My ziplock sealer is still going strong after years of heavy use. Did 70 lbs of pulled pork last weekend. Maybe I just got a good one.
-
-
Anova is making a vacuum sealer now. My FoodSaver just quit working today and with SmokeFire preorders soon I just ordered one of these as I cannot justify a Vacmaster right now, nor give up the space on the counter. Looks like a special price right now, maybe.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1Comment
-
I’ve only used it a couple times so far, my vac sealing is pretty streaky. It seems just fine though. I really like the pulse vac and think I’ll use that a lot over time. It’s a little different than the food savers in that the lid snaps into locks, but has a release on each side. Nothing is wrong with that, just different.
-
-
Still using my Foodsaver. Going on 3 years now.Comment
-
My little FS-V2450 has been working fine for many years... Yes, I've learned a few things about maintenance and storage of the unit.
Never leave the lock handle down when storing the machine - or else it will wreck your gaskets, which I had to replace them.
The gaskets should be removed and cleaned on a regular basis. The canisters are fantastic for marinading meats! Two hours under
vacuum is like overnight in a ziplock bag. Veggies in the long canister will stay fresh for weeks instead of days in the crisper.
That said, I very well may get a Chamber Vacuum to handle larger items, e.g., a 20lb turkey for sous vide! (@SousVideEverything).
Comment
-
Do folks on this thread primarily use your vacuum sealer for sous vide or for general long term storage? I got an Anova device for Christmas and now need to buy a vacuum sealer. Thanks all in advance.Comment
-
You absolutely don’t need a vacuum sealer for sous vide. Ziplock bags work just fine below temps of 158deg. Above that temp, sous vide bags from Amazon work great.
But, as Comfortably Numb says, if you happen to have a vac sealer, you will end up using it both for sous vide and for long term frozen food storage as well.
KathrynComment
-
Watching this thread for awhile, settled on the Vacmaster 350-Pro; purchased on Amazon in December, backordered with delivery for late January. The vendor (not Vacmaster) just cancelled the order, unsure of when they would get stock. These are all backordered everywhere, including VacMaster's own web site. Vacmaster is not responding to email requests for more info, AND are not answering their phone. When I called today, it just rang and rang. Something's not quite right. Think I might try the Avid Armor. Amazon reviews are quite good, including company response to returns/repairs.Comment
-
Have you tried Webstaurant Store? https://www.webstaurantstore.com/search/vacmaster.html
-
-
Getting ready to pull the trigger on Avid Armour. The customer service seems great and they are a family run business with a great reputation. I have also watched this thread for a long time.Comment
-
https://avidarmor.com/avid-armor-12-...er-model-a100/ I have pre ordered. -
Yep - that's the one I've decided to try. Not willing to let them have my $$ until they have a product to sell though. They're backordered too - web site says mid-Feb; we'll see.
-
I'm still on my 1st food saver. It is 5 years old this year. (last year of warranty) Out of the box I hated the thing. But once I got the idiosyncrasies down of properly using it, I couldn't live without it. A few tricks I taught myself along the way. I used to place a weight on top of salmon in the over night cure. (recipe called for that) Now I wrap it in "stretch-tite", (Wegmans) THEN vacuum seal it. The stretch-tite protects the salmon from getting the juices sucked out of it, and the unit from getting flooded, all while producing the extreme vacuum which mimics the weight. Also. Say I'm curing a brisket to corned beef. (happen to have one in right now) To become a pastrami. I position the FS at the edge of my counter. Use the proper size stool I have to keep the quilted FS bag, containing the brisket and gallon of cure, low enough from the FS, then begin the vacuum seal. As soon as it starts, (immediately) I hit the seal button stopping the vacuum. I can now safely handle that bag and repeatedly flip it over in the fridge for the days of cure required. If one had to buy FS bags versus Amazon, forget it. You'd go bankrupt!! Just saying.Comment
-
obiQsmoker , the VacMaster 380 and 350 models are still available at Walton's, although you have to call for availability for the 350, so it may be a vaporunit. Both are 720 watts, as compared to 450 watts with the Avid Armor A100.
