36 replies to this topic

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

I've decided to take the plunge and buy a chamber vacuum. After two Food Savers crapping out on me, I'm not interested in throwing good money after bad. That, and I'd like to do things like compressing fruits, braising, etc., so a chamber vacuum is a priority.

From what I can tell the VacMaster VP 210 and the VacMaster VP112 are the most value-priced options. (Although being value-priced doesn't necessarily make them the most cost-effective.) I've read snippets about both of these units on some old threads, but am hoping someone can tell me the practical difference between these two units beyond footprint, price and the width of the sealing bar? As well, do you feel they are well built?

I'm ready to pull the trigger, just don't want to make a mistake.

Tx

[JBailey]

A couple things you want to consider -

1) Is the size and especially the depth of the chamber adequate for the product and items you wish to sous vide?

2) You may want to research a vacuum machine that has an oil pump rather than a rotary pump for life and durability

3) Is the width of the seal bar equal to the size bags you intend to use?

4) Some people believe a digital read-out is preferable to an analog guage

Good luck in your decision!

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not that concerned about the chamber size, as I can always put product into several bags if required. A 10" vs. 12" seal gave me pause for thought, but ultimately, I'm not sure it would be a problem.

Dry piston vs. oil piston does give pause. Although, I'd only really care if it meant a dry piston may last five years, whereas an oil piston may last ten years. Like flat screen TVs and other "high tech" equipment, I suspect I'm playing "early adopter" here, so may be over-buying (paying) for something I'd like to ultimately replace in a few years anyway. Thoughts?

Edited by WhiteTruffleGirl, 16 January 2011 - 04:26 PM.

[sct4a]

I've had my VP210 for about a year now and its been fantastic. I've found it to be extremely well built and has stood up to pretty high use for a home kitchen. I had the same concerns over the dry piston but they were really quite unfounded after using this unit so much. I'd highly recommend it for home or small restaurant use.

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

Thanks sct4a. I'm curious...did you consider the VP112 at all? And, what made you choose the VP210?

[sct4a]

Nope didnt consider the VP112 at all really. I was interested in something that would be highly reliable and well-built that would be able to reach a high level of vacuum for compression. IIRC the VP210 can reach a higher level than the VP112 when I spoke with the ARY rep. The VP112 also didnt look as sturdy and well-built as the VP210. It sort of appeared to me as a cheap knockoff entry model for the home/sous vide market they just became aware existed. I then brought the specs for the VP210 into a restaurant that does alot of sous vide in NYC and had the chef take a look who was kind enough to give his opinion. He wasn't able to find much of any difference between the VP210 and the one they use other than the speed and qty of bags you could seal per hour. Since I wasn't planning on doing 75+ bags an hour the VP210 was perfect for me.

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

I had the same thought about the VP112. I think I'm going to go for the VP210. It's an investment, but worth it. Thanks for your input.

[flightcook]

Have you purchased the VP210 yet? The research I have done says the 112 and the 210 have exactly the same pump/motor and at over 50 pounds the 112 must have some substance to it (although it does make me wonder what the other 40 pounds of the 210 is made of).
Regardless of what the ARY rep told SCT4a, according to all literature, they reach the same vacuum and with the same pump and motor the longevity should be similar (if you look closely at pictures of each, the controls look very similar also).
I have ordered the VP112 from Quality Matters for 599.00, no tax and free shipping. I thought about the VP210 and was not concerned about the difference in price, more the weight of the unit and wondering what you are really getting for the price difference. If you are really concerned about higher quality than the VP112, I would not buy the VP210, but rather the VP215 with its more powerful oil pump. For less than 100.00 more than the VP215 you get more power and longevity than the 210. Quality Matters has this ready to ship for less than 1000.00 dollars.

[flightcook]

I guess I should say, no affiliation with Quality Matters, they just gave me a great price with very quick shipping and were there to answer my questions.

[abadoozy]

I thought about the VP210 and was not concerned about the difference in price, more the weight of the unit and wondering what you are really getting for the price difference. If you are really concerned about higher quality than the VP112, I would not buy the VP210, but rather the VP215 with its more powerful oil pump. For less than 100.00 more than the VP215 you get more power and longevity than the 210. Quality Matters has this ready to ship for less than 1000.00 dollars.

I have a VP112 for much the same reason as flightcook - if I could see a vast difference in performance or quality in the VP210, I would have bought it, but the size/weight difference between the two made the 112 much more attractive to me. I've had it almost a year now and absolutely no regrets.

[GlowingGhoul]

Between the VP210 and VP112, I'd choose the VP112, since performance and durability are going to be similar.

However, the oil pump based VP215 should last considerably longer than the dry rocker pump VP210 and VP112, and if you're interested in compression, the VP215 has a much higher maximum vacuum than the VP210. The difference between 94%(VP210) and 99%(VP215) for compression purposes is significant.

PS: Chamber vacuums in the home definately fall into the "early adopter" catagory, but these machines have been around for a long time and the technology involved is pretty basic, so no need to be concerned about "bugs" that might have to be worked out.

Edited by GlowingGhoul, 19 January 2012 - 03:34 PM.

[Todd in Chicago]

I've had my 112 for a while now and it's a quality machine. I also had to decide (could have bought either one), and what finally made it for me was the weight difference. I knew that mine would NOT be in my kitchen and would be stored somewhere else. The thought of trying to horse around with the 90 lb. 210 vs. the 50 lb. 112 was the difference for me.

I thought that the 210 had options for a double sealer bar and hte 112 has doesn't. In the end I'm very happy with the 112 and belive I made the right decision (for my needs). Good luck and have fun!

