Do any of you use a Foodsaver?
A reader named Carol recently sent me this question:
I really enjoy your blog. One thing I'm obsessing about is purchasing a Foodsaver sealing system. I know that you don't like the whole plastic packaging thing, but I'm just undone when it comes to packaging meat. I prefer to purchase, say, a whole pork tenderloin and cut it up myself (nicer porkchops and so cheap!), but it lasts me about 2 months, so I worry about freezer burn. I hate the number of zip loc bags I use and have reduced them drastically by making re-usable sandwich bags for lunches, but they don't seal airtight, so useless for the freezer.
They're also so costly (the foodsaver), so I don't want to throw that money away.
I'd appreciate your thoughts!
-Carol
I've never used a vacuum sealer system, so I'm probably not the best person to answer this question.
I do use plastic if I need to freeze meat, but I just use regular bags, which seem to work fine for my purposes. I squeeze as much air out as possible and then seal the bag. This probably wouldn't be awesome for really long term storage, but I don't generally store things for a long time.
(I don't know how safe this is to do with a bag of raw meat, but if you stick a straw into a bag of, say, blueberries, seal the bag up to the straw, suck the air out, pull the straw out, and then seal the bag, you can get things pretty well sealed up in a good quality freezer bag.)
However, I have a chest freezer which is not self-defrosting, and things stored in there are much less prone to freezer burn. If all I had was the freezer/fridge combo, I might feel more of a need for the foodsaver system.
Also, my kitchen isn't super big, so I have no idea where I'd store one! I already have to farm out some of my appliances to the coat closet and linen closet, so I really do not want another appliance to store.
So for me, a Foodsaver wouldn't be very useful, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a poor choice for you.
I see on the site that they recommend some fairly unnecessary uses of the system (vacuum-sealing half an avocado??). If I got one, I'd probably only use it for foods headed to the freezer for longer-term storage, as there are many plastic-waste-free ways to store foods in the short-term.
So, readers! Have any of you used the Foodsaver or some other similar vacuum-sealing system? Have you felt like it was worth the money? Did it save enough food to make the plastic waste worth it? Have you used it regularly or is it collecting dust?
I personally own a food-saver system and don't use it (it was a gift). I have found that the bags are not cost effective and there is a great deal of waste. I prefer to use reusable plastic containers to store meet in the freezer and have not had issues with freezer burn (chest freezer).
They aren't cost effective until you factor in comparable bags you can use that are cheaper (in Canada I can get cheaper rolls from Uline http://www.uline.ca/BL_5595/FoodSaver-Bags?keywords=Foodsaver%20Bags)
Also, don't cut a bag to exact size, give yourself an extra few inches or more and when you're done, re-clean and re-use. Cost goes WAY down.
Hope this helps
I'm a big fan of Tupperware when it comes to the freezer. (Well, okay, I'm a big fan of Tupperware for anything I can think of to store in it. 🙂 I do mean Tupperware though and not just plastic boxes! I even sold it at one stage, just so I'd be able to get my hands on it without breaking the bank.) I especially like that I can stack the freezer containers neatly, two small ones stack neatly on top of one larger one and so on. And no wasted space as they're all square/regtangular.
I LOVE my FoodSaver. Since the baby is still on cheerios and vegetables, it's just me and the husband eating the meats that I bring home. I buy pork loin on sale and slice it, or chicken breast at Sam's Club and package it in single breast portions (those things are huge. I feed myself and the husband on a single one). I also do "cook aheads" with my mother where we will prepare upwards of 70 meals in one day, then package and divide them for our respective freezers. I'm not vacuum sealing a lasagna, but stuffed chicken breasts go nicely in the freezer, don't take up as much space as a reusable container, and last a very long time.
Further, I cut my bags pretty big, since they're dishwasher safe and reusable. Cut the bag as close to the seal as possible, pull out the food, and wash or toss in the dishwasher. Throw it in the drawer and use it again next time! Since I only really use mine for meats I wash them well but don't worry about cross contamination. If I were using it for long term storage of produce I'd probably mark the bags so that meat bags didn't get used for strawberries.
An additional benefit for me is that when I forget to pull out dinner, I can toss the whole package in the sink with some hot water to thaw out quickly without having actual raw meat in my sink. Obviously if you're more organized than I am this won't be such a big deal for you.
wow 70 meals?! I'm mega-impressed. I dont' have enough freezer space for 70 meals...since it's just me I like to freeze pieces of meat for individual - 4 serving meals since I eat leftovers. I also freezer leftovers and that works out pretty well.
I'm always impressed with people who cook ahead and freeze!
Susanna
I have one and love it for meat, we buy bulk and have had a problem with freezer burn. I would use plastic freezer bags anyway so thus eliminates the air.
