How to Use the VacMaster VP215 chamber Sealer Part 2

In this video, I tell you how to seal various foods and how to set the sealer for your sealing job. I also help to clarify the mysteries of the purposes of the settings available. At the end, I also have added a few tips on methods to freeze foods that will make your sealer more useful. Any questions or comments are welcome. I try to respond to all.

[@judy1104]

Hi Jon, I haven’t yet figured out why comments aren’t showing on this video, but I totally agree that the quality of the food we eat is imperative to our health. My Mom is now 99 years old and has been living with us for 7 years. Since she moved in with us, the 10 meds she was taking have been eliminated and she is in perfect health with no meds.

[@kevinjohnson5354]

Very helpful and great tips. Love the birds in the background as well. Thanks look forward to more demos. My VP215 is being shipped.

[@judy1104]

Hi Kevin, Thanks for your comments. Once you get this vacuum sealer, you will wonder how you lived without it. I keep mine handy and use it almost every day. It is especially useful when you have a number of packages to seal. You never have to wait for it too cool as you do with so many other sealers.

[@belindamoses3861]

Very helpful! Thanks for making this video

[@judy1104]

I am so happy you found this video helpful. At the time I bought my sealer, the only videos I could find were on how to change the oil. I couldn't find anything on the purposes or how to use button settings, or even why you would want to change the settings. I called customer service and, fortunately, got a very helpful rep. After this, I learned more on my own. I have had this sealer for over 5 years and I love it. Would never go back to the FoodSaver type sealers.

[@kimmididwhat]

You are a great instructor.! So very helpful!!! I love your birds!!! 💕😃💕

[@judy1104]

Thanks for your comment, and I am happy my video was helpful for you. So many complain about the background noise of my bird, but they won't always be quiet when I want them to be.

[@oby-1607]

Thank you for all of your wonderful ideas and also the casserole tip.

[@judy1104]

I am happy to hear that my video was helpful for you.

[@primusbaby3592]

Thanks for the tips! 🙌

[@judy1104]

You bet!

[@threadlovert1393]

I love your videos on this machine. I started researching food sealers in 2015. I narrowed it down to VacMaster and another sealer. In 2017, I had the opportunity to use the VacMaster while volunteering at a local FoodBank. I was prepping pounds of cooked chicken; three pieces per bag, that were being used in our local Meals on Wheels program. Two hours of non-stop use by three volunteers and those machines (they had three VacMasters) kept on sealing without any issues. I also found the machines very easy to use. That sealed it for me, and I added VacMaster to my wish list. Earlier today, I ordered the VacMaster 215. It should be here on Thursday. I’m looking. I discovered your video about the VacMaster shortly after you uploaded the video. Your VacMaster videos are still my favorite about this machine.

[@judy1104]

You will never regret getting this vacuum sealer. I have had mine for over 2 years, and I honestly couldn't imagine having to seal and freeze foods without it. If it ever breaks, I am totally sure I would buy another one.

[@threadlovert1393]

@@judy1104 It arrived today around 2:00 PM. At the time, I was not able to do anything with it except bring it inside. I was still working; 100 % remote. After work I took my mom to the hospital to see my dad. This evening I finally got a chance to set it up on my kitchen countertop. I read the instructions, oiled and ran it for about 30 minutes, Tomorrow, I’ll be doing a lot of meal prep. I’m honestly thinking about resealing everything in my deep freezer.

[@judy1104]

@@threadlovert1393 You are going to love this sealer. I buy a lot in bulk that is already frozen and often reseal packages that have air in them. If you have any air in packages, you will get freezer burn. When resealing packages already frozen, use at least 25 on the vacuum setting.

[@threadlovert1393]

@@judy1104 Thanks for the tip. It was on 60. That was the default; however, I’ll be playing around with the settings today since I’ll be sealing produce from our garden. The VacMaster 215’s that I used (a few years back) at the Food Bank stayed on the Food Banks' default setting for poultry. If I remember correctly, they set theirs at 1.20. Late last evening, I realized I could also use the VacMaster for my fiber stash. I spin, knit, and weave. I don’t have any issues with moths; however, I’ll be able to store a lot more fiber. I also can use it for guinea pig food. My daughter has three of the little piggies. :) I can now purchase their food in bulk, break it down into smaller bags, and vacuum seal them. There are so many uses! What bags do you use? I’m checking out the different thicknesses. I bought 4ml. I also read about 5ml bags. Have you used Mylar bags with your Vac Master? I know I’ll have a lot of questions. I’m looking forward to sealing. I’m about to start doing that now. :) Thanks again for your responses. It really is appreciated. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

