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If you are looking for a way to start extending the life of your grocery shopping, save homegrown food, and preserve your food at home, a hand-held vacuum sealer may be a great investment in these times of economic uncertainty.
These small and compact machines can help you keep your food fresh and extend its shelf life. In this blog post, I will be discussing all you need to know about the benefits of using a hand-held vacuum sealer to preserve your food, as well as some tips on how to get the most out of this kitchen investment!
Why Use a Handheld Vacuum Sealer?
We all hate grabbing for that food in the fridge only to find it's gone off. Or worse spending time making or growing food only for it not to last long. I turned to vacuum sealing food primarily as a small investment of making food last longer and to ease my growing grocery bills thanks to inflation.
Using a handheld vacuum sealer to preserve food and make it last longer was also a way of following permaculture principles such as:
Catching and storing energy
Obtaining a second yield
Producing no waste (especially if you wash and re-use the vacuum sealer bags)
Using small and slow solutions
The sealer is also great for impacting the flavor to foods by sealing the food and the marinade together, allowing the marinade to penetrate deeply into your food.
A handheld vacuum sealer can be a good tool for utilizing storage space and organizing the fridge.
Handheld vacuum sealers are also great for portion control. If you tend to cook large batches of food at once, you can seal individual portions and then thaw them as needed. This can help you to save money and avoid wasting food.
Handheld vacuum sealers are compact and easy to store, making them ideal for small kitchens.
So if you're looking for a way to keep your food fresher for longer, a handheld vacuum sealer is definitely worth considering.
Benefits of Using a Handheld Vacuum Sealer vs Full Size Vacuum Sealer
For several reasons, a handheld vacuum sealer can be a great alternative to a full-size one.
First, handheld sealers are much more compact and can be easily stored when not in use.
Second, they are less expensive than full size sealers and require less power to operate.
Third, handheld sealers are ideal for sealing small items such as herbs, spices, and coffee beans, which can be difficult to seal with a full size sealer.
Finally, handheld sealers can be used to create vacuum-sealed bags of any size, which can be particularly handy when traveling.
Overall, a handheld vacuum sealer can be a convenient and cost-effective alternative to a full size vacuum sealer for anyone who frequently needs to seal food or other small items.
How to Use a Handheld Vacuum Sealer
To use a handheld vacuum sealer, simply place the bag or container on the sealing platform and close the lid. Then, insert the nozzle of the vacuum sealer into the opening and turn on the machine.
The vacuum sealer will automatically suck all of the air out of the bag or container, creating an airtight seal. You can then remove the bag or container and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips for Using a Handheld Vacuum Sealer
A handheld vacuum sealer can be a useful tool for anyone who wants to extend the shelf life of their food. Here are a few tips for using this type of sealer:
Start by ensuring that the area where you'll be using the sealer is clean and dry. Any moisture or debris on the sealing surface can cause problems.
Next, place your food item inside the bag or container that you'll be using. Make sure that there's enough room around the food so that the air can be completely removed.
Attach the sealing attachment to the vacuum sealer, then slowly run it over the top of the bag or container. Be careful not to move too quickly, or you may not get a good seal.
Once the SEAL indicator light comes on, remove the attachment and allow the food to cool for a few minutes before handling. This will help ensure that a tight seal is formed.
Top 5 vacuum sealers
1. FoodSaver Cordless Food Vacuum Sealer
Right now the FoodSaver Handheld Vacuum Sealer is easily the most popular on the market. It has a cleverly compact design with a lot of power. This reliable vacuum sealer will seal 60 quarter sized bags on a full charge. It takes 24 hours for a full charge.
You can be sure to get great customer service with this product as they are pretty much the name brand for vacuum sealers.
It has an amazing ability to vacuum seal not only bags but containers too.
The reviews support the durability and reliability of this product. Be sure to charge this product fully on the first use.
However, on the downside, this product is more pricey than the other options and it doesn't come with a full kit, but you do have the option to add the vacuum seal bags, containers or zipper bags at the checkout on Amazon
2. Sous Vide 42 PCS Electric Vacuum Sealer
This is the second-best handheld vacuum sealer on the market. It is the option I'd choose for the absolute beginner because it comes with everything you need to get started. This means enough sealable bags to last you as well as a place for labeling and accessories to last.
It is also a lot cheaper than Foodsaver. At the time of writing, this product is just $22.00, while the Foodsaver is $35.00.
The reviews are very positive most use it for fruits veg and to sous vide a steak. The cons are that it doesn't work well on liquids.
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3. ZWILLING Fresh & Save Vacuum Sealer Machine Starter Set, Glass 6-piece BPA Free
This makes the list because unlike the others this one is BPA free and one of the rare few vacuum sealers that are BPA free. Why is BPA free important? Well, that's a topic for another blog post, but ultimately the BPA in plastic has a hormonal altering effect on the human body, called estrogen. BPA, unfortunately, acts like estrogen in the body which is not healthy. Therefore, when buying plastics, it's important to look for BPA free.
The BPA free element is with the glass containers and the bags.
The cons are that the ziplock bags are not universal so you will need to buy their own brand bags again. However, you can always wash and re-use the bags after use.
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4. Mempedont 2PACK Mini Bag Sealer, Portable Food Sealer, Handheld Heat Vacuum Sealers
This item is considered a handheld vacuum sealer but it works slightly different than the other 3.
Instead of sucking all the air out of a bag it simply reseals an opened bag with heat. That seals the air inside the bag, making the produce last a lot longer. This item works well with chip bags, popcorn bags mostly all plastic packets, etc.
It will mean you no longer have the excuse of needing to finish the entire bag of chips as now you can reseal it and it will be as though it were never opened preventing the contents from going stale.
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Now that you know the best vacuum, sealers on the market I hope this helps you to preserve food, make the food fresh for longer and cook up some interesting meals with the marinading effect.
