Vacmaster VP215 height

Can someone measure their VP215 and tell me the height not including the dome on top? I am trying to figure out if I could put it on my countertop under upper cabinets.

Thanks,

Jeromy

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Johan_Edstrom_5586

With the lid open the highest point is 21 inches with a 45 degree angle.

The lid is an open state, i.e closing the lid starts the vacuum cycle so you'd

have to unplug it to store it that way.

I'm going to say you are much better off putting it on a wagon or shelf

thingy so that you can access the back and easily clean it.

Jeromy_Smith_23488

I was assuming that you would just turn it off and then lock the lid without the need to unplug it. Is that wrong?

Johan_Edstrom_5586

I don't know if it actually has an on/off button

Mine doesn't.

Jeromy_Smith_23488

I thought that was the function of the big red switch on the left hand side.

lfmichaud

The round switch on the left is the on/off switch. You can use it if you want to keep a vacuum without sealing as it stop the cycle where it was. As soon as you put it back on it will break the vacuum. You can store it closed. as there a hook on the right side that keep it about .5" open so that the cycle doesn't start.

Jack_Mayer_85396

@Louis-Frederic - have you actually done that trick of turning the machine off with the red switch to hold a vacuum for a longer time, say to compress watermelon for instance? I was thinking of setting the "sealing time" to zero and then pulling multiple cycles (2 or 3?).

lfmichaud

I did turn the machine to off to try to do some aerated chocolate. (Unsuccesfully!) But I also did it succesfully when vacuum infusing/compressing. It's the same thing as putting sealing time to zero.

Jack_Mayer_85396

I also figured out to merely not have the bag hang over the seal bar ... Thanks for the reply!

lfmichaud

Or even simpler you could probably simply remove the sealing bar and don't risk overheating it.

Tim_Sutherland_52834

If you can remove the seal bar so you don't burn through the tape too quickly.

Jack_Mayer_85396

Thanks for the tip guys!

Johan_Edstrom_5586

@Jack, it doesn't make much of a difference. I haven;t burned the bar in years and I use

my stuff as I expect code to be used, with zero compassion and by very challenged people.

Jack_Mayer_85396

Thanks @Johan.

Ian_Pointer_43993

@Louis-Frederic - what went wrong with the aerated chocolate? I just got a VP-215 and was planning on giving some aero a try…

lfmichaud

Used a recipe on the forum. (Not one of the CS team) Did it a first time and it collapsed as soon as I stopped pulling vacuum. I thought it was probably too hot. Did a second batch with the exact tempering curve of the chocolate and got almost the same results. Got fed up with wasting cartridges and chocolate and stopped the experiment there!

tshewman

@Louis, I've done the aerated chocolate a number of times. I find it easiest if I use a cannister similar to here - http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-87651-Vacuum-Canister-2-Quart/dp/B001BRS0ZS This allows you to take the cannister and lock the pressure until the top is removed (which by then the chocolate is already set). It's important to note, that I have the VP112 so I am uncertain how the 215 would work exactly, but suspect in a similar manner. I turn my unit off (I flip the power switch on the power bar that the unit attaches to). Otherwise I've found it does deflate quite quickly as there is no more "pull" on the product. BTW - you can do this for many things, whipped cream, gelatinized stock etc etc.
BTW - if anyone figures out what the heck to do with an aerated stock, let me know..when I did this (I was aerating everything I could get my hands on once I figured how to do it), I thought it was cool, took one look at it and thought "now what do I do with it"....needless to say, I cooked it as usual. makes me wonder though......add a stabilizer of sort and try to dehydrate?? Not sure. A brown chicken stock cracker would be kinda cool though.

Ian_Pointer_43993

Thanks, guys!

Ian_Pointer_43993

On a related note, how long can you leave the vacuum 'pulled' by switching the machine off mid-cycle? I'm thinking (after a similar failure that Louis-Frederic had) that if I pulled the aero up at night, leave it overnight and then release the vacuum in the morning, the chocolate will have set pretty hard by then.

tshewman

@Ian, my first succesful attempt (after a few failures) was just over an hour.

Ian_Pointer_43993

@Todd - I'll try it again in a week or so; I have lots of fruit to compress first!

lfmichaud

@Todd Shewman‌ I may be testing with some less temperature dependents foam. I'm keeping the vacuum by turning the machive off. (Red switch on the left) It keep vacuum for at least hours but I'm starting to think that it may have some kind of pressure "backlash" if I stop the vacuum cycle. I may be trying to stop it during the sealing cycle instead! What are your easy/cheap/failsafe aerated recipes so that i can test?

tshewman

line-height:normal">mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">@Louis-Frederick. This is what has worked every time. Place siphon in warm water bath. Take 500g of good quality

chocolate that has been chopped into small chunks into a metal or glass bowl with 65g hazelnut (my favorite) oil. Melt chocolate and oil via bain marie

Pour the melted chocolate through a sieve into the warmed siphon. Screw on the

top and charge with 3 N2O charges (it also works with 2). Shake vigorously and discharge into the

bottom of the vacuum container shown earlier stopping when the chocolate is ¼ way up

the container. Place lid securely on canistermso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> and connect hose from vacuum to cannister/container., . Begin vacuum. When the chocolate

has AT LEAST doubled in bulk, stop the vacuum by turning the power off.. Remove

the hose attachment and carefully transfer the canister to the refrigerator or freezer

to chill. turn vacuum back on and pressure should normalize through the hose.

lfmichaud

Thanks for the tips. What temperature of water bath are you using? I may be experimenting a bit this weekend...

tshewman

If I use a water bath I'll have it at about 62C, however, precise temperature is not crucial.

lfmichaud

I did some experiments over the weekend using soapsuds and I can say that the VP215 doesn't seem to be losing pressure when powered down. No difference if you cut the power during the sealing time. Unfortunately the VP215 doesn't have an external vacuum port so I'll have to experiment using mason jars and the large one doesn't fit in the chamber...

tshewman

I'm wondering.........., if using chocolate and such, it would be worth trying and let it set with unit turned off (about an hour). The chocolate may then still hold once the vaccum is released (re-initiated set to the lowest setting possible)...........?

Jack_Mayer_85396

@Louis-Frederic - sorry if this has been addressed already, do you just turn the red switch on the upper left side of the unit off when pulling a vacuum and then turn it back on later? I just don't want to end up with a 90 lb./$900 piece of junk ... I've been compressing things by not allowing the bag to touch the seal bar and pulling several cycles. I have the same machine (VP215). Thanks!

lfmichaud

@Todd Shewman‌ I was trying to do that. But the problem I had was that the foam was collapsing as soon as I stopped pulling vacuum. It's why I tought I probably had a too warm chococolate.

@Jack Mayer‌ I'm doing exactly that with no problems. I've done it dozen of times. You can probably simply remove the seal bar when you do that.

tshewman

Hi Louis-That doesn't sound right to me. If you pulled the vacuum and turned the power off (??), the chocolate should aerate and the pressure stays constant and shouldn't release when you turn it off. After the chocolate has essentially solidified in the aerated state, it would stay there. I think Heston did something similar with a home vacuum that would demonstrate the theory of what I'm talking about. I'll look to see if I can find it.

tshewman

well that didn't take long. I FF to minute 6 and this is what I am referring to. Notice the pressure stays (which is why the power would be turned off mid cycle).