I order my meat by the side and it takes us a full year to go through an order. It comes wrapped in brown freezer paper or in plastic bags tied shut (and not the heavy freezer ziploc bags) and we've only had freezer burn problems when the freezer paper has ripped.
We have a Bestvac vacuum sealer, and we love it for long term freezer storage. (We raise and process our own beef, and sometimes chicken and pork.) If the longest you keep things in the freezer is just a few months, it may not be cost efficient for you to buy a vacuum sealer and the accessories needed. We purchase our bags online in bulk from Doug Care Equipment. It is much more economical than purchasing Food Saver supplies at a grocery or department store.
With all that said 🙂 ... it really sounds like in your situation you are better off to package your meat in freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as you can--just like you are doing! The benefit of vacuum packaging is mostly longterm. For short term storage, you end up paying more without really reaping much of a benefit.
This is my thought as well.
A Food Saver is not cheap, nor are the special bags. (You can't use a regular ziploc, I tried.) So it's only worthwhile if it saves you a chunk of money. In my book, that translates into Food Saver is useful for long-term storage of expensive foods that get freezer burnt. If the food doesn't get freezer burnt, or is inexpensive, or you're not keeping it long enough to get freezer burn, then the cost isn't justified.
I got mine after I started buying pastured meat in bulk. I use it for meat but not, for example, for fruit that's going to become smoothies some day.
I thought I remembered you had one! Thanks for chiming in.
The local meat I buy comes already individually packaged, but I can see where a foodsaver would be useful if you're just buying an un-butchered side of meat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LmiwjXDK2Q using other brand vacuum bags other than your own. If they are smooth, here is the 'hack'. Foodsaver has their bags textured so that air is sucked out during sealing. See the hack above so you can use cheaper bags if you want.
I *love* our Food Saver and have had it for 7 years or so. In addition to the obvious there are some pretty cool other uses for it. You can food save ice cubes (we use filtered water) and use them as ice packs then cut the bag open and drink the water for camping and picnics...Also if you food save fresh items like a half an onion it keeps months in the fridge until you need it again.
I have a handheld FoodSaver, called a MealSaver, that I use with the containers they have. The containers are a little pricey, but a great re-usable alternative to the bags. They have a valve at the top that the Meal Saver sucks the air out through. I divide meat into smaller portions in these containers, suck the air out with my MealSaver and then freeze. So far I have not had any issues with freezer burn. and have never bought the special bags. The MealSaver itself goes on sale for under $15 pretty often on the Food Saver website, so the containers are where most of your cost would go.
We are on our second Foodsaver after our last one last over 10 years stopped working. We love it, we regularly buy 1/2 cow and I package everything with it, we also buy our chickens in bulk, cut them up and store with it. I use it at the end of the summer when I stock up on blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I also use it for my veggies stock up as well. It's been a great kitchen appliance for our family.
when storing things in plastic zipper bags and wanting to get a lot of air out you might like this method:
1. make sure the bag has no holes.
2. fill a large pot with water.
3. seal the item in the bag part way.
4. slowly submerge the lower portion of the bag into the water.
5. carefully lower the bag closer and closer to the opening without allowing water into the bag.
6. seal the bag then remove from the water. The pressure of the water removes the air.
wow!! what a great idea!!!
Thanks for your awesome comments! We are a small family as well and I H.A.T.E. shopping, so I like picking up those big packages of chicken breasts, etc. When we were a larger family, of course, we used up stuff much more quickly, but with just 2 of us, storage is more "long term". I also like to be able to shop the sales. I hadn't thought that you could wash the bags which makes this way more attractive to me.
I love my Food Saver. I use it for meat for the freezer. I dehydrate many foods then vacuum pack them. We also buy coffee beans 8 lbs. at a time - keeps them fresh as the day we bought them (they also go into the freezer). I also use the bottle attachments to vacuum pack dehydrated foods in canning bottles. There are SO many uses for it, but like another person noted, mostly it's used for long term storage.
I use my FoodSaver all the time! It works for other stuff, not just bagging. It is great for marinating AND sealing jars when I'm canning. I used that when I did my peaches this year, instead of the hot bath, and it worked great! It gets all of the air out and seals the lid (with an attachment).
In attempts of less plastic waste, I use smaller bags or rolls to make my own bags. With the FoodSaver bags, the food lasts longer since the plastic is thicker. I like to buy in bulk and bag the extra. A few times a year I get a pork loin and make it into various cuts and bag them. Ultimately it's cheaper and lasts longer than store packaging.
If anyone has any questions, I'll answer. I love my FoodSaver and got my mother-in-law one. She uses hers all the time too!
P.S. I have a TINY kitchen so I have the stand up model. I sacrificed room on my counter that would normally be cookbooks and put the FoodSaver. The cookbooks are in a cupboard that I don't use..... and I don't use them.... 🙁
I have used my food saver for dry goods for years, but would not recommend them to be used in place of hot bath canning.
