Whether you are sealing up food for sous vide, sealing homemade seasoned burgers, sealing chips so they don’t go stale, or keeping leftovers from your holiday dinner, a vacuum sealer is the way to go.
Summary
This is the Nesco starter set vacuum sealer. It comes with bags and gets you started with vacuum sealing. The one I have is now about 5 years old and still in great condition. I use it a lot. I use it to reseal plastic bags, like chip bags, pasta bags, frozen vegetable bags, sugar bags, basically anything I want to seal so it doesn’t come out and air doesn’t get to it.
The vacuum-sealable bags are resealable by cutting off the seal with scissors, taking out what you need, vacuuming, and resealing it. Even non-vacuum-sealable bags can be resealed only without a vacuum.
Why Use a Vacuum Sealer?
A vacuum sealer is a kitchen appliance that removes air from food storage bags or containers and seals them airtight. This is much better than trying to push the air out. Don’t use a straw and have liquid get in your mouth.
- Extended Shelf Life: A vacuum sealer removes air from the packaging, which prevents the growth of bacteria, molds, and yeast.
- Food Preservation: Vacuum sealing preserves the flavor, texture, and nutrients of foods, making them stay fresh for longer periods.
- Prevents Freezer Burn: Vacuum-sealed bags protect food from freezer burn by eliminating moisture and air contact.
- Reduced Food Waste: Vacuum sealing reduces food waste to store leftovers, bulk purchases, and seasonal produce for later use.
- Cost-Efficient: Buying items in bulk and vacuum sealing them can be cost-effective.
- Marinating and Infusing: Used it marinating meats and infusing flavors more effectively by allowing the marinade to penetrate deeper.
- Vacuum Packaging Non-Food Items: Besides food, use it for preserving and organizing non-food items like documents, jewelry, or camping gear.
- Cooking Sous Vide: Vacuum-sealed bags are better for sous-vide because all the air is removed.
- Portable and On-the-Go: Vacuum-sealed bags are portable, making them convenient for meal prepping, picnics, and camping trips.
- Hygienic: Vacuum sealing reduces the risk of cross-contamination in your refrigerator by sealing food securely.
- Long-Term Storage: It’s ideal for long-term food storage, such as for emergency preparedness or stocking up on seasonal produce.
- Custom Portions: Portion out food items according to your needs and seal them individually, making meal planning more convenient.
Full Review
I love my *Nesco vacuum sealer. This is the starter one that I bought five years ago to try. I had a FoodSaver brand and the unit burned itself out after two months. Since it had been a gift, I had no warranty on it. Well, this little Nesco has worked like a charm since I got it. Update: 2025, I upgraded and bought the *NESCO VS-12 model and love it even more!
Unlike the FoodSaver, the machine will not allow you to seal anything until it has cooled off enough. That’s a big plus!
Using *rolls of bags, you can cut them to whatever size you need. With some deft rolling, you can even make verticle seals like I did with with popcorn gifts.
Recommended Accessories
I recommend using a bag holder when you only have two hands. Use your hands to hold the spoon or food. The bag holder will hold the bag.
Notes
In the video below, note that the burgers are not sealed correctly. That is my error, but I wanted you to see how easy the machine is to use.
