Comparison Gorenje HVS16WS vs Caso FastVac 500

The purpose determines the dimensions, installation method and some features of the vacuum sealer application.

— Desktop. Most of the devices designed for ordinary home cooking are made desktop. In addition, this option is also popular among more performant models, including chamber. Usually, Desktop sealers support film and bag handling and have at least one welding slat.

— Manual. Vacuum sealers in the form of hand pumps for pumping out air. They are used exclusively in this role, the possibility of sealing packages in such devices is not provided. The manual packer is usually designed for containers with special valves. The advantages of such devices are compactness and low cost.

— Embedded. Devices designed to be built into kitchen furniture. In terms of functionality and performance, they are similar to desktop chamber-type models, they belong to a semi-professional or professional level. At the same time, built-in models, on the one hand, are more difficult to install, on the other hand, they take up a minimum of space. For added convenience, many models are retractable.

The type is indicated by the presence or absence of a closed chamber for packaging. Note that all manual sealers (see "Purpose") do not have a chamber by definition, so this parameter is not given for them. In other cases, the options may be as follows:

— Tubeless. Tubeless models of vacuum sealers do not have their own enclosed product chamber; instead, the open edge of the package needs to be inserted into the device during operation. This design choice enables the creation of compact and cost-effective vacuum sealers. However, compared to chamber models, they are less efficient in pumping air, cannot facilitate packaging in a gaseous environment, and require corrugated packaging bags to prevent bending issues. Tubeless models are primarily designed for domestic use and are not suitable for long-term food preservation through vacuum sealing.

— 1 chamber. Sealers equipped with their own product chambers are considered more advanced than tubeless models. They offer benefits such as achieving a deeper vacuum and the ability to work with packaging in an inert gas environment. The chambers and welding rails in these devices are typically large, enabling the processing of multiple packages simultaneously. However, this design also results in larger dimensions and higher costs, making these models more suitable for industrial applications. While chamber sealers have several advantages, they...are generally found in models aimed at meeting higher-level and industrial packaging needs.

— 2 chambers. Sealers equipped with two product chambers. The design is used in the largest and most powerful industrial sealers, specifically designed for handling large work volumes. These devices feature two bases and a movable cover positioned between them. Placing the cover on one base creates a working chamber where the vacuum and packaging cycle can be initiated. Meanwhile, on the second base, the next batch of food bags can be prepared for packaging. After completing one cycle, the lid is moved to the second base, and the process repeats. This setup enables an almost continuous operation, resulting in significantly higher productivity.

The length of the welding slat for sealing bags provided in the vacuum sealer. In fact, this is the maximum seam length that the device can create; the size of the open side of the package should not exceed this length, otherwise it will not be possible to vacuum and seal the package normally. If bags in rolls are used for packaging, the length of the welding slat corresponds to the maximum width of the roll. And powerful industrial models have large slats on which several packages can be placed at once.

Air pumping speed provided by the vacuum sealer.

The higher the speed, the less time it will take to operate the device. In addition, "faster" models tend to be more powerful and can deliver deeper vacuums. On the other hand, in normal household use, these points are not critical, and when choosing a "home" sealer, you can not pay much attention to the pumping speed — unless you have to regularly pack large volumes of products, or storage time is crucial.

Suction power provided by the vacuum sealer.

This parameter directly characterizes the capabilities of the device to create a vacuum. Suction power is the difference between normal atmospheric pressure (1 bar) and the lowest pressure that this model can create inside the package. For example, a figure of 0.8 bar means that the packer can create a pressure of 1 – 0.8 = 0.2 bar. Accordingly, the higher the number in this point, the more powerful the sealer, the deeper the vacuum it creates.

In general, if the products are packed at home for relatively short storage (or vacuuming is combined with freezing), this indicator can be ignored. But for professional use, high suction power is fundamental.

