Vacmaster VP220 Chamber Vacuum Sealer Review & Buyer’s Guide

The Vacmaster VP220 Chamber Vacuum Sealer is perfect if you own a restaurant and need to store your food for longer periods of time. It also works great for small businesses like fishing and hunting guides that need to cut and package individual portions of meat for the consumer. Businesses that package their products to be sent through the mail also will need a legit vacuum sealer. No matter what type of business you own, you need a reliable and dependable vacuum sealer that won't overheat when sealer multiple bags or jars. The Vacmaster VP220 chamber vacuum sealer is the perfect machine for all of this so find more in this Vacmaster chamber vacuum sealer review that we prepared for you!

 

Vacmaster VP220 Chamber Vacuum Sealer Review

Vacmaster has been making and selling commercial grade vacuum sealers since 1992. They offer a wide array of chamber sealers and edge sealers that are readily available to home cooks, restaurants and small businesses. They also make larger industrial grade vacuum sealers as well as some other products such as sous vide immersion machines and vacuum bags. They are one of the leading brand vacuum sealers on the market and are able to cater to just about anyone in need of a vacuum sealer.

Their machines do range in price from a low affordable price for the home cook all the way up to a very expensive cost. The Vacmaster VP220 chamber sealer is one of the machines that falls into the higher priced category but there is a reason for that. Even though the machine is solid and fairly compact, it is very heavy weighing in at a staggering 90 pounds. The machine has been constructed with high quality materials so it will last a lifetime no matter how much it is used. The Vacmaster VP220 chamber sealer is one of the easiest machines to use and to clean making it a formidable contender to stand up against the competition.

 Pros

• Heavy-duty 1/4-hp heavy-duty maintenance free dry pump
• 12.25 Inch removable seal bar with double seal wire
• Adjustable Cycle Time: 20-99 Seconds
• Stainless steel body
• Easy-to-use digital control panel
• Air cooled for continuous operation
• 1 Year Warranty

Cons

• The machine is very heavy at 90 pounds
• The price tag is very expensive
• The motor oil needs to be changed regularly

Product Features And Benefits

Air Cooled For Continuous Operation

The chamber vacuum sealer uses a rotary oil pump to operate the machine which is also air cooled. This allows the machine to seal dozens of bags in a row without the need of a break in operation or a cool down period. Most edge vacuum sealers will need to stop operation after a few bags because the machine will overheat. 

This is the main reason people tend to buy chamber vacuum sealers over edge vacuum sealers. If you are needing to use the vacuum sealer for large projects which need dozens of bags to be sealed, the chamber vacuum sealer is the way to go. Without the need of a cool down period, the machine will be able to cut down on the amount of time you will need to spend sealing large quantities of bags.

Able To Seal Bags And Jars In The Chamber

While the machine is able to seal bags just like any other vacuum sealer, it will also be able to seal canning jars or mason jars alike. The chamber allows you to place a pint-sized jar upright in the chamber or up to a quart sized jar on its side within the machine. It will only take about 30-40 seconds and the jar will be completely sealed. If you do a lot of canning, this is a game changer. 

Easy To Use Digital Interface

The user interface is extremely easy to operate with just the touch of a button or two. The machine has an automatic start and stop feature that makes it easy to use without having to lock the lid in place at all. Once the time has been set, all you need to do is press start and the machine will close on its own and automatically open when the sealing process has finished. The pressure gauge also is easy to read and the clear dome lid allows you to see the sealing process happen in action. 

Removable Filler Plate For Larger Items

If you are trying to seal a bag of food that is thicker than most food items like a whole turkey or brisket, the removable filler plate makes the process seamless. By removing the filer plate, the depth of the inner chamber expands to allow you to place thicker or larger food items in the machine. The only thing is that the machine is 24 inches by 20 inches. So, if you are trying to seal something that is longer in length, you may run into some problems. But the deeper chamber is great for sealing larger foods which most other machines just do not have the capability to accomplish. 

Reasons To Buy

Aside from the fact that the machine is truly a modern wonder in the kitchen appliance world, it actually looks fantastic in any space. The machine has a complete stainless steel outer surface which looks sleek and is very easy to clean when needed. The machine is very durable and sturdy with rubber feet that keep the machine in place when operational. The sheer weight of the machine tells you it has been constructed with quality materials which go a long way when it comes to reliability and dependability. 

The Vacmaster VP220 Chamber Vacuum Sealer is one of the more top of the line vacuum sealers on the market. The rotary oil pump creates a more powerful vacuum sealer than most other machines are able to do. This allows the machine to remove more air from the bags than normal if you were using a less powerful chamber vacuum sealer or an edge vacuum sealer. 

