Review of the Eastman Outdoors 38229 Reveo MariVac Food Tumbler
While the machine is pricey (the unit sells for around $200), it is definitely worth the cost. Basically, the machine marinates up to five pounds of meat or vegetables at a time using the same technology that has been employed by butchers and restaurants for years. The process is simple: you put the marinade in the container, use the automated tool to remove the air, place it on the machine, and turn it on. The machine actually rolls the container over and over, allowing the meat to marinate. Sounds simple, right? Well actually it is!
I was skeptical too at first when I heard about the machine. When I bought one, I was amazed. I definitely put it to the test. First, I marinated some veggies. They came out fairly well but some veggies just don’t marinate well in the MariVac Food Tumbler or using the pan-soak method (like peppers or potatoes). However, it made the most succulent marinated mushrooms! They tasted even better than the ones I buy at the gourmet food store for five dollars a jar! The meats are where the machine really shines. I marinated 3 separate pieces for a barbeque party we were having. I marinated 2 Porterhouse steaks, 2 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast, and two pieces of Orange Roughy using the pan-soak method for 40 hours (almost two whole days). Then I marinated comparable pieces of steak, chicken, and fish in the MariVac Food Tumbler. As the directions state, I only marinated the fish for about five minutes. Due to its delicacy it doesn’t need very long in the tumbler. After grilling both pieces, I found that they tasted the same. Only the MariVac took five minutes compared to almost two days of pan soaking. Second, the chicken was first big difference I saw. Most of the marinade could only be tasted on the very outer portion of the thick breast in the pan-soaked pieces, but they were still very yummy. The MariVac pieces were extremely flavorful the whole way through, even to the very center of the chicken. However, it was the steaks that made me a true believer. Especially if you like your steak well-done, you will recognize the differences in both tenderness and flavor. Two identical cuts of meat were as different as night and day with the different methods of marination. The pan-soak was a lot drier and a great deal tougher than the piece treated in the MariVac. The MariVac steak could be cut apart with a butter knife easily and it was so juicy and flavorful it felt as though it was melting in your mouth. This is definitely a must-purchase item for anyone that is fanatical about steaks and grilling.
I also noticed that the MariVac Food Tumbler makes the steaks soak up a ton of marinade. When we weighed the steak prior to tumbling and after it had been in the MariVac, it weighed 17% more. That’s a ton of marinade. Also, because the machine opens up the pores of the meat and more marinade is absorbed, there’s less marinade that is wasted like the pan-soak method. The MariVac is easy to clean, too, since it is dishwasher-safe.
The Eastman Outdoors company that makes the product also has a great reputation among its other product owners. I’ve never heard of anyone having a problem with anything they make, but just in case the MariVac Food Tumbler comes with a one-year warranty. So you are sure to have great-tasting juicy meats and veggies for years to come!
