What are vacuum sealers and how to choose them?

A vacuum sealer is a device that helps to increase the shelf life of food products, while maintaining their vitamin and healthy composition. Vacuumizers are actively used both in everyday life and in the industrial sphere. The features, varieties and rules of use will be discussed in our article.

A vacuum sealer is an equipment that is used for domestic and industrial purposes to store food and increase its shelf life. In the process, the products cease to come into contact with oxygen, due to which the process of bacterial reproduction inside the container slows down. This leads to the fact that food retains its taste and useful composition for a long time. If the equipment is used correctly, the shelf life of food can be increased by 2–3 times.

Packaged products also retain their appearance, do not rot or tarnish. During storage, they do not dry out, retain their smell. Therefore, this option is great for meat products, sausages and cuts. Let's list the main features of a vacuum sealer.

• Protection against mixing odors. The equipment allows products to retain their natural odors, which is great for tea, coffee, all kinds of spices.
• High humidity protection... Vacuum packaging protects food from high humidity and active growth of harmful bacteria. Thus, food products retain their taste and useful qualities for a long time.
• Gentle freezing. The vacuum sealer allows you to gently freeze food (such as berries or fruits) without harming them. When defrosting, the food will not have a limp appearance and an unacceptable smell.
• Insect protection. Due to good sealing, the vacuum sealer allows you to preserve the integrity of cereals, seasonings, flour, dried fruits. During the entire storage process, foreign microorganisms will not get into them, therefore the shelf life of the products will be significantly increased.

Vacuum food storage is used in both domestic and industrial environments. Such equipment can be used in restaurants, supermarkets, food production.

Apparatus for packaging food at home are divided into two types: chamber and tubeless. In everyday life, the entire food bag is placed in the cell. In the case of tubeless equipment, only the part that is sealed using a special bag sealer is processed. These professional devices are used in both the household and industrial sectors. Packers can be either desktop or embedded. The latter fit perfectly into the interior of any kitchen.

There are also manual machines for storing liquid products, for meat, cereals, fruits and vegetables. These devices are more compact and have reduced power. They are unlikely to be suitable for the kitchen and full use. Most often they are used outside the home when you need to keep food products intact for several days (for example, on hikes or trips).

The main difference between a chamber packer and a tubeless packer is that it has a special reservoir where air is pumped out of the food bag. This device is capable of working in automatic mode, it is also equipped with a control panel, which is very convenient in everyday life. Chamber kitchen packers are more expensive, but the high cost is fully justified by the quality of the appliance. The device works primarily with large amounts of food. It makes it possible to:

• preserve the taste of the product;
• preserve the color and quality of food;
• prevent the formation of ice, rotting, mold.

Stationary chamber evacuators are used for liquid products, spices, seasonings, meat preparations, berries and fruits. They can also be equipped with a gassing mode, which allows a preservative gas to be introduced into the food bag.

A more budget-friendly food storage device. The principle of operation in this case is simpler. The device is not equipped with a camera where you need to put food; air is pumped out here using a special bag. Due to this, the device allows you to pack not only food, but also other items. Tubeless packers can be manual or semi-automatic. Both of these devices can be used for storing meat products, sausages, fruits and vegetables, as well as for any household items that require tightness.

Tubeless packers are a great option, but there are some drawbacks here as well. One of them is low power percentage. Because of this, the device cannot provide the necessary conditions for storing food for a long time. Tubeless devices are used mainly for short-term storage of small amounts of food.

Below are the top 5 best home vacuum sealers.

• Vacuum sealer Gochu Vac-470. Korean household model, which makes it possible to keep food fresh for a long time. Thanks to the powerful pump, the air in the container is evacuated in just 10 seconds.The device is quite fast and has good performance. It can pump up to 18 liters of air per minute. In this case, pumping out occurs in automatic mode. The device is designed for a minimum volume of 1000 soldering cycles. The main features of the packer are compact dimensions, attractive appearance. The device will harmoniously fit into any kitchen. He is ready to cope with tasks of different difficulty levels.

• BESSERVACUUM Diva. Stylish and multifunctional vacuum sealer with good ergonomics and high productivity. The device is equipped with a powerful pump that evacuates air and seals the package in a few seconds. Pumping can be carried out in automatic mode. Thermal packs can be used as consumables, which may be needed in the molecular kitchen. The vacuum unit is of medium size, it will fit well in both small and large kitchens.

• Oberhof Leere T-15. Convenient vacuum sealer, which makes it possible to evacuate air not only from bags, but also from containers. This is a German model with good ergonomics, high performance and sufficient power. The device comes with several hoses that fit a variety of valves. There is also a cork. When using it, you can store wines. In this case, their aroma and taste will persist for a long time. The machine can work in two modes: wet and dry. Thus, users can store liquid food. For example, fish delicacies with pickles. Users can also choose the pressure setting that suits them best when packing products. There is a gentle mode here, which allows you to evacuate the most fragile products.

• Lava V100 Premium. Powerful household vacuum tubeless tubeless type, which makes it possible to pack not only food, but also any other household trifles. The device has a decent performance level for its price category - 2,100 sealed bags per hour. The vacuum unit works in automatic mode. It has a fairly compact size, so you can keep it on your kitchen table. The device does not take up much space on it.

