6 Chef-Recommended and Editor-Loved Vacuum Sealers

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They all agree this is the best tool for the job.

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The freezer can be a beautiful place filled with half-eaten casseroles and last year’s holiday fruit cake. Still, it can also be a headache, between the freezer-burned pancakes you swore you’d get to and the cracked food storage containers that can’t withstand freezing temperatures. Every chef we spoke to about freezing food long-term emphasized that plastic wrap and storage containers can only do so much when you want to freeze your foods for extended periods. Instead, those methods of storage may even be damaging to your foods.

Vacuum sealing is the only way to avoid “changing the composition of the product itself” when storing food in the freezer, says Matthias Merges, chef and owner of Mordecai in Chicago, Illinois. Merges, along with other pro chefs, swear by vacuum sealers in their kitchens. Here are some of their go-to models and a few of our favorites on sale, including ones from Anova, Nesco, and more.

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David Rose, an executive chef with Omaha Steaks, recommends vacuum sealers for “ensuring freshness and quality over time,” especially for storing meat. The airtight seal created by vacuum sealers protects the meat from freezer burn, which can “drastically affect flavor, texture and appearance.” The Anova is chef Rose’s go-to vacuum sealer and one of our tested favorites. It’s easy to seal differently sized foods, and chef Rose appreciates the wet function, which can be used to seal high-moisture foods with marinades and sauces. It’s also 37% off.

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When we tested vacuum sealers, the Nesco Deluxe was our top pick. It excels at removing air and even has a double-seal function to effectively lock in liquids when it comes to moist foods. Its gentle sealing option was also delicate enough to seal Chex Mix without significant crushing.

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A favorite vacuum sealer of Steven Chiapetti, executive chef at the Albert in Chicago, Illinois, the Mueller compact vacuum sealer is “easy to store, equipped to preserve both wet and dry ingredients,” and has varying tightness levels that are simple to control. “Air and water destroy most products,” says chef Chiapetti, who shares that “the worst way to store your ingredients is by wrapping the items in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.” Even plastic containers can “easily crack” and “take up a lot of space” in your freezer. At only $30, the Mueller can help you “maintain the integrity” and “extend the shelf life” of your foods.

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Another great compact vacuum sealer, according to our tests, is the FoodSaver PowerVac that’s on sale for $70. We like that it’s easy to store vertically or horizontally, thanks to its streamlined design. During testing, it left no air bubbles, and its seal stayed strong. Plus, with a refresh period of only 20 seconds, you don’t have to wait very long between sealings.

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If your interest is piqued and you’d like a beginner-friendly vacuum sealer, we recommend the Inkbird, which is powerful yet affordable. It gave a tight seal in each round of testing and showed minimal oxidation on a sealed avocado after five days of storage.

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If you don’t plan to cook sous vide and just want a vacuum sealer for food storage purposes, this food vacuum sealer is our budget pick. It has wet and dry options, gentle mode, manual seal, and an additional accessory port. It’s a very affordable model that performed well in all our tests.