Food sealers have revolutionized the concept of food storage, enabling users to stow their leftover meals and excess food portions for years on end.
The convenience offered by this functionality, combined with the ease with which they are operated has made Food Sealers an essential part of modern-day kitchens.
Whether you are a longtime user looking to replace your old machine, or a first-time customer looking for the perfect sealer to get you started, there are a lot of good options available to choose from.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the best food sealing options present on the market and comparing their pros and cons to suggest the right machine for the right type of user.
1. FoodSaver V2840 Vacuum Food Sealer
FoodSaver V2840 is a food sealing machine that is compact but does not compromise on the vacuum sealing power.
Its ‘flip-up’ design enables the sealer to be rotated by 90-degrees when not in use to conserve counter space.
The equipment’s top lid is constructed from stainless steel, which not only gives the machine a modernistic look but also makes the design sturdy.
A drip tray is also incorporated right at the vacuum sealing strip to collect moisture from the food and to facilitate easy cleaning of the sealer.
The built-in cutter and roll storage compartment make the process of making custom-sized bags extremely convenient and safe.
V2840 also offers a multitude of vacuum sealing modes to choose from.
The machine can be set to a ‘Dry’ or ‘Wet’ mode depending on the moisture content of the food to be sealed.
Moreover, the speed adjustment option can help the user to save a lot of time when packaging large vacuum bags.
The vacuum sealing speed can be set to ‘High’ to speed up the operation while processing large food portions in big-sized vacuum bags.
The speed mode of ‘Normal’, however, is more suitable for processing delicate items like donuts or cookies that run the risk of being crushed under swift vacuum action.
An accessory hose is also provided with the equipment that can be used to vacuum seal external containers like wine bottles, mason jars, zipper bags, and food canisters.
1.1 Foodsaver V2865
While we are at FoodSaver 2800 series, there is another model V2865 that should be included in our analysis.
V2865 is an advanced model in the FoodSaver 2800 series that includes all the design and functional capabilities of V2840, and in addition, provides greater flexibility to customize vacuum sealing modes.
It offers three different speed options: ‘High’, ‘Normal’, and ‘Gentle’.
While the first two options have already been explained in our analysis, the new option is the ‘Gentle’ mode that is specifically designed to avoid crushing extra-soft and delicate food items while vacuum sealing.
The ‘Canister’ and ‘Pulse’ modes are the other two additional modes that come in handy to vacuum seal food in external food containers and to manually control the duration of vacuum operation.
2. FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine
FoodSaver V4840 is a smart vacuum sealer combining the flexibility of a retractable handheld vacuum hose with the power of a standard counter-top sealing machine.
It is equipped with state-of-the-art features of ‘Automatic Bag Detection’ and ‘Automatic Moisture Detection’ making it extremely user-friendly. ‘Automatic Bag Detection’ feature senses the placement of a vacuum bag at the sealing chamber and automatically operates the machine, thus eliminating the need to touch any button at the control panel.
Similarly, ‘Automatic Moisture Detection’ is another smart feature that adjusts the speed of the vacuum pump by sensing the amount of moisture present in the sealed food, thus preventing messy food spillage in the sealing chamber.
Nevertheless, if moisture or liquid ends up in the sealing chamber, it is collected in a removable drip tray, which makes cleaning of the machine a matter of a few seconds.
Moreover, if the drip tray is full, an indicator at the control panel alerts the user to empty it before proceeding with the vacuum sealing.
The machine comes equipped with a powerful vacuum pump that is capable to generate vacuum pressures between 18 and 22 inHg, making it ideal to seal large vacuum bags and big food portions.
The sealer has a built-in roll storage chamber that makes it extremely convenient to manage bag roll inventory.
Moreover, the built-in bag cutter facilitates the creation of custom-sized vacuum bags safely and efficiently.
Although V4840 is a smart machine and automatically adjusts its performance depending on the food contents, however, users are given the flexibility to customize the vacuum sealing operation as per their needs.
The various modes that a user can choose from are ‘Accessory’, ‘Marinate’, and ‘Adjustable Food Mode’.
