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Best Food Sealers
Food sealers, particularly vacuum sealers, have been a lifesaver for bulk buyers, meal planners, sous vide enthusiasts, and those who want to extend the shelf life of their food.
There’s a lot to look out for when choosing a food vacuum sealer, from deciding which vacuum seal bags work for your food to deciding what features you need your sealer to have - learning to spot the differences between models can help you find one that’s right for you, your food, and your kitchen. Continue reading...
The Luvele Supreme Vacuum Sealer LSVS130G is a true all-rounder sealer - it's raked in plenty of praise for its ability to effectively package a huge variety of foods.
Price (RRP) $198.95
Easy to cut, vacuum, and seal bags
Effectively seals variety of foods
Sturdy machine and sealing bags
- Build Quality5.0 (1)
- Value for Money5.0 (1)
- Ease of Use5.0 (1)
- FeaturesRoll Storage
- Colour / FinishBlack
- Dimensions 90 x 400 x 190 mm
- Power130 W
Luvele has established itself as a leader in producing high quality food sealers, and the Deluxe Pro LDPVS140WAUS is no different: it's easy to use, can seal a variety of foods, and is a must-have for sous vide enthusiasts.
Price (RRP) $258.95
Simple to use
Can seal most food items
Great for sous vide cooking
- Build Quality5.0 (3)
- Value for Money4.7 (3)
- Ease of Use5.0 (3)
- FeaturesRoll Storage
- Colour / FinishBlack
- Dimensions 120 x 440 x 260 mm
- Power140 W
Ideal for sealing large amounts of food, the FoodSaver Controlled Seal VS7850 is a handy kitchen tool to keep your meals fresher for longer.
Price (RRP) $299.00
Powerful vacuum suction
Seals dry and moist foods
Straightforward to use
Slightly bulky
- Build Quality4.0 (1)
- Value for Money4.0 (1)
- Ease of Use4.0 (1)
- FeaturesRemovable Drip Tray and Roll Storage
- Colour / FinishBlack
- Construction MaterialStainless Steel
- Power125 W
- Cord Length1.7 m
Whether you're packing food for your baby, your child's lunchbox, or taking a shake to work with you, the Sinchies Reusable Food Pouches can help take the tedium out of meal prepping.
ALDI Vacuum Food Sealer
· includes 10 listingsLatest review: Waste of money. Seals fine but the vacuum part rarely works. Definitely won't purchase from this brand
Price (RRP) $39.99 to $99.00
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Latest review: The vacuum + seal function simply doesn’t work well. Can’t get a tight vacuum while selling happens. Left with a sealed bag containing air. Simply useless. Wouldn’t buy this model again
Price (RRP) $149.00
Price from $79.95 Kogan
Latest review: My bad, I should have read the reviews as I usually do. If I use the roll, it seals but does not vacuum. If I use the bags, it vacuums but does not seal. Do not buy, IT DOES NOT
Price (RRP) $139.00
Latest review: Really difficult to use on plastic bags and it just melts holes in the plastic. Easy on chip packets but again not airtight. Waste of money. Gotta stop watching
Price (RRP) $39.95
Latest review: Don’t! Don’t buy this product. I bought it because I love to eat nice food. I wanted to use it for sous-vide cooking. The first one I bought, I bought with a voucher I’d won in a lottery. I couldn’t g
Price (RRP) $199.00
Latest review: Love the GameSaver. We had one of the home use FoodSavers first and that was great but it did struggle a bit when we had a lot of meat to seal. The GameSaver has no issues with a big batch at all, is
Price (RRP) $349.00
Price (RRP) $1,499.00
Latest review: Our save sealer would not charge after 3 months and the company will not do anything. It can only be returned within 30 days in original box, they will not entertain replacing or fixing. DO NOT BUY
Price (RRP) $249.00
Price (RRP) $59.00
Price (RRP) $89.95
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Price (RRP) $299.00
What is a food sealer used for?
