The Food Saver/Vacuum Sealer Topic, 2011 to Present

[Hassouni]

PS : if you use the water immersion method, make sure that Bag is completely dry before you

 

FoodSaver it.

 

Very good point, thanks!

 

I guess I need to get a FoodSaver now....

[rotuts]

Sooooooooooooooo

 

you dont have the FoodSaver ?

 

Id just not get it  its  ( i have none )  something you will ( might ? ) not appreciate in the Long Run

 

that is SV.

 

use the freezer Zippy-ies until  SV  claims it Just Place.

 

just saying

[JoNorvelleWalker]

So I got my Anova, barely used it, as I still don't have a vacuum sealer. I do NOT have the budget for a chamber sealer, so I was thinking, for wet items, do the ziplock thing first, seal, then vacuum seal the ziplock in a foodsaver/etc bag?  Should make the poor-handling of wet foods with the Foodsavers a non-issue, right?

 

Hassouni, no one has the budget for a chamber vacuum sealer.

[Anna N]

Very good point, thanks!

 

I guess I need to get a FoodSaver now....

I sous vide quite a lot and have no chamber vac so I am just wondering what you plan on cooking that will have so much liquid in it.

[Hassouni]

I sous vide quite a lot and have no chamber vac so I am just wondering what you plan on cooking that will have so much liquid in it.

 

I've heard that ANYTHING with any liquid just really bollockses up a Foodsaver. Like, marinated meat, or fish poached in olive oil, etc. Perhaps I'm wrong. 

 

 

use the freezer Zippy-ies until  SV  claims it Just Place.

 

I'm happy to do that but I've heard for multi-hour cooks they're not as reliable as heat-seal bags. If I want do multi-day cooks, or even full day cooks, will Ziplocks work ok? 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I use double bagged ziplocks for pasteurizing eggs.  But that's it.  You know that deep down inside you really want a chamber vacuum sealer.

[EnriqueB]

I've heard that ANYTHING with any liquid just really bollockses up a Foodsaver. Like, marinated meat, or fish poached in olive oil, etc. Perhaps I'm wrong. 

 

Not the case. Already shown in this forum many times:

 

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144300-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2011/page-2#entry1779665

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naLhexUJjQ8&feature=youtu.be

[Hassouni]

Not the case. Already shown in this forum many times:

 

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144300-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2011/page-2#entry1779665

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naLhexUJjQ8&feature=youtu.be

 

That's very interesting, thanks!

 

What about the thing I've heard about ziplocks not being good for extended immersion?

[greenmonk]

Hassouni, no one has the budget for a chamber vacuum sealer.

I didn't have the budget, but I got one by asking for Amazon gift cards for everything. Christmas, birthdays, thank you's, etc. Over a 2 year period I had saved up enough to only need to shell out $200 of my money for a Vacmaster VP215. I knew I was going to like it, but didn't realize just how much I would use it for things other than sous vide. I make flash pickles all the time now to snack on and will only eat fruit like pineapple or watermelon if it's compressed. I won't eat it straight anymore. There are so many things I didn't realize I'd use it for that I do now. It was the best purchase I've made in a long time!

I had come up with a plan which is the only reason I have one now. You don't realize what you are missing until you get one. I love mine!!!

[Hassouni]

Not the case. Already shown in this forum many times:

 

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144300-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2011/page-2#entry1779665

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naLhexUJjQ8&feature=youtu.be

 

Dumb question. It seems in Pedro's video that his sealer has a separate button for vacuum, and a separate one for seal. On most of the simpler products on the market now, I see a button saying "seal" and another saying "vacuum and seal"- does the latter mean it vaccums first, then seals, or what?

[cyalexa]

Dumb question. It seems in Pedro's video that his sealer has a separate button for vacuum, and a separate one for seal. On most of the simpler products on the market now, I see a button saying "seal" and another saying "vacuum and seal"- does the latter mean it vaccums first, then seals, or what?

On my very low end Foodsaver, yes, the "vacuum and seal" button sucks until the vacuum is complete then seals. If you want to seal early, say before you start sucking up liquid, just press seal when you are ready. 

[Darienne]

I hope I am not re-posting something that has already been posted.

 

A friend sent me this website this morning and I think I'll try it.  Low tech and no cost way to vacuum pack your foods.  (Sorry about the obnoxious opening commercial.)

 

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2015/3/23/the-low-tech-diy-way-to-vacuum-seal-your-food?xid=DISH032915TheLowTech

[spipet]

Huge bump. I recently bought an anova immersion simulator and am having a lot of fun with sous vide in zip lock bags. However, I found that the zip lock bags are not very suitable for long cooking times or higher temperatures. This made me decide to search for a 'cheap' vacuum machine as I do not have the budget for a chamber vacuum sealer. Does anyone have any experience with the Tre Spade Takaje vacuum sealer?  Or would you recommend a Foodsaver (if yes, which model?).

