Never have tried reusing them as mine are sealed up tight and close and pretty well damaged by opening after thawing. But I can put you in touch with a cheaper source of bags and rolls. Check out the prices at sweetattack.com

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: vacuum bags and rolls

I reuse them because I start with big stuff - whole roasts or a big bunch of chicken parts. After that stuff has been used, I cut them down (maybe 2" lost?) and use them for smaller stuff like 4 pork chops (after thoroughly washing of course). When the chops are used and bags cleaned, the much smaller bags are used for cooked meat for 2 or for soup parts. After that it's toss time. The bags are expensive but then again, freezer burn is much more costly. I do the same with a ton of yellow onions, then cut down for diced carrots, then for chopped peppers, then bits of herbs. I also use the littlest bags for saving heirloom seeds to plant next year - though those never go into the freezer! There is more of the "outside" sealed edges when I get to that point, but they are still safely sealed and air tight.

Perhaps you need to start out with really, really big bags of multiple burritos and progress downwards as they are used? I think I use 2" for each succession, but then, I really stuff everything in terribly tightly to start with yet you may want individual servings - which aren't economical for the volume you use over the year's time.

Nancy

I will not reuse any that had meat in them I have tried ones with veggies but was not real happy with washing and drying them

I use the same site as Dave recommended and usually get the 300 mix pack gets you around $.25 including shipping Quality is great and the foodsaver bags don't do anything the aftermarkets can't

One thing I have found is if you do the math precut and sealed bags are actually more cost effective even if you don't figure in your time and wear and tear to seal one end I love just grabbing them out of the drawer, filling and sealing

Thanks, all.

2" is what I figured would lose if reusing too. I tightly wrap each burrito in Saran Wrap before vac sealing two per bag. So instead of the usual 9" for two burritos I'll cut 11" lengths. Don't think I want to mess with reusing bags that would have to wash first. Might be able to reuse the large precut ones more than once. Got a pile of them because they are larger than I ever need. I usually freeze single meal portions for one person.

I tried another brand of bags several years ago and was very disappointed with them. Wish I could remember the brand. They were thinner plastic and often lost their vacuum.

Someone (I think it was over on Cooking) once wrote of washing them in the dishwasher. I never could figure out how they did that. I guess you could turn them inside out but I still think they'd be whipping around like clothes on the line in a windstorm.

I just try to make as close a fit as possible. Sometimes, if all I have is a wide roll I'll end up making seals on three sides before closing 'em up.

FYIW, I use one of those gizmos you use to crop pictures to cut mine. If I use scissors, I wind up with wavy lines some of which are hard to fit in the outside sealer.

Of course, those of you with the fancier machine that do it all don't have to worry about that.

k

I use allot of the FoodSaver bags. Freezer stuff is protected well of course, plus I do 200 pounds of parrot food every 4-6 months, that I store in the basement. I very rarely put things directly into them. Instead, I slip the product into a simple and very inexpensive, store brand (Great Value) food/bread type of bag first, then that goes into the F.S. bag and it is sealed. The 'liner' bags are pitched out when it has been used for human foods of any sort, but F.S bags are washed out by hand and reused until quite small.

The rolls/bags are too expensive for me to use once and pitch out. I, too, have tried another brand (don't remember which one), but it wasn't even comparable in quality. How does quality of the product in the link above compare to the FoodSaver brand?

Crystal

I noticed that the company Dave linked to above sells a precut bag in an 8-inch by 24-inch size. This seems to me perfect for using like john was talking about: put a whole bunch of burritos into it in a row, then reseal as you take out one or two at a time.

I assumed that's what that size was designed for, but maybe they're thinking of big cuts of meat (ribs or lamb legs or something).

kaysykats,
Is your bag-cutting gadget like an exacto knife thing that you use with a ruler, or does it have a built-in straight edge of some kind? Now I'm a bit worried --- I'd planned to get a low-end model without its own cutter 'cos I'm cheap and I don't mind cutting myself but I'm not the neatest person in the world with that kind of thing....

Z

zabby, it has a built in cutting edge and a ruler. you slide the picture (or bag) under the ruler and cut. It's actually a picture cropping tool; sold, I think, in school or crafting supplies... not very expensive at all and works great. ... cut edges line up perfectly in the slot for sealing the edges.
found it. It's made by Fiscars
http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Crafting/Craft-Paper-Trimmers/SureCut-Paper-Trimmers/01-005445

Ours is old and is grey and Fiscars orange. the ruler and cutter are hinged and lift up so you can slice the back under (up to 12") when you put the ruler down you slide the cutter along a groove and it cuts quite neatly. Ours doesn't have that fold out ruler on the left, but it might be handy for measuring bags.
The nice thing is you can use it for cropping pictures ... it has lines that help make 90 degree corners and you can see through the ruler so you don't wind up chopping off Uncle Eddie's head.

kay

Thanks, kay!

I will definitely get one of those gadgets when I get my foodsaver.

Z