Fed Up With FoodSaver Vacuum Sealers

[Sid P]

I’m ready to dip my toes in the vacuum sealer waters, but I’ll probably only use it a few times a month for leftovers and sous vide if I get one for Christmas. Are you Avid Armor AVS7900 users still happy with your purchase?

​​​​​​​Also, a big thanks to fzxdoc who I think of as the PBC guru, but after reading this whole thread I see that she’s actually authored two of the greatest threads on AR. Cheers, Kathryn!

[STEbbq]

Anova is probably the one I am going to go with eventually as well.

[Sid P]

glitchy Thanks. I assume you’re referring to the one you bought in 11/19? Can you ballpark how many seals you’ve done? Also, how much did you pay?

[glitchy]

I think I paid $50, they were running heavy promos since it was newer to market. I have no clue on number of seals total, I’m not a heavy user, so maybe 200-300. Just did 12 in a row the other night slicing up a strip loin. Haven’t had a failed seal yet is what I like most about it, I think the FoodSaver I had was around 1/3rd failure rate. I ended up double sealing everything with the FoodSaver and have not needed to do that at all with Anova.

[fzxdoc]

Sid P , thank you for the compliment. I get so much help on this website, that it's good to be able to give back as well whenever I can.

I bought the Anova ANVS01 for my daughter and her husband about 2 years ago. It was $80. They don't use it often, only occasionally for sous viding. It's a very basic vacuum sealer. I've used it on occasion when visiting them.

As you saw on my recent Avid Armor post, I bought a the AVS7900 vacuum sealer for about $49 on sale from Avid Armor. It works great and has one or two more bells/whistles compared to the AnovaANVS01. For one thing, it has a handle-controlled lock that securely holds the bag as you're locking it into place. I find the Anova, without a handle, more fiddly, but you can get it to work.

I use the AVS7900 to seal items too large to fit into the Avid Armor Ultra USV32 Chamber Vacuum Sealer that subsequently bought. I have rolls of vacuum sealer double layer material for making custom-sized bags. I don't really need to use the 7900 for that, since the big USV32 will seal bags outside of its chamber as well. But since I had already bought the 7900 to use in the interim until I decided on a new vac sealer, I decided to keep it and use it as well. For me, apparently, more is more.

Two things:
One, that Ultra USV32 Chamber Vac Sealer is sweet, sweet, sa-weet! I use it several times a week. I still am amazed every time I seal up a soup. Wowza. Easily impressed, I know. Some day, if you get hooked on vacuum-sealing leftovers, fresh meats, etc for the freezer, you may want to move up to it. It's a terrific product.

Two, for 99% of sous viding, you can just use the displacement method with a Ziploc bag instead of using a vacuum sealer. A vac sealer is not a requirement for sous viding, unless you decide to SVQ that 16 lb brisket that you've always wanted to do. Then you may want to vac seal it, and if you do, the Avid Armor AVS 7900 or the anova ANVS01 will both do just fine, as long as it fits into an 11 inch wide bag.

Also, when I sous vide several pieces of chicken and use a large 18 or 26 quart Lipavi "bathtub" instead of the stock pot used for just a couple of pieces, then I vac seal those individual pieces of chicken. Ditto with steaks or pork chops for more than just, say, 4 people.

HTH,
Kathryn

[Donw]

I bought the USV32 on your recommendation and we are really happy with and use it regularly. I must have missed this part when reading how to operate it: "since the big USV32 will seal bags outside of its chamber as well." How do you that?

[fzxdoc]

Donw , I first read about that "hack" on an Amazon comment and was leery of it. But in this video, at mile marker 6:45 the Avid Armor folks show you just how to do it. So you can seal any size bag easily on the outside of the chamber. You need to use a vacuum sealer bag (double layered) instead of a vacuum chamber bag, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKCgDwNsL0U

It's a good video, BTW. It answered a lot of questions that I had about using the Avid Armor USV32 Ultra.

HTH,
K.

[Donw]

Thank you Kathryn!

[smokenoob]

Ah, you guys are making me wish my food saver would croak!

