The short answer
- Add the food's thickness to its width and length, then leave about 5cm free at the open end.
- The widest bag a sealer can close is its seal bar: 34cm on the V.100 to V.300, 72cm on the V.500.
- 20×30 and 25×35cm cover most everyday packs; 16×25 to 25×35cm suit sous vide portions.
- Long or odd shapes: cut a roll to length.
The rule of thumb
A bag wraps around the food, so a 3cm steak takes up 3cm more of the bag's width and length than it looks like from above. Add the thickness to both, then leave about 5cm of empty bag between the food and the opening: that's where the seal goes, and it keeps juices away from it.
Width has a hard limit: the bag has to fit across the sealer's seal bar. Length is free, which is why rolls are handy for long pieces.
Which size for what
| Use | R-Vac sizes (cm) |
|---|---|
| Small portions, herbs, snacks | 10×15 · 13×22.5 · 16×25 |
| Long items: sausages, asparagus, fillets | 10×40 · 15×30 |
| Everyday: meat, fish, meal prep | 20×30 · 20×40 · 25×35 |
| Large cuts, whole chicken, bulk portions | 30×40 · 30×50 · 34×50 |
| Whole legs, large game, sides of salmon | 34×60 · 35×60 · 40×60 |
| Very large cuts, carcass portions | 45×70 · 60×80 · 70×100 |
| Sous vide, single portions | 16×25 · 20×30 · 25×35 |
| Wide and flat, e.g. pizza | 34×50 · 35×60 |
LAVA's size guide for R-Vac bags (30 sizes from 10×10 to 70×100cm).
The widest bag per sealer
| Sealer | Seal bar | Widest R-Vac bag |
|---|---|---|
| V.100, V.200, V.300 (Premium X, Black, White) | 34cm | 34cm |
| V.350 Premium L | 36cm | 35cm |
| V.400 Premium XL | 46cm | 45cm |
| V.500 Premium XXL | 72cm | 70cm |
| V.1200 Premium XXXL | 121cm | 70cm (the widest R-Vac) |
Seal bar lengths from our sealer data. Rolls come in widths from 15 to 60cm.
Getting it right
- 1
One layer, flatPieces side by side, not stacked: they seal tighter, freeze faster and thaw evenly. Two smaller bags beat one overfull one.
- 2
Try sizes before you stock upThe mix set has 10 bags each of 16×25, 20×20, 20×30, 25×35 and 25×40cm.
- 3
Rolls for the odd onesA whole fish, a rack of ribs or a long salami: cut a roll to the length you need and seal both ends.
LAVA AustraliaOfficial LAVA distributor and vacuum-packaging specialists since 2018.