Todd in Chicago

EDIT: P.S. I got my VP112 from Conrad over at Homestead Harvest as was recommended by this forum. I also purchased 1000 of the medium sized bags and 1000 of the larger sized bags. I think when buying them in bulk like that, with shipping and tax I belive they came out to about 8 or 10 cents a bag.

Edited by Todd in Chicago, 19 January 2012 - 04:56 PM.

[threestars]

I have a VP112 for much the same reason as flightcook - if I could see a vast difference in performance or quality in the VP210, I would have bought it, but the size/weight difference between the two made the 112 much more attractive to me. I've had it almost a year now and absolutely no regrets.

I should agree on this one as well. I think it is one of the most popular model in the market today. Size/weight difference of the 112 is what makes this model stand out against the 210.

[cookman]

VP215 has a much higher maximum vacuum than the VP210. The difference between 94%(VP210) and 99%(VP215) for compression purposes is significant.

Does the difference in vacuum make a difference for sous viding? Is there a problem with bags floating more with the VP210 vs the VP215 because there is more air left in them?

[Paul Kierstead]

My VP210 will easily boil water at room temperatures or so, and typically with anything slightly wet, I have to monitor it to prevent boiling. I think the VP210 will pull more then adequate vacuum for the vast majority of cases, particularly if there is any vapour in the chamber which will limit the vacuum that can be generated in any case. Most food applications will have some vapour.

[Todd in Chicago]

Cookman...

I believe that the 210 and 215 are bigger brothers of the 112. I have the 112 and you can make the vacuum pretty much as tight as you want. The only time I've had problems with bags floating are with vegetables (doesn't matter what sealer you use, possible to run into gas release problems), and when purposefully do not pull a heavy vacuum, such as when not wanting to "crush" fish.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

[adefiore]

Todd,

Can you measure your 112 for me? I am interested in front to back numbers. I would like to place this machine in a drawer in my base cabinets and need to know if this will fit. I know they say 24" but I want to see some real world numbers.

Thanks

[Todd in Chicago]

Adefiore.....

Just measured....24 inches is an accurate measure, including the plastic piece that sticks out the back for the plug. I would say if you could spare a 1/2 inch or inch, the cord wouldn't be bent at a crazy 90 degree angle.

Love this machine....it's a perfect match for my SVS.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago

[adefiore]

Todd,

Thanks for the measurement. I was hoping you would tell me that the 24 was a little on the long side. I would need it to be 23 or 23 1/4 to fit. I guess I need to plan for this to just sit on the counter, don't tell my wife.

[Msk]

I have a VP112 and love it. I bought it for the form factor as moving aroung the other ones is basically impossible. No regrets here.

Mike

[adefiore]

do you guys leave them on the counter or have some place to put it in between uses?

[mharpo]

I also settled on the 112 because of convenience issues and it has worked great for my needs. I put mine on an old TV cart w/casters and roll it somewhere out of the way when not in use.

Attached Images

• 

Edited by mharpo, 15 February 2012 - 12:06 PM.

[Todd in Chicago]

LOL....

Mine is stored on top of my dryer in the laundry room! I cover it with a towel so no debris gets in when not in use. I LOVE this machine, but my better half would never have it on display...even if it is shiny....and beautiful...and perfect. LOL...

Todd in Chicago

[SkwrHdz]

Any suggestions of where to buy the VP112 and bags in Canada?

[threestars]

Any suggestions of where to buy the VP112 and bags in Canada?

I called QualityMatters.com to order my VP112 and they have a $15 off coupon code for Egullet members - It's EG-VP112. I don't know if they ship to Canada, though.

[MelissaH]

Those of you who have Vacmaster chamber sealers, especially those of you who have had them for a while, are you still happy with them? We've just about had it with our FoodSaver and its inability to seal liquids!

MelissaH

[Charcuterer]

Those of you who have Vacmaster chamber sealers, especially those of you who have had them for a while, are you still happy with them? We've just about had it with our FoodSaver and its inability to seal liquids!

MelissaH

Melissa, I have had my VP112 for 6 months or so and use it at least once a day for various uses. It is very solid and easy to use. I absolutely love it. If I had to do it over again I would make the same purchase. I really like how easy it is to adjust settings like seal time and vac time. Go for it!

[rob1234]

Any suggestions of where to buy the VP112 and bags in Canada?

I got mine at www.halfordsmailorder.com. It's also the cheapest place I could find to buy the vacmasters in Canada.

[Dexter]

I bought a 112 a while ago, and I've got to say, I'm not in love. I only get a good pack about 1 out of every 5 bags, even with the vacuum set to 50-60 seconds. While it allows me to use liquids, it's such a colossal pain in the rear to seal, rip open the bag, transfer to a new one, try again, (repeat entire process 3-4 more times), I barely use it.

I actually still use my foodsaver, and when I'm trying to add liquids to it, for the most part, I just freeze them into icecubes and drop them in the bag with whatever else I'm cooking with them. Not ideal, but it's a workaround.

Edited by Dexter, 17 April 2012 - 03:55 PM.

[rob1234]

I bought a 112 a while ago, and I've got to say, I'm not in love. I only get a good pack about 1 out of every 5 bags, even with the vacuum set to 50-60 seconds. While it allows me to use liquids, it's such a colossal pain in the rear to seal, rip open the bag, transfer to a new one, try again, (repeat entire process 3-4 more times), I barely use it.

I actually still use my foodsaver, and when I'm trying to add liquids to it, for the most part, I just freeze them into icecubes and drop them in the bag with whatever else I'm cooking with them. Not ideal, but it's a workaround.

Do you have the entire bag inside the chamber? I was also only getting a good pack in 1 out of 5 until I realized that the end of the bags were sticking outside the chamber (I bought oversized long bags). Once I made sure the entire bag was inside it worked 5 out of 5.

Edited by rob1234, 17 April 2012 - 05:59 PM.