[@judy1104]

@@threadlovert1393 OMG, I can't imagine ever setting the vacuum pressure at 60. I steam, package and seal a lot of produce, mostly veggie greens, that I grow in my basement all year. For these, I use a vacuum setting of 15. At this setting all of the air is removed, but the greens aren't squashed down to much. I also package beets at the same setting after they have been steamed. This setting seems good for most produce. I buy beans and grain in bulk, and generally use a setting of 20 to vacuum them. I also buy frozen meats, like chicken breasts, and use a setting of 25 for them. I have never used a vacuum pressure higher than 25 for anything. There really are so very many uses, and meats never get freezer burn when vacuum sealed. I buy the VacMaster bags from Amazon, and get them in quantities of 1000 per box. In the past, I bought 3 mil bags that worked fine. Most recently I bought the 4 mil 6" x 8" bags that I use for meal portions of veggie greens. These bags are noticeably thicker than the 3 mil bags. 3 mil bags are fine for veggies, but the 4 mil would be better for freezing meats with bones as they would not puncture easily. I have not used Mylar bags, but have not needed them for my purposes. The 5 mil bags would be thicker than the 4 mil, but, so far, the 3 mil and 4 mil bags have worked fine for me. Please don't worry about asking questions. We learn from each other, and I am more than happy to answer and questions you have as best I can. If you have had other vacuum sealers in the past, I'm sure you will love this one.

[@OGRH]

Something I thought you might find interesting... I'm not trying to correct nor criticize you, I'm simply sharing something that I found fascinating which I didn't know... until I did. And... I think you will too if you didn't. In your last video you mentioned that the liquid is not really boiling, that the molecules are just moving around, which is partially true... The temperature at which water begins to boil (boiling point) decreases as the vacuum within an atmosphere increases. Boiling is simply the temperature at which water begins to transform into a gas, which we refer to as steam... When you lower the atmospheric pressure (add a vacuum) where water exists, that water will literally begin to bubble🫧 or "boil" at room temperature. This is why astronauts have to wear sealed spacesuits that are pressurized which is essentially doing the opposite of what your vac master is doing. If they went into the vacuum of space without a suit, the water in their blood and tissue would begin to boil out of their bodies through their eyes, pores, etc.. etc... they wouldn't "burn" to death, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a pleasant way to die... i'm sure the air bubbles forming in their veins would trigger a heart attack pretty quickly as well. Great videos! Thank you for sharing! Next time you do a video you can confidently say, "Yes. That water is in fact boiling, but don't worry it's not going to burn you."! Hope you found that as interesting as I did! As you said to another commenter we are all here to learn from each other. 😘

[@judy1104]

I do find this very interesting since I have a great interest in science and technology.

[@JP-pl9mv]

7:19 9:28 11:38 Bird imitates the smoker voice lol Great and informative video Judy, I subscribed so that I can hear your voice again and again...

[@judy1104]

Not quite sure how to react to this comment.

[@powerforex1]

Thanks Judy for the video, it is very helpful. I have a question. I want to seal my freeze dried meat and would like to know what SIZE , KIND, THICKNESS bags to purchase and any other advice you might have for me. Thanks in advance.

[@judy1104]

I buy the 3 mil VacMaster bags from Amazon in bulk since I freeze a lot of foods of different sizes. These bags come in sizes 10" x 13", 8" x 12", and 6" x 8". The 6" x 8" bags are small, but for my purposes, I use them the most. For my family, we use about 12 oz. of veggies per meal, and I can fit this amount of most veggies in these bags. I generally leave the sealing time at 1.2 and the cooling time at 2.0 for 3 mil bags. The sealing time depends on what I am sealing. For veggies, containers with meals, and other foods I don't want to smash, I set the sealing time to 15 and sometimes less. For meats, I set the sealing time to 20-25. If meats are frozen, 25 works best to get all the air out of the bag. Since freeze dried meats can have sharp points on them, you may want to go with bags that are a bit thicker like 4 mil which are also available on Amazon. So far, I have had pretty good results with the 3 mil bags except for crab legs that have some sharp points. For these, I often have to double bag them. To find the bags on Amazon do a search on "vacmaster bags". Hope this helps you.

[@powerforex1]

@@judy1104 Thank you so much Judy for taking time to share your knowledge. I really really do appreciate it....God bless you

[@judy1104]

@@powerforex1 I am happy to help when I can. This sealer is really a wonderful product that I use daily. I can't imagine going back to the FoodSaver sealers.

