What’s the Distinction Between Handheld and Countertop Vacuum Sealers?

The vacuum sealer is a slightly ingenious system that sucks the air out of a plastic bag earlier than sealing it shut, preserving meals and holding moisture out. Do you tire of compressing air out of zipper-lock baggage for sous vide? Do you discover that you just’re always throwing away freezer-burned meals and off snacks? A vacuum sealer could also be best for you!

The vacuum sealers in the marketplace at the moment usually fall into two classes: handheld and countertop (we’ll introduce a 3rd, rarer possibility shortly). The previous requires particular baggage with zip-top enclosures that work nicely for short-term storage, however might fail underneath sure situations (like months within the freezer or lengthy hours in a heat sous vide water tub). Countertop sealers are bigger and seal the bag shut by melting the 2 sides collectively, a characteristic that makes the seal last more. There’s additionally *technically* a 3rd model of vacuum sealer, the chamber sealer, that’s most frequently utilized in industrial purposes (although we did evaluation one marketed in the direction of residence cooks—the Anova Precision Chamber Vacuum Sealer—and appreciated it). However which sort of vacuum sealer is best for you? Right here, we targeted on countertop and handheld vacuum sealers, diving into their variations so you’ll be able to select which is finest in your wants.

Countertop Vacuum Sealers

Countertop vacuum sealers are typically known as channel sealers or edge sealers and have a bar that heats up and melts the 2 sides of the plastic bag shut after eradicating the air. One of these sealer can be utilized with pre-cut baggage or rolls that may be minimize and sealed to a customized measurement. It is nice for freezing, sous vide cooking, and even simply holding pantry objects more energizing for longer.

The Professionals

Countertop fashions help you set and overlook in the case of sealing. Many fashions have the know-how to detect exactly when the suction ought to finish with regard to the kind of meals, eliminating the guesswork. In our testing, our favorites had been moderately priced, had easy controls, and reliably produced sturdy seals that held as much as every kind of assessments. Some, just like the Nesco Deluxe Food VS-12 sealer, had been sturdy sufficient to take away all of the air from irregular meals like a bone-in pork chop with out breaking the plastic, but in addition delicate and “good” sufficient to not crush Chex cereal. Most of the higher fashions, just like the Anova Pro, include built-in storage for luggage and a useful cutter. This mannequin additionally helps you to seal moist objects, like rooster in a marinade, with out sucking liquid up by the seal throughout the vacuum course of.

The opposite good factor about many countertop sealers is that you just don’t want brand-specific baggage, which are sometimes dearer. As a substitute, you’ll be able to buy bags from third-party distributors for lower than $1 a foot.

The Cons

The largest cons with countertop vacuum sealers are that they’re massive and costly. In the event you solely vacuum seal sporadically, a giant sealer won’t be definitely worth the money and space for storing. Other than that, one minor quibble is that the baggage for countertop vacuum sealers aren’t actually meant to be reused, whereas the baggage that include handheld sealer are designed (in idea) for use repeatedly.

Handheld Vacuum Sealers

In contrast to their bulkier countertop cousins, handheld vacuum sealers are small, light-weight gadgets meant to slot in one hand. Some run on batteries (both disposable or rechargeable), and others make use of a guide pump to take away air. Each sorts use particular baggage fitted with a one-way valve that attaches to the sealer. The baggage are sealed with a zipper on the prime that permits for simple opening and shutting.

The Professionals

The baggage for a handheld vacuum sealer may be reused so long as the plastic isn’t punctured, and a few have attachments to suit onto meals storage containers and mason jars, which is one thing most countertop sealers can’t do. Handheld sealers additionally are usually a lot smaller, lighter, and cheaper. These attributes make such a sealer a sensible choice for these with much less space for storing or who may solely vacuum seal sporadically.

The Cons 

Handheld sealers require you to watch the suction course of, and you must resolve when to cease the system (in contrast to countertop sealers, which let you press a button and stroll away). They use disposable or rechargeable batteries, and a few may be operated manually (pump it!), however these are inclined to stink (sorry). In our take a look at of vacuum sealers, we evaluated 4 handheld choices, and two had been surprisingly okay: the FoodSaver Handheld Cordless Vacuum Sealer and the Anova Precision Port Handheld Vacuum Sealer. Each had been fairly simple to make use of, did a good job suctioning and sealing, and had been small and simple to stash away. The opposite two examined had some points, with seals that failed to remain tight throughout varied assessments (if you wish to seal something in a marinade with them, good luck!). Total, their energy and seal high quality simply weren’t pretty much as good as a countertop sealer. Additionally, handheld sealers require you to purchase the baggage from the producer, as solely these may have a valve appropriate with the sealer. Plus, countertop sealers typically have built-in bag slicing, which is a pleasant perk.

Handheld vs. Countertop Vacuum Sealers: Which Ought to I Purchase?

Each handheld and countertop vacuum sealers have the identical aim (vacuum suctioning and sealing), however selecting which is finest in your wants comes right down to how typically you plan to make use of it, amongst different issues. Let’s check out among the key variations: