The Best Vacuum Sealer Bags

Buying Guide

Vacuum sealers are great to have because they protect food from spoiling and guard important items from damage. They gained popularity with consumers once club warehouse stores like BJ’s and Sam’s Club started selling items in bulk. At first, people who shopped at these stores were saving money, but this gain could be easily lost when the extra food spoiled. Enter the vacuum sealer bag, which enables users to portion out their food and save some for later, without the risk of spoilage or freezer burn.

Chamber sealers are large and expensive, and they require putting a whole container into an enclosure. External sealers are more affordable, and they use vacuum sealer bags. These bags can keep food fresh for much longer, and they can even be used to cook the sealed food.

MORE: The Best Vacuum Sealer

External food sealers can save consumers a lot of money, and buyers do not need to purchase the vacuum sealer bags recommended by the manufacturer. Most of the bags on the market work with different models of sealer, so it is important to check for compatibility before making a purchase. Some of the bags are pre-cut, while others come in rolls that can be custom-cut.

The rolls come in different sizes, with some of the more common being 8 inches by 50 feet and 11 inches by 50 feet. Sealer bags come in different thicknesses, too, ranging from around 3 to over 11 Mil (this measurement does not refer to millimeters; a Mil is equal to 1/1000^th of an inch). The backs of vacuum sealer bags are thicker than the fronts, and they are textured to prevent air from getting in.

• These bags are sold in regular and commercial grades. The thickness on the front of a regular bag can be about 3 Mil, while 4 Mil and up is categorized as commercial grade.
• The majority of vacuum sealer bags have a back thickness of 9 to 10 Mil.
• Vacuum sealer bags are used in sous vide cooking. Once only used in exclusive restaurants, this method involves placing vacuum-sealed food into a temperature-controlled water bath. Sous vide cooking devices range in price.
• When storing food for shorter periods of time or doing sous vide cooking, thicker bags are not required. Choose a thicker bag for storing food that has bones in it or if the food needs to be stored for more than 30 days.