‘Accessory’ mode is used in combination with the retractable handheld sealer to vacuum seal food contents in external accessories like zipper bags, containers, canisters, mason jars, and wine bottles.
‘Marinate’ mode is used by connecting the retractable handheld sealer to an external canister to speed up the marination process of its food contents.
In this mode, food is subjected to a quick succession of vacuum pulse, vacuum hold, and vacuum release phases for a total of ten minutes, ensuring infusion of the marinade to the innermost depths of the food.
‘Adjustable Food Mode’ provides users the option to adjust the vacuum suction power and duration by manually assigning the operation mode to ‘dry’ or ‘moist’.
3. FoodSaver 4980 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System
FoodSaver 4980 is another 2-in-1 vacuum sealer that provides dual advantages of retractable handheld sealer and counter-top sealing machine.
The retractable handheld sealer enables the connection of the machine with external accessories like zipper bags, food containers, marinating canisters, wine bottles, and mason jars to vacuum seal food items that cannot be stored in flexible vacuum bags.
The countertop machine is equipped with an extra-wide sealing strip to generate an air-tight seal that is wider and more reliable.
Moreover, the machine also contains a built-in roll storage chamber and bag cutter to facilitate the user in preparing custom-sized vacuum bags.
4980 is one of the newer models available in the market and contains the advanced features of ‘Automatic Bag Detection’ and ‘Automatic Moisture Detection’.
The removable drip tray facilitates the cleaning of the machine, and the ‘Tray Full’ indicator at the control panel trips the machine if the tray is filled to the limit.
Vacuum Sealing modes of ‘Adjustable Food Setting’, ‘Accessory’, ‘Marinate’, and ‘PulseVac’ offer users the option to adjust the machine’s operation as per their needs.
PulseVac especially is a convenient feature, that allows users to control the duration of the vacuuming phase by the touch of their fingers.
This comes in handy for vacuum-sealing delicate food items, that otherwise can be easily crushed by longer vacuum durations.
Weighing a little below 11 pounds, it is one of the heavier vacuum sealers.
Its weight, however, is more than justified by its solid built and durable design that can be expected to last a long time.
Its control panel is conveniently located at the front section of its top lid and consists of indicator lights and a vacuum progress display to keep the user updated on the machine’s operation.
A power cord storage chamber is also provided at the back of the sealer to neatly stow away the power cable when the machine is not in service.
4. Differences
FoodSaver V2840, V4840, and 4980 have some key differences, particularly in their design and functionality; knowing these differences is vital in choosing the right vacuum sealer to suit your needs.
Below, we evaluate some of the differences that stand out and will help you in making the right choice.
Functionality:
FoodSaver 4980 offers a greater number of features and sealing modes as compared to the other two models.
It is incorporated with ‘Adjustable Food Setting’, ‘Marinate’, ‘Accessory’, and ‘PulseVac’ modes, thus providing users a lot of flexibility to customize the machine operation to suit their needs.
The retractable handheld sealer enables the connection of the machine with external accessories of all sorts, and the smart features of ‘Automatic Bag Detection’ and ‘Automatic Moisture Detection’ result in a satisfying user experience.
V4840 is not far behind 4980 in terms of functionality, as it offers all the features in 4980 with the single exception of ‘PulseVac’ mode.
V2840, on the other hand, provides just the basic sealing features that are equivalent to the ‘Adjustable Food Setting’ mode on the other two models.
It neither contains ‘Marinate’, ‘Accessory’, or ‘PulseVac’ modes, nor it incorporates the ‘Automatic Bag Detection’ and ‘Automatic Moisture Detection’ features.
Moreover, the hose accessory that is provided with the machine is of flimsy quality and is not suitable for users that are planning to frequently use their vacuum sealer in conjunction with external accessories like zipper bags, and food containers.
Design:
FoodSaver V2840 has a clear advantage when it comes to physical design.
Weighing below nine pounds, it is the lightest of the three models.
Moreover, it is also smaller in dimensions as compared to the other two models.
It gains a real edge, however, with its ‘flip-up’ design, enabling it to drastically reduce its footprint on the kitchen counter when not in use.
V4840 and 4980, in contrast, are the heavier options (weighing between 10 and 11 pounds) and occupy a larger area on the kitchen countertop.
