FoodSaver buying advice

[SconnieQ]

I'm convinced I need to get a FoodSaver. There seems to be lots of experts on this site. There are a lot of models out there. Here are some features I am looking for. Any model you would recommend?

• Of course, freezing of all of the wonderful things that come off of the smoker.
• I like to freeze in single-serving or 2-person portions. So maybe rolls or something that can create smaller size packets? I am ECO-conscious as to how much plastic I want to use.
• I want to be able to freeze liquids, like tomato sauce, etc. I'm an avid gardener, and like to preserve EVERYTHING for winter use.
• I'm not so concerned about jar sealing features, etc., just the bags.
• Small footprint, black or stainless, no white (although color not so important)
• Is manual vs auto operation important?

 

[NDKoze]

If I were to buy a new Vacuum Sealer today, I think this is the one that I would get:
http://shop.vacuumsealersunlimited.com/VacMaster-Pro-260-87660.htm

This doesn't necessarily have the smallest footprint, but I like the features (holds both 11" and 8" rolls) and have heard good things about this model.

If you are looking for a small footprint, Food Saver has several upright models like this one:
http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/the-foodsaver-v3485-vacuum-sealer/FSFSSL3485-DTCK.html#start=7

I have a Food Saver brand sealer that I have had for about 10 years and it is still going strong and fits my needs.

I don't know that the Auto operation that is offered on many of the newer models is really all that necessary. But, I don't have one that has this option. All I can say, is that my sealer seals solid, moist, wet foods without issue. If you are sealing liquids, it helps to have a helper. What you want to do is have your sealer positioned such that you are able to hold the bag below the sealer, so that it doesn't suck the liquid out of the bag. Instructions for doing this are in the owners manual and/or on their web site.

Food Saver has several canister type options that are available too. I have the marinating containing, but have to admit that I have never used it.

 

[Walt]

I have a Weston 2300 & my brother has the Ary Vacmaster 260.  Both are very good but neither is small or light.  The 260 may be a bit more compact.  Im not sure small or light are good qualities for a durable long lasting vac sealer.  Most that fit that description are probably short term fixes with a reserved spot near your garbage can. Good luck.  Im still lusting for a chamber sealer.

 

[DivotMaker]

Kari, "small and light" will get you something that probably won't last.  Quality vacuum sealers, by nature, are going to be larger and heavier than some of the cheapies you get from the big box stores.  Not that those are bad, it's just they won't last for us.  You'll find you use it a LOT with your new hobby!  One of the best tools to have, so buy a good one. 

If I had unlimited resources, I would opt for a chamber sealer.  But, since I don't, I would go the VacMaster 260, if I needed to replace my old FoodSaver Pro III today.  Fortunately, the Pro III is still going strong!

 

[1stlink]

IF YOU BELONG TO COSTCO:
http://www.costco.com//.product.11767649.html?utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=SearchVoice&utm_source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default

Costco warranty is great. If you don't like it just return, no questions asked.

 

[Limey]

I just ordered  an Ary Vacmaster 260 from Amazon for $158, shipping included. The first one was DOA-its replacement arrives tomorrow(excellent customer service from Amazon incidentally). Once I have used it for a while I will write a review.

 

[SconnieQ]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm not necessarily looking for "small and light", just not a monstrosity , something I can store in a kitchen cabinet (maybe that does mean small and light in the world of vacuum sealers...). It's good to hear something about other brands. I haven't really looked into them seriously until now. I always try to buy quality, and wouldn't want something that won't last.

 

[DivotMaker]

Kari, sounds like you have a plan!  Just don't watch any YouTube videos on how chamber vacuum sealers work, or you'll be bit!  They're pricey, but amazing!  Definitely on my permanent wish list!

 

[jcboxlot]

Thanks Tony, but I had to look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSB780W9BYY


Double the price of a #2.  Yikes!

 

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, John, the Polyscience model is really pricey!  The VacMaster models are much more "affordable" (a relative term).  I know I could justify it, based on how much I cook for the freezer (not just in the smoker), but it's hard to bite that big of a bullet!

 

[jbauch357]

We've gone through at least a dozen vacuum sealers at our AK fish camp in the last 10 years, and at this point have completely written off foodsaver brand sealers.  The vacuum pump gets hot/tired quick, and the sealing strip overheats leading to the bags sealing mid-vacuum - the combination of those two can turn a 1hr vacuum session turn into an all day ordeal.

We've also tried vacmaster chamber vacs, but they didn't consistently provide a tight seal - we also confirmed with the manufacturer the unit was working correctly before selling it on craigslist for a loss (cheaper than return shipping).  The vacmaster suction machine we purchased from Costco like was linked to also failed on us half way through one season, so it went back for a full refund.

Over the past two years we've had great success with the Weston Pro-2300, it has never over-stressed the pump nor overheated the dual sealing strip.  The only problem we're having is failed seals after about 6 months in the freezer, from the comments on Amazon it seems you need to use the weston brand bags only and we were using leftover vacmaster bags.  We'll be confirming that in about, oh, 5 months from now when the reds are running again

Oh, hi from the new guy.  I haven't even ordered my #2 and all the goodies yet because my wife has been out of work for 3 weeks.  As soon as her first check lands I'm placing the order so I don't ruin any more fish with my masterbuilt propane smoker.

 

[NDKoze]

Hi Jbauch, and welcome to the forum from ND!

It sounds like you are using your sealer for a more commercial use.

For daily home use, I think the Food Savers and VacMasters are very adequate.

I know Tony (AKA Divotmaker) has had his for quite a while and I know I have had mine for close to 10 years and it is still working fine.

