The Food Saver/Vacuum Sealer Topic, 2011 to Present

btbyrd · September 7, 2016

Even if you're doing the water displacement method for sous vide, it can still (almost) make sense to buy chamber vacuum bags. They're cheaper than Ziplocs and you can just clip them to the side of your SV container. I do this quite frequently even though I have a chamber vac. If I'm cooking a few items (like a couple of steaks, a chicken breast, or a single rack of ribs) I just put the food in, pop them in the water, and either clip them in or place the lid on top so the bags are secured. You see the ChefSteps crew doing this a lot in their videos. I mostly seal for large batches, long cook times, items that have a lot of liquid in the bag (which also tend to be long-cooking), and anything that will be chilled and stored (or frozen). I'm somewhat overstating the case here... it doesn't make total sense for someone without a chamber vac to buy chamber bags. But it also sort of does make sense. Almost.

Edited September 7, 2016 by btbyrd (log)

JoNorvelleWalker · September 7, 2016

Buy a chamber vacuum sealer and don't look back. Cost of bags is trivial. Quality and convenience cannot be imagined unless you own one.

rotuts · September 7, 2016

i agree .

I hemed and hawed years ago when I thought Id begin studying SV. I know the foodSaver level would not really be worth it for me in the long run.

so I got the Weston which was about 350 or so. it has an oil-less p[ump. i loved it . after fairly heavy use , I needed to send it back for repair

to replace the pump. that was not easy to do. the gaskets were replaced and it never worked at well after that : it was very hard to get an even seal for

some reason. so when the Vacmaster 215 from somewhere in TX went on sale , I negotiated free ' in - home ' delivery

its close to 100 lbs. somehow I got it onto a counter and haven't looked back.

this is a big investment for occasional use. if I knew what I know know , Id have started w the Vacmaster.

If I was unsure about how often Id SV , id get a low cost FoodSaver , and if that gave up the ghost then move to a Vacmaster

( or any changer vac w an oil pump ).

gfweb · September 10, 2016

On January 9, 2016 at 8:40 PM, gfweb said:

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

Not a chamber unit , but I've been really happy with this one. They go on sale often and are easy to stash in a drawer

daveb · September 12, 2016

This will work. I use it for small events and demos. Have to game it a little for it to work well. PIA to use. Belongs to store. They sell it. Nough said.

This works Gooder. Much gooder. It's mine and I use it for larger events, food truck and catering. Don't use it much now that I have a chamber sealer but it is more portable and more robust than the chamber sealer. With a little gaming I've been able to seal a bag full of water (not frozen). It and other models like it are probably the best bang for the buck for sealers.

Now that I've have a chamber sealer (Vacmaster VP112) I would not be without one. Many sizes and types of bags available. Easy squeezy. It's worth the price difference for me but maybe not for everyone.

Edited September 12, 2016 by daveb (log)

StuartGrows · September 16, 2016

On 9/7/2016 at 0:41 AM, btbyrd said:

Even if you're doing the water displacement method for sous vide, it can still (almost) make sense to buy chamber vacuum bags. They're cheaper than Ziplocs and you can just clip them to the side of your SV container. I do this quite frequently even though I have a chamber vac. If I'm cooking a few items (like a couple of steaks, a chicken breast, or a single rack of ribs) I just put the food in, pop them in the water, and either clip them in or place the lid on top so the bags are secured. You see the ChefSteps crew doing this a lot in their videos. I mostly seal for large batches, long cook times, items that have a lot of liquid in the bag (which also tend to be long-cooking), and anything that will be chilled and stored (or frozen). I'm somewhat overstating the case here... it doesn't make total sense for someone without a chamber vac to buy chamber bags. But it also sort of does make sense. Almost.

On 9/7/2016 at 9:38 AM, rotuts said:

i agree .

