australia:vacuum_sealers
Table of Contents
vacuum sealers for cryovac foods
see also:
- I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
Introduction
- vacuum sealers allow packaging foods with the removal of air which reduces the rate in which food deteriorates and can provide alternate re-heating methods at camp
- there are now lithium powered models which allow sealing foods cooked at camp for reheating the next day or two (stored in a car fridge)
- most campers though would only need the AC powered versions for food preparation use at home
- ensure you can readily buy the correct plastic bags or rolls of plastic for the device and that the device and bags are large enough for your needs
- most are 30cm wide and apply ~ 3mm seal
- the better ones offer single and dual seal options, at least 75kPa vacuum pressure
- some allow use of a roll of plastic bags to be mounted in the machine but this makes them more bulky for transport
- for juicy or wet foods, you may need to partially freeze them before vacuum sealing
- for the entry level devices, generally need to wait at least 20 seconds between each seal to let the sealing strip cool down. Overheating can melt the bag.
- for those travelling in caravans, a sealer with built in lithium battery is generally the better option
Vacuum sealing and safe food storage times
- in general, vacuum sealing food increases safe food storage life span of perishables up to 5x and for some foods much more when compared to normal storage
- frozen chicken normally should be used within 2 weeks but when vacuum sealed and frozen it can last months
Main types of vacuum sealers
chamber sealers
- usually called cryovac machines
- seal the food inside a chamber by extracting the air and then heat-sealing the bag
- excellent for liquids
- unlike standard external suction sealers, chamber sealers evacuate air from the entire inside of the chamber rather than just sucking it out of the bag - this equalized pressure prevents liquid from spilling out of the bag during extraction, allowing you to easily seal liquids, soups, and marinades without messy seals
- used commercially in Delis, butchers, and food stores
- they are quite bulky, heavy (usually over 20kg), tend to have much higher power consumption of 260-1000W, and expensive
external (out-of-chamber) sealers
- these are the types most campers and home cooks will use
Re-heating options
Frypan
- some foods would be suited to re-heating in a frypan or pot but then you would have to clean the frypan or pot as well as stirring utensils and it can risk burning the food and the pot
Microwave
- if you have a camp microwave and sufficient AC power to run it, a microwave may be the most efficient option as the cryovac can be emptied into a microwave safe dish for each camper and the only clean up is the dishes and cutlery
Sealed cryovac bag in pot of water
- to reduce camp meal preparation and cooking clean up, consider reheating cryovac foods in a pot of water
- just cook foods at home, vacuum seal it, freeze it and at camp put the SEALED cryovac bag of food into a pot of water and heat until the water is boiling - for many foods this will suffice to ensure the food is heated sufficiently
- for some foods such as larger potato pieces, you may need to heat longer to ensure the centre is heated enough
- take care not to puncture the bag otherwise water will get into it a spoil your meal
- this avoids need to prepare and cook foods at camp and you don't have messy pots to clean up at camp while the boiled water can be re-used to wash the dishes
- it also allows the food to me stored longer and more safely in a car fridge or esky - to defrost, leave in fridge or esky for 12 hours (avoid defrosting in ambient temperatures for several hours as this may increase chance of food poisoning)
- it may take 30-60 minutes to cook per meal and will consume significant amounts of gas so only recommended for LPG gas bottle stoves
Example vacuum out-of-chamber sealers
- if you want to use it frequently for liquids at home then get a chamber device
- if you are only using them at home and happy to partly freeze liquids first, consider getting a AC/DC powered device
- if you are mainly needing it for long caravan trips, consider a battery operated reusable bag device such as Seal-It Turbo Pro
- other users may opt for standard lithium powered devices
- always check that the rolls and bags are BPA-free vacuum sealer bags
240V AC / 12V DC vacuum sealers
vacuum bags only
- Campfire Vacuum Sealer 12V/240V
- 1.4kg; 110W; 60~80Kpa; 12~14L/min under 240V AC, 7-8L/min under 12V DC; 30cm width; 3mm seal thickness;
- Multi-function control panel allows you to select the right mode for the type of food - dry or moist; Pulse function to adapt the vacuum time and speed;
- ~$AU119
- Dometic Vacuum Sealer
- 1.4kg;
- ~$AU225
vacuum rolls
-
- 28x3m plastic vacuum roll inside device;
- Dual Pump Vacuum Technology - Heavy Duty DC Motor means this machine is able to work continuously for 150 cycles
- 3 Sealing Time Settings - Dry, Moist, Extended; 2 Pressure Settings - Normal, Gentle;
- Canister Vacuum Function; Marinate Vacuum Function; Pulse Vacuum Function
- ~$AU399
Vacuum sealers with a USB-C rechargeable lithium battery
vacuum bags only
-
- 0.95kg; 30cm plastic bags, 3mm seal depth takes 10-20secs; 60kPA vacuum pressure;
- three modes: Manual Vacuum, Automatic Vacuum-and-Seal, and Seal-only
- optional external vacuum pipe to evacuate air from external plastic bags designed for vacuum
- can do up to 42 bags on one charge; 11.1V /1500mAh (16.65Wh) Li-ion battery charge via 10W USB-C which takes ~2hrs;
- ~$AU59
-
- uses Vacuum Sealer Bags (20cm x 30cm)
- 75kPa vacuum pressure, drip tray; up to 50 Seals on a Single Charge (1.5Ah Battery Power);
- ~$AU199
for special vacuum bags with air valve vacuum port
-
- for reusable Seal-It bags only (cost about $3 per bag but do come in larger 30x34cm bags); very compact; 60 kPa suction with a 3 L/min extraction rate;
- 1200mAh lithium battery
- ~$AU72
- best for caravanners who mainly seal small and light meals and want an easy to use device you’re already on the road
vacuum rolls
-
- 28x3m plastic vacuum roll inside device; max 30cm sealing width;
- single and dual seal options, 75kPa vacuum pressure, drip tray; up to 50 Seals on a Single Charge;
- ~$AU279
australia/vacuum_sealers.txt · Last modified: 2026/10/05 04:23 by gary1