They’re the R2-D2s of marinating

SUMMER’S here, the lazy days of summer, so what do we want to do? Speed up the barbecue, of course. Vacation time and long bright evenings are terrible things to waste.

And that’s why some companies want us to buy vacuum marinators.

The idea sounds good. The most time-consuming part of barbecue is the marinating. Having to put your meat in aromatic liquid hours before firing up the grill just throws a cold blanket on the spontaneity of the whole thing.

So we tried out the two models designed for home use, the Reveo MariVac and the Countertop Tumbler from American Gourmet Secret (AGS). They’re funny-looking -- like R2-D2 crossed with a front-load washing machine mounted on a 1980s answering machine console -- but the manufacturers claim they make meat absorb a marinade not only faster but deeper.

The manufacturers say this works because a vacuum makes meat fibers “open up.” “Actually,” says food science writer Harold McGee, “it’s sort of the reverse. The real action happens when you release the vacuum. Then the meat reabsorbs the gases that were pulled out of it by the vacuum, and since it’s been tumbled with the marinade so that all its surfaces are covered, some of the liquid gets absorbed too. Also, the aromatics are partly in a gas phase, so even the absorbed gases add flavor.

“The food industry has been using this for some time,” McGee points out. “Most boneless hams are vacuum-marinated.”

The food processing industry does it on a large scale, of course, using huge rotating vacuum drums. The two models we tested downsize the same technology for home use.

One is the upscale model -- it’s sold on gourmet cookware sites such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, where it runs about $200 plus shipping -- which means it’s aimed at people who are fiercely devoted to their marinating. The other is the budget model, about 40% cheaper, and has an As Seen on TV sticker.

Basically, they work the same. You put your meat in a clear plastic barrel along with your marinade, then put the lid on it and create a vacuum; the MariVac uses an electric pump, the Countertop Tumbler a hand pump. Then you turn the barrel on its side and set it on the console, punch in the marinating time (for most meats, 20 minutes) and come back when the barrel stops rotating. Voila: It’s marinated.

We tried both machines on two projects: boneless pork chops in a marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and garlic, and whole chickens with a sporty blend of tequila, lime juice and cilantro. In the case of the pork chops, we also compared them with chops marinated on a kitchen counter for four hours.

Both machines were impressive. The model with the electric pump worked rather better, but in each case, the chops fried up distinctly more moist and flavorful than regular marinated chops. And we’d saved three hours and 40 minutes.

As for the chickens, because we planned to roast them, we left the skin on, and we found this reduced the marinade’s effect somewhat, but both machines produced a moist, flavorful result. The real problem in marinating whole chickens is finding birds of the right size. Both manufacturers recommend 3-pounders, and you’ll probably have to go to an Asian or kosher market to find chickens that small.

The two brands have different promotional styles. The MariVac carries on in a rather bumptious way, informing you that you’re now a revolutionary “flavorista” and hoping to sell you its marinade bases, which have twentysomething names such as Screamin’ Samurai teriyaki and Rasta Riot jerk seasoning.

The Countertop Tumbler gives you a “plus-you-get” gimmick in the infomercial tradition: a basket you can insert in the barrel for tossing salad, washing vegetables or breading meat. Our tests indicate that the traditional salad bowl, kitchen sink and shopping bag full of bread crumbs are far better. (If you dip meat in eggs and then bread it in this basket, the bread crumbs don’t stay on as well as they would if you had simply dipped it by hand, and you’ll have egg and crumbs on the basket too, which is one more thing to wash up.)

These devices have been around awhile, in a low-profile sort of way, but we didn’t pay them much attention. Frankly, we doubted.

But we were wrong -- they really are considerably faster and more effective than regular marinating. (They also take up a good deal of counter space, but who cares, if you’re marinating outdoors near your barbecue?)

The main consideration is price; figure $154 to $220 with shipping. Is the extra $65 for the MariVac worth it? We think so.

Just think of the time you’ll save.

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The monster marinator

The Reveo MariVac has a hulking look, with

its 10-by-15-inch black base and 5-pound capacity barrel, both made of remarkably heavy plastic.

What’s the difference: It creates a vacuum with an electric pump, which takes two minutes to operate, and it has large rollers for smooth barrel rotation.

What we thought: An excellent product. It produces a far more moist and flavorful result than traditional marination, and in a fraction of the time.

How much: $200 plus shipping from the manufacturer’s site, www.freethemeat.com, and also from www.williams-sonoma.com, www.surlatable.com, www.target.com, www.amazon.com and many other kitchen, barbecue and outdoor gear sites.

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The lesser vessel

The Countertop Tumbler by American Gourmet Secret (AGS) takes up the same amount of counter space but it’s made from lighter-grade white plastic and has a 4-pound capacity barrel.

What’s the difference: You create the vacuum yourself using a hand pump, which takes 15 or 20 seconds. There’s an insert cage for breading foods and washing fruits and vegetables.

What we thought: Meat does not come out as moist or with as much marinade flavor as from the MariVac, and the barrel rotates in a disturbingly halting manner. You’re supposed to remove a rubber valve and plastic gasket from the lid when cleaning the barrel, and these parts could get lost. That insert cage is just silly. Still, faster and better than ordinary marinating.

How much: $130 plus shipping from the Sausage Source, www.sausagesource.com.