Updated on Jun. 24, 2025
Whether you're a novice vacuum sealer or a seasoned meal prepper, our experts tested the best vacuum sealers to help you find the right model for your lifestyle.
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If you’re serious about keeping leftover food fresher, longer, investing in the best vacuum sealer is a smart move. These handy machines extend the shelf life of food, cut down on waste, declutter and organize your freezer and fridge, and make freezing food way more efficient.
“Typically, food that is vacuum-packed or sealed will last up to four to five times longer in the freezer over standard wrapping methods,” says Lynne Just, Consumer Test Kitchen Manager at Hamilton Beach Brands. “Vacuum packing can also extend the shelf life of foods in your refrigerator and pantry.”
By removing oxygen, vacuum sealing slows spoilage, prevents freezer burn and dehydration, and keeps food tasting its best. To help you find the right vacuum sealer for your needs, our culinary experts tested the top models. Here’s what they discovered.
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A vacuum sealer is like the crème de la crème of prep tools, and this Potane vacuum sealer tops them all. Powered by 120 watts, it uses 8 millimeters of sealing width, whereas many other styles use only 3 millimeters. It’s an overall stand-out for its smooth sealing method and robust, high-power motor.
Plus, it stores up to 20 feet of bag rolls and features a built-in cutter that minimizes labor. It comes with a five-year warranty so that it can last for the long haul. It has both an automatic and a manual mode—a simple design that doesn’t compromise the most important features. You’ll be packing freezer foods like a pro before you know it.
“I’m sold on the virtues of vacuum sealing, beyond sous vide cooking alone,” writes our executive culinary director, Sarah Farmer, in her Potane vacuum sealer review. “Prepping make-ahead meals for the freezer, preserving ingredients and extending the life of food and even protecting non-food items from the elements—the Potane did an all-around super job!”
Over the course of several weeks, Sarah tested out the Potane Precision by vacuum-sealing many foods for sous vide cooking and general sealing for storing and preserving. “I used both the ‘moist’ and ‘dry’ modes,” Sarah explains. “Proteins, with their high moisture content, were sealed on the ‘moist’ mode, while cheddar cheese, blanched broccoli florets and pre-frozen, portioned cookie dough balls were set to ‘dry.'”
In all her tests, the Potane Precision performed great. All the seals on the bags held firm, and there was no leaking. The only minor drawback Sarah found is the loud sound when the machine draws air out.
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You can preserve your harvest and your wallet with this Hamilton Beach vacuum sealer. This easy-to-use, budget-friendly vacuum sealer comes with a generous 11-inch-by-20-foot heat-seal roll that can be cut to any size you need—a “game changer,” according to our tester Sarah Tramonte, a former Taste of Home culinary producer with six years of experience as a food stylist and recipe developer.
The sealer has easy bag alignment and an extra-wide vacuum chamber, plus versatile controls for sealing wet, dry and delicate foods. It weighs just over 3 pounds and is about the size of a small printer, so it won’t take up too much counter space. It has a convenient built-in cord storage slot on the bottom and a lid that must be locked before use to ensure a proper seal. The instructions are clear and foolproof, making setup and operation easy even for beginners.
During testing, Sarah sealed a chicken breast in just 11 seconds, which kept fresh with minimal freezer burn and no halo effect. The Hamilton Beach vacuum sealer handled delicate saltines without damage and sealed around oddly shaped items like ginger with minimal air pockets. While it didn’t keep a halved avocado as green as some other models Sarah tested, it still preserved it better than leaving it unsealed.
Cleaning is straightforward, too. “Just let it cool, then wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel,” Sarah says. “One thing that might be worth noting: this one was the highest ranked in terms of noise, but it still isn’t much louder than a blender.”
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Though pricier than edge vacuum sealers, the Avid Armor chamber vacuum sealer delivers speed and versatility for sealing large food quantities. It features a stainless steel body, glass lid, and an 8-liter chamber (11.5 x 12 x 3.5 inches) ideal for big portions. Despite its 16 x 14 x 10-inch footprint, it’s compact for a chamber model and weighs less than 30 pounds.
Unlike edge or handheld models, chamber vacuum sealers remove air from both inside and outside the chamber for a cleaner, tighter seal. The Avid Armor is easy to use with one-touch controls, a pressure gauge, and a filler plate to speed up smaller jobs. It also features a pre-programmed marinate function that uses pressure to quickly infuse flavor into meats and seafood.
Sarah tested the Avid Armor in her kitchen and was impressed by its performance across various foods. It sealed chicken breasts with barbecue sauce in 31 seconds, showing only minimal freezer burn after two weeks. Thanks to the gentle pulse function, saltine crackers sealed in 15 seconds without breaking. The curved edges of fresh ginger were tightly sealed in 35 seconds with no visible air pockets.
The Avid Armor sealed avocado halves in 28 seconds and, after two days, delivered the best results of all the vacuum sealers Sarah tested. “While the avocado half was slightly pressed inward, it was the most fresh with the brightest green color at the end of the two-day test.” One hiccup: though the included bags worked well at keeping food fresh, Sarah noted they were hard to cut and resize.