[@kierscotons5427]

Thanks so much for this video! Are the vegetables you are sealing all blanched before freezing to stop the enzymes? Also, I read in the amazon reviews that you can place canning jars on their sides, finger tightened, have you tried this? And how would you reseal an open bag of potato chips? Just seal without vacuum?

[@judy1104]

The majority of veggies need to be blanched prior to freezing to destroy the enzymes that cause them to continue ripening. I used to boil them in water for blanching, but then it occurred to me than many of the nutrients were left in the blanching water. For the last year or so, I have been steaming them in my pressure cooker. to retain the nutrients. Some veggies don't need to be blanched such as bell peppers. For peppers, I clean out the seed and quarter them and for tomatoes, I remove the core and freeze them before packaging. For veggies, I use a pressure setting of 15 to remove the air and not squash them too much. I don't think I would try vacuuming potato chips. It would be very difficult to stop the vacuuming before the chips were reduce to crumbs.

[@threadlovert1393]

@@judy1104 I was watching a video where a lady was blanching her vegetables, and I thought the same thing. Good idea about steaming. I’m going to use my bamboo steamer to take care of my steamed veggies.

[@judy1104]

@@threadlovert1393 I grow quite a few veggies in my basement and often have a large quantity to process for freezing. I have been using the steaming function on my pressure cooker. This has been working well for large quantities. I have also found the steamed veggie greens taste as good or better than when I was taking the time to sauté them. They are also much more evenly cooked.

[@nickbrown6916]

When you where sealing just the bags can’t you set the vac time to zero and seal just the bag? I have been researching a lot and I am going to buy one soon. Where did you find the best price?

[@judy1104]

The lowest the vacuum time can be set is 6 seconds. I find it easier to leave the setting as-is, and just press the stop button. I bought my sealer about 2 1/2 years ago, and the best price at the time was webstaurant.com. It would be a good idea to check a few different vendors to find out if they still have the best price.

[@pasqualepapaleo662]

You seem like a professional would you buy any other brand or do you really like this brand

[@judy1104]

At the time I was looking for a vacuum sealer, I did quite a bit of research to learn about the different pros and cons of the various features. For example, the sealers that use oil vs. the ones that don't. Initially, I thought the ones that use oil would be a pain because of the periodic oil changes required. I found out sealers that use oil are not only quieter, but they last longer. I also considered a model that had two sealers so you could seal two bags at a time. Although this would be handy for those times I have a lot of bags to seal, the additions cost didn't seem worth it to save 20 or so seconds on a seal. My research included quite a few different brands, and I kept coming back to this one. Having talked to VacMaster customer service a couple of time, I am so very happy that I chose this brand. There is no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision.

[@ronsellew5696]

Can you seal mylar bags in this machine?

[@judy1104]

Yes.You just need to increase the sealing and cooling times.

[@13Voodoobilly69]

You can set the vacuum time to zero when sealing the bags for custom sizes.

[@judy1104]

Thanks so much. That's good to know. Documentation doesn't let us know about these little things, so we are learning from experience. Thanks again for your comment.

[@judy1104]

Sorry, I didn't completely answer your question. The vacuum time can't be set to zero,. The lowest it goes is 8, so I start the vacuum and immediately press the stop button to stop to just seal the end of custom bags.

[@mikeemerson3169]

@@judy1104 no in

[@judy1104]

@@mikeemerson3169 HUH??

[@pasqualepapaleo662]

What is the noise in the background it’s kind of distracting but your video is very good because now I’m going to buy one

[@judy1104]

The background noise is one of my parrots. The whistling sound is a Congo African Grey.

[@pasqualepapaleo662]

Do you only buy food saver bags they are expensive you can buy the bags for that machine any mail you want like six mill or three mill yes or no on other videos I’ve seen and they are a lot cheaper

[@judy1104]

The vacuum sealer bags are a lot cheaper, but they can be bought only in specific lengths and widths. For this sealer, the widest bag you can use is 10". Considering these bags have a 1/2" seal on each side, you really have only 9" of width for your food. By using the FoodSaver bag rolls, you can use the 11" roll to make your own bags. These also have the sealed sides that allow you 10" for food storage. If you position the roll stock so the sealed edges are outside of the sealing bar, you get a good seal since the sealed sides don't need to be sealed. The largest vacuum sealer bag you can use in this sealer is 10" x 13". By using the FoodSaver bag rolls, you can make bags that are both wider and longer than the vacuum sealer bags you can buy. This can come in handy when, for example, you want to package a roast that is too large for a 10" x 13" vacuum sealer bag. Sometimes size does matter :).