• DZ 260-D. A powerful device that is used in both industrial and domestic use. This is a packaging machine that instantly evacuates air from food bags. It is equipped with a powerful high-performance pump, due to which it can be used not only in everyday life, but also in small-scale production. Up to 3 bags of medium volume can be sealed per minute. The device has a steel case, which is characterized by a high level of wear resistance. It should be borne in mind that the vacuum apparatus has rather large dimensions, so it is better not to install it in small kitchens.

The rating presents vacuumizers of the middle price category.

Used as consumables for vacuum sealers standard bags or film. Packages are considered to be more economical. They are not always completely consumed, while they often leave free space. The good thing about the film is that it can be canceled for the required volume of production. It is very economical in material terms. In this case, the film can easily turn into a regular bag. To do this, one of the free edges must be soldered.

Packages have different densities. All data is usually indicated on the package. It is important to take into account that different densities are needed to store different products.... For example, 60 microns will be optimal for chicken meat, 120 microns for more fatty meat. For aromatic and spiced food, as well as oil, liquid products - 150 microns.

The size of sleeves and bags is selected depending on how much food will be stored in them. From a practical point of view, it is better to focus on averages. However, in stock there should be a film of different parameters for all occasions. It should be borne in mind that the width of the storage container should not be greater than the length of the water-heating part of the sealer. If we are talking about a household packer, then the optimal width is 30 cm.

When choosing a vacuumator for a home, you need to understand the purpose of the purchase: is the device needed only for storing food or is it also required for packaging household appliances; what volumes of products will be packed and stored. If you need a powerful device for storing food in large quantities, then it is advisable to opt for a chamber vacuum sealer, which helps to extend the shelf life of food while maintaining its useful qualities. If you need a device of a more compact size, which can also be used for packing household items, then it is best to purchase a tubeless vacuum sealer. There are other indicators that you need to focus on when choosing a device.

• Power... Acceptable power indicators for long-term storage of food are 100-200 watts. For large volumes of food, it is best to opt for appliances with a power of more than 200 watts.
• Form Factor The overwhelming majority of devices are produced with a horizontal form factor. These packers take up more space in the kitchen. If the kitchen space is small, then it is better to opt for equipment with a vertical form factor.
• Modes of operation. Standard low-cost vacuum sealers only operate in 1 mode, which offers options such as bag evacuation and sealing. Such devices are suitable for storing food in small quantities. There are also more multifunctional models of packers that allow you to double-seal, evacuate air from bags in manual mode (a convenient function for liquid products). If one mode in everyday life is not enough, then it is worth making a choice in favor of more multifunctional vacuum sealers.
• Performance... The high performance of the device is important only in industries where impressive volumes of products are used. For domestic use, the average level will be sufficient. It should also be borne in mind that with high operating power, much more electricity is consumed. Therefore, in some cases, it is impractical to buy such devices.
• Vacuum level. This is an indicator that determines the pressure inside the film or bag. The lower it is, the less air is inside the container. This way you can keep the food in optimal condition for a long time. The standard pressure is 0.8 bar. They make it possible to store meat, sausages, fish for 1–12 days without using a refrigerator. If you keep the products in the freezer, then the shelf life can be increased up to 6 months.
• Width... The length of household vacuum packing machines usually varies within 30 cm. This means that the devices seal bags and film no more than 30 cm wide. For non-professional use this is quite enough.

It can be carried out using touch or membrane buttons. The former are more comfortable and protected from moisture. The membrane buttons are tighter, they are covered with a special dense shell and are also protected from moisture.

The operation algorithm of the evacuator is quite simple. To pack food, you must first put the right side of the packages, matched by volume, inside the chamber, close the lid of the device and fix it with latches.Next, the user should select the desired operation function and activate the start key. First of all, the pump of the device will start working, it will help to pump out excess air from the bag so that the products retain their qualities for a long period of storage. Then the sealer will start working. It allows the storage container to be sealed to prevent excess air from entering.

The sealer can be used separately, that is, without turning on the pump. This function can be useful if a person needs to make another seam on a film or bag. For greater performance, it is necessary to use corrugated bags that do not allow air molecules to pass through and do not interfere with the sealing process. Before using the device, do not forget to read the instructions.

According to user reviews Household vacuumizers are the necessary devices for storing various food products: fish, meat, sausages, vegetables, fruits, berries. Many owners of such devices note that they can double the shelf life of food without using a freezer. If you keep sealed containers in the refrigerator, then these indicators can be increased by 3-4 times. Of the main advantages of vacuumizers, users note ergonomics, reliability, the ability to preserve food without losing taste, color, and useful qualities.

Another clear advantage of these devices - small dimensions, simple control, which allows you to store them in the kitchen without losing free space. Of the shortcomings, users note the high cost of some multifunctional models of vacuum pumps. If a device operating in several modes is required for household use, then it can cost 2 times more than a conventional vacuum sealer. Another disadvantage is the need to select packages for storing food in terms of density and size. Their width should be within 30 cm. The density usually depends on the product to be packed. The most durable material is required for storing food with an abundance of spices, as well as oils, vegetables, berries.