I agree. The hot bath kills germs that can grow in the jar and make you sick. Unless, you are freezer canning I don't see it as a safe option, and last I checked on their website they had a warning not to use this in place of normal canning methods unless it is being frozen, and not kept at room temperatures.
It depends on what you are canning. For my peaches in a hot bath, it was ok.
Plus I only tried it with half of the sliced peaches. For the peach butter, pie mix, etc, I used the foodsaver for the seal but still did a hot bath.
If you're still answering questions... I just got a foodsaver this month. I'm trying to learn all the ins and outs before I go too far in using it. Is there a site that you would recommend I visit for great tips and what should/shouldn't be vacuum sealed; which bags/accessories are the most useful?
I have a Food Saver but I only use it for my Canning Jars of Dry Things $126- Deal I got w-S/H included I got both size Mason Jar lid sealers & 2- Tubes (1 for bk up ) a Marinade container, the Food Saver itself & a Bunch of Bags I Don't Use & prob most like won't.
I use for mostly for my Spices I buy in Bulk. & some cereals & Snacks.
But I'm actually NOT Using it like I thought I would :/
It's more of a a pain to get it out & use .... Kinda like a Blender kept in a Cabinet 🙁
But I don't like Clutter on my Sinks.
But if ur gonna use it for Meat it Would Save u a Bunch of Money. & the Bags Maybe u could Rinse & Recycle them in ur area ?
I have the FOODSAVER Brand.
Ck all over the Internet for your best deal
I got mine on Foodsaver.com & they gave me 1 of the Jar lid savers Free 🙂 but other stores have sales a lot (Walmart, Amazon, Target & even Bass Pro shop.)
Even EBay might Have refill Bags
I'm sure you already know this but it was Mainly to point out that Bass Pro might have a Good Deal as well 😉
Happy Food Saving 😉
I have a Foodsaver and really like it when we process venison in the fall. Agree that it is better for long term storage as replacement bags can be pricey. Wonder if a second hand one could be found at Goodwill stores or garage sales. We're getting into the season where I live where soon the seasonal yard sales will be beginning.
I've seen one at a Garage Sale & @ a Thrift before in my area 🙂
My husband bought one several years ago and we used it once. 🙁 Now it sits on top of my fridge collecting dust. I've tried to convince him to get rid of it, but he swears we will use it someday. I could see it being more useful if you regularly make large quantities of food to freeze or if you have a lot of meat, but it isn't as practical for only two people.
I don't know if this will be applicable to you or not, but whenever I'm still in the "just thinking" stage of deciding to buy a gadget, I see if I can't borrow said gadget from a friend or family member. I just start mentioning to friends that I'm thinking about buying one, and ask if they know anyone who has owned one. So, so many times I've had offers to borrow, buy and even flat-out given said gadget. I am currently "trying out" someone's paper shredder. I wasn't sure I'd really want one or not. And this came about simply by my son mentioning that his mom was thinking about paper shredders. We got out bread machine a couple of years ago, from a neighbor who I mentioned I was considering one. I "paid" her in several weeks of baking.
Just something to consider. Then you could see if you really do need one, or if you've just been influenced by marketing.
I love this approach!
I've been using a Foodsaver for 15 years & I still love it. When we started our family, I found it cheaper to buy in bulk, which resulted in the need to purchase a freezer. The Foodsaver purchase came into play when, on a monthly basis, I was throwing away meat because of freezer burn. I buy in bulk & I like to take advantage of any good meat discounts I run across. I've found my Foodsaver extends the life of the meat up to 6 months and allows me to break my bulk purchases into meal size portions. I also love to use it when I turn pork tenderloins into pork chops, and cut roasts up into steaks, etc. And, I use my Foodsaver to help prevent food waste from leftovers. I sometimes vacuum store leftovers and put them in a special bin in my freezer so that if I'm in a bind and can't cook one night, I send everyone out to the freezer to pick their favorite (self made) frozen dinner. I also sometimes cook in bulk. For example on a Sunday, I'll take 4 pounds of ground beef and start cooking it all. I take the meat and make individual meat loafs, taco meat, spaghetti meat and hamburger patties. I then vacuum seal them as ready-to go meat where all I need to do is defrost, reheat and add the sides. Yes, Foodsaver bags are more expensive than baggies but I've found the cost of food waste from freezer burn and uneaten leftovers was far higher than the cost of the Foodsaver bags. I also buy birdseed in bulk and use it to break my birdseed into monthly portions....which I keep in the freezer. And if you look in my freezer right now, you'll also find a large supply of vacuum sealed Dominos pizza slices because when they ran a 50% off special, I bought extras! I've tried using tupperware in my freezer but my tupperware always ends up cracking from the freeze.
