I’ve had my justifiable share of expertise with vacuum sealers. Possibly greater than my justifiable share, as these home equipment began turning into commonplace in restaurant kitchens a minimum of a decade earlier than they turned the go-to funding for intrepid dwelling cooks seeking to increase their culinary repertoire. At one level, it will have been unimaginable to suppose that the massive vacuum sealers I labored with in eating places would ever make it to the house market. Fortunately, time and know-how have made large waves on this sector, and vacuum sealers at the moment are a lot smaller and extra environment friendly than those I minimize my enamel on. 

Just lately tasked with testing dwelling vacuum sealers, I acquired a full overview of the unfold that’s obtainable at the moment. From ultra-compact handheld sealers to trimmed-down variations of the identical kind of chamber sealer I labored with at Eleven Madison Park, these home equipment have lots to supply the house chef. Helpful for each storage/preservation and cooking, an excellent vacuum sealer can prevent a whole lot of {dollars} a yr.

Of the 25 fashions we examined, the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional proved to be the very best general, with loads of helpful features and options in a slim profile. Extra compact than the Anova Chamber Sealer and extra highly effective than the model’s base mannequin, the Professional has modes for moist and dry components, a handbook pulse choice for final management, and a port for utilizing the hose accent. This accent will be paired with issues like Mason jars and inflexible plastic meals storage containers for eradicating extra air and prolonging shelf life. General, it’s the right alternative for those who’re contemplating including a vacuum sealer to your kitchen.

Why It is Nice

The Anova Professional’s Locking Handles Save Area

Many vacuum sealers have some sort of deal with that lifts the highest of the machine as a way to place the bag’s edge in earlier than sealing. The Anova Professional has a swivel deal with that lifts throughout use, then folds down and locks throughout storage. Not like different vacuum sealers we examined, the deal with doesn’t stick out awkwardly, so your entire unit can pack flat.

Double Seals Received’t Budge

Anova makes use of double-sealing know-how on all its sealers. Which means two metallic bars warmth as much as soften the plastic bag shut once you set the machine to seal. Double seals imply double the energy. Once we examined the Anova Professional, the seal by no means budged or failed regardless of excessive water temperatures and lengthy stints within the water tub. Whereas we’d anticipate that from any sealer, a shocking quantity of different manufacturers did fail below sure circumstances. That’s the very last thing you need to occur after you’ve shelled out for a pair of primo duck breasts to sous vide for a special day.

The Anova Precision Professional vs. the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer

Anova does make a base mannequin that did nicely in our testing, however general I favor the Professional. The Professional is barely dearer, however that value improve comes with a number of bang for the buck. First, it’s a bit bigger, which permits it to have room to retailer a roll of baggage and a cutter. I don’t learn about you, however I hate to need to dig round for equipment after I go to begin a kitchen undertaking and I can actually admire an equipment that homes all the pieces I want in a single unit.

The second large distinction is that the Professional mannequin has a number of further options, particularly a port for a hose attachment and two particular buttons: moist and dry. The moist and dry buttons include built-in good know-how that enables the sealer to resolve how a lot suction to use based mostly on the contents of the bag. This takes a number of stress off the consumer and permits for a extra hands-free expertise. The hose attachment is supposed to pair with sure sorts of jars and inflexible meals storage containers—a pleasant further.

The final distinction that I take into account to be essentially the most essential is that the Professional has a locking lid. The swivel deal with lifts to open the highest then closes and clamps down tight after you add a bag. Finally, this led to a safer sealing course of and nearly eradicated any points with the bag turning into crooked or misaligned throughout sealing.

The Verdict

It was laborious for me to seek out many faults with the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional, which I take into account to be certainly one of greatest vacuum sealers obtainable in the marketplace at the moment. It’s the right alternative for each the occasional and frequent consumer, with all the mandatory options to seal all the pieces from bony cuts of meat to delicate crackers. Every thing comes housed in a easy, compact physique that even consists of storage and a cutter for plastic baggage.

The Professionals

The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional is smooth and streamlined, with intuitive, easy controls. It’s one of many solely fashions in the marketplace that explicitly enables you to seal liquids within the bag (whats up, marinade). Surprisingly, the highly effective double-sealing heating strip that seals the bag isn’t bested by just a little water on the plastic, like different sealers have been. Additionally not like different vacuum sealers, the Professional would not want a refractory interval in between sealings and might seal bag after bag with no challenge. Anova claims the machine can deal with as much as 100 steady sealings if the scenario ought to ever come up.

The minimalist design isn’t only for appears—it additionally has fewer cracks and crevices for meals and liquids to get trapped. It’s light-weight and compact sufficient to retailer in a drawer, with no cumbersome handles or components that jut out. Constructed inside the inside is a helpful compartment designed to retailer a roll of plastic baggage. There’s an connected cutter as a way to feed the bag instantly from the storage space to the sealing space in a single fluid movement.

The Cons

The Anova Professional is pricier than fashions with comparable efficiency when not on sale. Aside from that, the handbook may very well be a bit extra instructive, like together with textual content to accompany the diagrams that designate how one can use the sealer.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 kilos
• Variety of settings: 3
• Dimensions: 14.75 x 7 x 4 inches
• Included equipment: 1 18.9-inch hose attachment, 1 roll of baggage
• Constructed-in storage and bag cutter?: Sure
• Steady seals: 100
• Time-out interval between sealings: None
• Pulse setting: Sure
• Guarantee: 2 years

FAQs

Is the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional higher than different Anova vacuum sealers?

Whereas we do admire the points of Anova’s different sealers, together with the base mannequin and the chamber mannequin, if we needed to decide only one to purchase it will be the Professional. It strikes simply the precise candy spot by way of measurement, energy, and value.

Does the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional solely work with the Anova sous vide machine?

If you wish to begin utilizing sous vide cooking methods, it’s true that you simply’ll want a vacuum sealer and a sous vide machine. That being mentioned, there’s no cause that it’s a must to use the identical model for each merchandise. Whereas we love the Anova vacuum sealer, you might use any vacuum sealer to organize meals for a visit within the sous vide tub. Likewise, if in case you have an Anova vacuum sealer, you aren’t restricted to utilizing the model’s immersion circulator. We additionally just like the Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide, which is compact however highly effective.

How do you utilize a vacuum sealer for sous vide?

The time period sous vide interprets to “below vacuum” and refers to an ingredient that’s sealed in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooked in a water tub. When you might get away with a satisfactory substitution by squeezing all of the air out of a sealable plastic bag, you’ll most probably face leakage which might damage your dish. One of the simplest ways to keep away from this pitfall is to spring for a vacuum sealer, which removes each final little bit of air and seals the bag securely for cooking in water. 

Are you able to freeze vacuum-sealed meals?

Sure, and it’s among the best causes to get a vacuum sealer. Not like different strategies of meals storage that are liable to letting in air and thus, freezer burn, vacuum-sealed meals is totally protected against the tough surroundings of the freezer. Even unappealing flavors and aromas from the freezer can’t penetrate the thick plastic baggage used for vacuum sealing.

Why We are the Specialists

• Taylor Murray has been working in meals and meals media for over 10 years, together with in award-winning eating places. 
• She has examined quite a few objects for Severe Eats, together with tagines and deep-dish pizza pans.
• Taylor helped take a look at 25 vacuum sealers, together with the Anova Professional. We used them to seal frozen floor beef, bone-in pork chops, oil-soaked sponges, ping pong balls, and delicate Chex cereal. We additionally evaluated how simple they have been to deal with and use.