You won't go wrong with the Weston Pro-2300, I've been very happy with mine. I'm not a heavy user of it, but it is well built and I expect it to last for years. The VacMaster you're looking at also appears to be a compelling choice, though the negative reviews are concerning.
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Fed Up With FoodSaver Vacuum Sealers
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Charter Member
- Dec 2014
- 210
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Backwoods Party
22" WSM
Napoleon Apollo
Weber Performer
Weber Kettle
Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal grill (the rectangular one)
Rock's Stoker
BBQ Guru DigiQ II
Thermoworks TW8060 plus a variety of probes
Thermoworks Combo Thermapen
Weber rotisserie
Smokenator
Pizza Grill Stone
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Club Member
- Jun 2017
- 1040
- Spokane Valley, Wa.
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Grills/Smokers
Blaze 32" 4-Burner Gas Grill w/infrared rear rotisserie burner
Weber Jumbo Joe
Weber 22" Master-Touch Kettle w/rotisserie
Pit Barrel Cooker
Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Series 36" Vertical Gas Smoker
Traeger Timberline 850 w/BBQ Hack griddle and Pizza oven attachment
Thermometers
Thermoworks Smoke
Maverick ET-733
Thermapen Mk4, Red
Sous Vide
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker, Bluetooth, 800W
Anova Precision Cooker Insulated Container
Lipavi C15 container and lid
Lipavi L15 Rack
Accessories
SNS
BBQ Guru DigiQ (for PBC and 22" Weber Kettle)
BBQ Dragon
BBQ Dragon Grill Table for 22" Weber Kettle
Fire Butler (for Weber 22")
Grill Grates for Jumbo Joe and Blaze grill
Hovergrill
About me
Name: Jim
Nick name: Bear
Location: Spokane Valley, Wa.
Born at a very young age at Egland AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
USAF vet, ECM (F4 & B52)/B52 Crew Chief, Computer Systems NCO, disabled
Former Computer Tech/Admin
Campus Manager/Lead Tech/Tech (IT) for The Kemtah Group contracted to Intel, Rio Rancho, NM.
Short Term Missionary to the Marshall Islands with MAPS of DFM of AOG
It seems like every FS sealer we had was lacking in one feature or another (usually multiple). Also went through a few in a couple of years. Currently have the The FoodSaver 5800 Series 2-In-1 Automatic Bag-Making Vacuum Sealing System which also is lacking on some features. When this one goes will most likely go with a chamber vac.
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I understand when you say a chamber sealer isn't logical because of infrequent use. That being said if you had a chamber sealer you likely would use it more than you think. I too got feed up with the cheap FS and other sealers and bought the VP215. I use it at least once a week and many weeks several times during that period. They are so much easier, reliable and cost effect material wise for me it has turned out to be a great decision I'll not regret making. I rarely buy many freezable products unless in bulk. CS are costly but savings on bagging materials and bulk food purchase prices add up rather quickly. Another plus is how long it would last. It is a product you can depend on getting what you pay for.
All that being said if you have a Cabela's near you check out what they offer. I think it is made by Weston but with slightly different specifications.
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Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 1595
- Lake Charles, LA
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Started Low-N-Slow BBQ in 2012. Obviously, it's taken hold (in chronological order:
1.) A pair of Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5's
2.) #LilTex, a 22" Expensive Offset Smoker (looks like a Yoder Witicha)
3.) #WhoDat1, a HUGE Gravity Fed Insulated Cabinet Smoker (cooking chamber 3'x2'x6')
4.) A Full Size Commercial Dryer/converted to Vertical Smoker.
5.) Jambo Backyard stickburner (my FAVORITE Pit so far)
6.) GrillMeister, a huge 24"x48" Adjustable, Charcoal Grill from Pitmaker.com
7.) 22" Weber Kettle with Slow-N-Sear
8.) Vault insulated reverse-flow cabinet smoker from Pitmaker
9.) BarbecueFiretruck...under development
10.) 26 foot BBQ Vending Trailer equipped with HUGE Myron Mixon 72xc smoker is HERE, Oct 2016!
11.) Opened www.PaulsRibShackBarbecue.com Food Trailer officially in March 2017
12.) Austin Smoke Works 500 Gallon Propane Tank Offset Smoker, named "Lucille" as travel pit for PaulsRibShack, Oct 2018.
12.) Opening Brick & Mortar location at 4800 Nelson Rd, Spring 2019. Had a pair of 1,000 Gallon Austin Smoke Works pits, both in RibShackRed for our new place!
Fabulous Backlit Thermapens, several Maverick Remote Thermometers (don't use any remotes anymore), Thermoworks Smoke, Other Thermoworks toys, Vacuum sealer, lots and lots of equipment...
I'm loving using BBQ to make friends and build connections.