Overall, the Avid Armor is a top-performing vacuum sealer when it comes to sealing large quantities of food and preserving freshness. “While it’s quite expensive and really big, it does get the job done—so if you have the space and the budget, go for it,” Sarah says.
When purchasing a vacuum sealer, here are a few things to keep in mind:
This applies exclusively to external vacuum/edge sealers and refers to the device’s width on the sealing side. It determines the maximum width of the sealer bags, as any bags wider than the seal bar won’t seal (since they’re longer than the sealer).
Operating a vacuum sealer involves more than a trip to the store and buying plastic bags. Sealers are designed to work only with specific bags, as outlined in the user manual (many sealers come with bags). Shop for sealer bags specifically compatible with your sealer model.
Edge sealers tend to be smaller and more portable than chamber sealers, but there is also a lot of variation in size, even within the categories themselves. Check capacities and capabilities by consulting with the manufacturers (many outline device sizes online). The greater the seal bar width, the larger the device is.
There are even handheld, cordless vacuum sealer options on the market. However, there’s a direct correlation between size and capabilities, where smaller devices are more portable and easy to store but require smaller vacuum seal bags.
Like most kitchen gadgets, vacuum sealers make noise, similar to an air compressor, but only while in operation. If your vacuum sealer becomes unusually loud, turn it off and seek professional maintenance.
For reference, tester Sarah Tramonte downloaded an app that measures noise level to record the noise level of each vacuum sealer she tested. The loudest sealer she tested measured in at about 88 dBA, which isn’t too much louder than a blender.
To find the best vacuum sealers, we first researched the market itself, getting a feel for the brands and products that were widely available. Then, we narrowed our search by selecting those trusted by consumers and industry experts. Next, we considered individual vacuum sealer model specifications, including motor power, size, sealing modes and other features. Once we picked a handful of top vacuum sealer models, we called in our experts to test the products.
Sarah Farmer and Sarah Tramonte tested all the vacuum sealers mentioned above. Farmer leads the Taste of Home culinary team, and Tramonte, a former culinary producer for Taste of Home, has experience as a food stylist and recipe developer. Together, they tested a series of vacuum sealers, evaluating performance, usability, noise level and overall seal quality.
Each of our product testers evaluated the vacuum sealers in real kitchen environments to see how well each one performed across a range of everyday tasks. They vacuum-seal a variety of foods, from delicate items like saltine crackers and irregularly shaped produce like ginger, to liquid items like marinated meats. They examined the quality and durability of the seals after storage to determine which vacuum sealers preserved food most effectively.
Vacuum sealing removes oxygen from bags or containers, creating an airtight seal that extends the life of food. You’ll want to begin by preparing your food and bag or container for sealing. Then you’ll fill the bag or container with the food you wish to preserve, and use the vacuum sealer to complete the process.
Yes, you can. Creating an airtight seal around bread can delay the growth of mold. However, vacuum sealing bread may also crush it and alter its shape.
Yes, you can vacuum seal lettuce and store it in the fridge or freezer. In the fridge, the shelf life will be extended by several days. In the freezer, vacuum-sealed lettuce can last months.
If kept in the refrigerator, vacuum-sealed food stays fresh for one to two weeks. In the freezer, it can last five to six months. Depending on your freezer’s capacity, vacuum-sealed food can sometimes last one to two years.
According to FoodSaver, vacuum-sealed beef and poultry can last two to three years, making vacuum sealing one of the best ways to preserve meat.
You shouldn’t vacuum seal soft cheeses, onions, garlic, raw veggies (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, cabbage, and radishes), raw mushrooms, raw bananas and whole apples.
Unplug the machine and wait for it to cool down before cleaning. Then, use a damp cloth to wipe and remove any loose crumbs, dirt or food residue.
Choosing a good vacuum sealer depends on your needs. A basic edge sealer should suffice if you only occasionally seal small items. An industrial-grade model might be more appropriate for sealing large quantities of food. Customer reviews and professional recommendations, like those in our guide, can help you make an informed decision.
Chamber vacuum sealers are more efficient and cleaner than edge sealers. They equalize the pressure inside and outside the bag during sealing, preventing the contents from shifting or leaking, a common issue with edge sealers.
This depends on your budget, space and numerous other factors, but you can’t go wrong with our overall pick, the Potane vacuum sealer.
A vacuum sealer typically lasts two to three years with regular use. However, with proper care and maintenance, it can last even longer.
Sarah Farmer brings 20 years of food publishing experience and leads the Taste of Home culinary team, specializing in recipe development, editing, testing and food styling. She appears in Taste of Home videos on YouTube and TV, sharing insights on recipes and kitchen gadgets, and speaks at culinary events nationwide. She has extensive experience in product reviews and kitchen appliances and is well-qualified to review vacuum sealers.
Sarah Tramonte, a former culinary producer for Taste of Home, has six years of professional experience as a food stylist and recipe developer. With deep knowledge of how to make food look great and taste even better, she brings technical expertise and an eye for detail to her product testing. She recently tested five different vacuum food sealers from popular brands. All vacuum sealer testing was conducted in her own kitchen, where she focused on performance, usability, and overall seal quality.
We also chatted with industry expert Lynne Just, Consumer Test Kitchen Manager at Hamilton Beach Brands, about the benefits of vacuum sealing food.
