There are two vacuum sealers available to purchase with the SousVide Supreme. The first, and older VSD101 version, costs £72 and works only with dry products. The new vacuum sealer VS3000 costs a little more at £99 but means that you can have some liquid in the bag.

We’ve been using both versions for several months and while they’re both good, we think the new version is a winner. Here’s how they stack up.

SousVide Supreme Vacuum Sealer VS3000 Review

The VS3000 leaves a reasonably small footprint on your kitchen counter. It’s a little longer than the VSD101 but is far narrower. It’s also a lot squarer which means it can be stored a lot easier in the corner of a cupboard.

The VS3000 well designed and well made. The top panel has a clever hinge mechanism that lifts it high and out of the way to provide easy access to the grease trap. A firm press with both hands and it locks in place, solidly.

Two tubes suck the air out of the bags. These are well protected by a couple of plastic lips which are designed to stop liquid being sucked up and ruining the motor. And that’s the VS3000’s party piece – you can leave up to one and a half tablespoons of liquid in the bag. This means you can add a little marinade, olive oil or lemon juice rather than just using a dry rub.

It’s a really useful addition and means you can add even more flavour into your meals. It doesn’t work perfectly though. You still need to keep an eye on the liquid and hit the seal button as soon as you see it being sucked up. It’s not the end of the world if some does, though, as the trap will hold it and the plastic flaps will keep the motor safe. What is annoying is that the trap cannot be removed for cleaning. This means you’ll need to get in there with a cloth and a something pointy to clean all the nooks and crannies.

Aside from moist sealing the Vacuum Sealer VS3000 also offers two levels of suction – gentle and normal. Gentle, as you’d expect, is useful for more delicate food like certain vegetables and you can also seal without using the suction at all, if required.

Price: £99 – Score: 8/10

SousVide Supreme Vacuum Sealer VSD101 Review

The VSD101 vacuum sealer is a slightly more primitive proposition and while it is robust it is chunky and the curved top means it’s a little tricky to store. With only one nozzle it doesn’t provide quite as much suction power as the VS3000 and neither does it have two suction levels. Oddly enough its trap is easier two clean even though this is not meant as a moist vacuum sealer. The trap is a lot wider and has fewer fiddly areas so is easier to wipe than the VS3000.

Finally, even though the VSD101 has fewer functions it is a little more difficult to use. This is mainly because of the closing mechanism that requires quite a fair amount of force to click shut.

Price: £72 – Score: 7/10

Verdict
If you’re splashing out on a SousVide Supreme now we definitely recommend you opt for the newer VS3000 vacuum sealer. You won’t regret the extra £28 over the flexibility it will bring to your cooking in the long run.

It you already have the VSD101 then it’s probably not quite worth upgrading. While we love the moist seal options the newer model provides it is a bit of a pain to clean.

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