I use my vacuum sealer for dry bulk goods. I use large mouth quart and pint canning jars to store my dry goods that I buy in bulk: oatmeal, beans, rice, lentils, after holiday chocolate/candy sales, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sugar, flour, spices, dehydrated goods such as dates, figs, lemons, banana chips, etc.
Some people freeze their cereal grains before dry storing to kill any bugs. I don't have to use freezer space for that since I use vacuum sealed mason jars. I have never had a bug problem using mason jars for storage. My flour stays fresh, the chocolate literally lasts years, the sugar never hardens, the dried and dehydrated goods never mold or mildew, and the spices don't lose their flavor.
This may sound silly, but as an example...A few years ago I bought some name brand jelly beans on clearance for 10 cents per one pound bags. We have used those for the last few years to decorate our holiday spritz cookies. I know that sugary items like jelly beans are naturally "preserved", but they get sticky as they age. This is not the case in vacuum sealed jars. They stay as "fresh" as a jelly bean can be. Chocolate chips have a lifespan of about 3-4 years using this method. If you have the space, though, chocolate chips can be stored in the freezer for long term storage.
The vacuum sealer I have has a canister vacuuming attachment. I simply load up my jars one at a time, make sure the lids are clean, and vacuum seal the jars inside the canisters. I have never had a problem with the lids not sealing. Some vacuum sealers come with a jar lid attachment specifically for vacuum sealing jars. I have read that people run into problems with those more often than when using the canisters.
You can use the bags to vacuum seal the dry goods, too. I simply found it more cost effective and easier to rotate my food stuffs using jars. I also don't run the risk of puncturing the bags with things like dried banana chips.
I have used the actual bags for sealing up some cooked meat that we took on camping trips. That made cooking in an uncommon environment much easier. We rotate through our freezer supply relatively quickly, so we don't have a need to repackage our freezer meats. You can use the vacuum sealer for deep woods camping meals quite easily, though. Simply place whatever meal you will be preparing inside parchment paper and then vacuum seal the entire package. The parchment paper is environmentally safe to use when camping, keeps the bags from puncturing, can be used as a container while cooking, and is disposable in a campfire while not being toxic.
BTW...The lids I use to vacuum seal are still good to use for canning. On the other hand, the used canning lids are mostly good for vacuum sealing but are not as reliable in ease of use.
I have a Foodsaver too. I got mine on Craigs List for $80 I think (Its been a few years) it wasn't hardly used which is why they were selling it. The person got it from Costco in the bundle they sell. I buy my bags in bulk from the Foodsaver site and use Ebates. They have a really good sale a few times a year on the bags, I buy once a year.
I have noticed that not only does it help with freezer storage but also it helps keep meat from going bad sooner in the frige. If I take out some ground beef that I sealed and put it in the frige and something happens and we can't eat it in the next 2 days it is still good and doesn't discolor as quickly either. With a ziploc bag I couldn't leave it in there for more than 2 days before it started going bad. I have gone a week and the meat was still good (I was worried too!).
I also had gotten some chicken from Zaycon (the 40 lbs of abnormally large chicken breast-won't do that again) and I bought the BAGS (not the rolls) for convenience and either the bags were too big or too small so I mostly went bigger. However it finally dawned on me to cut the top off after defrost and then dump in my marinade and then reseal and then cook it that night. that has saved some dishes. I use my foodsaver mostly for meats in the freezer. I keep mine in my appliance garage I have on my counter in the counter. If i didn't have it on my counter I probably wouldn't use it as much.
So try Craigs List or the Penny Saver or something like that. I think people buy them thinking they will use them or have them given to them and they just don't bother using them and turn around and sell them. Though I have never seen one at Goodwill and only have seen "seal a meal" at yard sales (FAR MORE INFERIOR PRODUCT).
We cut those Zaycon chicken breasts in halves or even quarters before we seal them. They ARE huge!
I do the same thing with pork loin and I have two food savers. One we bought full price the other was found at the Goodwill. The bags are a little pricey but the meat keeps for a long time. We hunt so we mix our venison with pork loin and make burger. We use the foodsavers for this as well. As long as you get a good seal on your package, you have a long life in the freezer. I would recommend searching Goodwill or second hand stores where you can find one very economically.
You can also re-seal snack bags with the food sealer such as potato chip bags once they are open. 🙂
a Foodsaver has been on my radar off and on for several years. I've hesitated because of the cost of the bags and my learning curve stinks - I get something and dont' have the patience to read the instructions and this is something I think I'd need to read the instructions before using...and every time I've been cooking and would want one that habit goes out the window..I HAVE been cooking more this year though so this may be my year if I keep it up. a digital pressure cooker has also been on my radar...
Susanna
Suzanna, the Food Saver comes with a DVD that shows you the process.
I had the same issue about getting started and I found the written instructions didn't help, they made it more confusing instead. But after watching someone go through the 30 second process, it all made sense and now I use my FS anytime I buy a pile of meat.
thanks!
