Chamber Vacuum Sealers: Are They Worth It at Home?

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An edge sealer (the FoodSaver type) pulls air out of a textured bag through the open end. A chamber sealer works differently: you put the whole bag inside a chamber, close the lid, and the machine pulls the air out of the chamber and the bag together before sealing. Because the pressure equalizes, liquid doesn't get sucked toward the seal. Chamber sealer listings, like Avid Armor's, highlight soups and marinades.

Who actually needs one

• You batch-cook soups, stews or stock and want them flat-frozen in bags.
• You process game or bulk meat and seal a lot in one session.
• You want to vacuum-seal mason jars in batches (the JARMAX fits 4 quart jars at a time, per the listing).

The trade-offs are size and weight. The VacMaster models below weigh 84 and 89 lb, per their listings.

Avid Armor USV20: the compact one

The USV20 has a 4-liter stainless chamber (12.25 x 8.5 x 3 inches) and an 11.5-inch seal bar, with adjustable vacuum time from 15 to 60 seconds, per the listing. The whole machine is 14 x 12 x 8.25 inches and 17.55 lb. Pouches go up to 11 x 10 inches.

Compact, 17.55 lb

Avid Armor USV20 Chamber Vacuum Sealer

• 4 L stainless chamber (12.25 x 8.5 x 3 in.) and 11.5-inch seal bar, per the listing
• Seals liquids such as soups and marinades
• Adjustable vacuum time (15 to 60 sec); pouches up to 11 x 10 in.
• 14 x 12 x 8.25 in., 17.55 lb

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Avid Armor USV32: glass lid and a jar port

The USV32 steps up to a stainless chamber with a tempered glass lid, an 11.5-inch dual-wire seal bar, a marinate mode, and an external accessory hose port for jars, per the listing.

Step-up model

Avid Armor USV32 Chamber Vacuum Sealer

• Stainless chamber with tempered glass lid, per the listing
• 11.5-inch dual-wire seal bar
• Marinate mode
• External accessory hose port for jars

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Avid Armor JARMAX: built around mason jars

This one is for people who store dry goods in jars. Its 12-liter chamber fits 4 quart jars or 6+ pint jars on a wire shelf, and it uses a dry rocker pump with no oil changes, per the listing. The 10.5-inch twin-wire bar seals Mylar pouches up to 7 mil. Credit to Avid Armor for saying it right in the listing: it's not a canner and doesn't make fresh food shelf-stable.

Fits 4 quart jars

Avid Armor JARMAX Chamber Vacuum Sealer for Mason Jars

• 12 L chamber fits 4 quart jars or 6+ pint jars on a wire shelf, per the listing
• 10.5-inch twin-wire seal bar; seals Mylar pouches up to 7 mil
• Dry rocker pump with no oil changes
• Listing states it is not a canner and does not make fresh food shelf-stable

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VacMaster VP215 and VP230: oil-pump chamber sealers

VacMaster's chamber sealers use oil pumps, per the listings. The VP215 has a 1/5 HP oil pump, a 10.25-inch seal bar and bags up to 10 x 13 inches, and weighs 84 lb. The VP230 has a 1/2 HP oil pump, a 12.25-inch seal bar and bags up to 12 x 15 inches, and weighs 89 lb, per the listings. Both double-seal and handle liquids.

1/5 HP oil pump

VacMaster VP215 Chamber Vacuum Sealer

• 1/5 HP oil pump; 10.25-inch seal bar, per the listing
• Chamber 11.25 x 15.25 x 5 in.; bags up to 10 x 13 in.
• Double seal; handles liquids
• 84 lb

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Biggest bags

VacMaster VP230 Chamber Vacuum Sealer

• 1/2 HP oil pump; 12.25-inch seal bar, per the listing
• Chamber 12.5 x 15 x 5 in.; bags up to 12 x 15 in.
• Double seal; handles liquids
• 89 lb

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Pouches

Avid Armor sells pre-cut pouches listed for chamber sealers and heat sealers only, not FoodSaver-type machines.

Chamber pouches

Avid Armor Chamber Vacuum Pouches (250)

• Pre-cut pouches for chamber sealers and heat sealers only (not FoodSaver-type edge sealers), per the listing
• 250-pack; BPA-free

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Compared