Vacuum sealing preserves your food up to three to five times longer than plastic containers or airtight bags. (BestReviews)

There's nothing worse than having to toss food in your fridge or freezer that spoiled or has become covered in ice crystals. Food waste is a major economic and resource drain for individuals and the planet. However, every household can do its part to reduce food waste.

One great way to make your food last longer and stay fresher is by vacuum sealing it. This process preserves food, locks in nutrients and helps save you time. With the right equipment, it’s also easier than you might think.

Here is everything you need to know to easily vacuum seal food at home.

Why is vacuum sealing a better way to store your food? For several reasons:

Before you can start sealing up everything in sight, you have to have a good, reliable appliance. Here are our favorite vacuum sealers for home use:

Automatic Vacuum Air Sealing System from Mueller Austria: available at Amazon This machine is our all-around top choice for vacuum sealing at home because it's easy to use and is reasonably priced. It also has a sleek design that works in any style kitchen.

Automatic Food Sealer Machine from GERYON: available at Amazon This is a great option if you are on a budget. It's more affordable than the Mueller model, but also easy to use.

FM5860 Vacuum Sealer Machine from FoodSaver: available at Amazon This is a feature-packed option that's ideal for frequent use. It's a bit more expensive, but you pay for quality and versatility. It can even help marinate food and has an extra-wide sealing strip for larger items.

All three of our top choices come with a starter roll of food storage bags. You can also buy refills from Mueller, GERYON and FoodSaver when you need them.

Wevac makes all-purpose food saver rolls that work in a variety of brands, including FoodSaver and Mueller, if you already have a machine at home.

You can seal a wide range of foods using your vacuum sealing machine. Anything that you want to keep fresh, from raw and cooked meat and seafood to pasta, can be sealed up for later.

You can even seal liquids such as soups, sauces and drinks, as long as they are frozen first. If you like to can or preserve food like pickles, jams and jellies, some vacuum sealing brands allow you to seal the jars for long-term storage.

Vacuum sealing is also a great tool for meal-preppers. For example, you can portion out meat or seafood with aromatics or marinades, seal them up, and freeze for later. Then, simply reach into the freezer and cook up a flavorful meal without any chopping or extra dishes.

Most vacuum sealing bags are also safe to use in a sous vide, which will cook your protein to perfection — all you have to do is set up a water bath.

Once you have a vacuum sealer and the proper food saver bags, here is how to put your appliance to use:

That’s it! Now you have well-sealed, preserved food to keep on hand for quick meals full of flavor and nutrients.

Lizzy Briskin is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.

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