I hemed and hawed years ago when I thought Id begin studying SV. I know the foodSaver level would not really be worth it for me in the long run.

so I got the Weston which was about 350 or so. it has an oil-less p[ump. i loved it . after fairly heavy use , I needed to send it back for repair

to replace the pump. that was not easy to do. the gaskets were replaced and it never worked at well after that : it was very hard to get an even seal for

some reason. so when the Vacmaster 215 from somewhere in TX went on sale , I negotiated free ' in - home ' delivery

its close to 100 lbs. somehow I got it onto a counter and haven't looked back.

this is a big investment for occasional use. if I knew what I know know , Id have started w the Vacmaster.

If I was unsure about how often Id SV , id get a low cost FoodSaver , and if that gave up the ghost then move to a Vacmaster

( or any changer vac w an oil pump ).

Thanks everyone! Very valuable feedback. I will go back and add more details about Chamber Sealers, I see I am inadvertently ignoring people that a chamber sealer would be well suited for.

I am also looking into a way to get discounts on buying bags and rolls. I think I can set up some sort of group buy to get a discount for everyone involved. Would anyone want to sign up for something like that?

Edited September 16, 2016 by StuartGrows (log)

stckciv · September 16, 2016

The VP-215 is going for $689 today. Back when I got mine it was $890, still has served me well and my family often comes over after they've bought a couple hundred lbs. of meat. Luckily they give me some since I have the sealer.

daveb · September 17, 2016

14 hours ago, StuartGrows said:

Thanks everyone! Very valuable feedback. I will go back and add more details about Chamber Sealers, I see I am inadvertently ignoring people that a chamber sealer would be well suited for.

I am also looking into a way to get discounts on buying bags and rolls. I think I can set up some sort of group buy to get a discount for everyone involved. Would anyone want to sign up for something like that?

So if you were an "expert" before you came here, what shall we call you now?

Prices to beat are at vacuum sealers unlimited. They've got a few years headstart.

gfweb · January 27, 2017

@daveb I have the Cabella's model you show upthread. Works great, but I'm having trouble with the bags. The cabella's bags are sturdy but they get very creased in spots which results in seal failures.

What bags do you use?

daveb · January 28, 2017

I get bags from Vac Sealers Unlimited for both of my sealers.

Creasing happens to me when I don't have enough head room in bag .

**Shelby** · November 15, 2018

Host's note: This and the next 8 posts were originally in the Instant Pot topic.

I don't want to de-rail this IP thread, I'll just drop this VacMaster link here and await news from @divalasvegas that she's purchased one 😁

Edited December 1, 2018 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)

divalasvegas · November 15, 2018

11 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I don't want to de-rail this IP thread, I'll just drop this VacMaster link here and await news from @divalasvegas that she's purchased one 😁

Well, well, well @Shelby all of you have confirmed my deepest suspicions: you are all evil, eeeevelll I say.

I checked out that link and *yikes* it's "only" $1,042.99! What a steal. Plus, for an additional $50.00, I would also need to get this just to keep it operational:

https://www.vacmasterfresh.com/one-gallon-of-chamber-vacuum-pump-oil/

Shockingly, I think I'll pass for now. However, if you could possibly add my name to the gift list of whoever gave you one of these, I would be eternally grateful!

rotuts · November 15, 2018

it comes with some oil !

and it used to sell for $ 870 or so !

a steal at any price.

divalasvegas · November 15, 2018

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

it comes with some oil !

and it used to sell for $ 870 or so !

a steal at any price.

Note to self: @rotuts new name is @rotuts-the-diabolical! Once again, as hard as it is to believe, I'm gonna pass.

gfweb · November 21, 2018

Re vacuum sealers there is a middle ground between the food-saver and the Vac Master 2000. Cabella's has a sturdy piston pump model for about $250. It was discussed well on eG

JoNorvelleWalker · November 21, 2018

3 hours ago, gfweb said:

Re vacuum sealers there is a middle ground between the food-saver and the Vac Master 2000. Cabella's has a sturdy piston pump model for about $250. It was discussed well on eG

I have a Polyscience 300. Not as fancy as the Vac Master, and the external vacuum port does not work but the 300 meets most of my needs. I don't remember how I ever lived without it.

rotuts · November 21, 2018

the key to a vacuum sealer is the pump :

it cost more , but get an oil pump if you can.

the others petter out due to the moisture.

