Foodsaver

[Hitch]

I've been spending this lazy overcast dreary day indoors, using my foodsaver to vacuum seal some preps. I'm not sure if this product has been discussed, so thought I'd post a review.

I have the small lesser expensive one, the V2244 model.

Overall, I'm happy with it. I paid $60 I believe on Amazon and it came with a decent amount of bags to start with.

For rice and beans, it sucks all the air out making the bag as hard as a rock. I've also been adding a silica pack to each bag.

There was a learning curve to get this product to work reliably however. After reading the manual, I learned not to follow the advise with the bags. The manual says the rough edge of the bag down. It works better with the rough edge up.

The downside is the bags themselves are very expensive. $30 for two rolls. Also, the bags are a little fragile. One tiny rip and you lose your vacuum, so when vacuum sealing rice, for example, you need to put the rice in a separate bag to protect the foodsaver bag.

[NOOB]

I use one to vacuum seal steaks. They keep much longer in the freezer after sealing.

[Hitch]

I use one to vacuum seal steaks. They keep much longer in the freezer after sealing.

I plan on vacuum sealing steaks as well. Do you freeze the steak first, then seal? Or seal fresh, then freeze?

[NOOB]

seal first is how i do it

[gunDriller]

The downside is the bags themselves are very expensive. $30 for two rolls.

that is some major profit. the consumers are being ripped off.

2 points for anyone who can find a suitable replacement.

the first step is finding out what kind of plastic film they are using.

[pioneer]

plastic films are ALL BAD. the greatest source of feminizing and emasculating males, let alone reducing sperm count is plastics contacting our food, fresh or frozen. the most common source of this estrogen is the very potent horse estrogen. this estrogen is part of each formulae used in the creation of all plastics touching our food. invest in old fashioned butcher paper like we all had back in the 50s and live better, keep your wood, and keep it up. longer.

[ImaCannin]

I wore my Food saver out in less than a year. I had to buy a commercial vacuum sealer. (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/weston-pro-2300-stainless-steel-vacuum-sealer.aspx?a=465848) I do most of my dry pack in Canning Jars. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9RkhYHFFrg/Ttp0OsSfcAI/AAAAAAAAAF0/F-KywJLBERQ/s1600/FoodSaverJarSealer.jpg

[Cherrim]

I also frequently utilize jar sealer attachment for some of our home-dried dehydrated foods which we pack into canning jars. The vacuum sealer I bought at Crazysales (http://www.crazysales.com.au/vacuum-sealer/) (through an external tube additionally, the lid attachment) sucks out your air within the jar while using the a standard canning jar lid. To look at the jar, I gently pry one fringe of the lid (making use of a blunt object enjoy the side of a butter knife) forcefully enough until you hear the whooshing sound for the vacuum seal being released. It could take some force because vacuum sealer really does a good job taking off the air. The lids might be reused indefinitely (for this function) until you bend or damage the rubber gasket beyond the power to re-seal.

[crimethink]

I also frequently utilize jar sealer attachment for some of our home-dried dehydrated foods which we pack into canning jars. The vacuum sealer I bought at [scam link removed] (through an external tube additionally, the lid attachment) sucks out your air within the jar while using the a standard canning jar lid. To look at the jar, I gently pry one fringe of the lid (making use of a blunt object enjoy the side of a butter knife) forcefully enough until you hear the whooshing sound for the vacuum seal being released. It could take some force because vacuum sealer really does a good job taking off the air. The lids might be reused indefinitely (for this function) until you bend or damage the rubber gasket beyond the power to re-seal.

Smells like SPAM to me...

[Glass]

How to make smaller bags from bigger ones. I haven't tried this yet but will give it a go soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ZfBzmJmRs

I use mine semi-regularly and often the items are much smaller than the bag leaving me with 2/3 to 3/4 wastage. I often have items I will seal after opening and using a portion, then seal and use some more later. Hops is one such thing. So I seal at the top, cut the top off to open then reuse the bag and seal again.

But it would be good to be able to make smaller bags. I found a source of bags across country so I picked up a box full. I think 1000 pieces. 10" x 14". I still have more than half. I haven't bagged much food in a while. I did have some seal failures and was not paying attention so lost some bread mix and plain flour.

They are textured on one side. I think you are supposed to use these one side up in the saver but I don't which so I figure the failures were due to that.

[Dogman]

How to make smaller bags from bigger ones. I haven't tried this yet but will give it a go soon.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ZfBzmJmRs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ZfBzmJmRs)

I use mine semi-regularly and often the items are much smaller than the bag leaving me with 2/3 to 3/4 wastage. I often have items I will seal after opening and using a portion, then seal and use some more later. Hops is one such thing. So I seal at the top, cut the top off to open then reuse the bag and seal again.

But it would be good to be able to make smaller bags. I found a source of bags across country so I picked up a box full. I think 1000 pieces. 10" x 14". I still have more than half. I haven't bagged much food in a while. I did have some seal failures and was not paying attention so lost some bread mix and plain flour.

They are textured on one side. I think you are supposed to use these one side up in the saver but I don't which so I figure the failures were due to that.

Agree bags are a rip off!

The texture as you know is for air to escape.

There are rolls that you can make bags with, pricy.

I have had some success using zip lock bags with a thread to give a path for escaping air, but hit and miss. Plus the bags are thin. (not so good). Have made my own bags from sheet plastic using the sealer and threads or strips of plastic to give air a way to escape. Sorta hit and miss.

As said earlier, I love the jar sealer cap that works good and what I use the most now.

Reusing bags work as long as recycling from dry goods, never been brave to clean a bag used for meat. Had my unit at 15 years, only problems are crap blocking the pump valves that are reed type (clean) on my unit and the gasket around the sealing chamber., that I made my own.

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[Glass]

I've got a jar sealer but never used it.

I only re-use as in the unused portion of what was originally sealed in there goes back in there and re-sealed. Dry items like ground coffee or hops. Both are also in their own foil bags.

And yes, only dry. Would not do that with wet stuff.

[Dogman]

I've got a jar sealer but never used it.

I only re-use as in the unused portion of what was originally sealed in there goes back in there and re-sealed. Dry items like ground coffee or hops. Both are also in their own foil bags.

And yes, only dry. Would not do that with wet stuff.

You are right some packages can be resealable using a food saver. I use a thin plastic mesh from old sealer bags with them. For a air path for drawing a vacuum. Smooth plastic bags will not pump down.

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[Glass]

just to be clear, I'm not sealing the foil, just those things come in foil bags from the store. I use what I need, fold them over, in to plastic food saver tyoe bag and seal that. In case people start trying to seal the foil stuff.

The bags I have a non branded. They ended up pretty cheap but I can recall exactly what I paid. Got the invoice at another locale. I can look it up in a few days. Anyway, proves you can get "other" or no brand bags that work.

[Dogman]

just to be clear, I'm not sealing the foil, just those things come in foil bags from the store. I use what I need, fold them over, in to plastic food saver tyoe bag and seal that. In case people start trying to seal the foil stuff.

The bags I have a non branded. They ended up pretty cheap but I can recall exactly what I paid. Got the invoice at another locale. I can look it up in a few days. Anyway, proves you can get "other" or no brand bags that work.

Metallised film bags can be resealable as long as there are air escape channels. At least the ones I have tried. The ones I use are three layer ones, the middle is a plastic mesh for escaping air.

Any heat seal bag can be resealable, question is is it worth the effort.

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