Rated power consumption of the device. Usually, the characteristics indicate the average power in normal operation; peak values can be much higher, but this mode does not last long.

On the one hand, the efficiency and speed of vacuuming directly depend on the power consumption, on the other hand, the consumption of electricity. And heavy high consumption industrial-grade devices may require a three-phase connection (see "Power supply").

— Vacuuming of containers. The use of a device for extracting air from containers with special valves is essential for manual packing purposes, and it is also employed in other variations where a dedicated hose connects to the container.

— Vacuuming of bottles. Using a device to extract air from bottles extends the shelf life of air-reactive liquids, such as wine and certain vegetable oils. This process involves vacuuming the bottles using specialized stoppers equipped with valves, which are typically provided with the device.

— For moisture-containing products. The device can be used for packaging products with high moisture content. These models have a unique feature of slightly longer sealing time, where the packer carefully heats the seam to allow any moisture from the contents to evaporate. This ensures the quality of the final seal remains unaffected by the moisture.

— Double welded seam. Using a double welding seam involves creating two parallel seams on a package, spaced a few millimeters apart. This approach significantly boosts the package's reliability because if one seam becomes defective, the second seam can serve as a backup and remain intact, ensuring the package's durability.

— Vacuum adjustment. The device offers the flexibility to select the desired level of vacuuming for p...ackaging. This feature provides various options to suit specific situations. For long-term storage, users can opt for the deepest vacuum possible, while for delicate products, the vacuuming degree can be reduced to prevent excessive compression that might damage the items. It's important to note that this functionality goes beyond just pausing the process; instead, the device offers multiple distinct programs, each with its predefined degree of vacuuming.

— Container for a roll. The device includes a built-in container for a roll of packaging film, ensuring convenient access to the packaging material. The container is designed with a user-friendly unwinding mechanism, and it may also feature an integrated film cutter, though this is not always a mandatory component (see the relevant section).

— Built-in film cutter. The presence of a built-in knife for the film in the design of the packer. Own knife allows you to accurately cut the right amount of packaging material without resorting to the use of scissors or other additional tools.

— A container for collecting liquid. The packer is equipped with a dedicated container designed to collect both the liquid drawn in by the vacuum pump and the extracted air. This feature is particularly beneficial when packaging moisture-rich products, as it prevents the liquid from entering the pump or spilling out. Instead, the liquid accumulates in the container, allowing for easy and convenient disposal.

The main material used in the construction of the body of vacuum sealer.

— Plastic. Plastic is inexpensive and quite practical, but noticeably inferior to metal in terms of strength, heat resistance and scratch resistance. Therefore, it is mainly used in devices that are not designed for large volumes of work and high loads — namely, manual and low-power desktop vacuum sealers.

— Metal. Metal cases are extremely strong and reliable, but they are more expensive and weigh more than plastic cases. Therefore, they are found mainly in powerful industrial models, for which strength and reliability are of decisive importance.

— Plastic / metal. Usually, in this case, plastic cases are meant, in which especially critical places are reinforced with metal inserts. This option is typical mainly for desktop models of intermediate and advanced levels. See above for details on plastic and metal; Here, we note that such a combination makes it possible to combine the advantages and, to some extent, mutually compensate for the shortcomings of both materials. So, the cases are not as expensive and heavy as all-metal ones, and at the same time more reliable than all-plastic ones.

Power supply used in vacuum sealer.

— Mains (230 V). Powered from a regular household socket of 230 V. This is a convenient and practical option, and therefore it is found in almost all types of packers. The only exceptions are heavy, powerful units designed for 380 V, as well as some manual models that use a battery for added convenience (see below).

— Battery. Power from a built-in battery is found in manual packers (see “Purpose”). This option is convenient because there is no power cord trailing behind the device when working. On the other hand, cordless models are heavier and more expensive than similar mains-powered devices, and their operating life is limited; when the charge is depleted, you will inevitably have to pause to charge the battery.