Anova Precision™ Chamber Vacuum Sealer

I got to admit I was very worried about all of those 5 star reviews from people who received this product free. Hey! Why don't a get Free Stuff like them? Anyhow, I've had an edge vacuum machine for eons... we used them store food. We don't freeze meats or cheese, instead we vacuum wrap them and store them in the garage fridge. Some other stuff, like fowl, we freeze. All along we had to deal with the limitation of not being able to handle liquids... So, over the years I ruined a couple of those machines when liquids got into the pump. And I don't like the old immersion method with a zip lock bag, it's too imprecise. Then, five or six years ago, we got a Sous Vide machine ( a large chamber unit ). So, I really wanted to cook stuff with liquids, not just dry rubbed meats and chickens. For this I really needed a chamber vacuum machine. In my case price was not so much the issue, as a thousand bucks or so is doable... size is: I have a self imposed limitation that stuff needs to fit into approx 13"x13" cubbies ( length is negotiable, it can go to 20"). And most of the entry level vacuum machines are simply too large. We were stuck. Hoping those Ziplock bags in 140F water for 48 hours weren't gonna poison us. Over the last year or so I noticed a new family of smaller machines hit the market, with commensurate smaller bag sizes and prices. I admit that I was worried that an 11x8x3 chamber would be too small. For sure it will not work with roasts and full sized meat cuts.... but after some consideration, I figured that for such big cuts we seldom marinate. So... we've kept the old, nice, big edge vacuum machine. To handle the dry storage and cooking for large cuts. But for every thing else, like storing chopped veggies, marinating chicken, soup, etc.. we started to use this vacuum machine. It's been a week so far and we've been using quite a bit... it works great. For three or four people the size is pretty much perfect. For more, well, I dare say you'll need the larger machines. But make sure you are ready to live with yet another shiny clunker. It has two modes... one is the standard vacuum mode... with high and normal vacuum levels. I recommend normal. The high vacuum turns rice into mush... Trust me... the normal vacuum level, at sea level, works fine. The normal mode runs about 45 seconds from start to end, the high mode runs about a minute. Not fast, rather slow, but it's a residential use machine so it's definitely fast enough for the needs. The other modes, for drying, marinating, etc... sound interesting, but I have not tried them. It sounds a bit avant guard... I'll let my daughter, the chef, work with that one. Another thing... the looks. I was hesitant in not buying the other machine in the market, similar size and price, that has the stainless steel exterior and more industrial looks, with a good old round vacuum gauge. I'm into stuff that has shiny chrome, lights, levers, knobs, gauges... heck, our espresso machine has three gauges, a digital display, two knobs, two levers, a switch, lights... ACTION!... But as it turns out, the small size and understated looks of this machine work out very nicely. It doesn't overwhelm like our expresso machine and coffee grinders... Oh well.... ...and it works well. Lat.. the User Manual. OK, so it covers the bases.... and you need reading glasses. No pictures, not even many drawings. Smaller than an audio CD. Seriously? I mean, yes, it's in readable English but for ~400 bucks can't the manufacturer afford a LARGER, COLOR, WELL WRITTEN user's manual with PICTURES? How about some recipes for those fancy Avant Guard modes? Anyhow, so far, we're happy with it. It does what it needs to do. Now, if someone will send me a free copy, I'll too write a nice review.

I've always wanted a chamber vacuum sealer, but they were way too expensive for home use. The Anova is reasonably priced, even more so during Prime days, so I took the plunge, and I'm delighted with my choice. The kind I owned was the kind where you made your own bags, then placed the food in it, and had the sealer suck the air out of the bag and seal the open end. A chamber vacuum sealer uses a different method altogether. The bags are premade, without needing one side to be textured. I place the food in the bag, put it in the chamber sealer, clip the unsealed end with the built-in clip, and press Start. With a chamber vacuum sealer, the air is sucked out of the chamber, not the bag. When the open end is sealed, the air is allowed back into the chamber, which then causes the bag to collapse and protect the food inside. The Anova Vacuum Sealer is much larger than a standard vacuum sealer. It looks like a small printer. This vacuum sealer may not be for you if you have limited counter space. On the other hand, if you can find a convenient spot, it's a wonderful upgrade to an old-style sealer and will even allow you to seal foods you never dreamed of before. As an example, left-over chili or beef stew seal perfectly in a chamber vacuum. You could even do soup! So far, I am delighted with this purchase!

After nearly a year, my Anova chamber vacuum sealer is the most consistently satisfying thing in my life. As someone who lives alone I've used it to repackage all sorts of bulk-quantity foods into reasonable portion sizes. I've used it to package meats with marinades. I've used it to portion out my favorite recipes for freezing. I've even used it to keep a pie fresh! It's a little loud, but it's a nice rumbling loud, not a high pitched whiny loud like a regular vacuum sealer. The one improvement I'd make is to make the chamber a square. It can be awkward to fit a bag that's longer than it is wide.

Never thought food prep as fun but watching this thing in action is! 2 reasons for not giving 5 stars: 1. There’s no way to light vacuum for soft items like bread 2. Requires using premade bags as there’s no ‘SEAL ONLY’. The only way to make bags is to cut from the roll and go thru the whole vacuum process just so the one end of bag will seal

This thing is awesome. We like to bulk buy and cut our own steaks. Also if we buy a ton of hamburger we can separate and vacuum seal it. Can’t wait to start making things and being able to seal and freeze. The quality is great. It’s not too big. Just the right size for everyday people. Easy to use and great value.

This is the way to go. Have reg vac sealer, but this far better and being able to seal wet and dry, infuse, pickle, it just opens a whole world. It is big, expected it to be noisy, but it is fine. Hope it lasts. Would like more recipes on things that can be done with it. I really like it. Normally I had to freeze items first, then vac seal. No more. Happy I got this one. Would recommend to everyone

I have the other type that lays flat. This is superior.. with the built-in glass top, it just looks beautiful in the kitchen. It works perfect. If you have trouble at first get in the bags to sit right you will get that probably the second day and it just becomes natural. The main settings button is all you need. You don’t really have to touch the other stuff.

For $350, you expect something that works longer than 11 months. You have to add random objects to the chamber to keep packages from sliding out of the seal bar due to the vibration. Vacuums and seals great. EDIT: The Anova site is useless. Also, even if you ourchased it from Anova directly, you still dont get a year warranty. Don't just avoid the machine, avoid the company. Dies after 11 months. Spend the equivalent of a car payment on something else. Avoid this equipment for the short life span.

Worked as I expected. Easy to use. If all I do is freeze water for camping, this should pay a good portion of the cost back.