The freezer could be a lovely place crammed with half-eaten casseroles and final yr’s vacation fruit cake. Nonetheless, it will also be a headache, between the freezer-burned pancakes you swore you’d get to and the cracked meals storage containers that may’t stand up to freezing temperatures. Each chef we spoke to about freezing meals long-term emphasised that plastic wrap and storage containers can solely achieve this a lot whenever you wish to freeze your meals for prolonged durations. As a substitute, these strategies of storage could even be damaging to your meals.

Vacuum sealing is the one option to keep away from “altering the composition of the product itself” when storing meals within the freezer, says Matthias Merges, chef and proprietor of Mordecai in Chicago, Illinois. Merges, together with different professional cooks, swear by vacuum sealers of their kitchens. Listed below are a few of their go-to fashions and some of our favorites on sale, together with ones from Anova, Nesco, and extra.

Chef-Beneficial and Editor-Cherished Vacuum Sealers

• Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional, $95, initially $150
• Nesco Deluxe Meals VS-12 Vacuum Sealer, $118, initially $140
• Mueller Compact Vacuum Sealer, $30, initially $70
• FoodSaver PowerVac Compact Vacuum Sealing Machine, $70, initially $95
• Inkbird Vacuum Sealer Machine, $53, initially $59
• Geryon Meals Vacuum Sealer, $39, initially $46

Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional

David Rose, an govt chef with Omaha Steaks, recommends vacuum sealers for “guaranteeing freshness and high quality over time,” particularly for storing meat. The hermetic seal created by vacuum sealers protects the meat from freezer burn, which might “drastically have an effect on taste, texture and look.” The Anova is chef Rose’s go-to vacuum sealer and one in every of our examined favorites. It’s straightforward to seal otherwise sized meals, and chef Rose appreciates the moist operate, which can be utilized to seal high-moisture meals with marinades and sauces. It’s additionally 37% off.

Nesco Deluxe Meals VS-12 Vacuum Sealer

Once we examined vacuum sealers, the Nesco Deluxe was our prime choose. It excels at eradicating air and even has a double-seal operate to successfully lock in liquids in terms of moist meals. Its mild sealing choice was additionally delicate sufficient to seal Chex Combine with out important crushing. 

Mueller Compact Vacuum Sealer

A favourite vacuum sealer of Steven Chiapetti, govt chef at the Albert in Chicago, Illinois, the Mueller compact vacuum sealer is “straightforward to retailer, geared up to protect each moist and dry substances,” and has various tightness ranges which might be easy to regulate. “Air and water destroy most merchandise,” says chef Chiapetti, who shares that “the worst option to retailer your substances is by wrapping the objects in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.” Even plastic containers can “simply crack” and “take up loads of house” in your freezer. At solely $30, the Mueller may also help you “keep the integrity” and “lengthen the shelf life” of your meals.

FoodSaver PowerVac Compact Vacuum Sealing Machine

One other nice compact vacuum sealer, in line with our assessments, is the FoodSaver PowerVac that’s on sale for $70. We like that it’s straightforward to retailer vertically or horizontally, because of its streamlined design. Throughout testing, it left no air bubbles, and its seal stayed robust. Plus, with a refresh interval of solely 20 seconds, you don’t have to attend very lengthy between sealings.

Inkbird Vacuum Sealer Machine

In case your curiosity is piqued and also you’d like a beginner-friendly vacuum sealer, we suggest the Inkbird, which is highly effective but reasonably priced. It gave a good seal in every spherical of testing and confirmed minimal oxidation on a sealed avocado after 5 days of storage.

Geryon Meals Vacuum Sealer

In the event you don’t plan to prepare dinner sous vide and simply desire a vacuum sealer for meals storage functions, this meals vacuum sealer is our price range choose. It has moist and dry choices, mild mode, handbook seal, and an extra accent port. It’s a really reasonably priced mannequin that carried out nicely in all our assessments.