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 dwelling cooks trying to broaden their culinary repertoire. At one level, it will have been unimaginable to suppose that the big vacuum sealers I labored with in eating places would ever make it to the house market. Fortunately, time and expertise have made large waves on this sector, and vacuum sealers immediately are a lot smaller and extra environment friendly than those I minimize my tooth on. 

Lately tasked with testing dwelling vacuum sealers, I obtained a full overview of the unfold that’s accessible immediately. From ultra-compact handheld sealers to trimmed-down variations of the identical kind of chamber sealer I labored with at Eleven Madison Park, these home equipment have so much to supply the house chef. Helpful for each storage/preservation and cooking, vacuum sealer can prevent lots of of {dollars} a 12 months.

Of the 25 fashions we examined, the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Professional proved to be one of the best total, with loads of helpful capabilities 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 components, a guide pulse choice for final management, and a port for utilizing the hose accent. This accent could be paired with issues like Mason jars and inflexible plastic meals storage containers for eradicating extra air and prolonging shelf life. General, it’s the proper alternative in the event you’re contemplating including a vacuum sealer to your kitchen.

Why It is Nice

The Anova Professional’s Locking Handles Save Area

Many vacuum sealers have some form 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. In contrast to different vacuum sealers we examined, the deal with doesn’t stick out awkwardly, so the complete unit can pack flat.

Double Seals Received’t Budge

Anova makes use of double-sealing expertise on all its sealers. Meaning two steel bars warmth as much as soften the plastic bag shut if 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 tub. Whereas we might count on that from any sealer, a shocking quantity of different manufacturers did fail underneath 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 nicely in our testing, however total I favor the Professional. The Professional is barely costlier, however that worth enhance comes with a number of bang for the buck. First, it’s a bit bigger, which permits it to have room to retailer a roll of baggage and a cutter. I don’t learn about you, however I hate to should dig round for equipment once I go to start out a kitchen challenge and I can actually recognize an equipment that homes every little thing I want in a single unit.

The second large distinction is that the Professional mannequin has a number of further options, specifically a port for a hose attachment and two particular buttons: moist and dry. The moist and dry buttons include built-in sensible expertise that permits the sealer to determine how a lot suction to use based mostly on the contents of the bag. This takes a number of strain off the person 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 contemplate to be essentially 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. In the end, 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 contemplate to be one in all greatest vacuum sealers accessible available on the market immediately. It’s the proper alternative for each the occasional and frequent person, with all the required options to seal every little thing from bony cuts of meat to delicate crackers. Every thing 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 smooth and streamlined, with intuitive, easy controls. It’s one of many solely fashions available on the market that explicitly allows you to seal liquids within the bag (howdy, marinade). Surprisingly, the highly effective double-sealing heating strip that seals the bag isn’t bested by just a little water on the plastic, like different sealers have been. Additionally in contrast to different vacuum sealers, the Professional does not want a refractory interval in between sealings and may seal bag after bag with no situation. Anova claims the machine can deal with as much as 100 steady sealings if the scenario ought to ever come up.

The minimalist design isn’t only for seems—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 useful 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 may very well be a bit extra instructive, like together with textual content to accompany the diagrams that specify learn how 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 baggage
• 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 facets 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 appropriate candy spot by way of 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 methods, it’s true that you just’ll want a vacuum sealer and a sous vide machine. That being stated, there’s no cause that it’s a must to use the identical model for each merchandise. Whereas we love the Anova vacuum sealer, you can use any vacuum sealer to arrange meals for a visit within the sous vide tub. 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 “underneath vacuum” and refers to an ingredient that’s sealed in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooked in a water tub. When you may get away with a satisfactory substitution by squeezing all of the air out of a sealable plastic bag, you’ll most probably face leakage which may smash your dish. One of the simplest 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 probably the greatest causes to get a vacuum sealer. In contrast to different strategies of meals storage that are susceptible to letting in air and thus, freezer burn, vacuum-sealed meals is totally protected against the cruel atmosphere 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 Severe 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 straightforward they have been to deal with and use.