We bought our FoodSaver off Craigs List, so it didn't cost as much to purchase. I also watch for the bags on ebay, although once Costco had a good deal on a package of them.
I find that most things can go in the smaller sized roll, which costs less per inch than the wider roll. The premade bags are most costly, but the convenience is very nice.
The thing that surprised me most was how much time it takes to process a large quantity of food. It's not nearly as quick as a ziplock bag. If you use the roll, you have to cut it, seal the bottom, fill it, then seal the top. Each sealing time takes 5-10 seconds, and longer if you're clumsy (like me!). My husband and I team up; one of us cuts "bags" off the roll while the other one seals the bottoms. While that person is still sealing bottoms, the first one starts filling bags and setting them up to be sealed.
Also, if the food is juicy (raw meat, for instance), the juices can get sucked down to the edge of the bag and prevent a seal. That's super annoying!
And, soft foods get squished...berries, bread, etc. It's better to pre-freeze them first.
So it's kind of a pain to use. And the rolls aren't cheap. (And I hate to re-use bags...I don't trust them to be entirely clean, and it's also a holdover from growing up poor, I think.)
That said, it really DOES do a nice job of sealing, with no worries about freezer burn. The food compacts itself a bit, so it takes longer to thaw (you've got a brick of chicken, not small individual pieces), but it doesn't leak while it's thawing.
I don't use mine enough to keep it on the counter, but I'm glad we have it for dealing with large quantities of meat.
I wouldn't say I regularly use mine, but when I do, I love it! We don't buy plastic baggies so this is our only way to freeze things in plastic (we freeze glass containers sometimes). One roll lasts us over a year so I would say it's worth the money. Plus you can cut the bags to fit the size you need.
I use a foodsaver nearly every day! However, I rarely if ever use their plastic bags. They have attachments that I use for wide mouth mason jars but they have a regular opening size also. I use the quart and pint wide mouth jars with this and I love it! I seal up meats, hardboiled eggs, Juices, Coffee grounds, smoothies meant for the next morning (hubs gets up much earlier than I do and doesn't want to use the vitamix that early-it's super loud; kinda like a lawnmower in your kitchen since we have all hard floors the sound carries throughout the house), veggies. Pretty much any leftovers. Course I wouldn't use it for things like yogurt because that needs air.It's fantastic! I love that there is no throwaway this way either because lids and containers are reused. It's the only way I have ever been able to save an avocado without it turning brown. If you get one of their larger containers to use with the attachment it is the absolute best way to make your lettuce last longer. I can get significantly longer life out of spring mix which typically goes bad first, more than double the time. I've tested it. Hope that helps!
Here is a link to the attachment I use and love.....
http://www.foodsaver.com/accessories/T03-0023-01P.html#start=3 to find the larger containers for things like lettuce I've found the best place to look is ebay. Anyways as long as you have the counter space and will actually use it, it is a great investment and WAY easier than the straw in a ziplock method, for me anyways.
I was lucky enough to have a friend with a Seal-A-Meal system she wasn't using, so mine was free on long-term loan. It's nothing huge or fancy, about the size of two curling irons held together. Although this model isn't sold much anymore, it was probably around $50 when she got it. The Seal-A-Meal is definitely not a top of the line system, but it is compact, works well, and stores easily. The entire "system" (bags included) fits in a bin and shoves into the back of my cupboard. It takes a little more time and babysitting to use, but it does what I need and doesn't get in my way when I don't need it. It works just fine with the FoodSaver attachments (they're made by the same company) and the bags are cheaper.
We have been doing a lot of pantry stocking and freezer cooking and being able to seal things airtight makes a big difference for us. I mainly use it for meat (both raw and cooked) and cheese going into the freezer, flour/oats for long term storage, and sealing jars of dried goods (raisins, sugar, etc.) with the mason jar attachment ($10 on Amazon, FoodSaver brand). If you take the time to read the manual, you'll find that the bags are actually reusable, unless you've used them for raw meat and they can be run through the dishwasher. (I have three bags I use for lunch meat and cheese that are on their fourth or fifth trip through the freezer.) You can buy the bags in rolls from generic manufacturers and cut them to the exact size you need to prevent waste and save money. I'm still on my first box of rolls and quart sized bags and have been using it for nearly a year.
If Carol isn't sure about wanting to spend the money on a food sealing system, she should see if her area has a kitchen library where she could borrow one. Otherwise, check Craigslist and thrift stores. Food sealing systems are like bread machines, they're often bought with good intentions and then sit around collecting dust for a few years before being donated/sold. It's definitely worth trying out before you buy if you can. Sealing systems aren't for everyone.
