Vacuum sealers?

[miss-m]

Hi all,

Have read much about the wonders of vacuum sealing both food and clothes etc, but I cant seem to find any mention of them on here.

Just wondered if anyone has experience with them. In particular, we are interested in a little handheld unit called a vacu-seal- has anyone used this? Or are there any other recommendations?

Many thanks for your time

[Morgan Paul]

Vacuum Sealer?

[dand2c]

Vacuum sealers are fantastic. A good well known brand is food-saver. Many available on E-bay along with bulk bags and vacuum canisters.

Sealed bags are freezable and boilable. Also can re-seal chip bags.

I have bought chicken breasts in bulk on sale and vacuum packed and frozen. A year later have taken from the freezer and have no freezer burn and the chicken looked and tasted fresh.

All bulk staples can be vacuum sealed and placed in storage. This includes bulk beans, rice, sugar, salt, flour, pasta etc. NO bugs!

Also bag up anything for the boat for replacement parts etc that you don't want rusting out before using.

The sealer uses low power and runs on an inverter OK.

I would not leave home without it! Will save you money.

Dan

[Tempest245]

I agree with Dand2C, They are great!

I also have the Food Saver brand. I think I purchased it at Costcos. Not Sure what you have in the UK.

I began using vacuum sealers in the 70's when I did alot of winter climbing and camping. We prepared meals in bulk at home and froze them. The winter weather kept them frozen until use. It was so much better than freeze dried, the added weight was well worth it.

For Cruising, like dand says the bags are boilable. No dirty pots and pans to wash. I put the open bag in a bowl and eat right out of the bag. You can then use the hot water for Tea or hot chocolate, cleaning up , or whatever. Saves water.
Great for Beef Stew, Lasagna, Chili, etc.

For sealing clothes and spare parts, batteries etc anything you want to keep dry they are awesome. A great investment, you'll find lots of uses for.

More Things to seal: Extra Toilet paper Rolls! Flares, Documents, Wallets, Cash.
Cuban Cigars, Anything that on a long trip could get wet or damp. You can pack clothes by changes at home..and food by portions.

The bag is welded shut ( heat) after the air is removed. If you cut the bag open just below the weld, you can reseal the same bag.

Happy Sealing,

Tempest.

[sandy daugherty]

Do any sealers run on 12 volts?

[David M]

My wife uses one for food storage at home. Its one of those "duh" things where after you get one you question why you did not get one a long time ago.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by dand2c

... I have bought chicken breasts in bulk on sale and vacuum packed and frozen. A year later have taken from the freezer and have no freezer burn and the chicken looked and tasted fresh....Dan

A year is definitely at the extreme recommended freezer life (9 to 12 months, depending who you ask) for uncooked chicken breasts. Counter-intuitively, frozen cooked chick should be stored no longer than 4 months.

Most safe food storage guidelines require that freezer temperatures are consistently maintained at or below 0 degrees F. (-18C) [will keep ice cream frozen solid].
Many boat freezers cannot constantly maintain this low a temperature.

See also the earlier discussion:
Frozen Food Safety

[Harriet]

I agree with all the good words about vacuum sealers. While we don't bag toilet paper (we store it in a spot that doesn't get wet), we do use it for lots of dry food to keep it fresh and bug-free (a huge issue in the tropics). In fact, my machine has stopped working, and I plan to take it back to the U.S. this summer in hopes of getting it repaired - if not, then I will definitely replace it and bring it back to the Caribbean with me in the fall. I simply won't do without one.

[miss-m]

Thank you for all the info.
I cant seem to find Food Saver ones over here in the UK, so can I ask what is it about them that make them so good? (ie- what should I look for in an english one?) Are they 12/240v? does it matter how wide they are? some seem to come with dedicated bags, others with a roll of film- does it make a difference which type i use? anything else I should look for?

[Chiroeurope]

We got them at Lidl. There are different types and you can look around to find one that should work for you. They are more common on the other side of the channel.

Michael

[CaptHead]

I have an opposite experience with my food saver. The bags are great but the sealer doesn't make a complete vacuum proof seal on mine. I have made two seals and tried several tricks like putting a second bag over the twice sealed bag and triple sealing. I still get freezer burn in an few months.

Mine is several years old so maybe you have a new and improved model?

[scotty]

i have one from walmart, i cant remember who made it, it works pretty well. i have a problem with about 50 % of the bags loose vac after about 3 months. i also have done double and triple seals, i think its the bags getting bumped and bruised in the freezer. so dont go blaming the sealing part too much.

for repacking it works well, i just check what has lost vac and pull that out for dinner

as for boat use i have no idea

[getlostonpurpose]

i like mine so much and use it so often that i bought a spare one just in case it breaks! both foodsaver brands.

[sandy daugherty]

Can you use different brand bags with these sealers? Who makes the most durable bags?

[oldsalt_1942]

I use the Reynolds Handivac bags for food at home and thought from the very first time I sucked the air out of one that they might be good for water-sensitive stuff on a boat, but I'm concerned about how long the seal stays tight. I'm not encouraged. They do well in the 'fridge, but three days ago I sealed something as an experiment on how well they stay sealed and just checked. Lost the vacuum. Perhaps it has something to do with the temperature in which the items are stored. Didn't do too well unrefrigerated here in south Florida.