I bought one of the less expensive models last year and I love it. I use a cheap "inner" bag which makes washing the foodsaver bag easier. Also, amazon sell bags that aren't the make foodsaver, but which work very well as they have the waffle side to them. Much cheaper.

A Foodsaver machine is a very useful appliance for the kitchen, but it should not be so expensive.

There is a reciprocating piston pump similar to a $20 tire pump, a heating strip $3.00 , and a vacuum sensing switch $5.00. A cheaper model may not mean it's not reliable.

Some one was giving away hand held vacuums for free, the ones you buy special bags for. Just so you can buy their bags.

I have a cheap Foodsaver I use day in and day out for the past 10 years and it is still working fine.

Bags can be expensive, so I came up with a way that you can do it for free. I have not had to buy bags at all.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: Free!

I use mine and don't mind the cost. But we have a huge garden and buy seasonal produce fresh and cheap, then freeze for the winter months. When corn is 2 bucks for 13 ears. For short term freezing, and a small freezer, and not bulk purchases, it might be unnecessary. Pressing all the air out of a small zip-lock freezer bag, then 'bagging' those small items, and using them within a month or two is fine.
Lots of tricks to make a foodSaver cheaper like islay mentioned. The bags are nice and thick and can be washed and re-used easily.
I would not need one at all if i did not make my own stocks, have a large garden, make big batches of granola, buy bulk nuts, seeds and herbs, etc, and have an extra freezer for storage.

They can be a bit fussy.
If you find one at a good affordable price, like a thrift store or on sale, they are nice to have if even not used so often. I prefer reusable freezer containers for most things, like the wide mouth ball jars, but if you get something seasonal, like a big bag of nuts....my SIL has pecan trees....they are great for long term storage.

Thanks for the replies. I always thank people because I know they are extremely busy and if they take the time to do this to help people, they need to be thanked. Anyway, I only have two options-- Walmart and Amazon. I need brand names so that I can compare. Thanks for the hint about the Amazon bags because I did realize that the cost of the bags can become a problem. I live in the Midwest and in the summer have a lot of homegrown produce. That to me is a talking point.I am a little leery of the Goodwill stores, for it seems to me why would people give something in good condition and in working order, but again my cleaning lady has gotten some fantastic stuff there. Knowing my luck, I would get a lemon. Barb

I read and researched many vacuum sealers before recently deciding on one and making the leap.

Like you, I wanted I wanted something in the mid price range. I also wanted the actual Foodsaver brand. I wanted the optional Accessory Port to use with vacuum hose (included) for all FoodSaver containers and accessories. I'm not sure if I'll ever use that port, but it is good to have just in case I decide to use it later.

I got it from Amazon, with free shipping.

It is the 2461, today's price is $84.97, and it gets good reviews.

it is linked below.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Foodsaver 2461 at Amazon

We bought one on sale at Walmart a year ago, or so. Foodsaver brand. Ours from 25 years ago had failed. I think we paid $149 and it was a mid range one. We have used it a lot, in part because we started using a sous vide set up. Now we have two sous vide set ups and DH has really gone to town with the Foodsaver. We wash the Foodsaver brand bags with soap and water and rinse them well and reuse them. Our usage has been primarily for poultry, meat, and fish that we buy in large quantities and then freeze in small portions. There is a learning curve--at least there was for us, with liquids like stock. Now that we are sometimes confronted with gifts from hunters, I would like a vacuum sealer that can handle game portions, but I'll wait on that. If you have the time, watch for special sales. I think Costco had a lower price on a FS very similar to ours about a month after we purchased ours.

More than the counter top FS with bags, I have been using a handheld FoodSaver with a Wide or Regular Mouth Jar Sealer to seal in Mason jars. It's really good for salad greens, vegetables, cheese, fruit.

Like Islay, I like using the inner bags when using FS bags.

I have about 10 years worth of FS bags; yeah, I went overboard when I got into the FS thing.

Plenty of people give up on foodsavers and they end up at a second hand store because they are not as convenient as hoped or they have two or what ever. Yes, you might get one that isn't perfect for $8, but you could get a second one for another $8 and still be way ahead of spending $80 or $149.

Washing and reusing FS bags can be a pain and time consuming.

I do reuse the sous vide bags often.

I have an air compressor. I use the compressed air to turn the bags inside out. A few seconds each. Then all the bags go into the clothes washer.

After spin drying, I use compressed air to turn them outside in again.

