Recommend me a vacuum sealer

[4x4mike]

Growing up my Mom used one and I think it's the same one I left home with when I moved out. Years later I have no idea where it went but lately it seems like it could come in handy. I know Sean uses one and gets a lot of utility out of his.

What's a good one to get?

For the most part I don't think I'll use it for food like I remember seeing on info-ercials. It will be more for "stuff" ranging from say the size of a book of matches to two sticks of butter.

Do they all work the same? I see some work with bags while others use a sleeve that you make seams with. Ideally i'd like to reduce waste with size of bags but it seems they come in different sizes.

It looks like some can reseal other items, not the seal bags.

Just looking for a little guidance from what you guys might have experience with.

[Seanz0rz]

Quick post.

We have a food saver brand. Its pretty darn good. Uses pre made bags or the make your own sleeves.

[4x4mike]

I assume making your own sleeves is from a roll?

For smaller items and a standard width roll can you seal on all sides of an object to make a smaller "package"?

[Seanz0rz]

I suppose so. They sell 2 widths of sleeves so you can choose the one that fits best. I suppose you could seal off more area for a tighter package, but it's
Not necessary. You actually need some space around the sides to make sure the bottom gets a proper vacuum, otherwise the contents has a tendency to seal it off, especially beef.

[Bob98SR5]

I assume making your own sleeves is from a roll?

For smaller items and a standard width roll can you seal on all sides of an object to make a smaller "package"?

Mike,

I have this. Works well, great reviews on Amazon. I use my own roll, cheaper and better this way. Great if you buy a lot of frozen meat, fish, chix from Costco. We used it quite a bit when camping too. Make the meal and then seal. Boil in water or dump the contents in a pot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U738ZE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Seanz0rz]

About what we have too. Ours has the little hose to do the jars, but we don't have any jars so I cannot comment there. We do the Costco meat run about once a month (a little less now that we have a big freezer) and use it probably 6 hours a month for that, then saving left overs here and there.

Using the roll is cheaper, but you end up wasting so much because the bag has to go so far into the machine to vac and seal. sometimes the precut quart or gallon bags can be more efficient.

I've also done wheel bearing kits where I prepacked the bearings with grease, tossed a bit of extra grease in there and food saved it, then put it in another bag with all of the other parts, and sealed that. This way I had a field kit for the trailer bearings. I also did the trauma part of my first aid kit that way, so everything stayed clean and dry.

[YotaFun]

+1 on the food saver, We have the same thing and love it!

[toyotech]

Im looking at getting the FoodSaver one. I want to Precook my meals and seal them. Now my question is?? can i throw the bag in boiling water to reheat than open bag and eat right out of it. Can these bags handle being in boiling water?? Im try to reduce clean up time of pots and pans

[Seanz0rz]

Yes, you can do that. I usually precook meals then open the bag and drop them into a pan. Works great with burgers so you get that BBQ flavor then seal it up, and a bit of crisp from the pan so it's not so slimy.

[toyotech]

can i drop the bag in boiling water with it sealed still?? than cut it open and eat

[Seanz0rz]

Yep. Since there is virtually no air, it won't expand and pop. I'm still not sold on the safety of boiling a plastic bag. They say it's safe.

[toyotech]

Yep. Since there is virtually no air, it won't expand and pop. I'm still not sold on the safety of boiling a plastic bag. They say it's safe.

It's a method of cooking so I would think it's safe. I don't think I would reheat at boiling temp since I plan on precookimg the food. The heated water wil just warm them up. Looks like im getting a food saver soon

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide

[4x4mike]

I ended up getting a great deal locally on Craigslist. I was looking at new models on Amazon and most were more than I wanted to spend.

I found one for $15, that included a large roll of bag material. I don't really see how I'd use it for camping food but have found many uses around the house and garage.

One for my first projects was consolidating and compressing some of the gear in my large first aid kits. It not only saves a bunch of space but also creates a much stronger and waterproof packaging for certain items. I also made a couple small pocket first aid kits and sealed them. I made a couple bike jersey pocket sized, with appropriate items for that use, a few cargo pocketed sized ones as well as EDC style amd equipped versions.

I was also able to organize my off road trail tools and tool wraps. Some items are a bit more protected and easier to find now that they are in tough clear plastic.

I'm using a trick I saw on YouTube for custom sealing. If I don't use the roll bag I have a few boxes of quart sized vacuum bags. To get a perfect little package I'll seal it with the machine then use my wife's flat iron hair thingy to bring the sealed edge closer to the item.

This allows me to cut much more of the excess away creating a smaller and still vacuum sealed package. This is helpful for some of the med stuff where you can rip open, I devised a cool little opening system, a kit and still have some of the items within it small and sealed. This keeps it from going everywhere and if you don't need the entire kit it's still mostly sealed.

[04 Rocko Taco]

My 2 cents is a vote for foodsaver.
I use the make your own sleeves. Comes on a roll, stores in the machine. Its quick, easy, and works well.