222 replies to this topic

[SwedenChef]

Has anybody bought the cheaper vacuumchamber machines on ebay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item5d2ae31fe2 ) , for me in sweden including the shipping it would be just about twice the price of a FoodSaver 2860.
But I am a little concerned about the quality but it sure looks good...

[dougal]

Has anybody bought the cheaper vacuumchamber machines on ebay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item5d2ae31fe2 ) , for me in sweden including the shipping it would be just about twice the price of a FoodSaver 2860.
But I am a little concerned about the quality but it sure looks good...

$600 + shipping at $270 minimum = $870 US
Still not expensive for a chamber machine, but ...

That is already about six times what my V2860 cost me.
And then you have to factor in import taxes, import clearance agent fees, etc ...
And I have a local warranty instead of dealing with Hong Kong.
The V2860 can still be found in the UK for about £100 (delivery to Sweden would be more, maybe £20 ?)



I'm a great advocate of buying electronics modules direct from China. That's where I got my PID & SSR to build my Sous Vide controller. (eBay + PayPal does seem to make the global marketplace viable)
Such things are cheap (cheap enough to be below the minimum customs concern for imports) and rugged enough to be confident of them withstanding postage half way round the world in a padded bag.
I wouldn't be anywhere near as confident about a 35 kg (say 85 lb) item, with lots of intricate mechanical parts, arriving in perfect condition.

[SwedenChef]

Just regarding the price,
the v2860 would e 100£ + 40£ = 1680 Eur
And the Vacuum pack would be = 580 Eur ( sent from germany via a reseller therefore a little bit cheaper and no extra tax )
Ok this is quite a lot more than twice :)

So I will get the FoodSaver, I just tried to convince my self to buy a chamber machine ;)

Thnx for reply, you put me back on the right track.

[dougal]

Just regarding the price,
the v2860 would e 100£ + 40£ = 1680 Eur
And the Vacuum pack would be = 580 Eur ( sent from germany via a reseller therefore a little bit cheaper and no extra tax )
Ok this is quite a lot more than twice :)

So I will get the FoodSaver, I just tried to convince my self to buy a chamber machine ;)

Thnx for reply, you put me back on the right track.

Maybe €168 rather than 1680 ...

"Other models are available" I think the 2400's have two pumping speeds, for example. But I think the clearance 2860 is a decent price for a decent machine.

However €580 plus only shipping within Europe would be cheap indeed for a chamber machine.
Occasionally I have looked on eBay UK for used ones, and they seem to sell (even well used) for much more than €600.

[thock]

I have the Cabela's model of vac packer, which seems very similar to the one Sam Kinsey and Andie have. I love it. I love that I can replace individual parts if/when they wear out. I love that I can see inside the well. I love that I can control how long the seal is heated and how much vacuum is pulled. I love that it takes all my old Food Saver accessories. I love that it has a little storage area into which fit both my Mason jar sealers, the hose that connects them to the machine, AND the power cord. I love that the seal strip is 1/4" wide.

It IS large, but it's well worth the counter space. I had a Tilia Food Saver for over 10 years (I think), but it gave out last year, and while I and my partner tried to fix it, we were unsuccessful. The seal strip would no longer work.

Now, the only thing that would make me even happier is if I could figure out some way of vacuum sealing gallon (pickle) jars that I have filled with dry milk, flour, sugar, etc. I can successfully seal other jars (like pasta jars) with the one-piece lids by putting them inside one of my Food Saver canisters, sealing the canister, then releasing the vacuum on the canister, but those canisters are not large enough to fit a gallon glass jar.

There used to be a "universal jar sealer" contraption that someone sold, but the site is no longer active and I've never seen a picture of it.

Has anyone ever seen anything that could be useful for this purpose? Is there anyone else out there who would find something to seal gallon pickle jars useful?

[cbread]

I have the Cabela's model of vac packer ...

Cabela's website has a number of vac sealers available. Could you say which you are referring to?

[nolnacs]

Has anyone ever seen anything that could be useful for this purpose? Is there anyone else out there who would find something to seal gallon pickle jars useful?

I bought this Wide mouth jar sealer from Amazon to use with my foodsaver. There is a standard width one as well. I'm not sure what kind of lids you are using, but I have used this with a 1 gallon mason jar to good effect.

[Kerry Beal]

These what you are looking for?

[thock]

I guess the model number would be helpful, wouldn't it? It's the CG-15, like this. I got it on sale, too. I have not found, as some reviewers state, that you have to hold the lid down the whole time you're sealing. The instructions state that you just need to hold it down long enough to get the vacuum started, then you can let go. In fact, you have to wait a second or two after the seal is done before the vacuum is released, allowing you to pick the lid up.

The gallon pickle jars I have are much larger in the mouth than a wide-mouth Mason jar. I haven't measured it, but I think they're larger by at least an inch in diameter. Wide-mouth Mason lids just won't fit.

ETA info about the sealer.

Edited by thock, 16 December 2010 - 07:35 PM.

[coz]

I'm looking at a MiniPac MVS-20 sealer. Has anyone tried it? It is small so I think the biggest bag would be an 8X12. Do you think this is ok for home use? I'm trying to get started with sous vide cooking. I've read that these chamber vacs are better if you want to seal liquids. thanks!

[andiesenji]

The gallon pickle jars I have are much larger in the mouth than a wide-mouth Mason jar. I haven't measured it, but I think they're larger by at least an inch in diameter. Wide-mouth Mason lids just won't fit.

ETA info about the sealer.

I think you are referring to the needle type vacuum sealers that were available some years ago - there was a tube that attached to the sealer to evacuate the air after a hole was punched into the lid and it was sealed with something like clear silicone.
One came with a vac sealer I had at least ten years ago and I recall using it on some large plastic storage jars with lids that were at least 6 inches in diameter.
The kit even included a drill bit for drilling through plastic lids.
The vac worked so well that one of the jars partially collapsed. I had trouble ordering replacement sealer so stopped using it. I probably tossed it.
I don't know why they are no longer available, but I haven't seen them for years.

[thock]

Kerry,

No, I have a couple of those. I want to be able to seal the original lids on the gallon jars.

Andie,

You may well be right. I have never seen the "universal jar sealer" because the website is defunct, but some of the descriptions I've seen of it refer to tape to seal a hole in the lid.

My search continues. I may have to invent what I need.

[PedroG]

The discussion is continued in The Food Saver/Vacuum Sealer Topic 2011