[Barrytm]

I am a fan of the Sinbo 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GN2KU0O/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687602&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004ZVJ088&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=11QBRGT9947PSKKZ9YGW

 

It uses a different design, and for sous vide, you can use flat bags,  which are much cheaper than the food saver bags.  It isn't designed for vac sealing liquids, but it does have a way to keep liquid out of the motor if you are sealing something in liquid.    While the reviews on Amazon are not very high, if you read them, you can see one reviewer downgraded it because it does not seal mylar, and some complained that it doesn't have all that much suction. For sous vide,  I don't need to crush a can, I need to remove the excess air so the bag won't float, and the product will be in full contact with the bag, this one does that. 

[gfweb]

The Food Saver is on its last legs (again).

 

Any more recent thoughts on which small unit to get? (Chamber vac is too big and too much)

[rotuts]

the issue is the pump.

 

an oil pump will handle moisture

 

there 'dry' pumps will not.

 

so .............

 

pro-rate your usage, and then

 

get the pump system that suits you

 

$$ for $$

[gfweb]

I found a good one, a Cabella's 12" piston pump "commercial grade" vac sealer.  On sale at $260!

 

[daveb]

 

It's a very good one. 

 

I bought a similar unit (different knobology) 5-6 yrs ago and it's still going strong.  Same liquid problems as other strip sealer but more precise cut off control. Well suited to SV or simple bag/store/freeze applications.

 

After I made the leap to a chamber sealer,  I loaned it to a friend with kids and he's doing his best to wear it out.

[thock]

18 hours ago, gfweb said:

I found a good one, a Cabella's 12" piston pump "commercial grade" vac sealer.  On sale at $260!

 

 

 Excellent choice. I've had one for 5 or so years. One of the best things about it is that it's repairable. Plus, I like the wide seal, as opposed to the thin line the Foodsaver brands make.

 

I've never yet had to repair mine, but it's already outlasted the Foodsaver brand ones I used to have.

Edited January 10, 2016 by thock
added bit about outlasting... (log)

[thock]

On 1/10/2016 at 3:03 PM, thock said:

 Excellent choice. I've had one for 5 or so years. One of the best things about it is that it's repairable. Plus, I like the wide seal, as opposed to the thin line the Foodsaver brands make.

 

I've never yet had to repair mine, but it's already outlasted the Foodsaver brand ones I used to have.

I should really say I have a Cabela's one. It's not the same, but similar. Either way, replaceable parts is a good thing.

[StuartGrows]

Hey everyone!

This thread is right down my alley! I'm the author of the website www.thevacuumsealerexpert.com 

 

I did a TON of research on vacuum sealers because I was looking for ways to keep my vegetables fresher for longer. I got one and was soon using it for a lot more than just that. I was portioning my meals, dedicating one day to cooking for the entire week. My freezers are a lot more organized now and I'm no longer throwing food out due to freezer burn. I seal jars a lot too, I make salads in a mason jar and put some dressing in the bottom and remove the air and I have salad for the entire week. I've lost about 60 lbs by eating less. It's a lot easier to eat the right amount when you weigh your food out and put it into an individual portion ahead of time. It's impossible to over-eat then!

 

Please check out the article I wrote. It's my first. I hope I can help you learn something. I'm happy to answer any questions about vacuum sealing you might have!

 

 

[daveb]

A brief perusal here will show that most sealer discussions concern differences between the oil pump or not oil pump chamber sealers, who has the best price for chamber sealers, where to buy pre-cut bags in quantities less than 1,000, etc.  Your article seems geared towards a more casual audience - and there's nothing wrong with that. 

 

Noticed a brief segue into Sous Vide in your article.  Will you be an expert there next? 

 

Good luck in your endeavor.

[StuartGrows]

I think Sous Vide is a bit deeper of a subject than vacuum sealers in general and I think it will take a bit of time lol Sous vide is awesome though! I'm still amazed with it. 

 

I decided to put chamber sealers off to a later post on my site because they are A) very expensive and B) heavy! I think most people wouldn't want them for those reasons. Oil pumps are smelly and can be messy unappealing in the kitchen.

 

Do you have a Sous Vide Dave?

[btbyrd]

Oil pumps in vacuum machines don't smell and they're not messy. Also, they make chamber vacuum sealers with dry piston pumps. They're still expensive and heavy, but there's no need to change the oil (though the pumps apparently don't last as long). Regardless, for any chamber machine the cost of the bags is considerably cheaper than it is for edge sealers. Over the course of the life of using the machines, the cost of the bags for edge sealers makes them much more expensive than they seem when making the initial purchase. 

Edited September 7, 2016 by btbyrd (log)

[daveb]

A value strip sealer can be had for about 100 bucks.  A good (Weston, Ary, etc) strip sealer is in the 3 - 400 bracket.  Today's price on a Vacmaster 112S Chamber Sealer is 469 from WebRestaurant.  (It's 50 pounds shipping weight but it's a heavy 50 pounds.)  I've done Sous Vide with each category of sealer and while each is doable the chamber sealer is far and away the best suited for it.  And of course at the other end of the Sous Vide spectrum are the folks that do the immersion sealing.

 

In my frequently wrong but never in doubt opinion:

 

The chamber wins on ease of use, efficiency, product reliability, functional reliability, bag cost and versatility.  Infused cocktails anyone?  This is particularly true for more adventurous cooks who pursue things like "modern cuisine".

 

It loses a little on price and it is heavy.  Many if not most folks will be well served by a value strip sealer.  I think that's your target audience.