Anova Vacuum Sealer Professional Evaluation

I’ve had my justifiable share of expertise with vacuum sealers. Perhaps greater than my justifiable share, as these home equipment began changing into commonplace in restaurant kitchens at the least a decade earlier than they grew to become the go-to funding for intrepid house cooks seeking to develop their culinary repertoire. At one level, it will have been unimaginable to assume that the massive vacuum sealers I labored with in eating places would ever make it to the house market. Fortunately, time and know-how have made huge waves on this sector, and vacuum sealers right this moment are a lot smaller and extra environment friendly than those I lower my tooth on. 

Just lately tasked with testing house vacuum sealers, I acquired a full overview of the unfold that’s obtainable right this moment. From ultra-compact handheld sealers to trimmed-down variations of the identical sort of chamber sealer I labored with at Eleven Madison Park, these home equipment have quite a bit to supply the house chef. Helpful for each storage/preservation and cooking, vacuum sealer can prevent a whole bunch of {dollars} a yr.

Of the 25 fashions we examined, the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional proved to be one of the best total, with loads of helpful features and options in a slim profile. Extra compact than the Anova Chamber Sealer and extra highly effective than the model’s base mannequin, the Professional has modes for moist and dry elements, a guide pulse choice for final management, and a port for utilizing the hose accent. This accent might be paired with issues like Mason jars and inflexible plastic meals storage containers for eradicating extra air and prolonging shelf life. Total, it’s the proper selection in the event you’re contemplating including a vacuum sealer to your kitchen.

Why It is Nice

The Anova Professional’s Locking Handles Save House

Many vacuum sealers have some sort of deal with that lifts the highest of the machine in an effort to place the bag’s edge in earlier than sealing. The Anova Professional has a swivel deal with that lifts throughout use, then folds down and locks throughout storage. Not like different vacuum sealers we examined, the deal with doesn’t stick out awkwardly, so the whole unit can pack flat.

Double Seals Received’t Budge

Anova makes use of double-sealing know-how on all its sealers. Meaning two metallic bars warmth as much as soften the plastic bag shut while you set the machine to seal. Double seals imply double the power. After we examined the Anova Professional, the seal by no means budged or failed regardless of excessive water temperatures and lengthy stints within the water bathtub. Whereas we might anticipate that from any sealer, a shocking quantity of different manufacturers did fail below sure circumstances. That’s the very last thing you wish to occur after you’ve shelled out for a pair of primo duck breasts to sous vide for a special day.

The Anova Precision Professional vs. the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer

Anova does make a base mannequin that did effectively in our testing, however total I favor the Professional. The Professional is barely dearer, however that worth enhance comes with plenty of bang for the buck. First, it’s a bit bigger, which permits it to have room to retailer a roll of luggage and a cutter. I don’t find out about you, however I hate to must dig round for equipment after I go to start out a kitchen mission and I can actually recognize an equipment that homes the whole lot I would like in a single unit.

The second huge distinction is that the Professional mannequin has just a few further options, specifically a port for a hose attachment and two particular buttons: moist and dry. The moist and dry buttons include built-in good know-how that enables the sealer to determine how a lot suction to use primarily based on the contents of the bag. This takes plenty of strain off the consumer and permits for a extra hands-free expertise. The hose attachment is supposed to pair with sure sorts of jars and inflexible meals storage containers—a pleasant further.

The final distinction that I think about to be probably the most essential is that the Professional has a locking lid. The swivel deal with lifts to open the highest then closes and clamps down tight after you add a bag. Finally, this led to a safer sealing course of and nearly eradicated any points with the bag changing into crooked or misaligned throughout sealing.

The Verdict

It was onerous for me to search out many faults with the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional, which I think about to be certainly one of greatest vacuum sealers obtainable in the marketplace right this moment. It’s the proper selection for each the occasional and frequent consumer, with all the mandatory options to seal the whole lot from bony cuts of meat to delicate crackers. The whole lot comes housed in a easy, compact physique that even consists of storage and a cutter for plastic luggage.

The Execs

The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional is glossy and streamlined, with intuitive, easy controls. It’s one of many solely fashions in the marketplace that explicitly allows you to seal liquids within the bag (hiya, marinade). Surprisingly, the highly effective double-sealing heating strip that seals the bag isn’t bested by a bit water on the plastic, like different sealers had been. Additionally in contrast to different vacuum sealers, the Professional does not want a refractory interval in between sealings and might seal bag after bag with no concern. Anova claims the machine can deal with as much as 100 steady sealings if the state of affairs ought to ever come up.

The minimalist design isn’t only for appears to be like—it additionally has fewer cracks and crevices for meals and liquids to get trapped. It’s light-weight and compact sufficient to retailer in a drawer, with no cumbersome handles or components that jut out. Constructed inside the inside is a helpful compartment designed to retailer a roll of plastic luggage. There’s an connected cutter in an effort to feed the bag immediately from the storage space to the sealing space in a single fluid movement.

The Cons

The Anova Professional is pricier than fashions with comparable efficiency when not on sale. Aside from that, the guide might be a bit extra instructive, like together with textual content to accompany the diagrams that specify methods to use the sealer.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 kilos
• Variety of settings: 3
• Dimensions: 14.75 x 7 x 4 inches
• Included equipment: 1 18.9-inch hose attachment, 1 roll of luggage
• Constructed-in storage and bag cutter?: Sure
• Steady seals: 100
• Time-out interval between sealings: None
• Pulse setting: Sure
• Guarantee: 2 years

FAQs

Is the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional higher than different Anova vacuum sealers?

Whereas we do recognize the elements of Anova’s different sealers, together with the base mannequin and the chamber mannequin, if we needed to decide only one to purchase it will be the Professional. It strikes simply the suitable candy spot when it comes to dimension, energy, and worth.

Does the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional solely work with the Anova sous vide machine?

If you wish to begin utilizing sous vide cooking strategies, it’s true that you simply’ll want a vacuum sealer and a sous vide machine. That being mentioned, there’s no purpose that you need to use the identical model for each merchandise. Whereas we love the Anova vacuum sealer, you possibly can use any vacuum sealer to arrange meals for a visit within the sous vide bathtub. Likewise, in case you have an Anova vacuum sealer, you aren’t restricted to utilizing the model’s immersion circulator. We additionally just like the Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide, which is compact however highly effective.

How do you utilize a vacuum sealer for sous vide?

The time period sous vide interprets to “below vacuum” and refers to an ingredient that’s sealed in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooked in a water bathtub. When you might get away with a satisfactory substitution by squeezing all of the air out of a sealable plastic bag, you’ll more than likely face leakage which might damage your dish. One of the best ways to keep away from this pitfall is to spring for a vacuum sealer, which removes each final little bit of air and seals the bag securely for cooking in water. 

Are you able to freeze vacuum-sealed meals?

Sure, and it’s top-of-the-line causes to get a vacuum sealer. Not like different strategies of meals storage that are susceptible to letting in air and thus, freezer burn, vacuum-sealed meals is totally shielded from the tough setting of the freezer. Even unappealing flavors and aromas from the freezer can’t penetrate the thick plastic luggage used for vacuum sealing.

Why We are the Consultants

• Taylor Murray has been working in meals and meals media for over 10 years, together with in award-winning eating places. 
• She has examined quite a few gadgets for Critical Eats, together with tagines and deep-dish pizza pans.
• Taylor helped take a look at 25 vacuum sealers, together with the Anova Professional. We used them to seal frozen floor beef, bone-in pork chops, oil-soaked sponges, ping pong balls, and delicate Chex cereal. We additionally evaluated how simple they had been to deal with and use.