If you are purchasing this model to be used in a commercial kitchen, then you will probably plan to use the machine quite often or for larger sealing jobs. Since the machine is air cooled, it allows the machine to operate continuously without stopping to take a break and cool the machine down. This saves a lot of time for larger projects and will in turn lower your labor costs with less time spent sealing bags. 

In addition, you will notice when you go to purchase more bags for the vacuum sealer that they are actually cheaper. Edge vacuum sealer bags are textured to help push the air out of the bag when operational. Since the chamber vacuum sealer removes air from inside the bag and the internal chamber, the bags do not need to be textured. This in turn makes the bags cheaper to purchase since they have a smooth finish. 

Just like any other vacuum sealer, the Vacmaster VP220 chamber vacuum sealer will be able to save you hundreds of dollars if not thousands of dollars a year in food waste. If you are using this machine in a commercial kitchen, then you should expect to lower your overall food cost throughout the year. Food that has been vacuum sealed will be able to last up to 5 times longer than if place in a regular zip lock bag for storing. You will also notice that the vacuum sealed bags will eliminate any potential freezer burn on your food while being stored. The more air that is removed from the bag will lessen the chance for freezer burn or oxidization to occur. 

FAQ

What Is The Difference Between A Chamber Vacuum Sealer And An Edge Vacuum Sealer?

Both machines will be able to seal food within a bag properly if used correctly. An edge vacuum sealer will seal a bag by removing the air from within the actual bag and sealing it. A chamber vacuum sealer will remove the air from within the bag and from the internal chamber that the bag was placed within. The chamber vacuum sealer creates a stable environment to seal the bag which makes it able to do many other sealing applications an edge vacuum sealer just cannot accomplish. 

Can The Machine Vacuum Seal Liquids Properly?

Yes. You can seal liquids in a jar or in a vacuum bag. Chamber vacuum sealers are able to remove the air from the chamber as well as from the bag. This creates a stable environment for the bag to be sealed properly without busting open. The same amount of pressure can be applied to a bag of liquids that is normally applied to solid foods. You just need to make sure that the liquids are not hot and have been cooled down before sealing the bags. 

Can You Seal Multiple Bags At Once?

Yes. The sealing bar is 16 inches long and most bags are about 6 inches in length. So, if you are able to line up 2 or 3 bags on the bar at once, then it will be able to do the job. The VP220 vacuum chamber sealer is known for being able to seal more than one bag at a time if they are small enough to fit on the bar. 

Can You Seal Larger Size Canning Jars?

On average, you are bale to seal the standard pint-sized mason jars for canning. The machine is able to seal larger jars, up to quart sized, but they will need to be laid on their side to fit within the chamber. Anything larger than a quart will not be able to fit in the chamber even if the filler plate has been removed. 

Does The Machine Come With Oil And Do I Need To Add Oil Before Using It?

Yes. It comes with a sealed bottle of oil that needs to be add to the pump before you can use the machine. This is very easy to do by following the steps within the instruction manual. 

Does The Machine Come With Vacuum Bags Included?

Yes. Depending on where you purchase the machine it will comes with a variety of vacuum bags. If you purchase the machine through Amazon, it will come with 60 assorted vacuum bags that come in three different sizes for different applications. 

Do I Need A Vacuum Sealer For Sous Vide Cooking?

No. Technically you do not need to vacuum seal your bags for sous vide cooking because the process will push the air out of the bag naturally while cooking. However, the more air that you can remove from the bag initially, the better. This will allow the food to create a more even cook throughout the surface. Vacuum sealed bags are also more durable than any other type of bag you would use in sous vide cooking. This makes it easier to contain foods that need to be cooked for longer periods of time or at higher temperatures. 

Summing Up

Before reviewing the Vacmaster VP220 vacuum chamber sealer, I never really realized how much food I wasted in a year. I would throw out so much food because it either turned bad, had freezer burn or I just simply didn’t have the space in my fridge and freezer. This machine was able to fix all of these problems by reducing the amount of space I needed to store my food in the freezer. It also extended the shelf life of most of my perishable food items by 4 or 5 times longer than usual. 

Even though the machine was very expensive, it did end up paying for itself by saving me hundreds of dollars in food waste. The machine also looks great on my kitchen countertop, and I just love when I get the opportunity to use it. I am more than happy I leaped at the purchase and I'm sure you will have no regrets either!