Comparison Electrolux E4VS1 4 AG vs Profi Cook PC-VK 1080

The width of the seam created by the vacuum sealer's welding slat.

The wider the seam, the more reliable the package is, the lower the likelihood that the welding line will turn out to be a “weak spot”. On the other hand, a large width requires a powerful heater and significantly affects the price of the device. In general, for domestic use, a value of 2 – 2.5 mm is considered quite sufficient; but in heavy industrial models used for long-term storage, values of 10 mm and even more can occur.

For additional reliability, the seam can be made double (see "Features").

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.

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").

Programs featured in the vacuum sealer. The capabilities of the device depend on their number. However, it is important to clearly understand the purpose of your appliance, as there's no need to overpay for unused modes. According to the general principle of operation (air extraction), all devices have a basic program. It is intended for dry products. This program is ideal for storing grains, nuts, dried fruits, pasta, tea, coffee, spices, and other loose or solid products. Operating in this mode allows you to extend storage time without the risk of oxidation, preserving the aroma and crispness of products without excess moisture in the packaging. Below are more specific modes: — Moist (products containing moisture). A program for packaging moderately moist products, such as marinated meat, fresh fruits, raw vegetables with juice, or semi-finished products. In this mode, an almost complete vacuum is created, but with a slight adjustment to the suction speed to prevent moisture from being drawn into the pump. This is the optimal choice when the product contains some liquid but is not immersed in it.

— Liquid (liquid products). The program is very similar to the one described above, but designed for packaging very juicy or liquid products, such as soups, sauces, stews. In this mode, the vacuum sealer operates even more cautiously: the vacuum is minimal or controlled intermittently to avoid active...liquid suction. It often accompanies immediate sealing without achieving a complete vacuum.

— Canister (vacuuming containers). The ability to use the device for extracting air from containers with special valves is almost mandatory for handheld sealers (see “Purpose”), but also found in other varieties — they typically use a special hose connected to the container.

— Marinate. The mode is designed for accelerated product marination under vacuum. Unlike the regular vacuuming mode, the Marinate program often operates cyclically: a vacuum is created, then briefly released, and the process repeats several times. This simulates the “breathing” of the product, significantly speeding up the marination process — what usually takes several hours can be reduced to 15-30 minutes. The Marinate mode is especially useful before grilling, baking, or frying, allowing dishes to quickly gain rich flavor without a long wait. For operation in this mode, a special vacuum container is most often used, rather than regular bags.

— Bottle Vacuuming. The device's ability to remove air from bottles. This process helps extend the shelf life of liquids that react with air—specifically, wines and certain types of vegetable oils. Special stoppers with valves are used for bottle vacuuming, and they are usually included with the device, though it's worth verifying this detail separately.

— Double Seal. Sealing packages with a double seam—two parallel seams a few millimeters apart from each other. This method enhances packaging reliability: even if one seam is defective, there's a high probability that the other will remain intact.

— Vacuum Level Adjustment. The ability to choose the level of vacuum for the packaging. This provides additional options to tailor settings for specific situations. For long-term storage, a maximum vacuum is needed, but for delicate products, the vacuum level can be lowered so that the tightly compressed package does not damage them. Note that this implies having several programs, each with its own vacuum level, rather than just the ability to stop the process on command; if this function is absent, automatic vacuuming occurs.

— Roll Container. The presence of a container for packing film rolls in the device's body. This feature allows keeping the packaging material readily at h...and. The container is usually equipped with a mechanism for easy unwinding, and often, though not necessarily, includes a built-in film cutter (see the relevant section).

— Built-in Film Cutter. The presence of a built-in film cutter in the packaging device. The proprietary cutter allows for neatly cutting the required amount of packaging material without resorting to scissors or other additional tools.

— Liquid Collection Container. The presence of a special container in the packaging device to collect liquid drawn in by the vacuum pump along with the air being pumped out. This feature is highly desirable when packaging products with a high moisture content: instead of entering the pump or spilling outside, the liquid will accumulate in the container, from where it can be easily poured out.

— Seal (sealing without vacuum). A feature designed exclusively for sealing a bag without air removal. When the Seal mode is activated, the vacuum sealer heats the edge of the bag and seals it tightly, creating a strong seam. This mode is used when the goal is simply to close the package—such as sealing an already vacuumed product, closing an open packet of products, portioning, or packaging liquids without a vacuum to prevent leakage. Seal can also be used after manually removing air or when vacuuming is interrupted at a desired stage to maintain the neat shape of soft or delicate products (like bread or berries). This mode is convenient for working with various types of packages and allows flexible packaging process management.

— Stop (Cancel). The Stop function in vacuum sealers allows for the immediate cessation of the current vacuuming or sealing process with the press of a button. This is especially important when handling delicate products that can be damaged with full air removal, such as soft berries, pastries, or tender meats. With the Stop feature, users can manually control the vacuum level: for example, halting air removal at the desired stage and promptly proceeding to sealing, maintaining the product's shape. Furthermore, Stop facilitates quickly interrupting the process in case of an error or necessity to adjust packaging, making the vacuum sealer's use more convenient and safe.

— Manometer. An integrated device that shows the level of vacuum inside the package or container during air extraction. It allows the user to monitor in real-time how much the air is rarefied, which is especially important for packaging different types of products—from hard to delicate. Vacuum sealers with a manometer enable more precise manual stopping of the process (e.g., via the Stop button) when the desired vacuum level is reached to prevent deformation of delicate products, package rupture, or liquid drawout. The presence of a manometer makes working with the vacuum sealer more convenient and professional, particularly when packaging meat, fish, cheese, berries, sauces, or other products with varied structures.

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.