We received our food saver as a gift 4 years ago and use it all the time. Or at least once a month when we stock up on meat at costco! I too like to buy a huge loin and cut my own pork chops. Meat is so much cheaper at Costco that we almost solely buy it there. There are only
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There's only the 2 of us in the house right now, so it saves us a lot to be able to stock up and freeze the meat or fish we buy in our big freezer in the garage.
The bags are expensive, but it's taken us over 3 years to go through one box. And I didn't realize they are dishwasher safe so I'm going to try that next time!
Also the one we have is an upright model, so it just lives on the counter, pushed to the back and not taking up much space. But we have the room for that, and I don't know what your kitchen looks like but that is something to consider. I'd look for the upright ones rather than the ones that lay horizontally because they take up a lot less room.
I also suggest checking craigslist or freecycle to see if someone has one lying around that they're not using. Ours was bought with a package at Costco, but it came with storage containers too, and I would say they're nice but definitely not necessary.
They are dishwasher safe and I have reused my bags a maximum of 10 time before I use them for other projects or crafts.
I picked one up at Goodwill once for $5. I was surprised how much the rolls of plastic are for them, but I've never done calculations to see how much that portion ends up costing me. You do need to use a lot of excess (several inches past the food) plastic so it seems a bit wasteful.
I've also discovered that it just seems like a lot of work to take it out of the pantry, set it up, etc...I do use it sometimes for freezing things like pre-cooked meatballs or the tons of extra blanched carrots and shredded zucchini from summer's garden though.
If you do a lot of bulk purchasing - like you buy a portion of a cow or something, or are excellent at stocking up (I'm not that organized) it might be worth it. Otherwise I'm inclined (at least from my experience) to say it's more money an hassle than it's worth.
Maybe you should keep your eyes open at the thrift stores - someone else might have had the same opinion and thrown theirs out! 🙂
Kristen, we use a food saver here on the "homestead," even though it breaks the off-the-grid general rule that all appliances that use a heating element should be avoided.
We, too, share concerns about using plastic to store food. However, the enhanced food safety vacuum sealing represents tips the scale for us. Used properly, a food sealer really cuts down on food spoilage and contamination, a real concern for us since we don't have refrigeration.
To save the cost of the bags, we cut them carefully when opening, thoroughly wash and dry, and reuse them on progressively smaller portions. We also like the containers that came with our sealer that have special lids to allow the sealer to remove air from them.
We have a hand pump sealer (can't recall the brand name at the moment) that works really well without electricity.
People say they're expensive, but we see bargain prices at Costco and elsewhere that tempt us to upgrade--and we're so frugal we squeak!
Thanks for the tip about reusability. I had no idea. This very morning I opened a bag of chix then used the bag to freeze a smaller piece of meat. Hurrah for less waste and saving money. And this frugality didn't even take more of my time.
I use a food saver and it is an excellent investment. I use it for everything from meats to vegetables to fruits and they store wonderfully. Due to the fact I have a small freezer I am able to pack large amounts.
I also use it for soups and venison.
I have a food saver. It was given to me by a friend, who got it from a friend. lol I have not used it. The bags seem kind of high for me and for how fast we go through things, plus I forget I have it. I started wrapping my meat in freezer paper like we did when I was a kid. It has worked great for me so far. Fruits and veggies go in plastic zip bags or in clean outed jars.
Growing up my mom had one. And she used to place my dad's lunches in the food saver aka boil a bag. It was the same thing or at least it looks the same. That way in the mornings for his lunch she could reheat it in a pan of boiling water and toss the heated food in his thermos. Oh my, I am so dating myself. lol this is before microwaves. The casseroles would stay in the deep freezer for a long time and be just as fresh as the day she made it. My mother is/was a very thrifty person, so for the price point it must have been good for our needs.
I have used a food saver for at least 15 years now. I love it. We are a small family of 3 so we have lots of leftovers since most recipes are for 6 people. I freeze individual packets of cooked rice all the time. My husband is Japanese and would like to eat rice at almost every meal. I make a big pot once a week & use the foodsaver to freeze individual portions to reheat in the microwave (works great). The bags are expensive but I do wash & reuse them (not if there was any raw meat in the bag originally, those I throw out.) It definitely keeps away the freezer burn for long periods of time. If you use your freezer food very quickly, you might not need it. But, if you are like me & food is in the freezer for several months, it is definitely worth it.
I don't have one but I wrap meat in tinfoil then put it in a plastic storage bag for the freezer. I've had meat in there for 6 months before with no freezer burn
The Foodsaver is very arthritis friendly. Since I have severe arthritis in my hands, I have bad days where I don't want to fiddle with much of anything - including grocery shopping and/or making dinner!