[Sid P]

Thanks everyone! At least today the AVS7900 is $54.98 compared to $79.95 for the Anova, so I have it on the way. I also got a 4 year Asurion warranty for $10 since these low priced sealers seem to be semi-disposable. I’m looking forward to vacuum sealing my BBQ leftovers, starting with SLC ribs off the KBQ on Tuesday.

[holehogg]

I have given up on vac sealing ribs. Punctured bags every time.

[fzxdoc]

Good to hear, Sid P . I think you'll be happy with your choice.

For that type of sealer, I prefer to buy rolls of bag material, sealing one end to make my own custom-sized bags for filling. I keep a roll on the LEM roll dispenser .



Funnily enough, it's about the same size as the Avid Armor AVS 7900 that I use it with.

Happy sealing!

Kathryn

[Sid P]

Thanks, that looks really convenient.

[STEbbq]

Definitely something I will do for sous vide pork butts/briskets.

[rickgregory]

I second Kathryn and would go one further - get an 11" roll and an 8" roll. The narrower roll is nice for single steaks, chicken parts, etc with less waste. The 11" covers larger things (think butts, brisket parts (flat, etc).

[fzxdoc]

Enabler Alert!

A few months back (in August) I bought the Avid Armor Ultra USV32 Chamber Vacuum Sealer. One big selling point for me, besides the price was that it "only" weighs 27 lbs which might be as much as some of my loaded purses weigh.

Well, I got tired of hauling it from my Small Appliance and Other Crap storage closet to the kitchen about half a dozen times a week. One time I nearly dropped it. That's when I began looking for a sturdy, relatively inexpensive rolling cart. I found some on Bed Bath and Beyond, but I either didn't like their height (too low) or they looked sort of flimsy.

I ended up getting the Origami Foldout Kitchen Island Cart with Wheels for $135 plus $20 shipping. It arrived today. Two great features: one, it was really well packed; surrounded by thick molded styrofoam so it arrived undamaged and secondly, it's already assembled. You just unfold it, put the wheels on, and you're good to go.

It's powder coated steel with a 2 inch wood top that holds up to 100 lbs, and two lower metal shelves (50 lb weight limit each) which are handy for my burgeoning vac sealer bag collection and my "backup" Avid Armor AVS 7900 and LEM roll holder that I also use from time to time.

It also folds flat for storage, a feature which I won't be using but is nice to have. I really like the fact that it is countertop height.

Here's a photo:



Now my chamber vac and its little vac sealer buddy and pal ride to and from their storage closet home in style.

Kathryn

[pkadare]

fzxdoc, I have 2 FoodSavers already both of which still work so I really couldn't justify even a $599 chamber sealer. Perhaps when both of my Foodsavers bite the dust I may be able to get purchase approval from my CFO.

[Donw]

I must say that I purchased the USV32 on your recommendation, and could not be happier. I will now have to take a close look at this cart. While I don’t mind the weight of the unit, I definitely need more space to hold my collection of vacuum bags.

[fzxdoc]

The weight of the unit was starting to get to me, Donw , especially since I nearly dropped it a few weeks back. I just didn't have a good enough grip on it I guess. I figured the rolling cart was a good insurance policy.

K.

[RichieB]

Bought some steak, beef ribs today. Went to seal in foodsaver. Would not seal. Done, threw it in garbage. What a piece of crap.

So, recommendations please for compact sealer under $100. Not named Foodsaver.

[fzxdoc]

Check out the Avid Armor sealers, RichieB . The Avid Armor AVS 7900 is listed at $70. I think if you sign up for their newsletter you get a discount. Sid P paid around $55 for his just over a month ago.

Kathryn

[Sid P]

RichieB It works fine, but I’ve only used it a couple times. It’s the first one I’ve owned, so I can’t compare it to anything else…

[RichieB]

fzxdoc finally got around to order. Will be here Wednesday. Will provide feedback. Have till sometime in January for return. Thanks Amazon

[jitsntricks]

@fzxdoc... I just picked up an Avid Armor AVS 7900 for $59 based on your recommendations...I'm currently using a cheapo from Amazon I got about a year ago. It does just okay but I hope the performance of this one is a bit better. I like the handle locking and the cutting tool, that'll make things easier.

[Sdell]

Thanks for all the great information. I was just sitting here on the couch when my wife asked me what I thought about getting a Foodsaver vacuum sealer. Going with the Avid Armor AVS 7900 thanks to Kathryn's reviews.

