How to Use the VacMaster VP215 Chamber Sealer
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2018
- In this video, I go beyond describing the initial setup and basic usage of the VacMaster VP215. I demonstrate how and why to adjust the vacuum seal time, and also how to use the vacuum gauge to regulate the percentage of air to be removed from the product to be sealed. I decided to upload this video because I couldn't find this information anywhere when I bought my sealer. Toward the end of the video I mentioned that I have used a food processor for years. What I meant to say was that I have used a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer for years.
Finally a proper review that isn't an advertisement! Actually it is boiling. Boiling temp is related to the pressure around something so if you went high up into the Earths atmosphere water would boil at room temperature. You could put your hand in it and it would feel cool. The machine sucks the air out and makes it boil at a lower temp. And also, that is also how a pressure cooker can cook so fast in reverse. Increasing the pressure lets you cook at 100+ degrees. Fun stuff!!
WOW!! That really is fun stuff!! This is a much better explanation of the process than I got from the VacMaster rep. This also explains why pressure cooking foods makes them so tender. You are essentially slow cooking at a faster speed. Thanks so very much for the info. I love to learn about what makes things work and how they work.
@@judy1104 it is fun stuff!
Did you know that is why on your car the radiator cap will list how many pounds of pressure it will hold before releasing pressure? The more pressure the hotter the contents can get before boiling. A lot of times they get those figures from pure water, at sea level, at a specific temperature.
Your video popped up in my search. I just bought this exact machine and I really appreciated the thoroughness of your video!! Very helpful in learning to use the machine. My wife is very much into Freeze Drying and has the Food Saver unit too. She too wants to be able to seal soups and some liquids. THANK YOU very much!
Glad you found my video helpful. I use my vacuum sealer a lot, and knowing how to regulate the vacuum for different foods help a lot. I also found out that this sealer will vacuum and seal Foodsaver type bags made from rools if you need bags of different sizes.
This was great!!! You actually helped me set my 215 last night!!! Thank you sooo much!!! 💕😃💕
I am happy to hear my video was helpful for you. I wish I had been able to find such a video when I bought my vacuum sealer.
Great review. I have the same machine and LOVE IT!!! One thing you have to take into consideration is as you cut the bag and reseal it again, you'er making in smaller and it will take less time to vacuum the bag to get the same results. I should have bought this machine years ago, I've saved soooo much food.
Actually, I have been using this sealer for over 2 years and use 3 different sizes of bags. I have also cut bags to reseal them. I have never had to consider the size of the bag for vacuuming. No matter the size of the bag, you want the pressure in the chamber to be consistent. The pressure set is the same regardless of the size of the bag. I, too, love this sealer. I have it handy for sealing meal leftover and for sealing and for sealing bulk veggies I grow and meats we buy. If it ever fails us, I'm sure I would buy another. I am now so spoiled, I couldn't do without it. I am happy you found my review helpful.
Thanks for the video. We have the vp 215 too. Works great although we did have a colossal calamity with a liquid where it was sucked out and made and unbelievable mess. We primarily use it for our meats.
I also use it to freeze meals. I often make meals in bulk to have quick meals for later. I love it.
Great job, Judy. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it.
Great review. I’ve had the same unit for about 4 years and it’s done a great job for me.
Thanks, Terry. I have had this sealer for a little over 6 months, and I love it. I use it almost daily and have learned so much more about what it can do. I have considered doing another video demonstration to show what I have learned.
Hi Terry, Glad you like the review. I have had my sealer for almost a year and use it almost daily. I still have a FoodSaver sealer, but I seldom use it. I have found that this unit will also vacuum and seal the FoodSaver bags.
Why is mine inflating the bag when it starts to pull a vacuum? It worked fine for the first 200 bags then all of a sudden this. I think the seal bar may be closing prematurely any ideas?
It may be the circuit board but you wouldn't think it's like brand new just over a year old.
@@Flatlandfeists what are you vacuum packing? I’ve noticed warm/hot food that is wet/moist will do what you describe. When it happens I just terminate the cycle a little earlier.
Thanks so much Judy. Very informative and great advice!!!!!
Glad my review was helpful for you. I have had this sealer for almost a year, and have learned so much more about how to use it. I really need to do a follow-up video to demonstrate more detail. I use this sealer almost daily, and also use it for bulk sealing.
@@judy1104 Hey Judy, I would love to view a follow-up video from you. Nothing like hearing a years experience shared with all of us. Thanks.
