Geryon E2900-MS Review

In our quest to find out which of these products is really the supreme sealer, we bought all the most promising and well-reviewed models, then tested them side-by-side until we had a clear winner, scoring each product on four different attributes. The Geryon definitely was not a competitor for a podium position. However, it's not a terrible machine. Read on for the details of its high and low points in our testing metrics.

Performance Comparison

The Geryon is a bit slower than some of the other products.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Sealing Performance

Delivering a somewhat subpar performance, the Geryon earned a 4 out of 10 in our first testing metric, which is responsible for 40% of its overall score. We ranked and graded each vacuum sealer on how fast they can seal some different types of foods, the number of bags it can seal in a row, how thick the seal is, and if the pump can maintain the pressure inside the bag when manually sealing. The Geryon came in below average with the number of bags it can seal in a row. Where the class average was ~13, the Geryon could manage 12. Moreover, this product lets a ton of air into the bag when you attempt to manually seal a bag already under pressure.

The heat element producing the bag seal is also slightly thinner than average by about 0.5 mm. That's a bit thinner than we like to see. However, this can be remedied with a double seal if you want to ensure that the bag is airtight, though this will lengthen the unit's already middling working time. Case in point, the Geryon took an average amount to seal four slices of bread; same with the cup of dried rice. Yet it took a little longer with the four sausages in our sealing time tests. It put up an average time for sealing the pound of ground beef as well, though it left a little more air in the bag than is preferable.

Convenience

Next, we ranked each of these kitchen appliances on how much of a hassle they are to use properly. We compared the difficulty in cleaning each sealer, whether or not there is an easy way to store a roll of bags and cut them to size, if the buttons and overall interface are easy to operate, and if the lid locks down while sealing. Additionally, we take stock of any attachments for sealing other types of containers. These sundry assessments are responsible for 30% of the final score for each sealer, with the Geryon doing fairly well with 6 out of 10 points awarded.

While the product doesn't have built-in storage or a bag cutter, it does earn a few points by being particularly light and for not taking up a ton of counter space. The lid also locks down while in use and there is an included pump attachment that lets you seal certain types of containers including bottles of wine if you are so inclined. It also has push buttons that prevent accidentally activating an unwanted function.

The performance of the Geryon was pretty decent (especially considering its price). We particularly enjoyed the push-button interface as well as the compact size and minimal weight.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Unfortunately, this product does lack a removable drip tray. So, cleanup can be a bit of a pain if you accidentally spill or suck liquid into the machine. We also found the touchscreen buttons to be overly sensitive and easy to actuate accidentally.

Delicate Foods

Next, we tested out how finely one can control the amount of vacuum applied to a bag as a means to preserve fragile foods. This analysis accounts for 20% of a product's overall score. The Geryon performed slightly above average, earning 6 out of 10 possible points.

The main method for controlling the amount of air being removed from the bag being sealed is to pulse the pump by cycling the "Vac/Seal" and "Cancel" buttons. What you want to see is an instant response when depressing the cancel button and the ability to maintain the pressure in the bag. This allows the trapped air time to work toward the bag opening without constricting the contents of the bag. Unfortunately, the Geryon lets in a little bit of air with each pulse, so it isn't the easiest to use with delicate foods. However, with a little bit of fiddling it can achieve a reasonably satisfactory outcome. In our tests, we used airy white bread as our delicate food and we could usually seal it up without too much damage.

It is possible to seal delicate foods with the E2900 with a little practice.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Suction Power

The remaining 10% of the sealer's total score is the product by a single test: suction power. We measured the maximum vacuum that each of these machines can pull using a vacuum gauge. The Geryon finished out our testing process with a solid performance and earned a 6 out of 10, pulling a vacuum that measured 16.5 inches of mercury — right about the average of the group.

The Geryon has about an average amount of suction power.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Value

While there are better options out there, the Geryon is one of the least expensive models we tested, so it offers a decent value especially if you're shopping on the tightest of budgets.

Conclusion