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Every dedicated hunter and angler should own a quality vacuum sealer. These machines are one of the best ways to preserve your wild game harvests. In addition to protecting from freezer burn, they can also help marinate and season choice cuts for later meals. These devices can effectively extend the shelf life of harvested meat longer than it would last wrapped in standard butcher paper.
Since there are so many options available, we broke down our top picks into categories to make your life easier. However, it’s important to determine how much you’ll use your vacuum sealer and what you need it to do before making a purchase. This will help guide your decision to find the best model for you. To save you some time, we did our research and testing to highlight the models worth considering. Here are the best vacuum sealers being offered today.
Best Overall: FoodSaver V4400 2-in-1
Best for Beginners: Nesco VS-12 Deluxe
Best Chamber Sealer: MEAT! Chamber Vacuum Sealer
Best Commercial Grade: Cabela’s Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer
Best Cordless: FoodSaver V1100 Cordless
Best Value: Weston Wet & Dry
Best Overall: FoodSaver V4400 2-in-1
Specs
Dimensions: 11″ x 20″ x 12″
Type: Edge and handheld
Accessories: Jar sealer
Pros
Automatic bag detection
Easy to clean
Handheld sealer is a great bonus
Cons
Doesn’t work well with non-FoodSaver bags
The FoodSaver is one of the highest-rated options on the market because of its excellent versatility and build quality. An automatic sealer detection system lets you know when the bag has been properly inserted, which makes it a great choice for novices. It works equally well for both wet and dry foods and can utilize multiple bag sizes. FoodSaver sealers do have a reputation for not working well with bags outside their own brand, so make sure to buy their specific bags. This machine works great for sous vide cooking techniques, and I like the bonus handheld sealer and compatibility with FoodSaver’s jar sealer for long-term preserves.
Best for Beginners: Nesco VS-12 Deluxe
Specs
Dimensions: 15″ x 4.92″ x 7.68″
Type: Dry and moist edge
Accessories: Hose
Pros
Easy to use
Affordable
Versatile
Cons
Vague instructions
Extremely short cord
I’ve owned the VS-12 for over a year now, and this simple sealer serves my needs just fine. It features a dry and moist edge sealer that is perfect for smaller portions of meat. I frequently use it to seal my homemade jerky and snack sticks for later use. Just place the open edge of the bag in the end, clamp it down, and hit the seal button. Simple and effective. It also has a convenient built-in storage area for the bags. Just as importantly, it’s compact: I haven’t had any problems with this unit taking up too much storage space when not in use. Considering how easy it is to use, it’s a must for anyone new to vacuum sealers.
Best Chamber Sealer: MEAT! Chamber Vacuum Sealer
Specs
Dimensions: 16.73″ x 14.7″ x 14″
Type: Chamber sealer
Pros
Great for wet foods
Easy to clean
Great for sous vide
Cons
Heavy
Pricey
For messier sealing jobs involving a lot of moisture or liquids, MEAT!’s chamber vacuum sealer stands out from the crowd. Chamber sealers have a ton of power. They easily take all the air out of the the plastic packaging before sealing in all the moisture. That makes them especially effective for marinating foods, which is difficult to do with an edge sealer.
Best Commercial Grade: Cabela’s Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer
Specs
Dimensions: 15.75″ x 14.75″ x 5.44″
Type: Edge sealer
Accessories: Storage cover and 20-ft. bag roll
Pros
Made of durable, long-lasting stainless steel
Powerful and efficient
Automatically senses and adjusts heat level for precise sealing
Cons
Bulkier than others
For anyone who processes multiple deer or elk a year—or who just preserves a lot of food—a heavy-duty vacuum sealer is needed. The Cabela’s Commercial Grade model is just that. As soon as I unpacked it from the box, I could tell this thing was up for any task. It’s made of heavy-duty stainless steel that looks sleek sitting on a countertop, and it features a built-in bag cutter and storage. What I really liked during use was the LCD touchscreen that allows for easy control of the sealer and shows progress during sealing. It also has multiple sealing modes depending on the type of food you’re preserving. But perhaps the biggest highlight—and what impressed my husband the most—is the “Intelligent Sealing Bar.” Using smart technology, this dual heat-strip sealing bar automatically monitors the sealing process and senses when it needs to adjust the heat for a better seal.