A food sealer (sometimes called a cryovac machine) removes the air around food in a bag and then uses a heating element to fuse together the sides of the bag, creating a vacuum that prevents air from entering the bag and spoiling your food over time.
Using a food sealer can:
- Preserve the quality of your food by preventing the growth of bacteria and protecting it from dehydration and freezer burn.
- Save you time and effort by cooking sous vide (cooking vacuum sealed foods in a hot bath) or packaging individual food servings to help with meal planning.
- Reduce food waste by increasing the shelf life of food.
- Save you money by letting you buy in bulk and seal foods for later use.
How long does vacuum sealed food last?
How long your vacuum sealed food lasts largely depends on what type of food it is and where you store it after sealing. We’ve compiled a short list of foods and how long they last when vacuum sealed below.
| Food | Storage location | Regular shelf life | Shelf life when vacuum sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, cakes | Freezer | 6-12 months | 1-3 years |
| Nuts | Pantry | 6-8 months | 2 years |
| Sauces, soups, stews | Freezer | 3-5 months | 1-2 years |
| Meat, fish | Freezer | 6 months | 2-3 years |
| Fruit | Freezer | 6-12 months | 2-3 years |
| Vegetables | Freezer | 8-10 months | 2-3 years |
What foods can be vacuum sealed?
Most foods can be vacuum sealed, however you should blanch the following items before you vacuum package them:
- Rocket, kale, and bok choy
- Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts
- Radishes and turnips
What shouldn't you vacuum seal?
These foods may contain anaerobic bacteria which can develop in an oxygen-free environment and therefore shouldn’t be vacuum sealed:
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Soft, unpasteurised cheeses, such as camembert and ricotta
Types of food sealers
External vacuum sealers
An external vacuum sealer seals the bag while it’s outside the unit - it has a rod that you place the edge you want sealed against. External sealers are the most common type of vacuum pack machine used for household purposes.
Pros
- They’re great for sealing small to medium sized food items or for occasional sealing.
- They usually give users more control over how much air they want to suck out of the bag.
- External sealers are generally simple to use.
- They cost less than chamber machines.
Cons
- Some external sealers are unsuitable for sealing liquids, making them less versatile than chamber sealers.
- Sealing larger batches of food takes longer with an external sealer than with a chamber sealer.
- Compatible vacuum sealer rolls are more expensive than those used for chamber machines.
Handheld vacuum sealers
A handheld vacuum sealer is an external vacuum sealer that attaches to the valve of compatible sealer bags and containers to remove air from them.
Some regular external vacuum sealers come with a handheld attachment, letting you reap the benefits of both types of sealers.
Pros
- Handheld sealers are great for prolonging the shelf life of everyday foods, such as smaller meat cuts, produce, and snacks.
- They let you control the amount of air you want to vacuum, making them great for packaging more delicate foods like biscuits that would be damaged if 100% of the air was sucked out of the bag they’re in.
- They’re usually compact, and thus easy to store.
- Most models are simple to use - you simply attach them to the valve of the sealer container and press a button to start vacuuming.
- Many models are cordless - so if it’s charged, you can seal your food anywhere.
Cons
- They require a special bag (usually from the same brand) with a valve that’s compatible with the sealer - these may be more difficult to find.
- They’re generally unsuitable for sealing large food items or for sealing large quantities of food.
Chamber vacuum sealers
A chamber vacuum sealer has an enclosure in which you put the entire bag (containing food) that you want to vacuum seal.
They tend to be more commercial grade, and although they’re generally more efficient, they might be unnecessary if you’re not sealing food on a large scale.
Pros
- They have a large chamber, making them great for heavy duty sealing and sealing large batches of food.
- They’re suitable for sealing liquids and liquid-rich foods such as stews and marinated meats.
- Its high performance makes it suitable as a commercial vacuum sealer.
- They often offer multiple and longer sealing bars so you can seal more food items quicker.
- Compatible vacuum bags are often cheaper than those compatible with external sealers.
Cons
- They’re more costly than an external sealer.