[@pasqualepapaleo662]

It’s not automatic

[@judy1104]

Do you mean that the sealer is not automatic?? If this is what you mean, it is kind of automatic if your uses vacuum sealer bags that are the same thickness. If you do, the sealing time and cooling time would never change. In this case, you have the flexibility to change the vacuum time depending on what you are sealing. Since I use the same thickness of bags for everything (3 ml), I use a setting of 15 seconds for sealing veggies that I don't want totally smashed. When packaging and sealing frozen chicken breasts that we buy in bulk, I use a vacuum time of 25 seconds to get all the air out in order to prevent freezer burn. I also use a setting of 15 seconds when sealing containers of food. Once you get used to using this sealer, all of this will be second nature. The only time you need to change the sealing and cooling times is when you change the thickness of the bags you are using.

[@pasqualepapaleo662]

I can’t believe you’re using those expensive food saver bags explain

[@judy1104]

I seldom use FoodSaver bags. I use them only when I need bags that are longer or a bit wider than the vacuum sealer bags. In the video, I was trying to show the versatility of this sealer and that it also can seal custom bags made from FoodSaver rolls.

[@anthonymartin8391]

pretty unimpressive for a $1200 machine

[@judy1104]

First of all, this machine doesn't cost $1200 if you find the right source. Second, if you have ever used the smaller vacuum sealers and experienced them overheating after 5 seals or had them suck up liquids so you had to clean the machine before you could use it again, you would believe this machine is pretty impressive. Doesn't sound like you have had much experience in vacuuming sealing in volume.

[@stevenlaubach7222]

@@judy1104 I had one of them el cheapo food savers constantly overheating trying to do 50 lbs of moose sausage it took hours of aggravation trying to get the unit to cool down to work. This machine looks awesome I am getting one for sure. thanks for the video!!!

[@judy1104]

@@stevenlaubach7222 Boy, have I felt your pain!! I also had a less expensive sealer for many years. I package fresh veggies in bulk, usually cook enough for 3 or more meals, and buy some meats in bulk. AT times, I had over 20 packages to seal. I could seal up to 5 packages and then had to wait 10 minutes or so for the sealer to cool. If there was any liquid at all in the package, I had to start all over because the unit sucked up the liquid and wouldn't seal. This sealer is a dream come true, and cuts so much time and aggravation from my sealing jobs. I keep it on a cart in a room other than my kitchen, so it's handy all the time. I really use it almost daily for sealing meal leftovers, and it doesn't matter if there is liquid in the package. I never have to wait for it to cool no matter how many packages I seal. In addition, it gets all of the air out of every package which the old sealer didn't do. I looked into quite a few other units before buying this one. With some, you don't have to change the oil. I found out that the units that use oil last longer and are quieter. Really, with the amount of sealing I do, which is quite a lot, I have had to change the oil only a couple of time in the 2 years I have had it. You need only to take off a cap, drain the old oil, and put in new oil - it really isn't a big deal. If this sealer ever broke, I would most definitely buy another one.

[@coreym5072]

@@judy1104 haven’t found anything less than $1,200

[@judy1104]

@@coreym5072 It really depends on what you seal and how much you seal. If you need to vacuum an occasion leftover meal or a couple of packages with no liquid, one of the less expensive sealers would be fine for you. If you need to package veggies in bulk, casseroles with liquid, or meat in bulk, the cost of this sealer is well worth the cost for the savings in aggravation and time. I have had my sealer for over 3 years, and use it at least 3-4 times a week. Sometimes, I need to seal only one package of leftovers, and, sometimes, I need to seal 15-20 packages of harvested and blanched veggies. Very often, when I make casseroles, fajitas, pepper steak, and quite a few others, I double or triple the recipe to have leftovers for 3-4 meals I can freeze. When I don't feel like cooking, I have a stock of prepared meals to choose from so we still have excellent meals. Yes, this sealer is not cheap, but spreading the cost over the years it lasts and considering the aggravation it eliminates, in my opinion, it is well worth the cost.

[@mike333h]

I know it’s your machine, but I cringed every time you let take lid just slam up. Even when your hand was right by it.

[@judy1104]

I have to agree with you. Now I keep my hand above it to catch it when it comes up. Thanks for your comment.

[@studentism]

@@judy1104eh don't worry about it, we did that all day every day in a commercial kitchen. that was the least of the problems

[@judy1104]

Thanks for your comment. I totally agree, but some people need to nitpick. Negative comments are expected.