I have been looking the same questions. I am now retired from the kitchen, but I still love to move the needle forward. I have the smaller Anova unit for personal use. I have a slightly larger Sansaire unit that will handle a larger volume of water. I have cooked flank steak for 25 in a campground after doing the initial batch cooking with the Sansaire. I reheated the batch in a camp cooler. It was great! I do a lot of things that would benefit from the chamber vacs ability to seal liquids. I have had a Food saver sealer for years. I actually wore one out in Alaska. They sent me a new one for $50. It retailed for $300. They make the money on the bags. I have thought the issue of what is more important. I am really leaning toward the vacum system. I think it is probably more of the crux of the sous vide processthan the circulator. I and my wife have the "scottish jean", that is probably the only reason I haven't taken the plunge. But I will!