MCS or practicality?...a vacuum sealer

[Hugh]

Thx guys. Im looking at the Foodsaver. Keep it simple or spend the extra on features like 2 in 1?

[Hugh]

Outstanding. I am liking this Anova.

[Ddecker]

I SV straight from frozen.

[Hugh]

Ok, now I'm talking to myself! Assuming I don't have a vacuum sealer and I freeze individual servings in ziplocks using the displacement method.

I just re-read Meatheads material on Freezing and Heating Leftovers as well as Thawing Meats. In the article on thawing he mentions a hot bath option for thawing.

"4) Hot water bath (for thin cuts only). A USDA sponsored research project published in mid 2011 showed that you can thaw a 1" thick steak in a 102°F"

So do I understand this correctly? I an freeze an individual serving of anything - roast/chicken/ribs/steak - and as long as it is sliced less than an inch and I can go directly from freezer to hot tub?

Then I ask the obvious, could the SV be set to say 145 so that it goes directly from frozen to thawed and then heated for serving right in the ziplock bag?

Not a bad solution for meals at home. Doesn't solve the lunches at work.

[Oakgrovebacon]

I use a vacuum sealer a lot, so much that I purchase 50' rolls to make bags Much more
economical than pre- made bags. E-bay or amazon is my source. I use it often.

[Oozzy]

I love my vacuum sealer! It just stays on my countertop because I use it so often.

[Hugh]

I have only learned how to BBQ low and slow meat this summer and I now find myself making large chunks of meat and there is only my wife and I. I love the cheap delicious cuts but I have a new problem to deal with - lots of left overs. I need a strategy for saving and reheating meat. Also, I've only had the sous vide a few days but I can see some of the benefits of a vacuum sealer there as well - batch cooking chicken breasts for sandwiches for example.

My current option will be to freeze individual servings but don't see that working well for lunches at work. Also not a fast way to reheat.

I'd like to know your thoughts on how much you actually use a vacuum sealer once the novelty wears off.

Compare the time, effort and quality of vacuum sealing individual servings against individual portions ziplocked into the freezer. How much better is the meat when reheated comparing vacuum in the fridge vs displacement method in the freezer?

Counselling services greatly appreciated.