a vacuum packaging appliance for sealing items in a plastic bag is disclosed . the appliance comprises a lid adapted to define a vacuum chamber when it is moved to a closed position relative to a trough in the base of the device . the trough in the lower portion of the device contains a heat - sealing element used to seal the contents of the bag once the vacuum packaging is complete . in another embodiment , the heat - sealing element is mounted on the lid of the device and comes into contact with the vacuum bag when the lid is in a closed position . the placement of the heat - sealing element minimizes wasted bag material as the heat seal is placed closer to the end of the bag itself