Hi BuckStart, For the follow up review, I plan to use real food to demonstrate the different settings, and will have to do this in segments when I am actually doing packaging jobs. I also plan to share some tips that I learned by experimenting. If you subscribe to my channel, you will be notified when I get another video uploaded.
Great instructions! Thank you!
I am glad my video was helpful for you. Check out part II for more helpful suggestions.
Very well done. Thank you!
I am so happy you found my video helpful. I should probably do another one showing how to seal different foods now that I have become proficient in using this sealer.
Thank you!
You are very welcome. I hope the video was helpful for you.
Nice review Judy. I was wondering what the relationships were, i.e. time vs. vacuum and you defined it very well. Just an FYI, the reason water boils when placed into the sealer is that in a vacuum you've reduced the vapor pressure at which water boils. In other words, there is no external pressure on the water and the water more easily converts from liquid to gas.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for the different perspective. The way the VacMaster representative explained it to me is that the pressure causes the water molecules to move faster giving the impression of it boiling. Thinking about this, heat also makes water molecules move faster which brings the water to a boil. The representative told me the water wasn't really boiling, implying the water wasn't getting hotter. Logically, when the molecules of water are moving faster, they must be heating. If this is the case, vacuuming warm food DOES make the liquids boil, but the method of causing them to boil is different. So, I had to test this theory. I put water that was 122 degrees into a bag and vacuumed it for 20 seconds. By the end of the vacuum time, the water did appear to be boiling. After it sealed, I immediately opened it and found that the temperature had dropped to 112 degrees. This leads me to believe that although the liquid appears to be boiling, it is not actually being heated.
@@judy1104 the simplest explanation I can give is that at normal atmospheric pressure, there are a particular number of molecules that are being converted to gas from liquid and vice versa. This is known as vapor pressure and is a particular state of equilibrium. What occurs when a liquid is placed into a vacuum is that the liquid particles (molecules) require less energy to go into a gaseous state. Conversely, heating something creates an energy increase within the system which as you stated, "makes the molecules move faster". This is what causes water to boil at 212 ºF. But if you are at altitude (above sea level) it takes less energy (heat) to make water boil because there is less air pressure pushing down on those molecules. In the end it's all about an equilibrium. As you're likely aware, there are three states to any substance - solid, liquid and gaseous. Each of those states requires certain criteria to maintain that physical state. In essence what a vacuum does is to change one part of the equation. So in the case of a liquid in a vacuum, what you have done is to reduce the amount of pressure on that liquid thus requiring less energy (in the form of heat). So hence, water will boil at room temperature and why we don't fare well in space without some kind of protective suit.
@@crownprp Thanks for the explanation, but I have a question. If the change in vapor pressure can cause water to boil at a lower temperature, might this also be true of the juices in meats that are sealed when warm? In other words, would sealing warm meat cause the meat to cook more?
@@judy1104 that's a good observation but the answer is, No. As you mentioned previously, when you started with a liquid temperature of 122 ºF and then noted that it was 112 ºF. The temperature fell. It is heat that cooks the meat and not the vacuum. The vacuum does not insert energy into the meat hence it does not cook any further. It just decreases the vapor pressure and the appearance of boiling has no relation to any increase in heat.
@@crownprp Daniel, that is so very interesting. It has been my experience that the meat did not cook any more. I very much appreciate your input on this aspect of vacuum sealing, and I'm sure it will help a lot other people with questions on this. Since I am one that wants to know how everything works, this discussion has been very enlightening for me.
Great review! You are a pro at this Thank you.
I'm trying to decide between a a VakPak-It VMC12OP and the VacMaster VP230.
Which would you choose?
I am not at all familiar with the VakPak system. The VP230 looks very similar to the VP215 that I have. I have had this sealer for over 4 years, and have never regretted getting it. i use it almost every day to seal meal leftovers, and also use it frequently for packaging veggie greens that i grow in my basement. At first i shied away from the sealers that used oil, but found out they last much longer than those that don't use oil. Changing the oil is super simple, and as much as i use my sealer, i have to change the oil only once or twice a year. From what I can see, the VP230 is pretty much the same as the VP215, just a newer model. Since I don't know anything about the VakPak system, I can only tell you I am still super happy with the VP215 and would buy a similar model if this one ever poops out.
Can you fit a quart size jar upright to seal a mason jar? Is there enough room to the lid? Great video thanks!!
A quart size jar would not sit upright in this sealer.
Excellent job , can you use any brand bag?
I buy the VacMaster bags from Amazon, and have also used FoodSaver bags. Thin plastic bags may melt unless you reduce the sealing time. Any brand vacuum sealer bags will work.
