Seal-a-Meal VS107 Food Sealer

Across the board, we read mixed reviews for vacuum food sealers, regardless of brand or price. For that reason, we think it makes sense to spend less on something simple. The Seal-a-Meal VS107 works much like more expensive vacuum food sealers, but it does so a lot more slowly -- and you have to hold the lid down with both hands until the seal starts to set. It can take more than 10 minutes to seal a bag, users complain. On the plus side, two professional reviewers have good results with the Seal-a-Meal, calling it a good choice if you need to store items in the freezer for two months or less. The Seal-a-Meal vacuum food sealer includes an accessory hose for sealing canisters or wine bottles, though owners give the sealer mixed reviews for

performance, with some saying it is loud. It can use premade bags, but it can also use special rolls of food-grade sealing plastic (made of polyethylene plastic and nylon) for custom sizes. If you mainly want to use a food sealer for small items now and then, you might consider the inexpensive Debbie Meyer Reynolds Handi-Vac (*Est. $15) as an alternative. This handheld sealer is battery powered, and reviewers say the batteries don't last very long.

We found the most comprehensive reviews of the Seal-a-Meal VS107 Food Sealer in a comparison review of eight food sealers conducted by Cook's Illustrated magazine and a review of three vacuum food sealers on AnnaAndKristina.com, a blog run by two Canadian shopping experts and television hosts. There are some helpful owner-written reviews at Amazon.com.