I will agree that the sealing strip tends to get overheated if you try to seal say 10 or more bags at a time and that is a pain in the butt. But for the most part, most home users will rarely do enough repeat sealing where this will become a problem. I don't need to do large number of seals in a row that would overheat my sealing strip other than when I seal smoked cheese or jerky/snack stixs. My parents have a Food Saver that looks just like mine but never overheats. But theirs is even older than mine.

 

[jbauch357]

Yeah if the season is good and camp us full, we'll batch process up to 40 fish (80 bags) cut into filets at a time.  The vacuum sealer is always the slowest portion of the line, so it runs constantly until we're done.

Also you're right about home use of the cheaper models, I use a middle of the road foodsaver at home and it works fine for leftovers or sealing up big cuts reduced into meal sized packages.  Still when that one dies, I'll be replacing it with a Weston and won't ever have to replace again.

 

[SconnieQ]

Kari, sounds like you have a plan!  Just don't watch any YouTube videos on how chamber vacuum sealers work, or you'll be bit!

Too late! But luckily I can't justify the price of a chamber system for the small volume of smoked food I produce, and my relatively small garden. Sounds like it would be great for my liquid foods though, which would be about half of what I would like to freeze that way. Guess those will just have to continue to go in the plastic freezer containers, as it appears that vacuum sealers do not work well for soups and sauces without a lot of fuss/prefreezing, etc.

 

[SconnieQ]

I have pretty much ruled out the FoodSaver brand. (I should have titled this thread "Vacuum Sealer buying advice" ) I've been looking at some of the less pricey models to get my feet wet in the world of vacuum sealing. Although I realize if bitten by the vacuum sealing bug, I might want to upgrade someday. I always have a very appreciative brother who enjoys getting my cast-offs! Here are the models I've considered so far, that seem okay for a starter vac.

Weston Harvest Guard™ Vacuum Sealer
http://www.westonsupply.com/Weston-Harvest-Guard-Vacuum-Sealer-p/65-1001-w.htm

VacMaster PRO110 Suction Vacuum Sealer (single system pump)
http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-PRO110-Suction-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B008C9TQOM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1424274235&sr=8-7&keywords=ary+vacmaster

VacMaster PRO260 Suction Vacuum Sealer (dual system pump)
http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-PRO260-Suction-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B008Q7NJEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424274328&sr=8-1&keywords=ary+vacmaster

The VM260 does have some functional advantages over the VM110, (dual pump, pulse button) but also some others I could probably live without (bag storage/dispenser/cutter - I'm pretty good with a scissors ;D). Seems like I would probably at least get my money's worth out of the VM110 pretty quick before I decide if I need additional features, although I have not yet totally ruled out the VM260 yet... I don't see doing a high-volume, although those are probably famous last words of everyone who buys their first vacuum sealer!

The Weston Pro 2300 looks awesome, and stainless steel! But it costs more than my #1, so for me, probably not a practical use of money at this point. Someday I might graduate to something like that though, although at that point, you are starting to approach the cost of some of the lower-end chamber systems.

 

[Walt]

Look @ the pictures in my post under Beef - "Walts brined & injected brisket".  I use the 2300 to seal up whatever I am brineing. Sometimes its 2 pork shoulders & 20lbs (or so) of liquid totaling 40+ lbs. The trick with liquid is to place the sealer on the edge of the counter & hold the bag in a chair or on your knee so the bag is vertical & use the manual seal function as soon as the last air is evacuated. I also make 2 seperate seals on each end.  You could try this method with whatever you buy but I can only verify its effectiveness on the 2300.

 

[NDKoze]

Kari, sounds like you have a plan!  Just don't watch any YouTube videos on how chamber vacuum sealers work, or you'll be bit!

Too late! But luckily I can't justify the price of a chamber system for the small volume of smoked food I produce, and my relatively small garden. Sounds like it would be great for my liquid foods though, which would be about half of what I would like to freeze that way. Guess those will just have to continue to go in the plastic freezer containers, as it appears that vacuum sealers do not work well for soups and sauces without a lot of fuss/prefreezing, etc.

Not having a cutter would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[SconnieQ]

The trick with liquid is to place the sealer on the edge of the counter & hold the bag in a chair or on your knee so the bag is vertical & use the manual seal function as soon as the last air is evacuated. I also make 2 seperate seals on each end.

Thanks Walt! Sounds like you and Gregg have had good success with the "gravity" method for sealing liquids. The double seal at both ends is a great tip too! I'll definitely be giving that a try. It would be a big bonus for me if I can get that to work with whatever I end up buying.

 

[gregbooras]

I just ordered  an Ary Vacmaster 260 from Amazon for $158, shipping included. The first one was DOA-its replacement arrives tomorrow(excellent customer service from Amazon incidentally). Once I have used it for a while I will write a review.

Hey Roger,

My foodsaver is about 4 years old and I am thinking about purchasing the Vacmaster 260, are you happy with the unit?

Also I normally buy the Weston 30-0102-W 11-by-16-Inch Vacuum-Sealer Food Bags, do you know if they will work with this unit?

Thanks Greg

 

[Limey]

Greg,
I have been delighted with the performance of the Vacmaster 260. The only problem is that the vacuum is, if anything, too strong. The other day I unthinkingly vacuum packed a banana bread that I had made from a local banana tree without using the pulse function and watched as my six inch high bread became two inches high! Oh well one lives and learns. All in all an excellent unit. I purchased extra bags made by Vacmaster so I don't know if  the Weston bags will work. They will certainly fit and my guess is that they will probably work.
Roger