Vac Sealers

[rabbithutch]

Lot's of folks here seem to have FoodSaver vac sealers in various models.  They make so many different models that my head spins trying to figure out which is the right one for me.  There seem to be 2 major variations in their design:  the flat one and the vertical one (for lack of a better vocabulary).  Can anyone speak about the pros and cons of each type?  Are there features that one should be sure to get?

Beyond the FoodSaver brand, I know that there are many others; but I can attest that the cheap Deni did not fit my pistol.  Being retired the budget doesn't stretch much; so I shop for low prices and best value trade offs.  I noticed with the Deni roll the plastic looked thin enough to encourage osmosis, not prevent it.  Do sealing bags come in different thicknesses?  How thick is thick enough and where does over-kill set in?  I noticed that the heating wire on the Deni was extremely thin resulting in a very narrow seal.  Are there units that have wider heating elements? 

If someone could point me to a wike, I'd be much obliged.  My search fu is not strong today.  I'm getting more confused and not learning much.

TIA

rh

 

[diggingdogfarm]

It the case of vacuum sealers, the best value is rather expensive, unfortunately.

I've been through so many FoodSaver's that it makes me sick to think about it!

If you're going to be doing a lot of vacuum sealing and can swing-it, you'll be better off going with a higher end sealer such as the Weston Pro-2300.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/32264pro-2300stainlesssteelvacuumsealer.aspx


~Martin

 

[daveomak]

RH, evening..... I've got a vac sealer I've had since '85..... It was $160 way back then.... Still using it....  I think the grandkids will appreciate I spent the money.... They will sing praises at my wake, I bought the best, and fight over it... hahahahaha !!!!

Years ago I got tired of buying stuff 2 or 3 times over....  Buying the best is less expensive in the long run....

Diggy is right on about the Professional / Homeowner sealer... Enjoy shopping...  Dave

 

[rabbithutch]

Well, I reckon I better stay on the porch 'cause I can't afford to run with you big dogs.

I just can't justify spending so much money for something that I use so infrequently.  If I were younger, if I were cooking and freezing . . .  if a hop-toad had wings instead of springs . . .  then I'd go for it.

 

[s2k9k]

Rabbit, like you I got overwhelmed looking at sealers and finally just decided to stay kind of middle of the road knowing I wouldn't be giving it a workout. I decided on the Foodsaver v3020 because it was the best deal in it's price range, it came with a lot of bags. It is an upright and so far I am very pleased with it, I have sealed around 50 bags so far so I can't really comment on the longevity of it but the performance has been good (with the right bags). I had a lot of problems with the Foodsaver bags that came with it getting them to pull a vacuum, I would have to re-position the bags numerous times to get them to work. I bought some bags from Vacuum Sealers Unlimited and every bag vacuumed and sealed very nice on the very first try.

Whichever machine you decide on I highly recommend that you get your bags from VSU, they are less expensive than Foodsaver bags even with the shipping and they work Great! and they are a sponsor of this site.

I am very happy I bought my sealer. I feel a lot better about putting meat in the freezer and it allows me to fill my smoker whenever I use it to save fuel because I know I can vac seal everything and always have smoked meat whenever I want it.

http://www.vacuumsealersunlimited.com/

 

[rabbithutch]

Thanks, Dave!

That is the model I've had my eye on as being in my price range (if I pinch my pennies for awhile).  I was wondering if the "upright" attitude of the unit makes any difference in using it?  In one of the reviews I read (about a FoodSaver, but a different model), the vertical unit was praised as taking up less counter space and less shelf space in the pantry.  Is there a down side?

Thanks for the info.

 

[s2k9k]

Rabbit, well this is the only one I've used so i can't really compare. I'm not crazy about the door but I have gotten used to it, and maybe having to open and close it so many times with the FS bags to get them to work turned me off but with the VSU bags it was rather easy. I did 21 bags the other day and it didn't take very long and was rather effortless so like I said before I'm very happy with it so far.

21 bags sealed very tight first try everytime:

:

 

[rabbithutch]

Thanks again, Dave!

From the looks of all those bags and your comments, I'm convinced that the vertical FoodSaver is the way for me to go.

Good luck with your smoked cheese.  I did my first cheese this week and didn't pay as much attention as I should have.  I let the MES fire up trying to get a reading with the temp probe.  That was a big mistake 'cause I never got it cool enough after only a few minutes with the element on, even adding a pan of ice.

I think you should look at 90* as your max and try to keep it cooler and smoke longer.  That's what I think I learned from my attempt.

rh

 

[scarbelly]

I have had a food saver for over 20 years and use the heck out of it -I have not had the bad experiences expressed here