Our VacMaster VP112S Review

The VacMaster VP112S Chamber Vacuum Sealer is an ideal option for those who want to be able to seal liquid rich foods, soups as well as conventional vacuum sealed foods. The VP112S is a lighter duty version of the very well regarded but larger (and heavier) range of chamber vacuum sealer that have the ability to vacuum seal liquids – something that many conventional vacuum bag sealers cannot do. Even though this is a lighter duty model it is still, as are all VacMaster products, robustly built. Its low profile of only 9” with a footprint of 24” x 16” makes it an ideal size for fitting on kitchen counter tops.

Although the overall volume of the VP112S is relatively small it does weigh 40 lbs. so users may need assistance to lift it to the counter top. Unlike most conventional vacuum sealer that create a vacuum in the bag (and also draw out liquids), with the VP112S the bag to be vacuum sealed is placed in a chamber. The air is then drawn out of the whole chamber, meaning that there is no positive air pressure for the liquid to be sucked out to. The bag is then double sealed and the air let back in to the chamber. Using this chamber system means that liquid rich foods such as stews, marinades and even soups can at last be vacuum sealed in a domestic kitchen.

Many users have found the VP112S particularly useful in sous vide cooking (very slowly cooking foods at lower temperatures with the food sealed in a vacuum bag to preserve the juices).  There are a wide range of vacuum sealers available today but many have restriction on what they can and cannot seal, with the VP112S many of the drawbacks with other sealers have been eliminated.

VacMaster VP112S Chamber Vacuum Sealer

• Redesigned heavy-duty chamber & lid allows for consistent performance with a 4 mm wide positive seal
• Marinating cycle marinates and infuses meats, fruits and veggies; helps penetrate food with deeper flavor

Our VacMaster VP112S Review

Vacuum sealers are a very popular addition to many kitchens. Their ability to extend the freshness of food in the refrigerator or larder and extend the storage time in the freezer by up to 5 times non-vacuum sealed foods can be stored helps reduced gone off food being thrown out. Those who like to do batch cooking find vacuum sealers invaluable. Not only does it extend the life of the food, but it also takes up far less room than if plastic storage containers were to be used. Plus, the vacuum sealed food can be cooked or warmed through by placing the vacuum sealed food straight into boiling water.

Setting up the VacMaster VP112S for use is simple. The only difficulty that some users may find is that at 40 lbs, the help of a second person may be needed to help locate the machine.

Included in the box are 40 assorted bags, a very useful bone guard to prevent punctures when sharp boned meats are vacuum sealed and a stand to hold the bags open when being loaded. This is a small wire stand that makes matters so much easier that you wonder why every manufacturer does not include one. As mentioned in the introduction, many vacuum sealers are very good at sealing foods without free liquid but fail when it comes to liquid rich foods. Even small amounts of liquid can cause problems when some liquid gets drawn by the vacuum in to the area that is to be sealed it prevents a good seal from forming.

The VacMaster VP112S is one vacuum sealer that eliminates this problem completely by using a sealed chamber from which all the air is removed. With an equalized vacuum any free liquid will not be sucked into the vacuum pipe.  A real test for the effectiveness of this vacuum sealer to see how effective it is at sealing liquids is to seal a bag of just water. This test the VP112S passes with flying colors. As sous vide cooking becomes more popular a vacuum sealer such as the VacMaster VP112S really comes in to its own. Being able to vacuum seal dishes with sauces and marinades included makes life so much easier. The internal dimensions of the chamber measure 12” x 11” x 5” with the sealing bar covering the 12” length.This volume is more than sufficient to cover most needs.

One area that the VP112S is lacking when compared to many other VacMaster models is that it doesn’t come with spacer boards. These are a very useful addition when small quantities of food are being sealed as they reduce the spare volume which means that the vacuum is achieved much quicker and the machine has to work less hard as well. Although the machine is not rated for continuous use, VP112S owners report that they have sealed over 30 bags in one session without any problems such as overheating.

VacMaster produce a range of sizes in vacuum bags but many people find that any bag suitable for vacuum sealing works well on this machine.

VacMaster VP112S Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
The VacMaster VP112S is popular. It happily serves hundreds of restaurant owners and food establishments.	No spacer boards are included with the VacMaster VP112S model. However, users have reported being able to seal 20-30 bags in one session without overheating the appliance.
It’s small and compact size is useful for constant use. However, it does weigh quite a bit.	The VacMaster bags seem to work best – with other non-branded bags not exactly fitting perfectly.
Being able to seal liquid rich foods will be a life saver for many. The majority of vacuum sealers we have reviewed are not capable of sealing foods such as soups and stews.	This particularly model is quite expensive, and it’s hard to justify the price tag when compared to other leading brands.

VacMaster VP112S Best Features

• Able to vacuum seal liquid rich foods – this is the outstanding feature of this machine. Being able to vacuum seal marinades (which increases the amount of the marinade absorbed by the food as a bonus) as well as soups and stews enables all foods to now benefit from the extended life that vacuum sealing gives
• Fits on the kitchen counter – many other chamber style vacuum sealer are bulkier and even if they fit between the counter and over counter cupboards, the height of the opened lid means that they have to be moved when in use
• Longer lasting freshness of all foods whether fresh or frozen – the food that is vacuum sealed will last up to 5 times the length of food stored conventionally in freezer, refrigerator or larder
• 12” long double seal bar – the double seal ensures that the vacuumseal on the bag remains intact
• Cycle time of between 30 and 60 seconds – depending on the amount of free space in the chamber
• Transparent sealing lid – this allow users to check that the bag isset correctly before sealing rather than finding out after that it was not.
• 2 cylinder vacuum pump – for more efficient and maintenance free operation
• Stainless steel body – looks good and is easy to clean

VacMaster VP112S Conclusion

This is yet another very good vacuum sealer from VacMaster that is able to vacuum seal most foods including those with a high degree of liquid content. The efficient and maintenance free 2 cylinder vacuum pump operates with much less noise than many vacuum pumps on conventional sealers. The additional noise is only a minor irritation if the sealer is used infrequently but if the sealer is to be used regularly the relative quietness of the VP112S is a real bonus.

Where the VP112S scores highly is the fact that it fits very comfortably in a domestic kitchen situation. 110v machines are readily available whereas the 220v option (designated VP112EU) can be found with a little searching. The only drawback with the VP112S is that not every VP112S comes with the spacer boards, if not it is well worth buying some or using small plastic chopping boards that fit in the sealer because of the time that is saved when vacuum sealing smaller quantities of food.

Although the VP112S is a little more expensive than some conventional bag sealers the durability plus the ability to vacuum seal liquids make this a highly recommended option when deciding which vacuum sealer to purchase.