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This Compact Vacuum Sealer Keeps Food Fresh Longer — and It’s Ideal for Holiday Meal Prep

A vacuum sealer that simplifies bulk buying and eliminates food waste.

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Published on October 23, 2025

A person vacuum seals meat using the INKBIRD INK-VS04 Vacuum Sealer — Credit:
Food & Wine

If you ever go to the grocery store and wonder how to save a few dollars, buying food in bulk is a convenient way to do just that. Buying in bulk saves money and reduces trips to the market, which, if you’re like me, is a danger zone for unnecessary impulse purchases. However, it comes with a few challenges, as it can sometimes be tricky to actually use your purchases before they spoil.

Fortunately, using a vacuum sealer is a cost-effective way to extend the freshness of foods. Vacuum sealing into reusable food storage bags can extend food life up to 10 times longer than standard methods, and sealing out air is far more robust than using zippered baggies. Perfect for meal prep, vacuum-sealed foods also keep things organized and save space in the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

Inkbird Vacuum Sealer

$45 at Amazon

Our favorite versatile vacuum sealer has gotten a makeover! Seemingly better than ever, Inkbird’s vacuum sealer is now cordless and rechargeable, allowing you to use it wherever you desire. Perfect for camping, RV use, or packing along for a picnic, you’ll instantly find that cutting the cord doesn't mean any compromise when using it in your kitchen.

With seven operable sealing modes, freshness is locked in with the push of a button. Choose between settings for dry foods like brown sugar, flour, or rice, or use the wet settings for sealing and marinating meats or storing fresh fruit without squishing it. An additional canister attachment enables sealing of foods like grated cheese or coleslaw in canning jars, as well as resealing wine and other liquids using compatible vacuum sealing canister lids or mason jars with vacuum ports.

The sealer features built-in storage for up to 20 feet of bag material, which can be easily cut to size using the integrated cutter. Simply remove enough material to adequately store your food and create a seal that forms a bag. Contents go inside the bag, and you remove as little or as much air from the bag as you desire to keep the contents fresh. Customers appreciate the portability of this machine, which eliminates the need for extension cords when there’s no outlet near the prep area. One customer even mentioned, “We camp a lot and always have leftovers.”

They went on to say, “We vacuum seal a lot of stuff from our garden. This has been so handy to use outside and not have to get an extension cord.”