So, when I'm organized, I make smaller size packages of basically everything. The casseroles, premade burgers, etc. don't get that freezer burned taste! Then I can still do my job of Top Chef for the family, without much agony 🙂
I love my food saver. I use it every week for meats, vegetables, breads, leftovers and monthly freezing dinners. it has a canister attachment that will suck the air out of mason jars so you can store your flours, brown sugar and more. I make salads in jar for work lunch on Sundays and just grab and go. its great. I buy my bags on line at Sweet attack at about 1/2 the price of the food saver bags. it even seals cereal bags and chip bags. love it.
I have never used a vacuum sealer but if you decided it isn't something you want to get you might try cooking all of your meat at once, then putting it in bags and freezing it. Then whenever you want to use it the meat will be cooked so you won't have to worry about not being able to reuse your bags and it makes preparing a meal easier because the meat will already be cooked. A friend just gave me the idea and that is something that I'm going to try soon. 🙂
I hardly ever use freezer bags, I bought a whole lot of Tupperware freezer containers when I hosted a party (they don't break when dropped frozen) and I divide my meat into those. Even less money and waste that way. I also use them for freezing fruit for smoothies.
My mother used one of these all the time when we were growing up. A few years ago, I decided that I needed my own FoodSaver system. It is a great idea, but I never used it. Each time I opened up the pantry, I felt an immense feeling of guilt when I would see this unused (kind of expensive) item sitting there gathering dust. Finally, I decided that was one of my bad investments and I could turn it into a blessing for someone else by giving it away. Certainly there are benefits to the system but you have to be certain you have added up the pro's and con's for your family and real cost before investing in it.
Probably the best investment has been my glass mason jars and canning supplies. 🙂 I still use reusable plastic containers for the freezer and am pleased with the results.
I bought a food saver a few years ago. I hated it. I found the plastic bags cumbersome and wasteful. I ended up giving it to my brother. Not sure if he uses it but I'm guessing he probably does as he does some hunting in the fall. I no longer purchase meat in large bulk as I've found it's easy to forget about what's in the bottom of my freezer. Now if I need to do some individiual packaging I either just use regular zip lock freezer bags or I'll wrap the item in foil the toss in a plastic bag.
If you are not buying and packaging large quantities of meat for long-term storage, it will not be a good value. In my and my mom's experience, they just don't last very long, so you need to take that into account when you are figuring out what kind of value it will add. You'll be lucky if it lasts 5 years. And the bags are REALLY expensive. We did try to reuse bags when possible, but found that the reused ones did not generally end up with good seal and would find the stuff in them would be freezer-burnt, so for meat, we always used fresh bags to be safe. I did like the jar sealing attachment for some things, but I think one thing that contributed to the demise of one of ours was using the jar sealer on jars of the flour/seed blend I use for homemade bread. The canisters they package with some sets generally do not last very long either. The plastic cracks very easily or the lids stop working.
When we lived in Hawaii, a Foodsaver was essential to seal packaged foods--otherwise the humidity and mold quickly set in.
I haven't had a foodsaver for years, and we no longer buy packaged foods, but we use the FoodSaver hand held jar sealer daily. There are jar adapters fro regular and wide mouth canning jars. I store nuts, seeds, and foods I dry in my dehydrator in the sealed jars. We store leftovers in jars in the fridge and seal them too so they last longer.
This won't work for meat in the freezer, but it's a great way to eliminaate plastic storage containers in the pantry and preserve dried foods. And it doesn't use consumables. There's only the initial outlay for the hand held unit ($19) and the two jar adapters.
I do have a Foodsaver and have to admit that I am disappointed overall. It seems quite temperamental. Ex: I purchased bulk zucchini and went to seal it up for the freezer. The first few vacuum sealed just fine, then the vacuum portion stopped and only sealed. I made sure it was not operator error and ended up wasting quite a bit of the plastic roll. Also, you lose quite a bit of plastic due to the excess outside of the seal. Approximately 2" of plastic per bag made is lost.
I've enjoyed this post and comments! I'm not interested in a Foodsaver (I'm phobic about mess on my counters and unnecessary "schtuff", but I would LOVE a post on best way to freeze meats, etc WITHOUT a Foodsaver type system! I have tried all different ways but the best seems to be wrap in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil, then seal in plastic bag. BUT that's a lot of work and a lot of waste! And, if anyone has a trick for freezing bread, rolls, etc, I would LOVE to hear that. It seems no matter what I do, mine end up hard and crusty and stale and no one will touch them! Thanks!
I have had a FoodSaver for 14 years. My husband and I first bought one when we got married and used that one for over 10 years. We finally went out and bought a new one. We love it! I buy meats in bulk and am able to put them in the bags and freeze them. I use it to help with pantry items to. Use it to pack for camping, etc. I love my Foodsaver. It is one of the best products that I have ever bought. I highly recommend it. I use it at least once a week.
I have a Foodsaver but have not had the chance to use it much over the years. I finally started vegetable gardening so I will be using it this summer and fall ! I looked for info on Foodsaver pro and cons so here is the link ....http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/444825
I bought a Foodsaver on eBay because my freezer burns everything. I keep it plastic free by vacuum sealing in mason jars I already have. You have to buy the jar sealer separately. I like that I can vacuum seal my pantry dry goods to keep them fresher.
