Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro, Includes 1 Bag Roll, For Sous Vide and Food Storage, black, medium

Product Information

While the vacuum sealer takes up a good chunk of counter space, the actual chamber is relatively shallow. Credit: AnnMarie Mattila/Mashable POWER AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON: The all-new Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer accessory is the perfect companion to our best selling line of Anova Precision Cookers, or any other sous vide circulator, making it easy to achieve restaurant-quality cooking results at home with the push of a button. The Anova vacuum sealer is reliable, compact, and simple to use compared to most other vacuum sealers on the market. It also ships with 10 free Anova pre-cut vacuum sealer bags to get you started! Vacuum sealing fragile or oddly shaped foods can be significantly more difficult than sealing substantial or uniformly shaped foods. Sealers have the propensity to crush lightweight foods with suction power. The air bubbles often left behind need to be removed to keep the food in a truly airtight environment. Here’s where the Nutrichef PKVS Sealer comes in. Not only did it function well in our dry and moist tests, but the seal was so tight there was little to no oxidation on the avocado. French Fry Test: We sealed two cups of potatoes cut into french fries and froze them to see if ice crystals formed.

There's also an accessory port with a hose and adapter made for FoodSaver's many container options. You can get reusable zip-top bags, Tupperware-style storage boxes, sealers for canning jars, and even vacuum bottle stoppers. These are, of course, all sold separately, which adds to the FM2000's cost. To find the best vacuum sealer, we put a few leading models to the test by sealing some of the most delicate foods we could find to assess their ability to effectively preserve food without crushing it. Read on to find out which vacuum sealers made the cut. FoodSaver's V4840 is a machine for a serious food...saver. It offers basically all the bells and whistles one could want in a vacuum sealer, including onboard bag storage, a removable and dishwasher-safe drip tray, a built-in handheld sealer, dry and moist modes, and automatic detection that senses when the bag is in the right position and starts the process all by itself. The best thing you can do to prolong the life of any sealer is to keep it clean," Miller says. You'll especially want to clean the heat strip that seals that bag, as buildup could lead to a weaker seal that may give out during the freezing and thawing process. Some models offer removable drip trays (and some are dishwasher-safe), which makes cleaning even easier. The machines don't last forever, though: If you notice ice crystals forming on your vacuum-sealed frozen foods "like a gentle winter frost," Miller says, "it might be time to look for a new one." Similarly, if the vacuum isn't pulling all of the air out of the bag during the sealing process, it may need to be serviced or replaced. This is a good beginner model and a solid choice for any kitchen where storage space is at a premium.We also recently evaluated a new handheld model ( from Anova) and found it worked well enough to be added as a winner. Delicate Food Test: To see how each vacuum sealer does with delicate foods, we placed 1/2 cup of Chex cereal in a bag and sealed the cereal on all available settings (automatic, manual, pulse, delicate, etc). We assessed how much of the cereal was crushed during each sealing. Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro: This machine performed similarly well to the standard Anova Precision above, but it adds wet and dry modes and an accessory port. It also costs twice as much, and we just don't think the added functionality is worth it. Though bulkier and less attractive than other models, this machine is about as close to commercial-grade as you can get for sealing large quantities of meat. It's a real workhorse with a 680-watt, fan-cooled motor that prevents overheating even during heavy use. But thanks to an intuitive control panel with one-touch operation, it's simple enough for novices to use. Though we have not tested this model in the Lab, we like that it can even handle 11-inch-wide bags for large hunks of meat — ideal if you like to sous vide brisket or pork butt.

The Vacuum sealer comes with bags, and the quality of bags is way better than many other vacuum sealers available. Unfortunately, there is no storage chamber for plastic rolls in the machine itself. So if you are looking for something smart enough to safe space by storing it is not the one. Plus point you can cook efficiently with the help of a Vacuum Sealer. Unfortunately, the small size is not enough to save food in large portions. Features: When purchasing a vacuum sealer, assess the machine’s ability to seal food tightly without crushing delicate or irregularly shaped items. Ideally, a machine will offer its users a good amount of control over the power being used. You’ll want to look at each machine's control options to ensure it has a mode designed for more delicate foods. Most vacuum sealers will include at least a few bags to get you started, but that ranges from a handful that will last a week to multiple rolls that could be several months' worth. Additional bags aren't terribly expensive, but a generous supply in the box adds some value.

The touch controls and operation of this machine are quite simple, though it takes a bit of force to get the lid to close and seal. It's a minor quibble, but we did find the buttons to be very sensitive: We accidentally turned it on before we meant to a few times when loading up the bag and food. Anova Vacuum Sealer is easy to clean – it has a drip tray feature to clean it with convenience. How to Use: A soft and spongy loaf of fresh bread can go in a vacuum bag, but the sealing pressure is likely to smash it beyond recognition. Freezing is also the secret here: Put bread or other baked goods in the freezer for a few hours, then transfer to a vacuum bag for long-term sealing. Hot foods. If you try to vacuum-seal something that's much warmer than room temperature, it'll give off steam that can expand the bag and break the seal. Wait until cooked food has cooled completely before starting the process.

Greg Baker is a former chef and restauranteur with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. He tested the Anova handheld vacuum sealer for this review.Long Sous Vide/Seal Test: We sealed five bags (each filled with one new, dry kitchen sponge and 1/3 cup neutral oil) to see how each vacuum sealer did with wet ingredients subjected to a very high temperature for a prolonged period of time. We weighed the sealed bag before testing and then placed the bags in a water bath set to 197°F (using an immersion circulator) for 36 hours. We fully dried each bag, then weighed again to determine if any water entered the bag and visually evaluated the seal. No. It's perfectly safe to vacuum-seal raw meat. But fresh sausage, thin slices, and other delicate cuts are apt to be crushed during the vacuum process. Freezing for 20 to 30 minutes will help firm them up and avoid damage, says Robert Miller, Butcher and Owner of The Conscious Carnivore. (The same process works with soft produce and baked goods, too.)

One thing I do miss is the cutter on the old machine. With new machine, you have to cut bag with scissors and the cut has to be very straight or the bag will not evacuate. These handy tools remove air from the bags or containers that food is stored in, which prevents bacteria or mold from growing and protects food from freezer burn. Vacuum sealers are useful in various ways, but they're particularly helpful if you prefer buying products in bulk, meal prep, or trying to preserve food that you've grown or caught yourself. They’re also great for sous vide cooking.

One thing to note

Anova vacuum sealer has easy-to-use control features. There are three buttons on the control Panel; the first one is Vacuum and Seal, the Second is Seal, and the last one is the Pulse Vacuum. There are no other buttons like moist/dry options. It means it provides the same vacuum seal to all types of food. Seldom-used items made from gold, silver, cast iron, or other delicate metals are a good choice, too: Vacuum-sealing can keep jewelry, silverware, and similar heirlooms clean and free of tarnish and rust. Powerful vacuum strength: We tested models that have between 13 inHg and 25 inHg ( inches of mercury, a measure that indicates vacuum strength); anything within this range was sufficient for vacuum-sealing bags. FoodSaver is a brand focused exclusively on vacuum sealers, and it makes a lot of good ones. In fact, there are three different FoodSaver models on this list! The FM2000 is the brand's middle-of-the-road option, a unit with lots of power but a slim, lightweight design that can be stored vertically or horizontally. It carries a moderately high price tag, but it's exceptionally easy to use and has some convenient features. Plus points, the quality of Anova Vacuum sealer bags are way better than competitors. Minus point – it does not have any storage place for the cord. Performance