- Chamber sealers are usually quite large (some are the same size as a washing machine) and therefore may take up a lot of space in your home.
Other types of food sealers
While this article mostly focuses on vacuum food sealers, there are other types of food sealers, such as reusable food pouches, that are also effective at sealing food. Like vacuum sealers, they make it easy to store food, however they’re not necessarily designed to keep your food fresh for longer.
What to look for in a food vacuum sealer
Function
Before shopping around, ask yourself how much food you want to seal every day or week and what types of food you’ll be sealing.
Handheld devices are generally better suited for everyday kitchen items, leftovers, and snacks, and are a great option for those who aren’t serial vacuum packagers.
If you’re storing large amounts of food and large items, for example bulk bought foods (or even big fish you caught on your last fishing trip), then you going for an external vacuum sealer, or in some cases, a chamber vacuum sealer, may be your safest bet.
If you want to package soups, sauces and other moisture-rich items, ensure you get a sealer that you can vacuum seal wet foods with.
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Features
The features you should look out for in a sealer depend on what you intend to use your sealer for.
- Gas flush: A gas flush replaces the oxygen in the food vacuum sealer bag with a combination of gases, often carbon dioxide and nitrogen - this prolongs the shelf life of food, offers it extra protection, and prevents it from discolouring.
- Roll storage and bag cutter: An inbuilt roll storage component and bag cutter lets you cut off the length you need for a bag, letting you customise it depending on what you’re vacuum packaging.
- Pulse mode: Pulse mode lets you control the pressure used when sealing, which can help you safeguard more delicate foods, such as bread and lettuce.
- Dry/moist function: The option to switch between dry and moist mode lets you change the sealing to suit the type of food you’re packaging.
- Removable drip tray: A removable drip tray catches any spills from moisture-rich foods, helping keep your food sealer clean. These trays are usually dishwasher friendly.
- Marinade mode: A marinade mode lowers the pressure inside the bag, making your meats or other foods more porous so that they quickly soak up flavour.
Size
Consider the size of your kitchen and whether your food sealer machine will be kept on the benchtop or in a pantry when it’s not being used, and ensure you check your available space against the dimensions of the sealer you’re considering buying.
Handheld sealers are generally more compact and often fit inside kitchen drawers, while you may need to clear out some cupboard space to store your chamber or external vacuum.
If you’re planning on sealing large food items or large amounts of food in a single bag, then you’ll likely need a larger sealer that can take bigger bags - you probably won’t be able to package that chicken you roasted with a small unit.
Compatible containers
While most vacuum sealing is done with disposable bags, some sealers can be used with reusable vacuum seal bags or containers. These containers usually have a special valve that connects to a handheld sealer which sucks out the air.
Ensure you check the price of bags and bag sealer rolls and work out how much it will cost you per item you seal - you might find that the ongoing costs aren’t worth it or that you want to use a sealer that’s compatible with cheaper storage bags.
It’s also worth looking at the composition of the bags if that’s a concern for you - some sealer bags and containers are phthalate and BPA-free, giving you some peace of mind knowing that they don’t have common chemicals that can be harmful to human health.
Noise level
The noise level of food sealers vary, and some external sealers are only slightly quieter than a blender, which means you should consider the times at which you expect to be vacuum packaging.
No one wants to wake the kids during a late night sealing session, so if you think your sealing might distract others, see if the model you’re considering buying has in store or video demonstrations for you to judge whether it’s suitable for your living situation.
Price
Regular external vacuum sealers can cost anywhere between $59 and $2200, although most are in the $150 to $300 range and are perfectly suitable for household use.
Handheld sealers usually cost from $30 to $130, while chamber sealers can cost anywhere from $500 to $11000 and upwards - although many models in this price range are industrial vacuum sealers.
Generally speaking, the more features and attachments you want your sealer to have, the more you should expect to fork out. Food sealers are one of the easiest ways to keep your food fresh, and paying for a durable model that prevents your groceries from spoiling can wind up saving you more money in the long run.