The Food Saver/Vacuum Sealer Topic: 2001-2010

[chefrodrigo]

I want to get one for home use. Are there any models that are obviously better than others?

Thanks

Rodney

[Jason Perlow]

Telia. See the above for details.

[chefrodrigo]

Jason

Thanks for the link.

[Jason Perlow]

This unit, for $200, claims to be a high-quality unit, and its made of stainless steel. The reseller is a specialist in commercial vacuum sealing. It can use an external hose and containers and apparently has variable heat seal settings.

http://www.dougcare.com/foodstorage/homeequip.htm#bestvac

[sharksoup]

Bumping an older thread in order to keep the topic together...

Was wondering specifically about using my FoodSaver to seal cheeses for keeping in the frig. I recently sealed some leftover Tallegio, and then leafed through my book The Cheese Primer, only to read that soft cheeses like Tallegio need to be able to "breathe", which it decidedly cannot do in the FoodSaver bag. The book recommends various papers and plastic wraps for keeping leftover cheese in the frig.

Is this a good idea or bad idea? I've sealed other cheeses before for keeping them fresh in the frig and its always worked great, but they've been less moldy/stinky cheeses like cheddar and such.

[natasha1270]

I have wanted one of these for so very long as I hate to throw away food. But since noone in my family seems to be taking the hint at Christmas time, I may have to get one on my own. I am so glad to hear most everyone has had a good experience with it.

I have a few questions though. Can you re-use the bags? and is it better to start with the bags and then try the custom rolls or just get the custom rolls?

Thanks,

Natasha

[fiftydollars]

Yes, you can reuse the bags. They are washable, reusable, and even dishwasher safe (it says so right on the bags). I avoid reusing them if I used them for raw meat, etc... But otherwise I can get at least a couple of uses out of them

I prefer the rolls so I can cut bags to the size I need them. I find that the precut bags are not very convenient. I also like to cut my bags a couple of inches longer than I need to so that I can cut the bag open and still have enough room to reseal them if I don't use up all of whatever I originally sealed.

Anyway, the best accessory is the mason jar sealing attachment (http://www.foodsaver.com/products.ad2?productID=1095&catalogID=1004). You can use it to seal anything that fits into a mason jar using only the lids that come with the mason jars and the attachment (I prefer widemouth). I try to use this instead of bags whenever possible. The jars are completely washable, boilable, and extremely reusable. The lids can even be used several times. I often use lids that have already been used to can something. I just wash them in the top rack of the dishwasher and use them with the foodsaver. The rubber seal wears out eventually, but lasts a lot longer when used with the foodsaver than with conventional canning where reusing these things is unthinkable.

[Anna N]

I am sure someone else has thought of this before but I have never seen it. I needed to cool some milk tonight very quickly. I vacuum-packed ice-cubes and dumped the bag into the pan of milk - Voila - very quickly cooled milk with very little effort.

[maxmillan]

I was wondering about sealing marinated meat. It was mentioned to put a paper towel in the bag so the juices won't get sucked into the vacuum. I don't have a unit yet, but what exactly do you mean by putting a paper towel in the bag? Does the paper towel get sealed in with the meat?

Thanks for answering.

[Anna N]

I was wondering about sealing marinated meat. It was mentioned to put a paper towel in the bag so the juices won't get sucked into the vacuum. I don't have a unit yet, but what exactly do you mean by putting a paper towel in the bag? Does the paper towel get sealed in with the meat?

Thanks for answering.

You can't really marinate meat in a bag (or at least I have never found a way). There is a canister (an accessory) you can purchase in which you can marinate meat.

Some meats, however, are very juicy and the vacuum is strong and will draw out a few juices. To prevent them from getting into the vaccum channel, you place a small strip of paper towel just inside the bag, below where you will seal it. This soaks up any juices. And, yes, the strip of paper towel is sealed inside the bag.

Hope this helps.

Anna

[Pouncy]

I have the very basic FoodSaver, and really do like it. I made some fantastic scallops and gnocchi sous vide the other night, after watching the Iron Chef episode.

Frozen scallops, frozen gnocchi, frozen corn and onion, some minced garlic, pepper, heavy cream and fat free milk went in the bag, and I simmered it at about 200 degrees for half hour or so. Very yummy.

I hang the bag off the counter so the liquid has to travel upwards - not much gets sucked through, and a second seal usually does the trick.

[Anna N]

...I hang the bag off the counter so the liquid has to travel upwards - not much gets sucked through, and a second seal usually does the trick.

I have attempted this but the vacuum still pulls an awful lot of liquid into the vacuum channel.

I do freeze soups and stews but I quick freeze them in a container first and then unmold the frozen food and vacuum seal it. I imagine you could partially freeze a meat in a marinade and accomplish something similar?

Can you explain the second seal? What is its purpose? Thanks.

[prasantrin]

I have a Tilia but have only used it for cheese so far. However, I recently bought some large (relatively speaking--large for a single person) portions of meat that I would like to Tilia (can I use that as a verb? I like it). In order to make it easier to remove from the bag, is it OK to wrap portions of meat in plastic wrap and then vacuum seal them? Or will that defeat the purpose of vacuum packing? I'd really like to package several servings in one bag if possible. Is there a better way of doing this?

[Anna N]

I am not sure this is a good idea. Each time you remove a portion of meat you will need to re-vacuum and re-seal the bag in order to gain the advantage of vacuum sealing. That means you will need to start out with a pretty large bag. If you package the meat individually then you can quickly thaw out a serving portion in the bag. I am interested to hear what others have to say about this.