Quick, perfectly clean and sanitized.

dcarch

If you have access to Costco, they sell an excellent model for about $120. It is the V4880 model. It is well worth the cost, as items do keep fresh longer in the freezer. I have pulled out meats that were in there for 3+ years and they were perfect.

For bags, sign up at Foodsaver.com for specials, on machines also. I currently have enough rolls for at least 2 years. Bags can be washed and dried for re-use also.

I am very leery of the Walmart, target, kohls machines. They are sold at very low prices but I have only heard complaints about them.

For tips and tricks, do a search here and at Harvest. Many threads about it.

duplicate deleted

This post was edited by pkramer on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 14:39

dcarch - I hope you're doing that with or immediately after a chlorinated load. The typical washing machine is far from sanitary! I only wash table cloths, kitchen towels, etc. after a heavily chlorinated load of whites.

Here is a link that might be useful: Poop in your laundry

I am not sure I believe those people. The wash goes thru three hot water cycles as well as detergents.

They are the same people who warn you not to flush you toilet because that would spread germs all over your house. those are the people who now put sanitizers next to elevator up/down buttons in office buildings.

dcarch

I find it more convenient to freeze goop things like soup, spaghetti sauce, beans, chili, in containers, and the containers can easily go in the dishwasher. Dcarch's inside out bags could probably go in the DW, too. I'd check the plastic composition of the bags, however. Sous vide quality bags don't have BPA or phthalates in them. Some do and aren't appropriate for heating during washing, or even for liquids in reuse. Like pop bottles.

I use my Foodsaver mostly for things like freezing portioned cooked meats or berries--anything that would have a lot of air in a container--or for things I want in a different size. For instance, I had leftover eggyolks last Spring and made Hollandaise from them, froze in custard cups, then unmolded and sealed in FS, cut into little squares. I also use it for nuts like walnuts that go rancid quickly. Most of mine get icky enough that I don't want to try washing them (too much water waste) and I haven't been happy with the results of double bagging.

It's really easy to make your own bags to size. You soon learn how stingy you can be and still have enough of a margin to seal. If you're going to reuse, cut the bag big enough that you still have a usable bag with sufficient margin, after you remove the seal.

The precut pouches are wasteful and expensive. I had a lot of hesitation when I first bought the kit because the bags seemed so expensive. After I bought a couple of four roll packs (short and long), however, which is an investment to start with, using them became a lot easier. When you have plenty, it's easier to be free with them.

For non-weepy vegetables, I'm sure I'd be more inclined to reuse, but I only grow herbs and peppers, and we have great produce in the stores all year round.

I agree with everything pIllog posted above. I wanted to add that I just turned mine over and it is a V4420 model.

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 16:59

Pillog, I have stuff in containers in the freezer, but I am not too well organized and they are all different sizes, so sometimes when I open the freezer door, accidents happen,. The plastic ones slide out and they crack. Then again you read about freezing in plastic and it not being healthy, etc. What is a good solution? My freezer is an upright. Barb

Some people freeze in glass, but I know I'd drop it and when there's something frozen solid, it's more likely to shatter horribly. I don't get too anxious over the plastics, however. I'm old enough to have been exposed to all the old problem plastics for decades, and I'm not having babies. Plastic is so prevalent, nowadays, that I do worry about children, and try to be careful when I use it in my kitchen, so the childbearing and children are spared, at least in their time with me.

The best plastic containers are polypropylene #5. It can be washed hot and reused. There are still chances that it could have a here-to unknown bad chemical, but I'm fairly confident in them. There are plasticizers in a lot of glass too. So the best bet is not to over heat, not to put piping hot things in them, and use sense. It's worth the risk to me not to have to worry about shattered glass.

Especially good, are the Glad freezer containers, which really don't shatter when you drop them frozen. Some of the regular PP ones do, but it's not so bad because the pieces brush off, and there are no sliced arteries. :) The freezer containers only come in three cup and two quart sizes, which makes being organized easier. I do find them both to be fairly convenient. I had a chicken with sauce dish that I needed to freeze, and used a 2 qt., though it was only about 2/3 full, and it was fine. Vacuum sealed would have been better, but it wasn't going to be in the freezer long enough to make a big difference, and I forgot that I have a few vacuum containers. :)

Considering your age and health issues, I'd think that the Food Saver with BPA and phthalate free bags would be fine for you. That way you're staying away from the known bad plastics and doing what's good for you by preserving your good food. After awhile, taking something good you've made out of the freezer seems much easier and more appealing than buying any kind of "convenience" or restaurant food. As you continue putting up more and more of your homemade foods, you could branch into glass jars, especially for things that stay on the counter and aren't likely to slip out of your hands.

