The Best Vacuum Sealer for Food Storage

If you are looking to seal plastic or mylar bags and remove all of the air from them, a vacuum sealer can make it easy. Load the bag, position the bag in the sealer or inside the vacuum chamber, and then close it and let it get to work. Easy enough, but the best vacuum sealer will do it quickly, efficiently, and won’t break the bank.

There are several options to consider when it comes to a vacuum sealer: capacity, suction power, features, etc. This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best vacuum sealers, tested them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a budget option, and an upgrade option. If you need to seal some bags for food storage (or other projects), one of our recommendations will close the deal.

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Contents (Jump to a Section)

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Avid Armor has a reputation for top quality in both chamber and suction vacuum sealers. This entry-level (for them) suction model has excellent vacuum strength and is very versatile with the included vacuum hose. It has a high-power pump, which makes sealing quick and thorough. The stainless steel frame makes it substantial on your countertop and the clear-view lid makes it easy to line up your seals.

Here is how it measures up:

• 12″ seal bar
• Stainless steel
• 15″ W x 11″ D x 4″ H
• 27.5″ Hg vacuum pump
• Recommended 30s between seals
• 110V, 450W running
• 14 pounds
• Accessory vacuum hose included

With specs like these, it’s easy to see how the Food Saver Compact Vacuum Sealer is at the top.

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FoodSaver brings us a great budget everyday use vacuum sealer in a small size so you can stow it away when it’s not in use. It’s perfect when space is an issue, like apartments, condos, RVs, or campers. It has a moist and dry setting letting you pull air from a wide variety of foods. (Note: that is moist- not wet!) FoodSaver accessories and bags are easy to find and widely available, so you won’t have issues getting more bags and equipment down the road.

Here are the full specs:

• 11″ seal bar
• ABS plastic
• 16″ W x 6″ D x 3″ H
• 15″ Hg vacuum pump
• Recommended 20s between seals
• 110V, 150W running
• 5 pounds

If you’re on a budget, just starting out, or have limited space, you can’t go wrong with the FoodSaver Compact Vacuum Sealer.

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This commercial-grade vacuum sealer from Wevac makes it all a breeze. You can pick between SmartVac mode and timed mode, and it fits a wide range of vacuum sealer bags. 20 are included to get you started, plus it comes with the external vacuum hose. Maintenance is easy since it uses an oilless pump and the vacuum power is massive for this unit’s size.

Here are the details:

• 12″ seal bars (2x 2.5mm)
• Stainless steel w/ glass lid
• 15″ W x 18″ L x 10″ H
• 29.5″ Hg vacuum pump
• 110V, 380W running
• 36 pounds

If you are looking for the best of the best, pick up a Wevac CV12 Vacuum Sealer.

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Everything We Recommend

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The Vacuum Sealers We Compared

Our research narrowed the field down to the several vacuum sealers that we compared: FoodSaver, Avid Armor, Weston, Wevac, Galaxy, Anova, Nesco, Mueller, NutriChef, and more.

You can see our full list of review criteria below in the what to look for section, with an explanation for each.

We focused on sealers with an approximate capacity of 12 inches as a baseline to compare costs and features. We considered vacuum sealers with and without chamber pressure but did not consider hand-held sealers. You may be able to find a use for those but the vacuum pressure specs steered us away from those as viable longer-term storage tools.

We’re always looking for new and better equipment, so if you have a vacuum sealer that you swear by let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested equipment annually, so we can always get it in the next roundup round and see if it makes the cut and we can see if it will beat out our top picks.

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What to Look For

The best vacuum sealers have several important features to look for:

1. Value
2. Capacity
3. Suction Power
4. Features
5. Quality

When you get the right blend of these, you can find a sealer that will consistently seal bags and pull the most air out. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the vacuum sealers that truly set themselves apart.

Value: Cost vs. Benefit

The amount of money you spend on something like a vacuum sealer shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. They aren’t cheap for the most part, but do come in a variety of price points. Don’t go overspending or overdo it. Budget according to your risk and your needs rather than just spending lavishly.

On the flip side, you don’t want to go too cheap or just plain get the wrong thing. Handheld vacuum sealers have single-digit suction, which usually isn’t enough to pull all of the oxygen out of a bag. Getting something super cheap may cost you more than you think in food spoilage.