Nice review. The vacuum time you were playing with is just a the amount of time to draw air from the chamber before automatically sealing. Easy enough. Where did you get your cart? Is it stable enough for this heavy machine?
Glad you like my review. I bought the cart at webstaurant.com. It's heavy duty and sturdy, and very stable. The wheels make it very easy to move. This is a link to the product page for it. www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-24-x-36-two-shelf-chrome-heavy-duty-utility-cart/460UCART2436.html
@@judy1104 Oh thanks, what a coincidence that's the same place I bought my sealer.
Actually, that's where I bought my sealer, too.
Definitely a great review , but just so you know (to the person who made the video), you constantly stated that when the unit was vacuuming out the air that it was “sealing”. It wasn’t “sealing “ , it was “vacuuming” air. Towards the end the vp215 seals after it vacuums, then it “cools” (their terminology).
I said all this for the poster, but to anyone else who might listen to what she says and not 100% understand . Aside from this error, your video was very well made (especially for a non professional ) . I mean that sincerely :) .
Hi, Thank you for your comment. I recorded this video and when I said the unit was sealing, I meant it was in the sealing process which includes vacuuming, sealing, and cooling processes. In other words, when I am sealing a package, it is being sealed from the time I close it and all 3 individual processes are completed once I close it. I apologize if this wasn't self-explanatory in the video.
@@judy1104 apology accepted , lol. To correct your explanations it was NOT in the sealing process. If you said "it is creating a vacuum right now and if you watch in the last couple of seconds , that is when it will seal" that would be correct. Remember, you are creating a video for others to learn from. Now having said that, you can do whatever you want, but a nice comment which just clarifies what you said to someone who might have just bought the machine, or is looking at buying one should be appreciated, especially when that person says "definitely a great review" :). FYI- I have one myself, speaking from experience
ps- great suggestion on using a (rolling) cart, and having a cutting/ preparation board with it. 100% agree
@@surfboard6074 Glad you like the suggestions, Part II of this video offers a few more ways to use this sealing - including using FoodSaver bag rolls if you need to make custom bags and more.
@@surfboard6074 Again, I do appreciate your comments and suggestions. I know from experience what is said may not always be interpreted as what you meant. It can be difficult to anticipate every possible interpretation when doing a video or even when talking to someone. I decided to do the videos on this sealer because, at the time I bought this sealer, no videos could be found on CZcams that explained how to use the sealer and what all the setting were for. Most were very basic, and, at best, vaguely explained how to change the oil. I can only hope my videos are more helpful for people new to this sealer.
When you talked about using a food processor to vacuum seal your food before you purchased the vac master where you talking about a food saver possibly?
Hi, I did mention in the description that I made that error, I didn't want to redo the entire video for that slip-of-the-tongue. Good catch, though.
Yes, I mentioned that in the text under the video.
What kind of cutter do you use To reuse those bags and cut them square please help I just bought a VP 230 and your video is going to help me a lot because I did some vegetables they were cut up peppers and after an hour the bag seem to lose its suction maybe I did it too long or the seal or use 40 seconds now I’m seeing according to your video that you could use last time and maybe it’s not set so I’m just learning but you got a good video you’re the best
Hi Pat, I looked up the VP230 and it looks exactly like the VP215 except that it has a 12 1/4 sealing bar vs. the 11" of the VP215. I don't think this one was available at the time I bought the VP215 or I would have bought it for the longer sealing bar. If you are using 40 seconds sealing time for veggies, that's way too much. I use 15 seconds so the veggies don't get totally smashed. If you are using 3 mil bags, the sealing time should be set to 1.2 and the cooling time should be 2.0. The cooling time is important so the seal holds. The sealing and cooling times will never change unless you use bags of a different thickness. I learned a long time ago the sealing times in the instructions are way off. Even the rep from the company told me that. When sealing veggies of any kind, 15 seconds of sealing time will compress them, but it won't totally smash them. When sealing plastic trays of food, like the ones you sometimes get at the grocery store, I use a sealing time of 10-12 seconds. To repackage frozen meats, like chicken breasts, that are sold in bulk, a sealing time of 25 seconds works best. This prevents chicken breasts from getting freezer burn before you get to use them. For packing fresh meats, a sealing time of about 20 seconds works best. As you get to know your sealer, you will get to know how to set the sealing time for the food you are freezing.
