Avid ArmorChamber Vacuum Sealer Machine USV20 Ultra Series for Wet Foods, Meat Vacuum Packing Machine, Compact with 11.5-Inch Vaccum Sealer Bar

I hemmed and hawed for months not wanting to shell out a bunch more money on another vac sealer after having my foodsaver and a previous brand both break down on me. This brand is certainly not the cheapest but, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND THEN SOME.This thing could not be easier to use, right out of the box it’s ready to go and you don’t even need instructions. No more pre cutting bags, no more failed seals bc there’s a spec of water on your food, no more subpar vacuum seals that still leave some air in the bag no matter how many times you run the machine. This thing works PERFECTLY the first time and every time I have used It so far.I can’t even explain how not comparable this thing is to the other cheaper brands, not only is It easier to use and less fussy, but the actual vac seal It puts around your food is professional grade, there is not a molecule of air in the pouch. Your food will now lay completely flat in the freezer of fridge which is a total game changer in terms of space utilization, and you don’t need to worry for one second about freezer burn (which still happened to some of my food with the cheaper vac seal brands).This product is definitely quite a bit heavier and bigger than other brands but to me that’s only bc it’s infinitely better built and more sturdy, thing is a tank. For me I just store It in a closet near my kitchen and bring It out when necessary, it’s heavy but definitely not to the level that anyone would have difficulty carrying It once in a while. If you have the counter space for It I think it’s a pretty sleek looking machine tho.Another thing I was worried about was how long It took to achieve the vac and seal. Ideally I would not have to wait over a minute every time I wanted to seal an item. Fingers crossed, to this point I have never had to change the setting past the minimum time of 20 seconds for vac and 4 for seal, that has gotten the job done every time for me. It’s just as quick as other machines in my experience and does a way better job.All and all if you enjoy vacuum sealing your food and are on the fence about shelling out the cash or going with a cheaper brand, I would take this product 10/10 times. Using this product is a thoroughly superior experience to any other brand I have tried and I could not imagine ever going back. Once you use this thing you will not regret spending a few hundred extra bucks.

I have gone through so many vacuum sealers that I lost count. About 10 years ago I bought a commercial chamber vacuum sealer because I make a lot of stock. It worked really great but it was HUGE and heavy. It couldn't fit on my counter and I ended giving it away.Fast forward to today and within an hour I was able to vacuum seal about 8 quarts of homemade chicken stock. The bags vacuumed and sealed with ease and the bags are now laying flat in the freezer.The directions are short, simple and to the point. It isn't ridiculously heavy and as you can see by the picture it will fit perfectly on the counter which means I will use it more than the last one.This costs a bit more than the more widely known name brand but to me it is worth the extra bucks because of the versatility and build.I highly recommend it

This vacuum sealer is the best thing I never knew I always needed. I find myself using it all the time for more than I imagined. It’s great to portion out leftovers, or divide bulk buys for freezing. Sometimes I find myself looking for things to vac seal just because it’s fun.I had been looking hard at the bigger chamber models, but they were really overkill for my needs. I’m very glad I found and went with this smaller model. It fits under the counter in my kitchen, and is light weight to tote around if I want to batch process in another location. This mobile aspect is a feature I really appreciate and use fairly often.I do some batch processing at times, and I did wonder if this unit would hold up. So far I’ve used it in two longer sessions of over an hour non-stop each, and it seems to have fared just fine.I like that the settings are easy to adjust. And that it does not make annoying beeps every time you seal something. It has a double seal line, and that’s nice. So far I haven’t had any trouble with bags not sealing well. I have used 2 different off-brands of vacuum bags with it and both have worked fine, so it doesn’t seem too finicky about the brand of bags you use.In terms of size, I mainly use an 8x10 bag or smaller and find this is a nice size for most things I do. The unit will take up to an 11x10 bag max so it wouldn’t seal a whole roasting chicken or a big beef roast. Cut up the chicken or cut a big roast in half though and you could seal it all easily.I find the vacuum suction power to be very good. Most leftovers I use 20-30 seconds of vacuum time and find that’s plenty. I sealed some bean seed to save for next season and went a full 60 seconds on it, which is the maximum time this unit will do. I was very impressed at the result - those beans were packed tight!I haven’t used the hose port to speak to how well it works, but I do like that it has one as an option. Most chamber models do not.I do find that I need to put light pressure on the lid to make sure it grabs and starts pulling vacuum. The timer runs as soon as the motor starts, whether you are pulling vacuum on the chamber or not. So if the lid doesn’t seal til half way through the cycle, it still stops and seals at the end of the time (effectively giving you a 15 second time of vacuum pull rather than 30, for example). This has caught me once or twice, and I had to cut open a bag and reseal it. (Note that there is a cancel button if you realize and think quickly enough.) I read a review from someone who found this really annoying, but I don’t find it a big deal. I just stay in the habit of pressing gently down on the lid with one hand while hitting the start button with the other.The one complaint I have with the unit is that I find the control buttons touchy. Sometimes I hit the button and nothing happens. Most of the time it starts on the second try, it’s never been worse than 3 tries. It’s a smooth control panel, so you can’t feel a button depress. I’m old school enough to miss that, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. Most of the time one press and it starts fine. Perhaps there’s just an element of me needing to learn just how / where to press.So definitely overall I recommend this as a great unit for household needs, including those who do a lot of garden or meat preserving.UPDATE 7-20-22Just wanted to come back and say I still love this little vacuum sealer. I’ve had no issues with it and love it just as much as when I first wrote the review.