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Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: PolarBear on May 15, 2022, 08:23:50 PM

Title: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: PolarBear on May 15, 2022, 08:23:50 PM: Howdy. I’m looking for recommendations for a good, reliable chamber vacuum sealer. In the past year we have raised and cut up over 100 meat chickens. Between chickens, turkeys, deer, elk, beef, fish, vegetables etc we use the crap out of our regular old vacuum sealer. With the volume that we go through I figured a chamber style would be more efficient. Which units have you had the best luck with and which to avoid?
Thank you!
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: Crunchy on May 15, 2022, 08:33:29 PM: vacmaster 215 is what I have had for ten years. it is heavy and well built. not one problem. I order bags by the 1,000 4 mil
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: GWP on May 15, 2022, 08:34:58 PM: We have the small Vacmaster. Works great. No issues.
I will say it ‘may’ be slower in speed than a non-chamber. Sort of three steps to them. Depends on how hard you are pulling it down as well.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 15, 2022, 08:44:08 PM: :yeah:

9 years running with the Vacmaster 215, not a single problem. Have cycled 8000 bags through it now. Just make sure to change the oil every so often. I watch the little glass oil monitor and if it starts to turn color, I change it. Mostly 4 mil bags, but if I can get a deal on 5 mil, I go there. I too buy my bags by the 1000 or 500. Almost all from Vacuum Sealers Unlimited. I check often as they have free shipping quite often, right now. Shipping is what can kill you on bag prices as they are quite heavy by the 1000.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: lewy on May 15, 2022, 08:45:21 PM: I finally pulled the trigger on one, it’s the lem. I love it, sure beats the ol bag sucker!
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: hiway_99 on May 15, 2022, 09:40:25 PM: I have the vacmaster 215

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Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: northwesthunter84 on May 16, 2022, 06:34:08 AM: I have the LEM model, saved a few hundred bucks and bought it at Costco. I think they sell them for $599. I got a display model for $399. I love it. My wife likes to make soup so I can vac seal that and we have it in the freezer all year long, sure beats canned soup.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: CP on May 16, 2022, 06:50:44 AM: Avid Armor USV20 - it's been a great little unit.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 19, 2022, 11:46:36 AM: If I would do anything different, I wish I had bought a bigger one with a 12" sealing bar. I use a lot of 6" wide bags and I could do 2 at once with it.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: hayes202 on May 19, 2022, 01:18:24 PM: I got my Lem from costco no problems
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: PolarBear on May 19, 2022, 04:38:23 PM: Thanks for the help everyone!! We are leaning towards Vacmaster.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: hiway_99 on May 19, 2022, 05:20:21 PM: You may want to reaserch retort bags if you can a lot. I've been able to do them with my vacmaster 215. Some people say you can't. I use the retort pouches instead of jars for tuna.

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Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 19, 2022, 05:23:32 PM: When I bought my 215, it advertised being able to do retort bags. If I recall, it was due to the dual sealing bar.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: Angry Perch on May 20, 2022, 09:06:09 AM: Quote from: hiway_99 on May 19, 2022, 05:20:21 PM
You may want to reaserch retort bags if you can a lot. I've been able to do them with my vacmaster 215. Some people say you can't. I use the retort pouches instead of jars for tuna.

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Wow, I never knew that was available for home canning. That's pretty cool.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 20, 2022, 09:43:30 AM: They are awesome, kind of like homemade MRE's.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: Angry Perch on May 20, 2022, 10:04:23 AM: Quote from: NRA4LIFE on May 20, 2022, 09:43:30 AM
They are awesome, kind of like homemade MRE's.

Same process and processing times as jars?
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 20, 2022, 10:19:21 AM: Quote from: Angry Perch on May 20, 2022, 10:04:23 AM
Quote from: NRA4LIFE on May 20, 2022, 09:43:30 AM
They are awesome, kind of like homemade MRE's.

Same process and processing times as jars?

Yep. You need the special retort pouches, they can be found all over the interwebby thing. My notes say 11 lbs for 90 minutes, pretty much the same as pint jars. You need to make sure the pouches do not touch the bottom of your canner. That is bad.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: hiway_99 on May 20, 2022, 12:54:19 PM: The retort bags also need to be packed as tightly as possible so they don't explode and make a mess in the canner.

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Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on May 20, 2022, 12:57:49 PM: Quote from: hiway_99 on May 20, 2022, 12:54:19 PM
The retort bags also need to be packed as tightly as possible so they don't explode and make a mess in the canner.

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:yeah:

And pack them with only cold, cooked stuff.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: Parasite on May 23, 2022, 02:51:49 AM: I use the Avid Armor USV32 camber sealer.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: Angry Perch on November 03, 2022, 10:11:46 AM: Quote from: hiway_99 on May 20, 2022, 12:54:19 PM
The retort bags also need to be packed as tightly as possible so they don't explode and make a mess in the canner.

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Bringing this back.
In order to pack them tightly without having to do a zillion of them, do you put them inside a container of some sort in the canner?
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: KFhunter on November 03, 2022, 11:43:46 AM: I put mine on a kitchen rolling cart, wife can wheel it out from the laundry room and use it, or I can. They're pretty heavy and take up counter space. Cart is nice.
Title: Re: Chamber vacuum sealer?
Post by: ASHQUACK on November 03, 2022, 02:10:45 PM: Quote from: KFhunter on November 03, 2022, 11:43:46 AM
I put mine on a kitchen rolling cart, wife can wheel it out from the laundry room and use it, or I can. They're pretty heavy and take up counter space. Cart is nice.
We put ours on a rolling tool cart from Harbor Wholesale, best investment next to the vacmaster itself.