Vac sealer question

[Remps17]

Couple questions.

I am I missing something with the chamber sealers compared to suction seal units other then chamber units can handle liquids, cost more and are heavier?

I don't know if I can swing a chamber unit currently and my food saver is about to get thrown through a window soon.

I was looking at the VacMaster Pro350 and Weston Pro 3000. Is one of these units better then the other and would you suggest something else around the above units price range?

Also is a vac bag a vac bag is a vac bag or should I be using a specific brand?

I do a deer and an elk a year with some fish thrown in there too.

Thanks for the help guys

Cheers

 

[muddydogs]

I just use a Food Saver brand sealer so I don't know about the other brands. As for vac bags I use bulk rolls off Amazon which are cheaper then most and they work just as well as other bags I have used, I have summer sausage thats 5 plus years old and just as good as the day it was sealed.

I would ask are you sealing all the meat from a deer and elk? If so why? Meat wrapped in plastic wrap and butcher paper easily lasts over a year and is way cheaper then vac bags so why not just wrap the meat you know you will eat within a year or so and save yourself a bunch of cash in vac bags. It's also a lot cheaper and easier to stuff ground meat in poly bags saving yourself some cash and vac sealer time suck. I only vac seal stuff that will hang around a while and stuff that might not freeze well like fish.

 

[Tod osier]

Couple questions.

I am I missing something with the chamber sealers compared to suction seal units other then chamber units can handle liquids, cost more and are heavier?

I don't know if I can swing a chamber unit currently and my food saver is about to get thrown through a window soon.

I was looking at the VacMaster Pro350 and Weston Pro 3000. Is one of these units better then the other and would you suggest something else around the above units price range?

Also is a vac bag a vac bag is a vac bag or should I be using a specific brand?

I do a deer and an elk a year with some fish thrown in there too.

Thanks for the help guys

Cheers

There isn’t even a comparison, the quality of the chamber vac product is superior. If you can swing it, go for it.

 

[Remps17]

There isn’t even a comparison, the quality of the chamber vac product is superior. If you can swing it, go for it.

Care to elaborate on why its superior? I cant swing it right now but curious on why other then the ability to do liquids

 

[MtnMuley]

Exactly what Tod said.

 

[Tod osier]

The quality if the product is vastly better, which is the whole point. With a chamber vac the meat or fish is so well sealed it is frozen to the bag that even if you have a puncture in the bag the bag usually does not come unsealed and the meat is still protected. In a suck vac bag it is not uncommon to have ice crystals from between the bag and the meat. It is night and day the quality of the seal. I seldom seal liquids, but seal wet food all the time like meat and fish and it does a better job and the quality lasts longer. People aren't dealing with the size and expense because it does just a little bit of a better job.

I'm a picky SOB and I thought I was good with a suck vac and was happy with the quality of the product. That is, until I saw the quality of the chamber vac job and a see how much better the seal is and how they hold up.

 

[Remps17]

The quality if the product is vastly better, which is the whole point. With a chamber vac the meat or fish is so well sealed it is frozen to the bag that even if you have a puncture in the bag the bag usually does not come unsealed and the meat is still protected. In a suck vac bag it is not uncommon to have ice crystals from between the bag and the meat. It is night and day the quality of the seal. I seldom seal liquids, but seal wet food all the time like meat and fish and it does a better job and the quality lasts longer. People aren't dealing with the size and expense because it does just a little bit of a better job.

I'm a picky SOB and I thought I was good with a suck vac and was happy with the quality of the product. That is, until I saw the quality of the chamber vac job and a see how much better the seal is and how they hold up.

Almost wish you didn't respond to my question. Now I got to save money for a chamber sealer. haha

Thanks for the input.

Suggestions on a chamber sealer?

 

[StopMakingSense]

I have a chamber vac, the VP215, I'll echo what everyone else has said...

My friend uses a vacuum sealer, albeit maybe it's in his prep but they always leak, the seals are never what I would call 100% and always have ice particles in them. I'm really anal about my food (coming from a background in cooking originally) and the seal inspires confidence your food will NOT go bad in any way when thrown in the freezer. I also use the 4mil bags and use them regularly for sous-vide straight from the freezer or when I need to defrost ground quick in some lukewarm water, never one leak.

The amount of time saved using a chamber vac as well is amazing, I can't keep up with it when filling bags with steaks, ground, and other cuts with bones as well.

Worth the investment, it'll work a lifetime and never let you down.

 

[Boarmaster]

I had a Cabelas which I think was a weston years ago. I ruined it in short order because I didn't understand you couldn't get liquid in it. I decided if I am going ruin one I might as well ruin a cheaper model So I bought a food saver. I been using it for about 3/4 years pretty extensively Both with game , fish and everyday uses like splitting up bulk products , sausage making and leftovers.
I didnt buy the cheapest model foodsaver and I am careful not to get liquid in it. I would love a chamber sealer but I cant at this time justify the cost for a quality one when everything seems to be going my way with the foodsaver. Those that have them seem to love them.
I have never had any issues with properly vac‘d items leaking or getting freezer burn. Not with the old weston or the foodsaver.

 

[Luckyrxc]

I use Foodsaver sealers from Costco, precisely because they do fail and Costco takes them back so I can get another.
My hunting partner has a chamber sealer. When we put them side by side on butchering day the chamber sealer has the edge, but not by a huge margin. But a year later my ground elk packages have crystals and that disappoints me.

 

[gunsmith89]

I have the vac master 350 and use very regularly. We seal hundreds of packages of game and fish each year and it does what I need it to do. Before I bought the vac master I was getting about 1-2 years out of each of the food savers that I had purchased.
In Alaska my uncle uses the chamber I believe vp215 and it is far better then what I have. I went with the vacmaster 350 for the price and their customer service. I have had to put a new pump in mine once (due to getting too much liquid) which was my fault. They sent me the schematic and walked me through replacing it.
I will eventually buy a chamber style.

 

[Phone Guy]

I'm not sure if you are still looking but I can add some info for you. The cost of the bags pays for the chamber vac. I have a VP215 and have had it for a few years. When I bought it I was able to buy bags in bulk of 1000. Since the shipping was free I bought different sizes in 3 and 4 mil as well a boilable bags. I was going through many many rolls of FS bags every year and it got expensive. The Chamber vac bags are 3-15 cents each. compare that to almost a buck a foot for FS bags. If you do a lot it's worth it. You can also get retort pouches for it and can your own meat. I have done chicken and deer, chili etc.

It's an investment but I think you'd be happy you did it.