I had and still have

https://www.westonsupply.com/Weston-Vacuum-Sealer-PRO-2100-White-p/65-0101.htm

it was a little less expensive ( ? tariffs again ? ) when I got it

but after a few years the pump gave out as its not an oil pump.

I sent it back for repair , which was far from free

they replaced the gaskets which were fine

and it never sealed well again.

so I dug deep and got the Vacmaster VP 215

before TrumpTrade and I do not regret it in any way.

Trumpster is another matter entirely

Edited November 21, 2018 by rotuts (log)

weedy · November 21, 2018

I have a Weston 1100 Pro which is great.

rotuts · November 21, 2018

I loved my Weston

for some time

then the pump failed

it was several years

simply over time water vapor did the pump in.

had it been an oil-pump ,

Id bet id still be using it.

dscheidt · December 2, 2018

On 11/15/2018 at 12:13 PM, rotuts said:

it comes with some oil !

and it used to sell for $ 870 or so !

a steal at any price.

I paid less than $700 for mine; I assume much of the increase is due to tariffs? I have not yet used up the oil it came with, and I've changed it two or three times. Probably do for another oil change.

weedy · December 2, 2018

On 11/21/2018 at 2:10 PM, rotuts said:

I loved my Weston

for some time

then the pump failed

it was several years

simply over time water vapor did the pump in.

had it been an oil-pump ,

Id bet id still be using it.

Maybe, but at what I paid for it I can buy three of them before it equals the price of the least expensive chamber vac

still, if I felt I had the space for one, I'd go to a chamber for sure. But I do not.

JoNorvelleWalker · December 2, 2018

22 minutes ago, weedy said:

still, if I felt I had the space for one, I'd go to a chamber for sure. But I do not.

I didn't either.

EsaK · January 28, 2019

After finally getting the MC books and now seeing in Lidl this vacuum sealer, I started wondering what uses does a cheap vacuum sealer have besides extending/improving storage and other very practical matters? I realize it's better for SV than ziplocs etc, but I'm not sure I want a device just for those benefits. I guess I'm more looking at what interesting things you can do with a vacuum sealer that you really can't do without? Vacuum compression of fruits and impregnating flavours into them and stuff like that doesn't really work that well with a basic vacuum sealer, right? What, let's call them culinary applications, are there for basic vacuum sealers?

https://www.lidl-service.com/static/114040525/104351_EN_EL.pdf This is the model I was looking at, also curious to hear if someone has it!

rotuts · January 28, 2019

if your bags are thick enough , and Ill leave that up to your analysis ;

I vac-seal dried herbs and spice in a double bag sistem :

the inner bag is smaller and I custom make these ; 1/2 of larger bags.

chamber vac bags are much cheaper than regular textured bags.

for this system I use wet ingredients ; pastes and the like I buy and only use from time to time.

i put that open bag in the larger bag and seal. it keeps the larger bag clean. I freeze these sealing only the larger bag

when I want some of the paste , I open the larger bag , take out what I want from the smaller . and reseal the bag system as before

now I don't have to worry about Use by date. some of the pastes I used to keep in the refrig ( curry pastes , and the lille ) were year and years ol

and questionable

i put the herbs , esp ground herbs ( Bells seasonings , at their peak : thanksgiving time ) I seal in long narrow bags i make

and seal. ground herbs I freeze. dried herbs esp things like large bags from Penzy's , i might freeze after sealing or

simply refrigerate. I open and take out what I might use in a week or two , and reseal

keep both kinds of dried herbs much ' fresher ' and more potent.

it not that much of a pain when you get used to it , and well worth it for me so I don't throw out as much stuff as I used to.

but I do have a chamber vac , and the bags , large ones , are < 4 cents USD / bag

dscheidt · January 30, 2019

Some of the small sealers have a port to attach a hose, so you can suck the air out of something. The usual use is for evacuating canning jars, which let you store stuff in reusable containers. Most of my extra spices are in such jars, they keep quite well.

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