Then it's just down to freezer organization. I've read a lot of hints in CF. In fact, when I joined CF, years ago, I was asking for newfangled freezing info. :) Here are some highlights:

1) If you don't have them, you can get some sheet pans that fit your freezer shelf (you do need to clear off a shelf). Perhaps a half sheet, or a couple of quarters. They're inexpensive, and the sides keep in whatever it is you're dealing with.

2) For things that squish and slip, find a way to freeze first then package. For instance, you can freeze meatballs spread out on a sheet pan, then when they're frozen, vacuum seal them individually or in portions of several. Then you can put them together in a big zipper bag or container to organize them. That way they keep their ball shape and don't get squished.

3) Freeze wet things flat. You can put (cooled) soup, or whatever liquidy food, into a FS bag. If your machine is horizontal, put it on the edge of the counter, so you can hold the bag upright and just bend the margin over into the machine. Once sealed, lay flat on a sheet pan (so it won't sag between the wires on the shelf) and freeze. Once frozen, you can put them in a container or box in the freezer and stand them on end, so you can flip through them like files in a drawer to find what you're looking for.

You can do the same trick with small items, like green beans. Instead of bunching them together in a cylinder shape, give them another couple of inches of bag. Lay on the sheet pan and spread out, protecting your margin for vacuuming, and freeze. Then vacuum seal once frozen flat, and stand on end in the file, or if you have a ton of them from the garden, stack all the bags in a box.

4) Make fit betweeners. Since I use a lot of containers, I have some "wasted" space (though some is necessary for maintaining airflow, some is just open space where nothing else fits). I do make the more cylindrical packages of things like stringed brisket, sliced strawberries, or whole cooked chicken breasts, because they fit well in those spaces.

I keep masking tape and a Sharpie on the counter by the bread basket. That doesn't let me be too lazy to label things. Usually, the FS bag is easy to write on directly. I use the tape for writing on, for containers, though good ones don't need tape to hold them closed. I also try to put the same things (e.g., chicken stock) together, and the oldest ones on top/front, and things that aren't in multiples arranged somewhat by date.

If your freezer doesn't have organizers, don't be afraid to add them. Small cardboard or plastic boxes do fine, and sometimes you just need a sheet of cardboard to keep things in line. Remember that your freezer needs to push the cool air through, so do leave little channels for that, but sometimes organizing a freezer is like organizing a desk or suitcase--adding dividers can make all the difference.

It's also really useful for just re-sealing potato chip packets, frozen pea bags etc...

I'm on my 3rd one and have owned them since 1986, and the next one is already purchased and in the basement. Wouldn't be without one.

I keep mine on a baker's rack so it's always ready to use. You'll get more use out of it if it's where you can easily use it when you need it, rather than having to get it out and set up.

The rolls of bags, Universal Lids, lids for canning jars, a few wide-mouth jars in different sizes, a funnel to use when filling the jars, the hose and jar sealer, etc., are stored in a pretty basket on another shelf on the baker's rack -- along with a Sharpie for marking the bags and a pair of scissors for cutting the bags off of the rolls and opening the bags.

I have most of my dry goods (foods with 10% moisture or less) vacuum-sealed in canning jars and bags stored in our food storage room in the basement. I have hundreds and hundreds of pounds of grains/seeds/beans vacuum-sealed and have never had an infestation of pantry pests.

Caution: Do NOT vacuum seal flour in the FoodSaver bags. There is enough moisture in flour that it can develop a musty odor if packed in a bag. INSTEAD, use a canning jar or a FoodSaver canister where it will remain free-flowing yet oxygen free. Weevils (or other pantry pests) and their eggs cannot survive in vacuum-sealed jars (or bags) because there is an absence of oxygen.

Use canning jars and FoodSaver canisters for things that would get mashed, crushed, or fuse together: marshmallows, chocolate chips, cereal, crackers.....

Be sure to read the user's manual and watch the video. ;)

-Grainlady

Like Islay, I use my counter top FS to reseal bags. Just 2 to cook for so I do a lot of resealing.

How about that...I'm in sync with Grainlady on FS usage!