Starter Kit:
Starter Kit contents can be particularly important for first-time customers of food sealers who do not have any inventory of vacuum bags and accessories to get them started.
V2840 comes only with a vacuum bag roll and does not include any accessory items in its starter kit.
V4840 includes vacuum seal roll, quart-sized vacuum seal bags, gallon-sized vacuum seal bags, quart-sized zipper bags, and gallon-sized zipper bags in its starter kit.
Start kit for 4980 is the richest in content, consisting of a vacuum seal roll, quart-sized vacuum seal bags, quart-sized zipper bags, gallon-sized zipper bags, a food container, and a wine bottle stopper.
5. Summary
FoodSaver V2840, V4840, and 4980 are three of the best food sealers that money can buy.
Their superior design and wide-ranging features make them a go-to choice for anyone looking to purchase a new vacuum sealer.
V2840 is more suitable for people looking for an extremely compact design to seal food in conventional flexible vacuum bags, without much need for connecting the machine with external accessories like mason jars and marinating canisters.
4980, on the other hand, is ideal for people planning to seal delicate food items or wanting to use the vacuum sealer in conjunction with external accessories frequently.
Despite their relative pros and cons, we conclude by repeating that one cannot go wrong by choosing either of the three food sealing options.
6. Comparison Table
FoodSaver V2840 Advanced Design Vacuum Food Sealer |
FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Food Sealer |
FoodSaver 4980 2-in-1 Vacuum Food Sealer |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Brand |
FoodSaver |
FoodSaver |
FoodSaver |
Model |
V2840 |
V4840 |
4980 |
Color |
White/Black |
Silver |
Silver/Black |
Dimensions |
18.6 x 15.1 x 6.5 inches |
18.8 x 9.5 x 10.6 inches |
19.37 x 10.24 x 9.45 inches |
Weight |
8.95 pounds |
10 pounds |
10.8 pounds |
Time to Vacuum Seal |
Maximum 30 seconds |
Maximum 30 seconds |
Maximum 30 seconds |
Pulse Feature |
Feature not available |
Feature not available |
Present |
Sealing Modes |
High Speed/Normal Speed/Moist Food/Dry Food/Auto Vac&Seal |
Adjustable Food Setting/Accessory/Marinate |
Adjustable Food Setting/Accessory/Marinate/PulseVac |
Built-in Cutter |
Present |
Present |
Present |
Automatic Bag Detection |
Feature not available |
Present |
Present |
Automatic Moisture Detection |
Feature not available |
Present |
Present |
Compatibility Bags |
FoodSaver rolls, FoodSaver bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
FoodSaver rolls, FoodSaver bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
FoodSaver rolls, FoodSaver bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
Bag Size |
All FoodSaver pre made bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
All FoodSaver pre made bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
All FoodSaver pre made bags, FreshSaver zipper bags |
Roll Size |
8 / 11 inches wide |
8 / 11 inches wide |
8 / 11 inches wide |
Work with Wet/Juicy Food |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Roll Storage Compartment |
Present |
Present |
Present |
Number of Bags you can Seal Continuously |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Cycle Time Between Seals |
20 seconds |
20 seconds |
20 seconds |
Marinating Container |
Sold separately |
Sold separately |
One container included in starter kit |
Negative Pressure Maximal |
Information not available |
18 – 22 inHg |
Information not available |
Mason Jars Seal |
Jar lid accessory sold separately |
Jar lid accessory sold separately |
Jar lid accessory sold separately |
Retractable Power Cord/Power Cord Storage |
Power cord storage available |
Power cord storage available |
Power cord storage available |
Vacuum Hose |
Present |
Present |
Present |
Loud |
Relatively quiet |
Relatively loud |
Relatively loud |
Cleaning |
Empty Drip Tray after each use |
Empty Drip Tray after each use |
Empty Drip Tray after each use |
Voltage |
120 volts |
120 volts |
120 volts |
Power |
Information not available |
128 watts |
Information not available |
Safety Certification |
Certified |
Certified |
Certified |
Warranty |
5 years limited warranty |
5 years limited warranty |
5 years limited warranty |
Made in |
China |
China |
China |
