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Short answer. A built-in vacuum drawer is a chamber sealer in a drawer about 12 to 14 cm high: you put the bag in the chamber, the pump removes the air and a sealing bar closes the bag. It prepares food for sous-vide, marinating, freezing and storage, but no maker we checked says the drawer cooks anything itself. One model in our range, the Teka VS 152 GS, is a different design (an edge sealer, not a chamber). Before you buy, check the niche, the bag sizes, whether it stacks under your oven and what you will actually seal.
1. What a vacuum drawer does
Miele describes the intended use of its EVS 7010 as vacuuming and sealing food in vacuum bags, and vacuum-sealing food in vacuum-proof plastic or stainless steel containers. Miele, Gaggenau, Küppersbusch, ASKO and ILVE all use a chamber: the whole bag goes inside, so the pump, the sealing bar and the lid are in the drawer. These drawers are handleless and push-to-open, and the Miele runs on telescopic runners.
Typical uses, as the makers list them: portioning and storing, marinating, preparing food for sous-vide, freezing, and sealing jars of jam or pesto within the maker’s limits (Miele). A drawer is not a food store: Miele’s manual says not to use the drawer to store food or drinks, because moisture can cause corrosion damage, and says to put suitable food in the fridge or freezer after sealing.
2. Sous-vide: what the drawer does and does not do
The drawer only vacuums and seals the bag. The cooking happens elsewhere, for example in a water bath or a steam oven (see our guide to the steam oven versus conventional oven). Miele lists sous-vide among the uses of its settings 2 and 3, Gaggenau lists “vacuuming for sous-vide cooking”, and ILVE sells sous-vide bags rated up to 121 °C. None of these makers gives cooking times or safe temperatures for the drawer, so use the recipe and the manual of the appliance you cook with.
3. Models compared
All figures are the makers’ own. “Not stated” means the maker pages we read do not give the value. ASKO ODV8127B and the ILVE VM615SC and VM615SL are also in our range, but we have no verified specifications for them: ask us or check the maker’s datasheet.
Size, niche and chamber
| Model | Appliance H × W × D (mm) | Niche (maker) | Chamber / usable space | Pump |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miele EVS 7010 | 141 × 595 × 570 | height 140+2 mm alone, width 560+8 mm, depth at least 550 mm | 8 l; usable height 80 mm; bags 250–350 mm | 4 m³/h |
| Gaggenau GV451120 | not stated | 14 cm high niche, planned without back wall | net volume 7 l; usable area 210 × 275 mm; height up to 95 mm; bags up to 240 × 350 mm | not stated |
| Küppersbusch CSV 6800.0 | 123 × 595 × 555 | height 139 mm (drawing), 14 cm class | inside approx. 310 × 330 × 65/85 mm; bags up to 305 mm | 3 m³/h |
| ASKO ODV8128G | 140 × 597 × 550 | check ASKO’s installation drawing | not stated | 4 m³/h |
| ILVE VM615S | not stated | check ILVE’s installation drawing | chamber 300 × 360 × 100 mm | 4 m³/h |
| Teka VS 152 GS | 140 × 595 × 557 | height 139 mm, depth 535 mm (the drawing also shows 540 mm) | no chamber: edge sealer, bags up to 295 mm wide | 430 mmHg (manual) |
Settings, bags and features
| Model | Vacuum settings | Sealing | Bags in the box | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miele EVS 7010 | 3, plus 3 for external containers | 3 levels | 50 × 180 × 280 mm and 50 × 240 × 350 mm | Push2open, telescopic runners, drying cycle for the pump (max 20 min), 230 V, 0.32 kW |
| Gaggenau GV451120 | 3 in the chamber (max 99 %), 3 outside it (max 90 %) | 3 levels | not stated | removable non-stick sealing bar, drying programme for the pump, 0.32 kW |
| Küppersbusch CSV 6800.0 | 3 levels (min/med/max) plus sealing only (about 40 %) | sealing times 1.5, 2.5 and 4 s | 25 × 200 × 250 mm and 25 × 250 × 300 mm | Marination, Liquids and Maturation programmes; conditioning programme at least once a month; 0.4 kW |
| ASKO ODV8128G | 3 | 3 levels | not stated | hose for external vacuuming; oven can be installed on top (ASKO datasheet); 320 W |
| ILVE VM615S | not stated | 4 levels | not stated; bags sold separately | marinating listed; ILVE sous-vide bags rated up to 121 °C |
| Teka VS 152 GS | not stated | heat sealing, automatic or manual | not stated | built-in kitchen scale, two film-roll holders |
Gaggenau’s “outside the chamber” levels are for containers and bottles. Miele, Küppersbusch and ASKO also offer an external-container route, with containers usually bought separately.