Otherwise, the features of the Avid Armor are comparable to those of the VacMaster 380 and 350, since the Avid Armour seals to 28 mm Hg pressure. The VacMaster models also seal to 28mm Hg.
While researching my purchase, I was impressed with the Weston-Pro series, 680 to 935 watts power rating, starting at $299. Their sealing pressure is also 28mm Hg.
So far I'm really loving my VacMaster 350. It's been reliable, and I like the fact that the bag storage bin and bag cutter are integral to the unit.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; January 28, 2020, 07:17 AM.Comment
-
fzxdoc Kathryn, you're an expensive date (so to speak), you keep fueling my MCS.
Like you after a longish liv ed first Foodsaver that served well I ended up going through a few that were unsatisfactory in more ways than just service life. A couple years ago I bought a different brand similar to the ones you and others have gone to and it works okay, and doesn't have the same annoyances as the FS. But, given that it is the same style that sucks the air out of the textured bags, it has the limitations of moisture (monkey motion hacks aside), and the cost of the bags even when a "deal" can be found. Plus, whether it's operator error on my part or "luck of the draw", there always seems to be some small level of failed seals that are an additional annoyance.
Like others, I've watched this thread while it's run and knew that a devout gizmoholic like myself would eventually succumb to the demon. Last week, thanks in part to your co-enablers here, I stepped up to a chamber vac. I went to the Webstaurant site to look at the 215 seen frequently and they also pitched an alternative that is very similar though a bit more powerful and a bit less expensive. So now I am the owner of a Vacpak-it VMC10OP, with rolling cart (thanks to ComfortablyNumb ). These things are way cool. I haven't used it a lot yet, but have been experimenting with wetter stuffs and really appreciate the ease of packaging wet goods. Just did a pork chop marinade package a few minutes ago for tonight's dinner. One of the touts that most give is the cost of bags, and they are much cheaper, though in a home environment it will realistically still take years for that to equate to a cost offset. The much quieter operation of an oil sealed vacuum pump, and the ease of product handling are much appreciated. The larger footprint, and significantly heavier bulk are offset by the cart, which works for us because we have the additional pantry space. The upshot is, if a body can justify the added cost, the benefits are so worth it.
Comment
-
ComfortablyNumb, brilliant! hadn't thought of the document sealer thing. Just printed Meathead's SV T&T chart, so it was the first victim. Not as rigid as the real deal, but very functional. Thanks.
-
-
One of the other neat things I didn't mention that comes from packaging wet product is the space utilization aspect. I did a chuckie the other day with jus. I packaged a portion of it to freeze. The chamber system allows the package to be formed fairly flat in profile making it more able to stack in the freezer with none of the wasted space you typically get with other shape containers that might be necessary to pack with jus.
Comment
-
I want to thank Kathryn for starting this thread and for her opinions as well as all the fine folks who contributed their 2 cents. I've had 2 Food Savers and both were disappointing but in different ways. The first one would not shut off and seal, you had to gauge the vacuum amount then press the "seal" button. The most recent one was hit and miss with the sealing part. Wasted a lot of plastic with that one.
From this thread, we purshcased the VacMasterPro 350 and just used it for the first time. What a difference! No muss, no fuss. Just a reliable product that doesn't take a workaround to achieve what it is intended to do in the first place. We'll see if it keeps working this well but so far, very happy.
Comment
-
I agree. This has been one of the best threads for meComment
-
I'm glad we have The Pit where we can share and learn things like this.
scottingaround , my Vacmaster Pro 350 is still going strong, and I use it several times a week. It's such a serious piece of equipment when compared any of those FoodSaver vac sealers that I patiently went through until that patience finally ran out. I certainly don't regret going the Vacmaster route.
KathrynComment
Comment