[Dr. Pepper]

My anecdotal, personal experience with Food Saver has been fine. For at least ten years, a few different models.
Just don't buy the ones which automatically detect and seal on bag insertion. You can't seal Umai Dry bags since they're too floppy to insert. Ditto to lots of chip, popcorn bags. Get a clamshell one.

[McFlyfi]

I am going to chip in on the Foodsaver not working. I got a Costco version a few years back, auto detect, stores a roll in the top, has a hose for sealing, etc. I don't do a ton of sealing, maybe one-two times a month, so it's not really getting a workout.

About a year ago, it started to act wonky. It would pull the vacuum, but wouldn't shut off & seal. I figured there was a leak in a hose. I took it apart (there are like 15 screws holding it together) and poked around inside. I couldn't find any issue, other than the little flaps that detect the bag were filthy. Cleaned them up, put is back together, no better. I read up on line, and determined that the gaskets were the issue. However, my model has non replaceable gaskets. I took it apart again, scrubbed the gaskets, put it back together, and voila!

Now, if the units starts to act up, I wipe down the lower gasket and it works just fine. If yours is exhibiting these symptoms (vacuum never shuts off), clean the gaskets really well with soap and water. For the clamshell types, you can replace the upper and lower gaskets to get thing up and running again. They're easily available on Amazon, and Foodsaver actually recommends that you replace them every year.

[Dr. Pepper]

Thanks for that info.

[RichieB]

Thanks for this however. However, it was picked up today by the trash man.

[rickgregory]

One more thing - never store those with the top clamped down, which will compress the gaskets.

[fzxdoc]

grantgallagher , you mentioned over on the (now closed) Fall 2021 SUWYC topic that you just got your new Avid Armor Ultra USV32 two days ago and had yet to try it out except for marinating some chicken which turned out well.

Since as of today that 2021 Fall SUWYC topic has been closed, I wasn't able to comment on your response to me.

Just wanted to say enjoy your new Avid Armor Ultra USV32 chamber vac and let us know how you like using it.

I've never used the marinating option on mine but from the sound of the results from your marinated chicken dinner, I'm ready to give it a try. I was never sure if the marinating function on a vac sealer was of any benefit. But as with many things, the proof is in the pudding, or in your case, in the outstanding chicken.

Kathryn

[grantgallagher]

Im sure ill love it. I do want to test out the marinate function more but on first pass it seemed great. Not gonna lie, even though i understand the physics of a chamber sealer i was holding my breath expecting liquid to just explode everywhere inside, lol.

[fzxdoc]

Yeah, I know what you mean, grantgallagher . I was a lot more comfortable using that chamber vac for liquids after I watched Avid Armor's You Tube Video for the Ultra. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKCgDwNsL0U

Kathryn

[Chuppy]

I ended up ordering the Cabela's Heavy-Duty Vacuum Sealer SKU: 2516251. I needed something light weight, for infrequent use, and I have a lot of points to burn.

I think the club should start to talk about reevaluating sealers. The one listed is out of date. Hek some of the ones mentioned in the beginning of this post are already out of date. They were to replace the original one mentioned. Also maybe there should be categories by a high and low price point or use. Some of us seem to have a pretty heavy use and have a sealing station in their kitchen. While others like me have limited or seasonal use and I don't have any space in my kitchen.

Even with the one I ordered, all reviews on youtube were "1st time use." So I really don't know how long it will last or what the reliability is. At Cabela’s the cheapest one had the best reviews. So there seems to be a lot of problems with these no matter how much money is spent.

[DavidNorcross]

Chuppy this thread has been going on for a long long time. In my view it is one of the top threads on the forum so it has surely evolved. The chamber vac's listed are still very much in the market and Avid Armor as noted is increasing in popularity.

[fzxdoc]

Chuppy , I hope the vacuum sealer you ordered works out just fine for your needs and that you get years and years of use with it.

When researching for a purchase, I always go to the most recent post first and work backwards. On this site, we have some topics that go back 7 years or more. There's a lot of good info in some of those older posts even if the specific items are no longer available for purchase.

Let us know how you like your new vacuum sealer.

Kathryn