Opinions for a cryovac???

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flyboys

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Oct 14, 2007
603
42
Southeastern PA
Was just wondering if someone could point me in the right direction for a cryovac machine. Been wanting to get one for a while and don't really know too much about them. Would like to get a good quality one, but don't want to take a second mortgage out.
 
Wife bought me one at Target for about $100-120. Works great, I think it is called a Food Saver. We have bagged over 100# of meat since August and has worked great.

Cabelas has a nice look'n one for about 3 or 400, was a tad high for us to say the least.

Good luck
 
Ya really need a cryovac? Seems to me they are in the thousands range. I have a upper line foodsaver, the Pro3 I think. Works great. Could probably do slabs of spares with it. Dunno about a brisket, but unless you are butchering...
 
I definitely don't need one in the thousands range, I was thinking more along the lines of around 100. I will check out the Food Saver, thanks!!
 
I have a rival and a food saver. The food saver definately makes a better product. It will seal even the cheap bags (ie. Great Savings-walmart) my rival seals about 2/3 of them then after in the fridge or freezer the vacuum bleeds off... it will however seal the food saver brand bags rather nicely...
 
Another vote for food saver! You can get them from $79 and up. I have the Pro II like Richtee, got it at a decent price of $175 but the less expensive units work jsut as well i hear. It's a very popular brand here at the forum, a lot of people use them.

I've sealed everything with it, even a ful rack of ribs. I'd recommend getting the rolls rather then the pre sized bags as they are cheaper and you can customize them to the size you need at the time.

Good luck.
 
If you have a Bath and Body Works store nearby, go take a look at the food saver models. They usually keep a stock of 2 of the higher end models. Personally, I think you can save a few bucks and get the one that doesn't have the stainless steel cover. For one thing, the stainless won't do you anything where it's located, and secondly you're spending more money just for the swivel; which I see no use in, unless you're going to leave it on the counter.

(P.S.: I'm married and have 3 kids, so I'm secure enough in my manhood to mention that I've been in a Bath and Body works!)
 
Go for the foodsaver, they last almost for ever. I had an older model and I just got one of the newer ones. the older one didn't break, only the gasket broke. But that was my fault. Check out E-Bay, they have some really good deals.
Hey Josh, I shop at Bed Bath and Beyond all the time. Great place to get kicthen stuff.
 
Thank you very much for the replys. Looks like a no brainer then. By the way, I also have a wife and three kids, all girls, so I am no stranger to bath and body works either. Would've never thought of checking there though!!
 
Foodsaver rocks! We have to take ours back because the black sealing strip has a small kink just off center that prevents a complete seal sometimes. So if your buying a new one you might want to take it out of the box and make sure the black sealing tape is smooth all the way across and not kinked at all.
 
Another vote for the Food Saver here. The jar sealer is GREAT for saving dry rub mixtures.
We do very little canning anymore, its so easy to vacuum pack and freeze.
 
Dang, and to think I've been rolling mine up in a zip lock bag. Just goes to show you how much I learn here. Thanks Backlash. I just started to can things because my freezers full LOL
 
i have a seal a meal and it works just great had for about 3 yrs now and it does good just have to remember to double seal the cheap bags
 
We have discount stores called Big Lots that is where I found mine.It didnt have any bags and only paid $ 30 dolllars for what a deal works great.
Good Luck and Good Smoking
Redbrinkman1955
icon_biggrin.gif
 
I tend to use my Foodsaver very heavily during a session, then maybe not at all for a while. It is not uncommon for me to need to pack up to 30 bags at a time, per day, during certain seasons, then nothing for a month or two.

Bought my first one back in the 80's. Worked great but like many of them, they give up the ghost when they get too warm. And, warm they get, during these long sessions. After 4-5 bags I would have trouble, so bought a second machine. I have eventually ended up with three Foodsavers, all different models and they range in age from 20 years to two or three years.

Different models, shapes and looks, but all perform the same. That is to say I get 4-5 bags out of each one and then they falter. At that time, I simply switch to machine number two. Then on to machine number three, if needbe. By the time machine number three gets warm and acts up, number one has cooled, and I repeat the cycle.

They aren't perfect, but they seem to be head and shoulders above some of the other brands.

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