I have the V3840 model (pretty much the same as the V3835, except mine says "Canister" instead of "Accessory"), and I do not recommend it because of bag waste when I reuse a bag. There is a 1.5" gap of wasted bag at the end after sealing, and to open it, I must cut below the seal, making the waste more like 1.75". I pretty much use the 8" wide bags instead of the 11" wide bags, as there is less waste with 8" than there is with 11". I cut the bags fairly long and then expect to lose almost 2" every time I reuse them. I use them most often for storing cheese, and if I cut off 2" of cheese, then there is not a problem. I do not double bag anything, but I do keep the cheeses in their original bags or else wrap them in plastic wrap before sealing, to help keep the Foodsaver bags clean.

I do high recommend it for the "Canister" use, and I have both the regular and wide mouth jar adapters to use the the accessory hose. Lately I've been making a lot of refrigerator pickles, and I like to seal the jars before storing them, even though I do not store them for more than 4 weeks or so. If I make four large jars of pickles at a time, they might last me 6 weeks, however, although I generally give one or two jars to friends. I vacuum seal extra hot sauce when I make that, but that keeps well without vacuum sealing anyway because of the vinegar and salt that I use.

I do NOT use my Foodsaver to seal other bags, as it would waste too much bag.

Lars

I picked up a mid level foodsaver last year from Menards- and I like it a lot.

Never thought of bagging up my messy stuff then food sealing it for the freezer. But it is a gem for sealing up dry stuff like chunked meat or chopped up veggies. Since we tend to use those bags up whole and not reseal them, and I don't do a lot of it, it's totally worth getting a roll of bagging when it's on sale.

But like some others have said..
What I really use the sealer a LOT for is the canning jar accessory. Boy, I wasn't too sure of the investment for the bags, but once I bought the canning caps on clearance last fall it has more than paid for itself! I do tons and tons of dehydrating, and I love using the sealer on the mason jars. I have made quarts of vanilla sugar or store my pickling salt in jars that get sealed. My hot pepper grinds get sealed up in pint jars and keep pretty much forever with all the tastiness. When onions go on super sale around here of 50 pounds for 10 bucks, I make my own dehydrated onion to keep fresh and good for months at a time. I do the same thing with frozen corn, peas, and mixed veggies when they go on sale- dehydrate them up and store them.
It's also great for fridge use- fridge pickles, yum. And some leftovers too get packed into wide mouth jars and vacuum sealed and last much longer than if I just put them in tupperware. Not that it's that big of a deal because we eat leftovers pretty fast. Leftover soup is really nice because we can just take off the cap, and nuke the soup right in the jar if we want- homemade cup of soup :)
And it's kind of nice to give some of my canning lids a second life- they might not be good anymore for canning after the first time, but if they are straight and good to seal I "recycle" them for my vacuum sealing.

I reuse old pasta sauce jars, baby food jars, with the original lids, and all sort of other jars and lids for dry storage... anything dry I want to store longer on the shelf.

I use a the large FS canister (big enough to hold most jars I want to re-use ) to seal dry things. I put the jar with the lid on it in the canister and vacuum seal the canister. Then, after removing the hose, release the pressure using the canister release button. The jar inside will seal with the lid button sucked down.

I have also used the pinhole with tape over the pinhole method.

That's cool! I didn't know you could reuse commercial jar lids.

Well, I can tell you this much, I first got a small model at Kohl's, and you had to hold down each side of the lid while simultaneously holding the bag in the machine. It worked about 25% of the time, maybe less, and would be far more convenient if people had three or four hands. So, when you shop, be sure you look for one that doesn't require you to push down on the lid to activate the sealing mechanism and then continue to hold it down until the sealing is complete. My new one is bigger and I can hold the bag and just push the button, it seals while I'm holding the bag and doesn't require constant pressure by the user to activate the mechanism. I hated the old one so badly that I would have never purchased a new one, but Peppi convinced Elery that it would be a perfect Christmas gift last year and so we "upgraded".

That said, I seldom use the new one either, as we are remodeling and just finishing up moving, and I haven't had time to do much of anything other than paint, tile, trim, tear down, build, move furniture then start on the next room. Ugh.

I freeze a lot of fruits and berries, but those get mushed up by the vacuum and the juice interferes with the seal. Even when I freeze them on sheet trays the vacuum will crush them somewhat, and the only way that works at all is to freeze them on sheet trays, then put them into plastic bags and then put the plastic bags into food saver bags and seal them. Many here suggested that I use produce bags from the grocery store. The produce bags here are flimsy and tear immediately, if they even make it home intact, so Peppi brought me some! I'll use those when we raise chickens for the freezer this spring, and hopefully it will go better than it has in the past. I broke down last year and bought plastic storage bags, packed chicken halves in those and then sealed them in Foodsaver bags, and that worked mostly, I've lost seals on about 20%, probably because chicken halves are weird shapes.

