Vacuum Sealer Recommendations
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: KSJHawk
11-Dec-17
My wife purchased me a new sealer for Christmas and I am going to open it early this week to butcher a few deer. I think she bought a Food Saver from Kohls but I don't know what model.
I have never used a sealer before, so please send some recommendations for units less than $200.
Thanks
From: Cheetah8799
11-Dec-17
I use one of the very small Food Saver sealers, they are quite cheap if you shop around, like $25 range online. For bags I buy the Weston bags when they go on sale on Amazon, they are pre-cut. 6x10" bags are perfect size for 1lb ground meat per bag or for 2-3 steaks/chops per bag. The sealer has lasted me many years, but the air pump gets warm if doing more than say 12 bags at a time, so I just work in batches as best I can to keep it from dying. Bigger models might not have that problem, but the price gets a bit ridiculous in my opinion. Another problem is that if the meat is wet the liquid can make the bag not seal properly.
From: beckerbulldog
11-Dec-17
I have a food saver sealer, not sure of the model. I love mine. I get a 1/2 beef every year and vacuum seal all of it. I get my bags off of Amazon and they all seem about the same.
From: SixLomaz
11-Dec-17
If you get liquid in the bag then place a rolled flattened paper towel at the bag mouth and vacuum like that. The paper towel will keep the liquid at bay long enough to get a good seal.
From: APauls
11-Dec-17
I've got a commercial Weston sealer that I've been very happy with. It pumps bag after bag after bag and will never overheat.
From: JL
11-Dec-17
I've had a food saver and use them alot. Just got a new one earlier this year as I wore out the other one. I think it was less than $100. I get the 8" x 50' and 10" x 50' rolls from EBay and make my own bags.
I found you're better off leaving an extra inch or two when sealing ground burger and straps and roasts to allow for fluid shifting. For fish I lay the fillets or chunks on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for approx 15-20 minutes and then seal them. That works well and allows a good seal.
If you go on a hunt and space limited you can do some of you clothes to shrink them. Same for anything else you want to protect from the elements. DO NOT VACUUM SEAL FUDGE OR CHOCOLATE!!! :-)
From: wyobullshooter
11-Dec-17
SixLomaz + 1. Any moisture drawn up will prevent a good seal.
From: Jaquomo
11-Dec-17
Foodsaver. Get one of the good ones. You won't be sorry. The company is great to deal with, also. They aren't only for vacuuming. Because the bags will withstand boiling, I pre-make a lot of meals before my hunt and simply seal and freeze them without vacuuming. Stroganoff, cheesy potatoes, fettucini alfredo, etc.. Back at camp it's really simple to drop the bag in a pot of boiling water and by the time my clothes are changed my dinner is ready.
Vacuum sealed venison will last for years. Fish too. I even do mushrooms (freeze them first, and let the vacuum out of the bag before thawing or they squish). Make my own bags from the rolls and it's a lot more economical than buying the pre-made bags, which are often too big or too small for whatever I'm doing.
From: tradmt
12-Dec-17
I have always had a Foodsaver. Great stuff.
Lou, that's a great idea for camping/ hunting, I'm going to start doing that!
From: APauls
12-Dec-17
Oh man, the meals we ate moose hunting...chicken fettuccine, egg and sausage skillets, pizza, the list goes on and on. Vacuum pack and warm up in the "boiling water microwave." only problem can be pot size.
From: GBTG
12-Dec-17
We grilled some marinated and unmarinated backstraps over the weekend the difference was amazing and it only took about 10 minutes. I believe we have the 4840 with the 2 quart marinating canister.
From: Jaquomo
12-Dec-17
Yeah, forgot to mention the marinating canisters. I have several different sizes and they make a huge difference.
From: midwest
12-Dec-17
I think mine is finally about ready to replace. Having a hard time sealing sometimes. Had a big bag of pulled pork I was boiling for elk camp this past season and when I lifted it out of the water, the seal let loose and it all dumped into the boiling water. >:( We just strained it out and ate it anyway. :-) I had a couple of the other single meals do the same. Would probably be a good idea to double seal the stuff you are going to boil anyway.
From: Bowboy
12-Dec-17
I also have a Weston Commercial grade sealer. Works great!
From: Proline
12-Dec-17
I too use the Foodsaver. Works great. Never found another bag that works with it other than Foodsaver bags which are very expensive. I will look into the Weston bags.
From: wyobullshooter
12-Dec-17
I use my vacuum sealer for more than just food. I also use it for my Caribou game bags. Takes up 3/4 less room in my pack.
From: boothill
12-Dec-17
My mother in law bought me a Ziplock brand for Xmas last year. I buy the long rolls at Menards and make my own bags to the length I need. BUT it does not a really heavy commercial grade bag so I do buy the Ziplock brand. I love buying chicken and pork loins at SAMS and then vacuuming into meal sized portions.
From: Hunting5555
14-Dec-17
On the Food Saver bags..... Go to their website and sign up for their emails. Every so often they run a buy one get one sale. Just restocked up on bag rolls a few weeks ago when they run the sale. OHHH, and the rolls from Food Saver have a few more feet on them than the Food Saver rolls at WalMart.
From: Bowman
23-Oct-18
Food saver sealer is my recommendation, considering its brand and good quality. But I found other good options available for you in food vacuum sealer reviews.
From: Bowman
23-Oct-18
Bowman's Link
Food vacuum sealer is a useful kitchen accessory, add some brands as a supplement I like, FoodSaver, GERYON, NutriChe.
From: Hawkarcher
23-Oct-18
Amazon has a Foodsaver starter kit for $59.99. Mine still kind of works after I left blood in it apparently and it molded and corroded one of the weather stripping-like seals. Can’t seem to get it to suck all the air out. Seems a waste but if I can’t find a replacement seal guess I’ll buy a new one.
From: Smartass
15-Nov-18
Smartass's Link
Food Saver. Great units under $100 for the average homeowner. Check my link to learn more about food sealers! These fellows write amazing reviews!
From: TEmbry
15-Nov-18
Best purchase I ever made (processing wise) was to bite the bullet and buy a chamber sealer. I bought the Cabelas model, but they are all similar. Awesome to seal soups, meals, fish fillets, steaks, burger meat, whatever you want. Perfect seal and no air and no mess every single time.
From: SmokedTrout
26-Nov-18
Just giving the VacMaster Pro 350 a workout. Got very tired of Foodsaver, they never last long and overheat regularly. I think they usually last two years tops, with lots of frustration along the way, I crossed them off my "buy again" list. The VacMaster is not as expensive as a chamber sealer, but appears very well built. Cooling fan to keep the unit from overheating, and the seal strip is twice the width of foodsaver units I've owned. Can adjust vacuum and seal times. Will let you know what I think after a couple more days working with it.
From: Surfbow
26-Nov-18
I scored a lightly used Weston Pro-2300 unit a couple weeks ago for $100, it's awesome, get one
From: CapTree
01-Mar-19
CapTree's Link
Have anyone considered using the Vacuum Sealer from NutriChef? It seems more affordable with sleek design.
