Vacuum Sealing Guide

In any foodservice business, reducing food waste and spoilage is important. A vacuum sealer is an excellent way for you to accomplish this goal! You can expect vacuum-packed foods to last up to three times as long as non-packaged foods, and they will also taste fresher than non-packaged foods since you’ve taken away most of what breaks them down.

Why Use Vacuum Sealer

By vacuum sealing, the air in the space around your food is removed, and the sides of the bag are fused using a heated seal bar. Air exposure can cause food to spoil and stale over time.

Food Vacuum Sealing Benefits

Preserve Food Quality

All the air in the bag must be eliminated in order to prevent bacteria growth as well as freezer burn and dehydration. Consequently, your foods will remain fresh for a longer period of time.

Save Time and Labor

The vacuum-sealed portions of sous vide cooking require less attention than when cooked in other ways: place the foods in the hot water bath while you do something else. If you don’t cook sous vide, packaging individual portions can help to ensure that your employees are being consistent and practicing portion control when they prepare meals.

Save Money

Vacuum packaging dramatically extends the shelf life of food, reducing waste and lowering costs.

Sealing Vacuums: Types of Sealers

If you want to choose the best vacuum sealer for your business, you must consider what your machine will be used for. In addition to chamber and external (also known as out-of-chamber) machines, you will also have to consider how much sealing you will be doing, whether you will be packaging liquids and your budget. In some specialized applications, pistol-type vacuum sealers may be beneficial.

Chamber Vacuum Machines

It’s best to use a chamber vacuum sealer when you’re going to be doing a lot of sealing, sealing in large batches, and sealing liquids. The cost of an external machine is lower overall, but the performance and flexibility are much better. In order to package liquid-rich foods frequently, a chamber machine is almost a necessity.

External Vacuum Machines

External vacuum sealers are a good option if you will be sealing only occasionally and if you will not be sealing liquids. In comparison to chamber machines, they offer a better seal and are cheaper, but lack the performance and versatility of chamber machines. The best choice for a vacuum packaging machine when you’re just getting started or want a light-duty model is an external machine.

Pistol-Type Vacuum Sealers

In general, pistol vacuum sealers are used when holding the sealer closer to the bag is more convenient than holding it further away. There is a special bag with a valve that must be manually sealed with a handheld sealer tool, followed by letting air out through the valve. As you require air, you can draw it out with a pistol-style grip, similar to the pulse function of an external machine.

Which are the best sous vide vacuum sealers?

Chamber machines offer the best versatility for sous vide cooking. In contrast to an external machine, you can pack liquids easily, and with multiple seal bars or longer seal bars, you can pack more items in a shorter amount of time.

A chamber machine is more able to vacuum package liquid-rich foods and will be able to do so more effectively than an external machine.