I've not yet been successful in sealing a canning jar. Ever. (shrug) I still just put chips and crackers into plastic Lock N Lock containers and save myself the time and aggravation and don't worry about the extra packaging to discard, LOL.

I did get some Foodsaver containers for sandwich meat and cheese, but they get unsealed EVERY SINGLE DAY, and the contents are consumed far before they could spoil, so that's pointless and I quit and Elery and I just eat leftovers and don't freeze them at all.

I do freeze Ann T's green enchilada sauce in pint canning jars, as well as freezing apple cider in quart canning jars. It works well for me, although other people have mentioned that they don't like to freeze things in glass containers.

If I were a single person, cooking only for myself, I'd probably use the Foodsaver a lot so I didn't have to eat an entire pot of soup or pan of scalloped potatoes. Cooking weekly and always making double batches is a good way to get the freezer stocked and if your stuff "migrates" to the back or bottom of the freezer like mine does, if they are sealed up, they won't get freezer burned before you can find them.

Good luck, I don't love the new one as much as I had hoped, probably because I just haven't had time to fully utilize it, but I don't despise it, like I did that old one. I'm just waiting to find someone I cannot stand, and I'll give the old one to them, LOL.

Not really, my nephew is an avid hunter and often gifts me with venison, and he wanted one, so I gave him the old one with warnings about the efficiency of the process. He has his 7 year old son hold the bag steady while he pushes both corners to activate the seal. He says it works "OK", but he makes sure to check his packages in a couple of days and reseals the ones that lost their seal.

Annie

My favorite recycled jar is the 80 oz Vlasic Pickle. I use the pinhole and electrical tape method with the FS canister adapter to extract the air.

Here is a link that might be useful: FS Accessory

The older, cheapy model FS I had gave up the ghost about a year ago.
I can't say as I was too disappointed.
It was one like Annie 1992 described,
Had to hold down both ends until the seal was complete,
Often the seal didn't last very long, either,
so I always did a second seal next to the first one.

Anyhow, I found I missed it more than I thought I would,
So I checked out the FS website, and compared the different machines.
I ordered a V3860, and I love it! ! ! !
So-o-o-oo much easier to use than the old one was!

Yes, it does 'waste' a little more bag then the old one did.
But that doesn't bother me.
I order them direct from FS when they are on sale,
And I reuse them.
I freeze meats in portion sized amounts
in cheap store brand bags,
(usually the fold-over sandwich bags)
Then vacuum them after they are frozen,
Several to a bag.
Then I can remove however many portions I want at a time,
And reseal the bag.

I freeze breads 2 slices together in a sandwich bag,
Then vacuum seal after they are frozen.
I don't use a lot of bread,
And I like to have different kinds on hand.
Before I started freezing and sealing,
too much was spoiling and getting thrown away.
I do muffins the same way.

Soups and other gloppy stuff,
I freeze in individual sized servings in plastic containers,
Then pop them out into a FS bag & vacuum seal.

I strongly recommend you go to the Food Saver sight
And compare the different models.
Almost all of them come with an assortment of bags and rolls,
And some with a few of the different containers, too.
Which is really nice,
You get a good sampling of what's available,
So you can see what works best for your purposes.

And, I am a strong believer in you get what you pay for most of the time.
You might find an older model cheap at a SW or thrift shop,
But it may not give you a true idea of all that can be done with these machines now.

Rusty

Annie, when I am freezing chicken (or fish), I wrap it in freezer paper before putting it in the Foodsaver bag, and that helps prevent bones from puncturing the bag. It works for King Crab legs also, although I double wrap those in freezer paper.

When I have a large crop of cilantro, I wrap a good-sized bunch in a paper towel, and then put that in the bag. Without the paper towel, the cilantro would stick to the bag, and so that makes it easier to extract. I do have a fear that the Foodsaver bags may be more expensive than the food I am saving, however, especially when it comes to cilantro, but I do it anyway, for the convenience. I have a hard time growing cilantro in the summer (too much sun), but I get huge crops in the winter, especially if it rains a lot like it has been lately.

If you are patient, you may find what you want for a better price. It pays to shop around.

Lars

You can use FoodSaver Universal Lids on rigid containers with smooth rims - glass jars, steel cans, etc. and turn them into "instant" canisters. Jars I seal with a canning lid and move from storage to the kitchen, I'll replace the canning lid with a Universal Lid because it's much easier to open and reseal than a canning jar lid.

-Grainlady