Chamber Vacuum Sealers, 2011–2014

[Anna N]

The SVS one sold out already. I just got an email from them to that effect.

yeah, me too and I was impressed until I asked myself what was their starting stock level -2 - 3 - 6? Hmmmmmmm

[roygon]

It looks like the VP112 is the exact same machine as the SVS one right?

So basically the decision is between that and the VP210.

The comment about 90% air kind of worries me. I have done sous vide with both the ziplock hand pump vacuums and one of the standard counter top ones. Both have the same problem when I do something at high temp (like confit at 176). After a while the air that is in the bag starts to puff up and the bag starts to float. With the ziplock system I can just pump that air back out and then things are fine, with the sealed vacuum bags I don't have that option and they just float and the meat doesn't get equal exposure to the water.

Can anyone with the VP112 or VP210 comment on this? Is the vacuum they create enough to avoid this problem and do all the fun things that (I assume) are in the Modernist Cuisine book (like the watermelon chips they featured on their blog)

VP210 seems really good. I easily compressed watermelon into dense cubes and packing meat with liquids for sous vide has been really easy - not sure about making watermelon chips but I'll try as soon as the books arrive or if someone gives me some instructions. I'm not sure of the vacuum % level but it must be close to 99% if you let it run for a minute. Everything I've tried has been packed very tightly.

rg

Edited March 3, 2011 by roygon (log)

[ChristieO]

The VP112 has been on sale at qualitymatters.com for a while (strange little website, but lot's of vacuum sealer stuff).

http://www.qualitymatters.com/VacMaster-Chamber-Vacuum-Sealer-VP112-by-ARY-p/qmar-vp112.htm

Only 650 there.

Too funny. I just bought my sealer from them. My old food saver was dying from all the meals I was cooking Sous Vide style.

I'm liking SV so much that I decided to buy a VP210 from the qualitymatters site to replace the broken FS. Plus my brother had some "secret" coupon code for the sealer. I don't know if it's still good, but it might be. The code I used was 50offvp210 and they had another coupon on the page that they show for the sealer that made it free shipping for the sealer and the cook-in bags - so I am happy. It's been working great and I don't have the funny lines in my food like I did with the FS bags..

Edited March 5, 2011 by ChristieO (log)

[coz]

I ordered a Henkelman Chamber sealer in January. It's due to arrive next week. I'll post some feedback on how it works. Boxer 35 model

[weinoo]

I have done sous vide with both the ziplock hand pump vacuums and one of the standard counter top ones. Both have the same problem when I do something at high temp (like confit at 176). After a while the air that is in the bag starts to puff up and the bag starts to float.

I haven't had this happen with confit and I've made it a number of times.

[Paul Bacino]

You can run your vp210 for a minute...I thought it would only do 45 secs ...can I over ride that setting?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[roygon]

You can run your vp210 for a minute...I thought it would only do 45 secs ...can I over ride that setting?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

You can set a bunch of settings and the initial vacuum time can be set up to 99 seconds although not sure if numbers above a certain point are ignored

rg

[mkayahara]

I have done sous vide with both the ziplock hand pump vacuums and one of the standard counter top ones. Both have the same problem when I do something at high temp (like confit at 176). After a while the air that is in the bag starts to puff up and the bag starts to float.

I haven't had this happen with confit and I've made it a number of times.

When I recently made sous vide duck confit for the first time, one out of the four bags did this, plus I've had it happen a couple of other times on other dishes. I suspect it may have something to do with how things are oriented in the bag, especially if they're not a regular shape, but that's a guess.

[rickangell]

I bought the vacuum packer in this photo a couple years ago. The unit appears to be currently called a DZ-260; in 2009 it was a JLW-260. The seller says the units are still available for $575 plus $281.78 for shipping = total $856. You can reach the seller at sales@jlwtools.com. They take payments via PayPal, directed to totalcontrol@jcheckout.com. Their website no longer appears to function past the top level page, hence the picture rather than a product description. They also sell an air flush version which, but for the ability to fill the bag with another gas after flushing, is identical. I'm not sure what that one costs. My unit has functioned flawlessly. I believe they also sell larger, commercial units, though this one would work in an average restaurant. I've pasted in the information re the air flush unit, for want of any on the simpler model.

This Air Flush Full Automatic Vacuum Packing Pack & Seal Machine, model 260-AF is same as our popular packing machine model but with addition Air Flush function. It allows external gas connect to the back host, and when the vacuum cycle complete, the nozzle will allow the external gas to fill in the target packing bags before seal.

BRAND NEW Vacuum packing allow the product extended the shelf life, against humility/corrosion, the package also give customer a better perceive value and professional packing..

It is great for:

food, meat, restaurant service, Skin care product, Electronics, metal/machine shop etc.

The FLAT Style Desktop Vacuum Pack and seal Machine

This commercial grade vacuum packing machine, construct with full stainless steel and high grade pump and component, design with the industrial environment. Can be use for continuous service, Stainless steel tank and chassis suitable for packing wide range of product as well as easy cleaning.

Features:

Long/wide tank design, application for food service such as sandwich, special shape product packing. ( e.g. bottle, meat, machine parts).

Miniaturize design, The right size and cost of what you need.

One had desktop operation.

Computer Adjustable vacuum timer and seal temperature control.

Wide (11" x 1/2" ) seal bar. Suitable for many type of bags.

Very fast operation. Typical seal cycle time is >15-30s.

Remark:

This is a complete system with build in pump.

Specification

Tank size: 15" x 11" x 3.5"

Sealing bar size: 10"

Required Exhaust pump volume 10 cube m/hr

Unit size; 500mm x 250mm x280mm (L x W x H)

Weight: 36 KG net, 45 kg Gross

Supply voltage 110V/220V please specify when check out.