You never want to spend too much money on one resource, especially something like a small appliance with a niche use. It’s better to diversify your preparedness gear to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.

Capacity

For the purposes of comparison, we examined models with a 12″ seal bar for roughly the same capacity. But on the market, you will find a much larger range of sizes, not just in seal bars but in handheld, suction, and chamber models.

The type of food you plan on storing and how much you plan to process through a vacuum sealer will both indicate whether you should opt for a larger model with more capacity.

Suction Power

Suction or vacuum power can be measured in a few different ways. We decided to compare with inches of mercury, noted as ” Hg, and a common vacuum measurement. This is the difference between vacuum pressure and barometric pressure.

Higher measurements mean that it can pull air out more quickly and more thoroughly. If you want your vacuum bags to hug the contents tightly you need a high level of vacuum power.

Features

There are four main types of vacuum sealers:

• Handheld – Corded or cordless vacuum pumps with single-digit ” Hg used for quick temporary storage.
• Suction – Countertop vacuum pumps with integrated impulse sealers that use specialized vacuum bags to effectively seal for food storage.
• Chamber – Large in-place vacuum pump with an entire vacuum chamber that even more effectively seals
• Vacuum Hose – A stand-alone vacuum pump with a hose attachment for many external applications, this can also be found as a versatile accessory on suction and chamber models.

The different models span a wide range of price points and vacuum power but share many features. One feature that makes vacuum sealing easier is the ability to automatically vacuum and seal the bags. Another feature that can make multiple seals consistent is a timed mode.

Lastly, learning to use the vacuum hose attachment with the model you end up with can open up a lot of versatility. You can vacuum seal all sorts of external storage solutions, including mason jars.

Quality

When you make an investment in any appliance, quality is important. Especially if that appliance is a part of your food storage plans. Besides the manufacturing quality inherent in a vacuum sealer, the service quality is important too.

You’ll also need a reliable supplier for your sealer because you need to be able to get replacement parts and vacuum bags, as well as good service support. In our tests, our top pick (Avid Armor) had the most responsive service department.

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How to Use a Vacuum Sealer

Using a vacuum sealer may seem easy at first, but it can be a little finicky and require some planning.

QUICK NOTE: Manufacturers of suction-type vacuum sealers usually do not recommend using mylar bags. Instead, their specially designed vacuum sealer bags allow more air to be pulled out by not trapping air in prematurely.

If you are using liquids in a non-chamber vacuum sealer then it is usually best to freeze it before you vacuum seal.

Here is a solid comparison between our top pick and a cheaper model that also shows how easy it is to use:

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Who Needs a Vacuum Sealer?

Vacuum sealers are not a necessity, but they are very nice to have on hand if you plan on doing a lot of food storage. People investing in setting up a prepper pantry, for instance, really stand to benefit. For those that plan to store a large amount of food, it can pay off to make sure your seal is strong and vacuum-tight by using a proper tool.

We recommend considering a vacuum sealer for your:

There are other uses for vacuum sealers like sous vide cooking and they can be used for a wide range of storage purposes.

Sources and References

All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best vacuum sealer is useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical military and prepping experience:

Belo, J., et al. (2017). Redesigning the continuous vacuum sealer packaging machine to improve the processing speed. AIP Conference Proceedings. Volume 1788. Issue 1. (Source)

Ishola, T. (2022). Effects of Storage Period and Moisture Content on Vacuum-Sealed Cassava Mash. Nig. J. Pure & Appl. Sci. Volume 35. Issue 1. Pages 4198-4205. (Source)

McClymer, J. (2010). Using vacuum food sealers as a low‐cost vacuum pump. The Physics Teacher. Volume 48. Issue 3. Page 202. (Source)

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The Final Word

A vacuum sealer can put your food storage plan on the fast track, helping you seal and store non-perishables in your pantry. They are powerful small appliances that can make the food storage process easy and consistent, preventing any messes down the road.

Here are a few other reads our subscribers have also found helpful:

We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our research and testing found the Avid Armor A100 to be the best option given its value, capacity, suction power, functionality, and quality.

Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.

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