I have #theRibList where I keep a list of new and old friends and whenever I'm cooking, I make 1 to 20 extra and share the joy.
Um, well...My Weston Pro 2300 didn't last any longer than your new Foodsaver ones. Less than a year. We only did a dozen bags a week. So I'm busy and just bought another. More problems. Change the pump. Other problems.
So I went with the biggest Chamber that Webstaurant sold. Not practical for a home, but great for a restaurant. Bags from vacuumsealersunlimited.com seem reasonable. 3 mill work fine.
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Well, that's disconcerting to hear, PaulstheRibList . I was hoping for a huge step up in quality and reliability with the Weston Pro 2300.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; June 12, 2019, 07:58 AM.
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I'm out of expendable counter space. I don't need in integral roll cutter, I have an external one from an old FoodSaver that does quite will. I just need one that will do a couple of nice steaks, 4 ears of corn, and the occasional 2 bone rib roast.
Any ideas?
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Chuppy , read some of the more current posts at the end of this topic (page 8 as of today) where Avid Armor units are discussed more in detail. I have the Avid Armor AVS 7900 and it works great.
FoodSaver units have not worked out for me. I've gone through several of them and finally gave up on FoodSaver because they just don't last. YMMV, though.
Kathryn
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Founding Member & Pit Barrel Cooker Queen
- Jul 2014
- 7136
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My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron GriddleGrill Grate for SnSGrill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:Extreme BBQ Thermometer PackagePit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:Thermapen MK4 (pink)Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
I've read a ton of reviews for the Weston Pro2300 (15" sealer, no bag storage, no roll cutter, no accessory port, $399) and the VacMaster 380 (16" sealer, bag storage, roll cutter, accessory port $439).
After reading the reviews on the Webstaurant store site for the VacMaster 380 ($60 less than other sites) it looks like it's a real hassle to get authorized for return for a defective unit, throwing the customer between Webstaurant and the vendor. Vendor wants to replace the unit which is defective right out of the box, but Webstaurant store won't authorize; they want the vendor to repair it instead. Then there's the hassle of getting the money back from Webstaurant even though vendor has stated the unit is defective. Sounds awful. I may have to pay more and have a cleaner return/refund policy.
For both units the reviews are mixed. About 10% 1 Star ratings and 70% 5 star ratings for both. Sounds like a crap shoot either way.
Many reviewers say, like Polarbear777 and PaulstheRibList , get a chamber sealer for twice the price, entry level. Still not sure I want the weight (60 to 80 lbs ) the fact that I'd have to eat a lot of $$ for my FoodSaver Gamesaver bag stock, and the fact that I'd never use it enough to recoup the price differential in lower bag costs.
Still mulling...
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; June 12, 2019, 07:17 AM.
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Founding Member & Pit Barrel Cooker Queen
- Jul 2014
- 7136
-
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron GriddleGrill Grate for SnSGrill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:Extreme BBQ Thermometer PackagePit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:Thermapen MK4 (pink)Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Originally posted by Bkhuna View PostI'm out of expendable counter space. I don't need in integral roll cutter, I have an external one from an old FoodSaver that does quite will. I just need one that will do a couple of nice steaks, 4 ears of corn, and the occasional 2 bone rib roast.
Any ideas?
I'm like you with my use level, but when I need it, I need it.
Looks like VacMaster and Weston are both iffy purchases in that either you get a good one or you don't. A crapshoot, as I said. Just like FoodSaver, except FoodSaver customer service is wonderful. Not such good reports on customer service for VacMaster or Weston.
So now I'm considering backing down to an 11" unit (VacMaster Pro 350) just so I don't have so much skin in the game and purchase an extended warranty plan from Amazon, which kicks in after the 1 year manufacturer's warranty expires. It adds $44 to the purchase price. That way I can hopefully recoup my money if I get a lemon.
Still thinking though. Maybe I should just go back to crappy FoodSaver reliability and keep returning the lemons. Like I said, at least their customer service is good. Kind of "the devil you know" approach.
Kathryn
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Club Member
- May 2018
- 1667
- Northern Illinois / Southern Wisconsin
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Weber Kettle 22; Broil King Signet; OKJ Bronco
Seems like I've seen this post several times over the past few years on various forums: Had a Foodsaver, lasted a long time, eventually needed to be replaced, and the new one was a problem. I, too, have an older Foodsaver that has served me well but seems to be failing (my usage is sporadic, some parts of the year very little, others a lot) and I'm not looking forward to replacing it.
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What I've run into is I had a nice Foodsaver that did a great job for about 3 years then the seals started wearing out and it wouldn't pull a good enough vacuum to trip the heat it up while still pulling a vacuum switch. I looked around for repair seals and guess what, no seals available. Bought another one for $129us and it works great and when it craps out in 2 or 3 years guess I'll buy another one......