Total power consumption: 170W (exclude pump)

Control:

computer control, Low/high seal bar temperature selection.

Vacuum time preset

Seal time preset

Power indication light

Emergency stop button

Power switch:

Operation:

1. place your product on the plastic bags

2. position the bad opening to the seal bar

3. close the cover, press it to activate.

4. This will enter the automatic process:

machine will automatically count down the vacuum time, then seal the bags(preset by the panel timer), finally will release the air and open the cover.

5. Remove your product and return to 1.

Accessory

1. Vacuum refill oil x 1 liter

2. filter x 1

3. seal bar replacement x 1

4. plastic seal x 1

[Paul Bacino]

You can run your vp210 for a minute...I thought it would only do 45 secs ...can I over ride that setting?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

You can set a bunch of settings and the initial vacuum time can be set up to 99 seconds although not sure if numbers above a certain point are ignored

rg

rg..

I pulled out the manual and it appears you can set the vacuum 25-60 secs. From the factory it is set at 35. I'm upping my everyday vacuuming to 45 sec's

[karlos]

$280 for shipping is a joke, right?

[roygon]

I ordered the VP210 through Amazon for about $900 and shipping was free for me.

rg

[Chris Amirault]

My FoodSaver just up and died this weekend. It's the second one to go belly-up in just a few years, and the more I read about other people's experiences with the FoodSaver line, the less enthusiastic I became. Then I started looking at other edge sealers like the VacMaster and Vacupak machines, all of which were getting me into the range of $250-300. Then...

Well, then I pulled the trigger on a VacMaster VP112 Chamber Sealer from Kodiak Health, $639 including free shipping. (Here's the user's manual linked above.) It's an early Father's Day/birthday gift -- seems reasonable since my Xmas gift, Modernist Cuisine, arrived two months after Xmas!

I thought I'd share some of the reasons I made this decision. First and foremost, it was at the tippity-top of my price range, placing the VP210 out of the park. The VP210 also would have been difficult to store, get out, and use given its weight.

The bag cost was a pretty compelling reason to move away from edge sealers. Try as I might -- and, admittedly, I didn't try that hard -- I couldn't find a reason not to spend what, effectively, was a few years of FoodSaver bags difference on a vastly superior product. And there's no question I'll get regular use out of it; I used that FoodSaver machine 2-3 times per week, usually with at least 3 or 4 bags each time, and my use is on the up-swing, to say the least. Say a $.20 savings per bag, 10 bags per week, 50 weeks per year: that's $100/year saved just on bags -- and from what I'm reading the savings should be more than $.20/bag.

Finally, of course, there's the added features and benefits of a chamber sealer. I'm eagerly looking forward to the increased control over time, vacuum, and sealing that the machine features. In addition, I make copious amounts of stock for the freezer, brine, pickle and cure in vacuum-sealed bags, and cook a lot of items SV that include moist or wet ingredients. Though I'm proud of my FoodSaver technique sealing bags full of chicken stock, it was always a kludgey pita, and the thought of a machine built to handle all these liquids makes me giddy.

I'll report back, in detail, of course.

[Chris Amirault]

While I'm at it: does anyone have reliable suppliers for chamber sealer bags?

[Kerry Beal]

While I'm at it: does anyone have reliable suppliers for chamber sealer bags?

Most restaurant supply stores will have them.

[RWells]

Chris I will be looking forward to your follow up posts. By the way what is your technique for stock filled bags with a Food Saver?

[Amida0616]

Chris please attempt some fruit compression and let us know how it goes.

[lstrelau]

Asked in another forum topic but since vacuum bags are mentioned here as well can you tell me if I need to use boilable bags for sous vide cooking or are regular vacuum bags food safe. Does it make a difference if a food item is cooked for a short time (i.e. hour +/-) versus proteins that need 12 or many more hours?

I purchased bags from http://www.homesteadharvest.com Also bought my Vacmaster VP112 for $675.00

[Chris Amirault]

Amida0616, I will report on a wide variety of techniques, foods, and more ,don't you worry!

Chris I will be looking forward to your follow up posts. By the way what is your technique for stock filled bags with a Food Saver?

You can see it here.

[jackal10]

Is a 240v UK version of the VP112 available?

[Paul Bacino]

I get my bags from ARY Incorporated.. it looks like.

Them make 3-4-5-7 Mil Barrier Pouches of various size they sell all in 500 and 1000

3 Mil Zipper Pouches

2.5 -3 - 4 Mil Cook in Pouches .. ( my standard ( home-use ) is 8 x 12 )

Cheers

[Chris Amirault]

Paul, which thicknesses do you typically use for which applications?

[coz]

I splurged in January and bought a Henkelman Boxer 35 chamber machine. It was built in Holland and took about two months to get delivered to me in the US. It really is fantastic. It has a large pump, 14" seal bar, double seal. I had them add the boiling point h2o sensor. I didn't think that I would use it but it works great. I put hot items in and the machine stops automatically when the boiling point is reached. The only downside to this machine is that it is pretty big and heavy 106 lbs!

[Paul Bacino]

Chris..

2.5mil is the standard!! I use cook bags for everything, the only thing you have to watch for in the 2.5 mil, is meat with sharp corners, ie bones

Otherwise it has been fine for me for what I use, I can seal them in 1.8 secs, this is just from memory.. I'm @ the office. I'm sure its correct thou.

Paul

[Chris Amirault]

Update on that VacMaster VP112 Chamber Sealer from Kodiak Health. Turns out they -- like everyone, it seems -- are out of stock, and they don't expect the factory to ship new units until mid-April.

Very nice customer service people, and this is obviously out of their hands. But... grrr.