Best Cordless: FoodSaver V1100 Cordless
Specs
Dimensions: 4.73″ x 2.24″ x 2.31″
Type: Handheld sealer
Accessories: None
Pros
Great for extending the shelf life of frequently-used food
Simple to use
Pays for itself quickly
Cons
Requires specialty bags
The only problem with vacuum sealing is that once you cut open the bag, the clock starts ticking on the shelf life of the food. The FoodSaver handheld solves that by utilizing resealable bags. The whole idea is that you can crack open a bag, take out what you need, and then re-vacuum seal it until next time. That means less pressure to finish off the whole bag all at once, and a lot less food waste in the long run. The only downside is you have to use specialized bags. But the benefit is that they can be cleaned and reused, plus they offer a more environmentally friendly option.
Best Value: Weston Wet & Dry
Specs
Dimensions: 6.3″ x 16.5″ x 8.3″
Type: Dry and moist edge
Accessories: Hose
Pros
Storage for multiple bags
Stamp dates on bags
Able to seal liquids
Cons
Poor instructions
This Weston sealer has a large capacity storage area that helps keep all the bags neatly organized and features a pulse system for the sealing of more delicate items. It also had an elevated seal bar which helps seal and freeze liquids like soup. And it features a heat stamp system that imprints the date on the bags. I recommend watching an instructional YouTube video about setup and use for this sealer. The included instructions are vague and unhelpful. But for $150, this unit offers great versatility in an affordable package.
How We Picked the Best Vacuum Sealers
We spent a fair amount of time comparing and testing the different vacuum sealers available today. We mostly looked for models that are designed with hunters in mind. This included looking at factors like power, capacity, and sealing options. Here is a further breakdown of our considerations:
Bag Size Capacity: Can the sealer accommodate a variety of sizes?
Sealing Options: Does the sealer have modes for wet and dry sealing? Is there an option for delicate food items?
Accessories: Is the sealer compatible with accessories such as jar sealer for preserving liquids?
Value: Does the price point match the quality of the sealer and the included features?
What To Consider When Choosing a Vacuum Sealer
It’s worth considering exactly how much you plan to use your vacuum sealer before you buy. For example, if you just plan to seal up some venison chops and steaks from one or two deer every year, you probably won’t need a professional-grade device. Other features like a bag storage area and built-in cutter make the entire process a little smoother.
Sealer Types
Edge sealers are the most common. These devices use bags that are open on one end, which is where the sealer sucks out all the air, then puts a seam on the other end, closing off the contents. The bags are often interchangeable between brands. They are also the most affordable, but aren’t great for sealing liquids such as soup.
Another style to consider is a chamber sealer. These sealers hold the bag and food in the interior of the device during the sealing process. This style excels for marinating and sealing liquids. Chamber sealers are usually much more effective in getting all the air out of the bag. However, the downside is that this style of chamber is much larger, heavier, and more expensive.
While slightly less common, smaller handheld sealers are another option. These are great for anyone on a budget, or those who don’t have a ton of storage space. The major downside is they often use proprietary bags with a specialized seal.
Accessories
The most common and useful accessory is an attachment that allows the vacuum sealing of mason jars and plastic containers. Fortunately, these accessories are extremely cheap. Just be sure the sealer you purchase is compatible with one before you buy.
FAQs
Q: Are vacuum food sealers worth it?
Food sealers are worth it for anyone who wants to preserve meat and other foods for longer periods without freezer burn. For hunters who do their own processing, it is the best way to prevent freezer burn and preserve the meat for an extended time.
Q: How long will vacuum-sealed food last?
It depends on the type of food and whether it is refrigerated or frozen. Food that’s stored in a fridge will usually last a week or two while sealed. However, when frozen, that shelf life can sometimes be extended to a year or two. But it depends on the meat type.
Q: What foods should not be vacuum sealed?
There are some food items that should not be vacuum sealed raw such as onions, garlic, mushrooms, bananas, apples, cabbages, broccoli, and radishes. Some of these items need to be pre-frozen, blanched, or cooked before they can safely be vacuum sealed.
Final Thoughts
Any of the vacuum sealers above will help preserve your wild harvest for long periods of time. Although the versatility and price point of the FoodSaver stand out among the rest, so does the overall quality of the build. For the regular hunter and angler, it’s hard to find a machine better suited to the job.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
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