If you intend to become the world’s best sous-vide cook, are driven to maximize every penny of your grocery budget, or would like to step up your emergency-preparedness game, there is a perfect vacuum sealer for you. Vacuum sealers help maintain the freshness of meats, marinades, and more without losing its flavor. To help you start preserving your food longer, we did some research and found the best vacuum sealers for all your cooking needs.

The Geryon Vacuum Sealer Machine E2900-MS is a versatile, midrange machine that comes in both black and silver, sports a compact design, and includes a generous starter kit. This machine accommodates specially designed vacuum bags and vacuum sealer rolls for greater flexibility. The starter kit includes a vacuum hose for use with larger vacuum jars and non-food-storage bags, five 7.8 x 11.8-inch heat-sealed bags, and one 7.8 x 7.8-inch bag roll.

With two settings for sealing dry and moist items, the machine has user-friendly soft-touch button controls and an easy-to-clean construction. The manufacturer designed the machine with a seal-only choice as well. This vacuum sealer works quickly and efficiently and is suitable for sous-vide applications. Weighing in at just two pounds, it won’t strain your back and stores easily in a cabinet or on a shelf.

Why we love it:

This rechargeable cordless sealer has a streamlined design that only takes up a tiny footprint on your kitchen counter or workbench. Made for sealing the reusable FoodSaver zipper bags, jar sealers, and marinators, and weighing in at just one pound, this versatile unit can seal 60 bags on one 24-hour charge. This small machine doesn’t heat-seal the bags; it works with compatible bags that have a special area designated for vacuum sealing. This machine is not made for use with wet ingredients or liquids, as it will intake the liquids and this will stop the vacuum sealer from working properly.

Why we love it:

With a compact and lightweight design, the Entrige Vacuum Sealer is almost guaranteed to fit anywhere in your kitchen. It can process bags up to 12 inches in width. In addition, this vacuum sealer is easy to clean thanks to its separated design and removable upper lid. The icing on the cake comes in the form of the 2 sealing modes wherein you can select the best possible preservation method based on the type of food you want to seal.

Why we love it:

If you are just starting out with vacuum sealers, Mueller Austria’s Vacuum Sealer makes it very easy for you to use. With the touch of a button, you can seal up food in an instant. It keeps food up to five times fresher. It also has duel-sealing modes, so you can either choose an airtight seal or a gentle seal.

Why We Love It:

Out of the many manufacturers of vacuum sealers out there, there are two that are very recognizable: FoodSaver and Geryon. Both companies make outstanding products that suit a variety of consumer needs. Based on our research, our choice for the best overall vacuum sealer is the Geryon Vacuum Sealer Machine E2900-MS.

We recognized that vacuum sealers are not just for food. However, some are better designed to accommodate food sealing than others, for instance, easy-clean models, and dual-speed action that prevents moisture from spraying out of the bag. So, the first thing to do when deciding to buy a vacuum sealer is to know what you’re going to use it for.

Most people decide to purchase a vacuum sealer for their kitchen and end up using it for other things as well. There are many compelling reasons to use a vacuum sealer for food, so let’s look at some of them:

One very effective way to save money is to buy groceries in bulk. Meats, cheese, vegetables, and even herbs all can be stored in vacuum bags that extend their shelf life from weeks to years. Everyone has stored bulk proteins in their freezer only to find them covered with frost after a few weeks. Vacuum sealing prevents ice and freezer burn from forming on stored items and preserves freshness and flavor for literally years.

The reason food goes bad is due to oxidation, which causes mold. Vacuum sealing cheese extends its shelf life from weeks to months.

Do you buy parsley or chives and end up throwing half of them away, only to have to buy more the following week? Vacuum sealing them keeps them fresh and reusable for weeks.

Some people like to skip the plastic altogether and store cereals, granola, and other dry good in vacuum-sealed jars. When the jar is opened and re-closed, the vacuum hose attachment removes the air to keep the contents fresh.

To keep wine from going bad, you can purchase wine stoppers that work with vacuum sealer hoses to prevent oxidation.

Re-sealing or vacuuming chip bags keeps these types of snack foods fresh by preventing air and moisture from spoiling them.

It’s important to note here that a vacuum sealer is not essential to sous vide cooking. For lower heats (below 180 degrees), heavy-duty zipper-lock bags work fine. When temperatures go higher than that, the bag can soften, and the seal can break, ruining your ingredients and making a mess. Even with vacuum sealing, use only heavy-grade bags or rolls suited for high temperatures.

Consumers use vacuum sealing for more than food. The protective properties of vacuum sealing help preserve many household items from moisture, dirt, insects, and bacteria. Here are some non-food uses for these machines:

Vacuum sealing protects non-precious and precious metals from corrosion and oxidation. As long as the items are wrapped in paper or soft cloth to protect the bag from puncture before sealing, they will stay bright and rust-free.

For first-aid kits and emergency preparedness, vacuum sealing is a great way to make sure that your emergency supplies stay safe and dry. Even candles will hold their shape when they get hot if they are vacuum-sealed. Although lighters and other liquid flammables may not be sealed, matches can be preserved for emergency use.

Important documents and photographs stay protected with vacuum sealing. Having copies of passports, birth certificates, auto titles, and other hard-to-replace items can make life a lot easier if disaster hits.

Keep sweaters and linens moth and dust-free by using large vacuum bags with a hose attachment from one of these sealers.

Organize sewing notions or crafting items to make them easier to see and find when you need them.

Vacuum sealers come in automatic, semi-automatic, and hand-held models. Most sealers aside from the hand-held models can be used with a roll of bag material: Pulling the roll through allows you to create your own bag by sealing one end first. This flexibility enables the consumer to use less plastic and avoid plastic waste. Most machines also work with varying bag widths for even more customization.

Most models we reviewed are starter kits with bags, bag rolls, and vacuum hose included. Replacement rolls and bags can be purchased in bulk, but it’s important to check the material compatibility with your machine.

Automatic sealing machines sense the bag and automatically vacuum and seal the contents. Semi-automatic units are built like a clamshell so that the user opens the top, inserts the bag, and tells it to start.

Another feature that some of these machines have is the ability to seal only, which we think is very important. Some also have what’s called a pulse vacuum, so that the user can control how much vacuum is enough. This feature is convenient when sealing softer foods such as fish or cooked vegetables.

Because vacuum sealers utilize intense heat to melt and seal the bags, they need a cooling-off period of a few seconds between uses. This pause is normally not an issue, but sometimes users need fast bagging and sealing, which is why we included a model that seals 40 consecutive items before requiring a cool-off period.

Many people remark in reviews that they didn’t know that they needed one of these machines until they had one available, and then found them indispensable. So the short answer is, yes — especially when you can choose from a wide variety of prices and models.

Raw mushrooms, garlic, and hot cooked vegetables do not fare well being vacuum-sealed. Depending on the model of sealer you purchase, liquids should be sealed with caution.

Yes, the unit will create a better seal and remove the air from these bags.

If you are storing fresh vegetables in the freezer, blanching them first is imperative, or they will not freeze correctly.

Vacuum sealing raw meat extends the shelf life to two to three years. It also prevents frost and freezer burn so that when it is defrosted, it is as fresh-tasting as the day you bought it.

No. There is a bacterium that can thrive in low-oxygen environments called clostridium botulinum. This microbe can cause botulism. Always remove items from their packaging to thaw them.

Vacuum sealing is for much more than just food, but whether you’re looking to reduce food waste or organize the closets, a vacuum sealer can be indispensable. Choose one today, and you won’t know what you did without it.