[gperls]

I am not sure this is a good idea. Each time you remove a portion of meat you will need to re-vacuum and re-seal the bag in order to gain the advantage of vacuum sealing. That means you will need to start out with a pretty large bag. If you package the meat individually then you can quickly thaw out a serving portion in the bag. I am interested to hear what others have to say about this.

I usually put all of the same product in a single bag, even if it's subdivided into serving portions. I figure an extra 2" of bag material for every time I'll be opening and resealing the bag.

For example, I'll freeze bacon in 1/3 lb. portions wrapped in saran, then put them all in a bag that's about 4" longer than necessary, so I can pull out 2 portions and still have bag material to reseal the rest. And, depending on the shape of the food, as you pull some out, more empty bag material is available for resealing.

I wouldn't want to cut up everything into individual serving sizes and seal them all separately, as I'd never find them among the multitude of bags in my chest freezer (even with my marking on the bag it's contents).

Greg

[aidensnd2]

Any recommendations? I don't want to spend too much, thinking around $200 hopefully.

Thanks

[JudyG]

I have the FoodSaver Professional II model - two of them - one at our apt. and one at our beach house - and think it is very good! I got one of them via Ebay. I forget how much it was - but they have various models - you can see them online at foodsaver

There are various accessories that come you can get - including a marinating cannister.

Costco and BJ's carry the 1050 model I believe

Edited September 16, 2004 by JudyG (log)

[dougery]

I have a foodsaver (a step up from entry level and about a year old) and I love it. I purchase a lot of bulk items at Costco and the foodsaver extends the lifespan of a lot of my bulk foods.

I actually started using the Sears brand of vacuum bags on the foodsaver. They are less expensive and I feel offer a better vacuum.

I do have a couple of gripes about my foodsaver though... The foam rubber gasket keeps popping out after every sealing, and spillover liquids are a little challenging to clean at times, but even with these drawbacks, definitely worth the money if you buy in bulk!

Edited September 16, 2004 by dougery (log)

[Anna N]

I usually put all of the same product in a single bag, even if it's subdivided into serving portions. I figure an extra 2" of bag material for every time I'll be opening and resealing the bag.

For example, I'll freeze bacon in 1/3 lb. portions wrapped in saran, then put them all in a bag that's about 4" longer than necessary, so I can pull out 2 portions and still have bag material to reseal the rest. And, depending on the shape of the food, as you pull some out, more empty bag material is available for resealing.

I wouldn't want to cut up everything into individual serving sizes and seal them all separately, as I'd never find them among the multitude of bags in my chest freezer (even with my marking on the bag it's contents).

Greg

←

My current system is to package in meal size portions which means enough for two of us. These meal-size portions, each vacuum sealed, are then put inside a re-sealable bag and the contents marked on the outside.

[sabg]

VAC 1050 DELUXE ON SALE AT CHEFS...IS THIS A GOOD ONE ??? 99.00

[Rachel Perlow]

I don't know. I have the Pro II, which seems to still be the top of the line model available. It is listed on Tilia's website for $319, but you can get it on eBay for under $200 (will total around $200 w/shipping). (There are still some being sold for over $200, but there are so many for sale on eBay that you should just stick to your guns and wait until a sale meets your price.)

[deltadoc]

I have the Tilia Pro II. When I grind hamburger, I weigh it out in 1-lb portions and put it into a foodsaver bag that is only sealed on the bottom. I then stick it in the freezer for a while, so that when I vacuum seal it, the juices don't flow. It is important though, to pack the raw meat tightly, as when it is partially frozen, it doesn't compress as well when putting the vacuum on it. Its a tradeoff.

As far as individual portions, I would seal each individual portion with the Tilia, then pack them all into a big ziplock freezer bag to keep them together, without having to break the vacuum seal each time to remove 1 portion.

doc

[nanuq]

I just found a bag of dried cranberries in the back of the cupboard, labeled Dec '03 (Thank you to the person who said "tape the marker to the fridge" - if not for you none of my bags would be labeled.)

The cranberries are as good as the day they were sealed. I love my Foodsaver!

We've also had great service from Tilia - the little nozzle on the machine where the hose for canisters attaches cracked, and they sent us a replacement unit at no charge, with no proof of purchase date.

[lperry]

I like to make lots of filled pastas at a time. Ravioli, tortellini, gyoza etc. I usually make a few batches, cook some for dinner, then freeze the rest of them individually on sheet pans and then put them in the freezer in ziplock bags and try to remember to use them before they get freezerburned. I'd like to take advantage of my pasta making moods and turn out loads of them and then freeze them in vacuum sealed bags for longer storage.

Here's my question. Will a vacuum sealer work with little frozen chunky pieces like that? I was worried about the sharp edges on the frozen pasta, and about all the air being sucked out from between the pieces.

Thanks-

Linda

[Rachel Perlow]

You should lay them out carefully, so that they are in a single layer. If they are sharp enough to puncture the bag, you may not want to wait to seal them when frozen. Or double bag them: put the frozen ravioli in a freezer type bag, then seal that inside a vac bag. However, more than breaking the bag, I worry that sealing them with too strong a vacuum may break the raviolis. If they are relatively firm after refrigeration, but not snapping hard, then I would vac them then. If you have a model with a manual seal button, you can stop the vacuum a little early so as to not completely crush the product you are sealing (I use that with bread, for example).