I use my Food Saver weekly. One thing I like to use it for is to reseal bags such as cereal bags, brown and powdered sugar bags that do not get used very often.
I reuse all the bags and cut close to the seal as another commenter suggested.
My favorite accessory is the marinator. I highly recommend it. It does a great job of marinating meat that I may decide at the last minute to cook and I do also use it for longer marinating as it really pulls in the flavors to the meat.
We've been experimenting with a vacuum sealer and I do think we will decide to keep it even though we eat plant-based and aren't trying to seal a side of beef.
We have found ourselves traveling all over the state to compete in cycling events, and we take our trailer with us to cut down on lodging expenses. I specifically bought the vacuum sealer to make boil-in-bag meals (even though we usually we stay away from plastic). Now I make beans, rice, soups, roasted vegetables, etc., package and seal them up at home, and can "cook" an entire meal by boiling water and then simmering the bags of food for about 20 minutes. Clean up is minimal, which is important when all of us have spent 10+ hours at a race (and we parents work the races, spending the day on our feet). I can cook a week or two ahead of time and not worry about spoilage.
Another thing I use it for, related to traveling/camping, is to make "smoothie packs" of frozen fruit so we can quickly prepare smoothies on race day mornings. I also make chocolate-peanut butter recovery smoothies ahead of time and vacuum seal those; I toss them into the cooler in the morning and they are ready for our racers to drink by early afternoon, serving as ice packs in the meantime.
I also use it to store leftover foods that aren't going to be incorporated into a meal within the week, creating convenience food for my family for those nights when I'm away from home or we need to pull dinner from a hat.
One of our favorite unexpected uses for the vacuum sealer is to package frozen bananas; it helps prevent them turning brown and mushy in the freezer.
I just purchased my food saver and love it. It allows me to buy in bulk and then using the food saver to store the food. the food last longer and is fresh when you do use it. I have used it on meat and dry goods. Go on you tube and it will show you how to do what ever you want to with the food saver. Yes they are costly, but if you buy in bulk it does save you a lot of money, which pays for the food saver within just a few months. Good Luck
In terms of re-use and cutting down on waste, y'all might take interest in how a Food Saver vacuum sealer was used to re-seal chip bags, like those that package potato chips and the like. They're already mylar and not going to decompose anytime soon. I suspect they could even be re-used a few times for progressively smaller portions (?)
A related video link I found, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_joa8tRfw
I just bought a Foodsaver yesterday but I am a little reluctant to use it as the bags have a strong "plastic" smell and I am worried that the food will be contaminated. Has anyone experienced this? How did you solve it? At the moment I am hand washing all the bags and roll in soapy water but that is so time consuming.
What are you using to save in addition to using a vacuum sealer? I'm researching it. I hope to share from you.
There is way to use regular Ziploc bags in your Foodsaver and it works very well. I haven't bought any special bags for mine yet.
I buy the store brand freezer bags and cut off the ridged sealer at the top. I then cut off the thick part of that "zipper" and the result is two ridged strips. Place your food in the bag with the two strips going up the length of the bag to the top. Make sure it goes to the top. This creates space in the bag for the air to be vacuumed out. Place the bag in the vacuum and it works just like the special bags. This will only take a handful of times to master but well worth the effort and saves a ton of money. Here is a link to a video on how to do it. I personally would stick to the freezer bag since they are thicker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM2WTfpJQaY
First it all depends on you being disciplined and a little obsessed, in a good way, to make it work for you. I consider myself a novice cook. Which means I love to do it. I especially love to grill! In doing so I marinate my meats for flavor and tenderizing. The foodsaver allows you to buy in bulk, marinate, and store in the freezer. You could forget it for a year, thaw, and cook with all that flavor and tenderizing going on. Then let's say you cook the big pot of spaghetti. When the family has grazed it for a couple days, vacuum seal it, in individual meal sizes. Then in a month pull them out individually as needed or all for a quick family meal. I know ya'll tripping on the plastic but I've boiled cooked vacuum frozen food in the plastic. Dinner in 10 minutes no cooking or cleanup.
I loved mine as a bachelor. And now I'm showing my new Boolicious the advantages. She loves the taste of the food, quick meals, and the numerous meal ideas available to you.
On top of that, I went there and bought the marinator and other containers. They are all the hottness! I'm so thrilled with mine and I hope my review pushes you over the edge!
Food saver i have is fabulous. Instead of freezer burn or just good in freezer 4 the 6 mo. To a year(it lasts most foods 3 years )& space saving & ready ...set go to camp.I make shrimp scampi/ freese so sauce wont get sucked out when using food saver...then use food saver & freeze