Ok. I’m biting the bullet on the VP230…

Canugghead

MaskedMarvel

alaskanassasin said:

Did you get the plastic inserts that help use up space when sealing smaller items?

There’s one plastic removable “shelf” that just makes it flat to the heating element. Can’t really accuse it of taking much volume up..

MaskedMarvel

Canugghead said:

I loaded it. 

Fun aside - anyone know what oil goes in there? Aftermarket oil viscosity etc varies wildly. There’s an 800 number on the machine if I have questions, but I figured I’d ask the experts. 

Canugghead

There was an in depth discussion of various oil bands, I'm not able to find it. 

I didn't pay attention to oil specs/brands when shopping few years ago, just picked up a gallon jug of nameless pump oil from a local restaurant supply place. It's the only type they carry and they probably use it to service commercial sealers that they sell and lease out. I'm sure my jug is past its 'shelf life' but I'm not going to sweat over it. I neglected to change oil since January 2024 and my sealer still works, touch wood! 

An interesting thought: I didn't do it but it may be beneficial long term for you to change oil after the initial break-in, sooner than the usual recommended change frequency?

MaskedMarvel

Canugghead said:

…
An interesting thought: I didn't do it but it may be beneficial long term for you to change oil after the initial break-in, sooner than the usual recommended change frequency?

I’m going to do that exact thing, indeed. 

I bought a four year extended warranty.
Gonna try and not use it

what’s your initial break-in period? 100 cycles?

alaskanassasin

I bought a quart of the oem recommended oil. I probably went a little long between changing as i could see congealed oil on the sight glass.

Canugghead

I did not do anything re break-in. Matter of fact, I don't think the owner's manual mentions anything about break-in. It was just an idea that crossed my mind. I try to change oil every six months but the most recent change was 1yr 4mo since the previous one!

caliking

I officially have sealer envy... again.

Canugghead

I bought a four year extended warranty...
I'm entering 11th year, touch wood.  On borrowed time with zero warranty, heaven forbids if anything happens I'll probably get an Anova unit at less than 1/4 the price of vp215 here.

@caliking
Anova at sub $300 with free shipping, 2yr warranty and 100-day free look is a no brainer. What are you waiting for?   

caliking

Canugghead said:

I bought a four year extended warranty...
I'm entering 11th year, touch wood.  On borrowed time with zero warranty, heaven forbids if anything happens I'll probably get an Anova unit at less than 1/4 the price of vp215 here.

@caliking
Anova at sub $300 with free shipping, 2yr warranty and 100-day free look is a no brainer. What are you waiting for?   

Stop. caliqueen might hear you...

Canugghead

How do you like your new toy?

Just another example of why we love our vp215...Cranked out a pile of ground pork for the freezer, arguably the most versatile protein ingredient in Asian cooking. 10x13 bags cut into 1/4's is perfect for 1/2lb of meat.

MaskedMarvel

Canugghead said:

How do you like your new toy?

Just another example of why we love our vp215...Cranked out a pile of ground pork for the freezer, arguably the most versatile protein ingredient in Asian cooking. 10x13 bags cut into 1/4's is perfect for 1/2lb of meat.

We love it. It’s living on the kitchen counter for now. We’ve done some random bagging, and a bunch of jars. Sunday will be the effective test - four big butts getting shredded. 

Going to be a dial-in for the vacuum time

we really love those pics. Wow!

lkapigian

if not already stated , chamber sealers and hot food no bueno …. Let cool first , can be quite explosive and create a mess 

Canugghead

Good to hear but not surprised that you're having fun with it. Care to share how you seal jars? Looking forward to see pics of your first commercial bagging!

Like @lkapigian said, even lukewarm food is not good. If in doubt watch closely and press manual stop as soon as you see bubbling. 

With 12" seal bar you can seal two bags side by side if they are not over 6" wide.

MaskedMarvel

We set the vac time to 15 seconds and the bubbling juuuuust starts then. Food temp going in is warm but time wise still safe. Goal is to get air out so they can be reheated easily. 15 seems to do the trick. 

Jars - mason jars you lay the top on and set the ring loosely. Standard closure just set the top loosely. Both, tighten after vacuuming. 

It’s fun to imagine the customer hearing that “pop” opening sauce when they’ve been getting it for years without. getting the bigger machine that can do this was a big deal. Glad we did it. 

Bags. I CAN get a pound in the six inch wide bag and do two. We quickly went back to the eight inch ones for speed. I’m way faster loading them and setting the bag in the machine is quick and painless. We had a few double sixers not lined up quite right and had to redo. This machine doesn’t have the “bar” to hold the bag openings in position. Not really sure how I feel about that..

They make deeper six inch bags than the variety pack I got. We may try them next. It’s a cleaner look, which we are taking into account. 

Cranked out 20 pounds and then onto a friend’s wedding. 

First experience with Restaurant Depot butts, btw. They’re gonna be our go to for now on. Big and cheap 

Canugghead said:

Canugghead said:

Good to hear but not surprised that you're having fun with it. Care to share how you seal jars? Looking forward to see pics of your first commercial bagging!

…
With 12" seal bar you can seal two bags side by side if they are not over 6" wide.

Canugghead

Looks good!

Jars - Do you vac all the way till the needle wraps around on the gauge? I always wonder if the glass will implode under pressure 😂 

The ground pork in my pic above were in 5" wide bags sealed side by side. Few pointers for good seal:
1) Make sure the bag is raised with the cutting board(s) (vp215 comes with two) so the edge is resting nice and smooth on the seal bar
2) Leave enough head space, otherwise the edge will be wavy and bad seal is almost inevitable
3) Flatten contents as much as possible, bumps will cause the edge to ripple

MaskedMarvel

I can’t disable quote
mode, sorry…

the first jar we did we went full 40 second vac on. It was our first overall vac, actually. The jar was fine. The sauce was boiling. 

I read there can be explosions and cleanings a nightmare. We’re really trying to avoid that. 

A deeper 5” bag would be fun to try. It’s just a little tight getting it in there. Your “presentation” is exactly what we’re looking for. Tight and professional. 

Canugghead

Thanks, I have ten years' practice 😂 
Another use case for me...most things Costco sized can be repacked for convenience and longer shelf life.
 

CTMike

Can the VacMasters be used to seal wet ingredients like chili, soups, etc?

lkapigian

CTMike said:

Can the VacMasters be used to seal wet ingredients like chili, soups, etc?

It’s where chamber sealers shine 

alaskanassasin

CTMike said:

Can the VacMasters be used to seal wet ingredients like chili, soups, etc?

Yes that is mostly why I bought it. 

CTMike

alaskanassasin said:

CTMike said:

Can the VacMasters be used to seal wet ingredients like chili, soups, etc?

Yes that is mostly why I bought it. 

lkapigian said:

CTMike said:

Can the VacMasters be used to seal wet ingredients like chili, soups, etc?

It’s where chamber sealers shine 

Thanks, I wish this place wasn't so good at spending my money. We have been limping along with a janky FoodSaver for a couple of years and have been eyeing one of these for a long time. Might be finally time to pull the trigger.