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Club Member
- Nov 2014
- 5029
- Near The Villages, FL
-
Cookers:
Weber Kettle (used/fair condition; a gift).
Grilla OG.
Pit Boss 3-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle.
SnS Kettle.
Everything Else:
Sous Vide equipment.
Instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Royal Oak Lump Charcoal, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
BBQr's Delight Hickory & Apple flavor pellets, propane torch, 6" smoke tube.
Grilla apple & hickory pellets, Royal Oak charcoal pellets.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church, Meathead.
Rubs without salt: SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef.
Rubs home-mixed: None at this time.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
My VacMaster Pro 350 is a little over a year old. My usage has been light, probably less than a dozen bags a month on average.
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@fzxdoc..my very old, very reliable Food Saver is beginning to bite the dust also. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Vacmaster vp112s Chamber vac. It's about $150 more than the prices you're quoting, but with pretty good reviews. Take a look at Vacuumsealersunlimited.com (about $640 w/ free shipping) and good luck on whatever decision you make
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Charter Member
- Aug 2014
- 869
- Orlando, Florida
-
Equipment:
'88 Vintage Fire Magic gasser with over 4000 cooks to its credit
Large Big Green Egg
18 Inch Weber Kettle (Rescued from neighbor's trash)
Rotisserie for 18 inch kettle
Dyna Glo propane smoker
Pit Barrel Cooker
Smokey Joe with mini WSM mod
Garcima paella burner
Anova Sous Vide
Slaiya Sous Vide (gift)
LEM grinder, sausage stuffer and meat slicer (all gifts)
Favorite Beer:
Key West Wheat
I've had two food savers that crapped out. Almost pulled the trigger on the Vacmaster 380 until I read the reviews at webstaurant store and Amazon. I'd love the 16" seal width, but there are entirely too many reviews that say a $350 machine is not reliable. Finally decided to go with another foodsaver (2435). It gets used a couple of times a week and so far so good. I've decided that if this one craps out soon, I'm going with the cheapest available knock-off on Amazon. It won't last, but at $30-$40 tossing it in the trash is no harm-no foul.
I think that the weak link in the non-chamber sealers, regardless of initial quality, is that sooner or later some liquid gets sucked into the pump and gums it up. No way to clean it out.
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Thats what I call fuzzy math.
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Bighorn Dave
Take $35 of your $350 for first sealer, invest remaining $315 at 5%.
3 years later, value of investment will be $364.65.
Buy replacement sealer and $14.65 worth of bags.
Repeat. Fuzzy?
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I prefer to use the ROI rule. You do know what that is don't you?
-
Founding Member & Pit Barrel Cooker Queen
- Jul 2014
- 7136
-
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron GriddleGrill Grate for SnSGrill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:Extreme BBQ Thermometer PackagePit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:Thermapen MK4 (pink)Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Well, that's one approach, johnec00 . Go with whatever's cheapest and use until it dies.
I was intrigued by the 16" width as well, but honestly, for all the years I've used vacuum sealers, I've never needed anything wider than the 11" bag rolls I always get. When I thought about it (brisket, for example) I decided they are cryovac packed when I buy them. So if I want to freeze one, I just leave it in the cryovac.
If I want to sous vide (SVQ) a brisket, I'd want to separate point/flat anyway so could use smaller bags.
I just thought the 16" would come in handy but for a total price tag of $440 + $77 insurance plan, I just couldn't see spending over $500 for a non-chamber sealer.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; June 12, 2019, 02:19 PM.
Comment
-
Founding Member & Pit Barrel Cooker Queen
- Jul 2014
- 7136
-
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron GriddleGrill Grate for SnSGrill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:Extreme BBQ Thermometer PackagePit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:Thermapen MK4 (pink)Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Originally posted by OmegaDog12 View Post@fzxdoc..my very old, very reliable Food Saver is beginning to bite the dust also. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Vacmaster vp112s Chamber vac. It's about $150 more than the prices you're quoting, but with pretty good reviews. Take a look at Vacuumsealersunlimited.com (about $640 w/ free shipping) and good luck on whatever decision you make
Thanks for the suggestion.
Kathryn
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Club Member
- Mar 2015
- 668
- Orange County CA
-
Lone Star Grillz 20x36 offset
Weber 26" kettle
PK Classic
Weber Genesis gas grill
Lodge Sportsman Grill
Weber Smokey Joe Silver
Smoke Hollow 44 gas smoker
Cheapo Brinkmann charcoal smoker with DIY propane conversion
Originally posted by fzxdoc View PostFed Up With FoodSaver Vacuum Sealers
Originally posted by johnec00 View PostI've decided that if this one craps out soon, I'm going with the cheapest available knock-off on Amazon. It won't last, but at $30-$40 tossing it in the trash is no harm-no foul.
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