various vacuum sealer contenders lined up on the counter, but no Food Saver

There is no shortage of vacuum sealers on the market today, but how do we know which is the right one for us? We're taking the guesswork out of it by running several different models through a series of tests.

Here at The Barbecue Lab, we help you grow more confident in your backyard barbecue, and the vacuum sealer plays an important role in what we do.

I'm pretty sure that like us, you cook briskets and pork butts to feed a crowd, and the vacuum sealer is like magic for leftovers and freezing grilled and smoked meats. We just pull a bag of frozen sealed barbecue out of the freezer and pop it in the sous vide for dinner, and it's as good as fresh off the smoker.

They come with a price tag as low as $50 and can range well into thousands of dollars, so we're doing the testing for you, so you can decide which unit is right for your budget.

vacuum sealer bags protecting food from freezer burn waiting to reheat in the sous vide

Why Trust Our Review?

You can trust all of our reviews because we have actually used these products. Our reviews feature our own photos and video that we've captured ourselves and not stock photography from the manufacturers. That means we've actually experienced the pros and cons that we mention in this review. 

I'm sure you'll notice there are no Food Saver vacuum sealers in this article. We've owned several over the years but they never lasted and the models we had always struggled with sealing anything with moisture.

vacuum sealer testing set up in the Barbecue Lab dining room

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Two types of vacuum sealers

It's important to note that there are two categories of vacuum sealers, the external kind like the Food Saver sealers you see in most big box stores across the US, and chamber vacs.

The external vacuum sealers clamp around a bag and suck the air out. Chamber vacuum sealers have a cavity where you place the bag inside, and it pulls the air out of the entire chamber.

There are benefits to each, and we'll cover those along with things like:

  • how loud they are when they're in operation
  • how much air stays in the bag when sealing
  • size measurements
  • convenience features
  • and so much more

1. External Vacuum Sealers

external vacuum sealers create a tight seal to eliminate food waste

Nesco VS 12 Deluxe

Nesco VS 12 vacuum sealer
Nesco VS 12 Deluxe vacuum sealer

Nesco VS 12 Deluxe Specifications


Measurement

17 x 15 x 9 inches

Weight

10 lb

Built in bag cutter

yes

Bag storage

yes

Accessory port

yes

Warranty

1 year

What we like:

  • We love that this vacuum sealer has 3 sealing modes including dry foods, moist foods, and double seal.
  • The Nesco VS 12 Deluxe offers internal storage for 1 bag roll as well as a bag cutter to give maximum customization when it comes to making your own vacuum-sealing bags.
  • We really like the locking mechanism on this vacuum sealer. It's very clear and obvious whether it's ready or not to create a vacuum.
  • While it's not the smallest vacuum sealer we tested, it is still a reasonable size and weight for storage in the kitchen.

What we don't like:

  • There is no removable drip tray so if liquid makes it past the seal bar you just have to get in there with a dishcloth and try to clean it out that way.
  • It is pretty loud when in operation.

The Nesco VS 12 Deluxe is our pick for the best external sealer overall because it gets most of the jobs done quite well at an affordable price. It's not going to be the tool you use to vacuum seal up bags of liquid, but that's not the intended use for external vacuum sealers in the first place. For most home-kitchen vacuum sealing jobs, the Nesco is both affordable and reliable. 

Check Price on Nesco VS 12 Deluxe

Geryon Vacuum Sealer

Geryon compact vacuum sealer
Geryon compact vacuum sealer machine

Geryon Specifications


Measurement

14.6 x 5.67 x 3.3 inches

Weight

3.44 lb

Built in bag cutter

yes

Bag storage

no

Accessory port

yes

Warranty

2 years

What we like:

  • This unit easily disassembles the top from the bottom for easy cleanup. Since there are no electronics in the bottom half, it can be run directly under water if there is a mess.
  • It's super lightweight and small so it's pretty easy to find a corner of the kitchen cupboard or pantry in which to store it.
  • The price is right. At less than $40, this is a super affordable vacuum sealer.

What we don't like:

  • The Geryon vacuum sealer struggled some when sealing foods with a high moisture content. You have to watch it very closely and hit the seal button prematurely if it looks like the liquid level is going to reach the seal bar.
  • It's loud to operate.
  • There is no place to store a bag roll.

If you live in an apartment or are just working out of a tiny kitchen, the Geryon vacuum sealer is a great fit for you. It can perform most vacuum sealing jobs just fine with proper monitoring and it won't break the bank to get one.

Check Price on Geryon

Meat! 16" external

Meat! 16" vacuum sealer machine
Meat! 16" vacuum sealer

Meat! 16" Specifications


Measurement

19.49 x 11.85 x 6.38 inches

Weight

11.68 lb

Built in bag cutter

yes

Bag storage

yes

Accessory port

yes

Warranty

lifetime warranty

What we like:

  • The Meat! external vacuum sealer has a removable drip tray that is so helpful when it comes to cleanup.
  • With a 16" seal bar, even large pieces of meat like a full brisket can be vacuum sealed with ease.
  • There is built-in storage for an extra large roll of sealing bags that you can custom-cut to size with the attached bag cutter.
  • It comes with a lifetime warranty. I mean, when literally everything else on the market comes with only 1 year or 2 years at best, a lifetime warranty is significant.
  • We like the pulse button that allows you to be in control of how much is vacuumed before beginning the sealing process. This is especially helpful when vacuum-sealing foods with high moisture as well as soft or delicate foods.

What we don't like:

  • There's no locking mechanism so you have to manually press down on the handle as you start the process of vacuum sealing.
  • It's loud to operate. But pretty much all external vacuum sealers are.

