Best value chamber vacuum machine for restaurant under $1500?

[jessep727]

Just started at a new restaurant where sous vide cooking was not being used. Restaurant has a small Weston vacuum sealer but not a chamber machine. Last restaurant had a multivac which was great but can only find prices in the uk online. Restaurant owner wants to purchase a circulator and new machine but I need to find best value machine that will also last. Would love to just purchase a Koch but its not quite in the budget. Any thoughts?

[GlowingGhoul]

For a restaurant setting, I would imagine that durability is paramount. For a circulator, the Julabo Fusionchef Pearl would probably be your best bet. They just announced that they've cut their prices by 20% for 2012, which makes the Pearl only a bit more expensive than the Polyscience Sous Vide Pro. The Pearl is in a different league from the SVP in terms of construction. It's a rock solid industrial grade unit.

Henkelman makes excellent, though pricey, chamber machines. Their entry level line is the Jumbo series. Not many bells and whistles, but it offers excellent quality for a very attractive price. It's the lowest cost chamber machine with a Busch pump.

A number of distributers in the UK carry these units, but this site, www.vacuumchef.se , sells both, so you could probably negotiate a good package deal by simply asking. I assume there's no duty when buying from another EU country.

Good luck.

PS: I'm not sure if I interpreted your post correctly. If you aren't in the UK, then this US company, www.vacuum-packer.com , sells both Fusionchef and Henkelman. I got an excellent deal from Trey Rios and couldn't be happier.

Edited December 26, 2011 by GlowingGhoul (log)

[ScottyBoy]

How big of a restaurant are we talking about?

[jessep727]

I am in the us so prices only in the uk were the problem. I am quite familiar with the poly science circulators so was going to go in that direction as the Julabo was so much more money but if the prices are becoming comparable than I may shift gears. It's actually 2 restaurants and kitchens in one building. We will start with one circulator and add as necessary. One restaurant is about 90 seats (including a private dining room) doing about 60-70 covers on an off season off night and 150 plus on a good weekend night. The other is smaller 30- 60 covers a night. I just have only really used the multivach and Koch machines and I am going to be the one introducing this type of cooking both to ownership as well as my staff so the machine needs to be both user friendly as well as cost effective. Thanks guys!

[GlowingGhoul]

I am in the us so prices only in the uk were the problem. I am quite familiar with the poly science circulators so was going to go in that direction as the Julabo was so much more money but if the prices are becoming comparable than I may shift gears. It's actually 2 restaurants and kitchens in one building. We will start with one circulator and add as necessary. One restaurant is about 90 seats (including a private dining room) doing about 60-70 covers on an off season off night and 150 plus on a good weekend night. The other is smaller 30- 60 covers a night. I just have only really used the multivach and Koch machines and I am going to be the one introducing this type of cooking both to ownership as well as my staff so the machine needs to be both user friendly as well as cost effective. Thanks guys!

The site lists the Pearl at $1284, so if the 20% referred to on Fusionchef's site is accurate, you should be able to get it for $1027 vs $800 for the SVP. Well worth the price difference IMHO.

Edited December 26, 2011 by GlowingGhoul (log)