4. The Teka VS 152 GS is a different design
Teka’s manual shows a lid-type edge sealer: the open end of the bag lies on a sealing strip, and there is no chamber. It has a built-in kitchen scale. Teka’s manual says wet food such as meat and fish must be dried with kitchen paper or wrapped first, because water drawn into the device can damage it. Teka’s manual also states that vacuum packing allows a storage period 2–3 times longer than traditional methods; that is Teka’s statement for its own device. Because it is a different kind of appliance, do not treat it as a like-for-like alternative to a chamber drawer.
5. Bags, liquids and care
- Fill limit (Miele): Miele says to fill the bag at most 2/3 with solid food or 1/3 with liquid, and that frozen liquids can be filled 2/3. Check your model’s manual for other makers.
- Cool first (Miele): Miele says to seal only food that has cooled, because bubbles and steam from warm liquid can make the drawer malfunction. Miele also says never to vacuum-seal live food such as mussels or seafood. The Küppersbusch Liquids programme is matched to the food temperature, so check its manual for warm food.
- Containers (Miele): Miele does not permit vacuum-sealing glass containers. Miele allows single-use and twist-off jars in the chamber only up to 8 cm high. Other makers’ rules for jars and containers are in their manuals.
- Liquids: Küppersbusch has a separate Liquids programme; Miele settings 1 and 2 cover liquid contents.
- The pump needs drying: Miele’s oil-filled pump needs a drying cycle of up to 20 minutes when moisture builds up, and the drawer locks if you ignore the warning. Küppersbusch asks for its conditioning programme at least once a month.
6. What to check before you buy
- Niche: compare height, width and depth with the maker’s drawing. Miele gives 140+2 mm height alone; Gaggenau asks for a 14 cm niche without a back wall.
- Stacking with an oven: Miele shows its drawer under a Miele oven or steam oven in a 590+2 mm niche with a 455.5 mm oven. Gaggenau lists its GO, GS, GM and GC appliances directly above the drawer without an intermediate shelf, and ASKO’s datasheet says an oven can be installed on top. Teka’s manual says no intermediate floor is needed above its drawer, but a fixed shelf must carry the weight of both. See also our oven buying guide.
- Bags: check the maximum bag size (240 × 350 mm for Gaggenau, 350 mm for Miele, 305 mm for Küppersbusch) and what is in the box. Only Miele and Küppersbusch state included bags.
- Power and ventilation: makers state 0.32 kW (Miele, Gaggenau), 320 W (ASKO) and 0.4 kW (Küppersbusch); check the data sheet of your model. Miele specifies a ventilation opening of at least 180 cm². Miele’s manual says that if its drawer is installed under a cooktop, you follow the cooktop’s installation instructions.
- What you will seal: if you plan to seal liquids, marinades or sous-vide portions, check which programmes and vacuum settings your model offers in its manual (for example the Küppersbusch Liquids and Marination programmes).
7. In our range
Our vacuum drawers category has Miele (2 drawers, EVS 7010), ILVE (3), ASKO (2), Gaggenau (1), Küppersbusch (the CSV 6800.0) and Teka (1, the edge sealer VS 152 GS). Planning a whole kitchen? Our guides on the built-in coffee machine installation and small kitchens and compact appliances are also worth a look. For delivery and installation, see delivery and installation.
FAQ
What is a vacuum drawer?
A vacuum drawer is a built-in chamber vacuum sealer, about 12 to 14 cm high, that removes air from a bag in its chamber and heat-seals it. It sits in a cabinet or tall unit; Miele, Gaggenau and ASKO describe installing an oven above it.
Can a vacuum drawer cook sous-vide?
No, the drawer only vacuums and seals the bag for sous-vide cooking. No maker we checked says it cooks; the cooking is done in a water bath or steam oven.
Can I vacuum-seal liquids and marinades?
Yes, within limits. Miele allows 1/3 fill for liquids and asks you to cool them first; Küppersbusch has a Liquids and a Marination programme. The Teka edge sealer is different: Teka says to dry or wrap wet food first. Check your model’s manual.
Can a vacuum drawer sit under an oven?
Yes, for the combinations the makers describe. Miele, Gaggenau and ASKO describe installing an oven above the drawer; check the maker’s niche drawing for your exact oven.
Read next: steam oven versus conventional oven · oven buying guide · built-in coffee machine installation · small kitchens and compact appliances