I'm not a hunter or a fisherman and therefore don't process my own meat. But if I was, this vacuum sealer would be a total game changer. Preserving your protein with the Meat! vacuum sealer will virtually eliminate freezer burn ruining your hard-earned catch. And with the 16" seal bar and ability to custom cut bags to size, no cut of meat will be too big or awkward-shaped to vacuum seal with the Meat! external vacuum sealer.

Check Price on Meat! 16" external

2. Chamber Vacuum Sealers

JVR Vac100

JVR Vac100 chamber sealer
JVR Vac100 is our favorite of all the chamber vacuum sealers

JVR Vac100 Specifications


Measurement

16.2 in x 19.3 in x 8.3 in

Weight

52 lb

Accessory port

yes

Auto-lift lid

no

Warranty

1 year

What we like:

  • The Vac100 is a lot quieter than many other chamber vacuum sealers.
  • The tempered glass lid is easy to see through to monitor the vacuum process.
  • It has a self cleaning cycle that runs the vacuum pump for 300 seconds, heating up the oil to over 212° Fahrenheit and boiling off any of the water that has accumulated during regular operation.
  • Easily seals liquids.
  • It includes an accessory hose and wine stopper, with many accessories available like canisters and a 3 gallon chamber accessory that can seal Mason jars.
  • The extra wide 12.3″ seal bar includes 2 clips for sealing 2 (6") bags simultaneously.
  • The Vac100 is retort capable and can seal mylar bags with a simple change to the optional retort seal bar.
  • JVR offers fantastic U.S. based customer service.

What we don't like:

  • As with most chamber vacuum sealers on the market, it's heavy and needs its own dedicated space. That's why we picked up this stainless steel cart to give it a permanent home that we can easily wheel out whenever we need to use it.
  • It's not cheap, but you can save $100 by using the code BBQLAB100 at checkout.

Honestly, we can use any of the vacuum sealers in this article whenever we want. But this is the one we keep out and use regularly. We love the low profile, clear lid, accessory hose, ability to seal wide bags and quiet operation. And the customer service at JVR is second to none. Read our full review of the JVR Vac100 to hear why it's currently our favorite vacuum sealer.

Save $100 with code BBQLAB100

JVR Vac110

JVR Vac110 chamber vacuum
JVR Vac110 works great at sealing canning jars

JVR Vac100 Specifications


Measurement

14.7 in. x 19.8 in. x 16 in.

Weight

77 lb

Accessory port

no

Auto-lift lid

yes

Warranty

1 year

What we like:

  • The Vac110 has a domed lid that offers more height in the chamber.
  • Because of the added height, we can seal pint size Mason jars in this chamber sealer without using any accessories.
  • The Vac110 can seal bags up to 11″ x 16″ in size.
  • With an 8mm heat strip, these seals are definitely secure.
  • The JVR Vac110 is also retort capable and can seal mylar pouches with a simple swap of the seal bar.
  • The clamshell design makes routine maintenance a lot easier.
  • JVR Customer service is fantastic and operates right out of Lancaster, NY.

What we don't like:

  • Because of the curvature of the lid, it's more difficult to see through than the Vac100.
  • This chamber sealer is very, very heavy.

For a larger-sized chamber vacuum, the Vac110 offers a lot of versatility with its retort capability and ability to seal 16 ounce jars.

Check Price on JVR Vac110

Watch this video to see the Vac100 and the Vac110 in action and learn a little more about their similarities and differences.

Meat! Chamber Vac

Meat! chamber food vacuum sealer
Meat! chamber vacuum sealer machine

Meat! Chamber Specifications


Measurement

16.73 x 14.17 x 14 inches

Weight

65 lb

Accessory port

no

Auto-lift lid

yes

Warranty

Lifetime

What we like:

  • It comes with a lifetime warranty. This is a huge benefit over the competition.
  • We really appreciate the bag clip that holds things in place over the seal bar.
  • You can fully customize the vacuum time and the seal time depending on the type of food you are vacuum sealing.
  • It vacuum seals liquids with ease.
  • The lid auto-lifts when the sealing is complete.

What we don't like:

  • It beeps pretty loudly at the end of the cycle. It's the only one of the 8 units that we tested that beeps. That wasn't a function we really found to be necessary so we found it to be a little annoying but for some users, they may appreciate that!
  • It is very heavy. And big. Have a plan for a permanent resting place for this if you decide to purchase, because you don't want to be moving it around more than necessary.

With a lifetime warranty, the Meat chamber sealer is the last vacuum sealer you'll have to buy. Yes, it is expensive to purchase initially. But with a lifetime warranty, you'll literally never have to purchase another. And it does all the things you'd want it to do, and does them well.

Check Price on Meat! Chamber

Vevor DZ-260A

Vevor vacuum sealer
Vevor chamber vacuum sealer

Vevor DZ-260A Specifications


Measurement

16.1 x 12.6 x 11.8 in.

Weight

48.5 lb

Accessory port

no

Auto-lift lid

no

Warranty

1 years

What we like:

  • The Vevor chamber vac creates a nice thick seal on your bag so there's no question of liquid or air leaking through.
  • You can vacuum seal liquids with ease in this  vacuum sealer.
  • The price is amazing compared to other chamber vacs on the market.
  • We appreciate the swing away bar that helps hold the bag in place.

What we don't like:

  • It is large and very heavy so you really have to have a permanent space dedicated for it to stay.
  • This particular vacuum sealer still has a rather strong manufacturing smell to it even after a month of being unboxed and use.
  • There's no auto-lift lid once the process of vacuum sealing is complete.

If you're wanting to make the transition to chamber vacuum sealers but aren't thrilled with the price tag that usually comes with them, this Vevor is definitely one to consider. It performs very close to the level of the much-more-expensive chamber vacs at a fraction of the cost.

Check Price on Vevor DZ-260A