water. Also, when you cook the vacuum-sealed meat in boiling water, the meat gets cooked evenly and perfectly.
Some people even make use of zip lock bags. However, there is no guarantee that the bag will not tear. You will have to use it at your own risk. And if you want to cook authentic Sous Vide, you cannot skip vacuum seal cooking.
Are you looking for a quality vacuum sealer machine? The Anova Culinary ANVS01-US00 got you covered up real good. This product will suck in all the air, and your food will be filled with freshness and goodness throughout! Now, you don’t have to worry about storing meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, etc.
What we like
User-friendly: The Anova Culinary vacuum sealer is very easy to use. With just a button press, you can seal any food like a pro. It’s built conveniently and adaptable for all users. Even a 10-year old can use this product without any difficulties!
Portable: Unlike other kitchen machines that are heavy and space-eating, this vacuum sealer will awe you. It is non-bulky, lighter than a toaster, and the best part, it can be adjusted anywhere in the kitchen.
People love this vacuum sealer! Don’t wait any longer for a better product!
Pros
- You can seal vegetables, meat, cheese, herbs, almost everything quickly, and it’ll last you a long time.
- It’s light, portable, and you can fit it anywhere in your kitchen.
Cons
- You cannot use any bags you find in the market. It has to be barrier bags.
As classy as this vacuum sealer looks, the Nesco VS-12 Vacuum Sealer will have you amazed at how it works. This sealer makes sure no air bubble is trapped inside the bag! A vacuum might still leave some dust but not the Nesco VS-12 Vacuum sealer!
What we like
All-rounder: This vacuum sealer comes with not one, not two, but three button settings! One for dry food, the other for moist food, and the third for both. Now you don’t have to worry about packing three different textured foods!
Authentic: The Nesco VS-12 stays true to its promise. Unlike other ordinary vacuum sealers, it has a double heat seal that will seal in the food tight and secure. All the air bubbles will be sucked out, which will balance the moisture of the food and atmosphere.
Pros
- One great thing about this sealer is that you get two bag rolls! How great of a deal is that!
Cons
- You can seal all except for liquid food.
Are you ready for such a nifty product! The FM2100-000 Vacuum Sealer is the perfect food sealer for your kitchen needs. You can vacuum seal food from this machine, store it for 2-3 years and still enjoy it as fresh as ever! Once you start using this product, there is no turning back.
What we like:
Standard: The FoodSaver Vacuum sealer lives up to its standard. Once you use this machine, you will experience its high-end quality features. The vacuum machine will last your food for years, and likewise, this machine will last you years. That’s how quality assured this product is.
Earth-friendly: This product is not just serious about its features but also about its impact on the earth. Guess what? You save a lot of bags with this sealer! Talk about a product that is both convenient and earth-friendly!
Pros
- It’s durable, portable, and the right way to store leftover food.
Cons
- Like any other quality vacuum sealer, the only drawback is that it cannot seal liquid foods.
Are you looking for a vacuum sealer that is easy to use, best in quality, and has excellent features? Then the NutriChef PKVS Vacuum Sealer is your best option, as it is compatible with almost every food. It comes with two sealing modes, and once sealed, be assured that your food is safe and fresh to eat even after 3 years!
What we like:
Suction power: Its suction power is no joke. It comes with two sealing modes, and once sealed, be assured that your food is safe and fresh to eat even after 3 years! It is also effortless to use. You don’t need to scratch your head.
Extra-benefiting: Now, most vacuum sealers don’t come with free bags. But the NutriChef vacuum sealer comes with 5 vacuum bags (medium), an extra-long vacuum bag, and a wine cork.
Wow. With the many cool features this product has to offer along with these products, who can even say no to such a product!
Pros
- It’s non-bulky, elegant looking, and fulfills all the promises of a good vacuum sealer.
Cons
- It is a bit pricier than zip-lock bags.
Verdict
Vacuum sealer machines have greatly improved storage. As a result, people would waste leftover food because vacuum sealers store food and keep it fresh for a long time. It would eventually go wrong even if they tried to store it in containers.
The products mentioned above are some of the best in the market. All you need to do is get one of those and wallah! Your kitchen will no longer be a mess, and there will be no wastage of food!