As for cutting the bags to reuse them, I usually don't reuse bags. I do often reuse a bags for prosciutto. For this, I use a bag longer than the prosciutto, since I defrost it as needed and put the rest back in the freezer. I have also done this for frozen fruit that I need only a portion of it. In these cases, I just use a scissors to cut the bag and cut it as straight as I can. The cut doesn't have to be totally accurate to reseal the bag.
Hope this helps and I answered your questions.
Judy Leach well I bought mason jars and they won’t fit standing up I want to put sauce in there and put it in my fridge raider for a couple weeks what do you think about that idea and what would you use for ceiling time no vacuum time the company told me there’s pros and cons on using mason jars I saw a couple of videos on CZcams the lady called apron strings uses it but I haven’t put sauce in it yet but I try a little bit of water 15 seconds seems to be perfect I wish I could have a taller lid on the machine what is your ID on that have you ever done it
@@pasqualepapaleo662 Hi Pat,
Canning is something I know nothing about, and, to tell you the truth, I don't want to learn how to can. Every time I learn to do something new, it only adds to what I already have to do. We currently have 5 large freezers jam packed with frozen foods. I can't imagine where I would store canned foods. Sorry, I can't be of much help on this one.
Tysm!
Yasvw
Check out Part 2 of this video for my ideas to use this sealer and also some good ideas for general freezing of foods.
Where did you buy and how much money I’m looking to buy one
I bought the one I have from Webstaurant.com that had the best price at the time. The current price on this site is $899. I bought mine over 2 years ago and it was a bit less. For pricing, you need to shop around as I did at the time. For the amount that I use this sealer, I can honestly say it was well worth the price. I use mine almost every day, and when processing for freezing, I often have quite a few packages to seal. This sealer has more than paid for itself in the lack the aggravation I had to go through using the less expensive sealers. If it ever breaks and is not repairable, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
Actually when you see the bubbles it really is boiling. Remember, the lower the pressure the lower the boiling point will be. With such a low pressure the boiling point will be room temperature.
Thanks for the info. In the video, I was relating what the rep told me. I found out about the lower pressure lowering the boiling point later.
Where did you get the cart (Link)
Hi Mark, I bought the cart as well as the sealer from Webstaurantstore.com This is a link to the cart. www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-24-x-36-two-shelf-chrome-heavy-duty-utility-cart/460UCART2436.html It is now $76.49. It was $111.35 when I bought it 2 years ago.
Donde consigo el empaque y el teflón para cuchillas en Bogotá Colombia.
No hablo espanol.
Did you say 3 millimeter bag ?? That`s about 1/8 of an inch thick bag ?
I did say 3 ml bags. This is about 18/100th of an inch.
@@judy1104 Hi Judy. 3mil, 3ml and 3 millimeters are not the same.
@@jellybean8770 The bags I use are described as 3 mil. I hope this eliminates any confusion.
@@judy1104 Therefore, 3 mil (.003") is 0.08 millimetres. --- I really like your video by the way !
@@jellybean8770 Thanks, Sorry for the confusion.
You DON'T have to hit the STOP button every time! If you set the Vacuum time properly the machine will automatically stop, seal and then the lid will open up. I also feel like your bags are filled too much. It looks like your bags are wrinkled. I'm sure you have used it and worked out your system. Thanks!
Actually, no vacuum time at all is necessary to seal a bag, so even the lowest vacuum setting is more than needed. Using the STOP button eliminates the need to reset the vacuum time normally used. The only indication of filling a bag too much is that there isn't enough room at the top to seal it. As long as the bag will seal, it's not too much. The important thing to watch for is to make sure the end of the bag being sealed does not have wrinkles. If it does, the bag may not seal properly.
That's NOT what the "spacers" are for! And the bags aren't measured in "millimeters," but mils. 1 mil is 1 thousandth of an inch. And you weren't stopping it on "lower pressure," you were stopping it on progressively HIGHER pressures! And the molecules aren't "moving faster," the liquids ARE indeed boiling. Boiling has little to do with temperature, and everything to do with pressure. (PV = nRT) It is in fact, the definition of "boiling." It's why things boil at a lower temperature when you're at higher altitudes.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!
Actually YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!! Stopping on a lower pressure DOES produce less pressure on what is being sealed. The bags are sold in mils of thickness and not millimeters. Obviously, you have not bought vacuum sealer bags. A millimeter is 1/1000th of an inch. A mil is 1/1000th of a meter. As for the "boiling" points under pressure, this was discussed in previous posts. Obviously, you did not read these. As for the spacers, they are used to place product at the appropriate level to get the bag level for the product you are sealing. I seriously doubt you have this sealer or have any experience with vacuum sealers. Get your head out of your butt!!