Vacuum sealer buyer's guide
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Back on the subject of vacuum sealers, I just got a super bargain. After reading about Katie's steal of a deal pasta maker, SO and I went to a nearby Goodwill store. She picked up some stuff and I got a Foodsaver 550 fro $2.00!
Stopped at Wal-Mart and got a roll of bags and I'm ready to go!
Thanks for the idea, Katie.
Stopped at Wal-Mart and got a roll of bags and I'm ready to go!
Thanks for the idea, Katie.
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Meat must be vastly different in prices across the country because meat from Costco was ALWAYS less expensive than from the regular grocery stores (even when on sale) like Publix or Winn Dixie in South Florida. We haven't bought meat from Costco/Sam's/BJ's since we started going regularly to Penn Dutch and Restaurant Depot because the prices from those 2 places beat even Costco/Sam's/BJ's prices, especially the prices at RD.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
In MA/NH we've found Costco's prices better than our supermarket's regular prices. Supermarket sale prices are better than Costco's.
We buy most of our beef, pork tenderloins, lamb racks, rotisserie chickens from Costco. I buy ground beef (80%/20%) elsewhere as Costco doesn't offer it.
too much to Quote n Cut... LOL 
I'm sorry but all of you are very aware that there are sales gimmicks that all stores use to boost sales... hence the saying... Buyer Beware. and in the beginning (60' & 70's) it was the worst time! From placing candy at the checkout counters and then showing good will by supplying one lane that said "Candy Free" for frustrated mothers. (hmmm, come to think of it I notice they don't have that any more). Even now certain groceries are placed on shelves at eye level and the lesser ones on the bottom or up high.
I'm not saying it was their fault - I was the one lacking the where-with-all to stick to my guns. But I recognize my own faults and therefore I stay away from "bargains" I can't resist! If that mean staying out of the store... I stay out of the store!
LOL - don't get me started on Walmart or as my daughter calls it "Wally's World". Yes, I do shop there on occasion, their prices are good, quality on the other hand... ehh, I'm just talking food here.
I'm sorry but all of you are very aware that there are sales gimmicks that all stores use to boost sales... hence the saying... Buyer Beware. and in the beginning (60' & 70's) it was the worst time! From placing candy at the checkout counters and then showing good will by supplying one lane that said "Candy Free" for frustrated mothers. (hmmm, come to think of it I notice they don't have that any more). Even now certain groceries are placed on shelves at eye level and the lesser ones on the bottom or up high.
I'm not saying it was their fault - I was the one lacking the where-with-all to stick to my guns. But I recognize my own faults and therefore I stay away from "bargains" I can't resist! If that mean staying out of the store... I stay out of the store!
LOL - don't get me started on Walmart or as my daughter calls it "Wally's World". Yes, I do shop there on occasion, their prices are good, quality on the other hand... ehh, I'm just talking food here.
roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
I only go to Wally World for automotive fluids, camp fuels, tarps, & occasional stuff for the patio... I think that's about it...
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
To my shame, I do know that Wally world, is a place where I always know I can get both propane and white gas no matter where I am, so sometimes go there for that purpose if I plan poorly.
I promise I always try a local hardware store first, but they are often hostile places for outsiders, and don't take kindly to east coast hippie safari pirate campers a'commin in and doin' stuff.
Realistically, though, I've had trouble in about two hardware stores in my travels? So like 10% are bad. If you have a problem, a small locally owned hardware store is the first place to go. Just every now and then they are crewed by jerks and ass-hats. (forgive my language).
So we were nominative discussing vacuum sealers?
I very much want this. Camping quite a bit I have many more things I can keep dry than just toilet paper, plus my whole frozen bulk food strategy.
My current strategy involves lots of freezer paper, zipplocks and gaffer tape.
One of the thing I have been promised in Glorious New Apartment (note: could become why did I move to this hole very quickly) is more counter space.
What is the best of these magic vacuum machines, what is the worst, and the middle?
Interested minds need to know.
TBS
I promise I always try a local hardware store first, but they are often hostile places for outsiders, and don't take kindly to east coast hippie safari pirate campers a'commin in and doin' stuff.
Realistically, though, I've had trouble in about two hardware stores in my travels? So like 10% are bad. If you have a problem, a small locally owned hardware store is the first place to go. Just every now and then they are crewed by jerks and ass-hats. (forgive my language).
So we were nominative discussing vacuum sealers?
I very much want this. Camping quite a bit I have many more things I can keep dry than just toilet paper, plus my whole frozen bulk food strategy.
My current strategy involves lots of freezer paper, zipplocks and gaffer tape.
One of the thing I have been promised in Glorious New Apartment (note: could become why did I move to this hole very quickly) is more counter space.
What is the best of these magic vacuum machines, what is the worst, and the middle?
Interested minds need to know.
TBS
The link posted at the beginning of the thread has a super description of various machines available.
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
What I have been waiting on is one of the sales.
I do think this is something I would use much.
TBS
I do think this is something I would use much.
TBS
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I've wanted one for a while. Never could justify the cost until today when I found that used one @ Goodwill. (see above). The no name bags actually cost me more than the machine. I downloaded the manual and I'll be testing it out tomorrow.
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
I see so many of these that are kind of a scam to sell the bags at inflated prices, or seem that way to me. Any input from those who have used them?
For me $60-70 for a good one is my food budget for a week. It has to justify that to be a useful purchase, do you folks that have it think it does? I'd be happy if it would save me a week's budget on a year, I just worry about buying bags, etc... I can already buy ziplocs and freezer paper kind of cheap.
Now I could play about with sous vide cooking, but that is more a vanity than a justification for a practical expense.
TBS
For me $60-70 for a good one is my food budget for a week. It has to justify that to be a useful purchase, do you folks that have it think it does? I'd be happy if it would save me a week's budget on a year, I just worry about buying bags, etc... I can already buy ziplocs and freezer paper kind of cheap.
Now I could play about with sous vide cooking, but that is more a vanity than a justification for a practical expense.
TBS
I have a Vac Master 215. Prices have come down a lot since I bought mine, but bags are much cheaper for a chamber vac than the Foodsaver ones.
I use it all the time and have family that buy hundreds of lbs. of meat when it goes on sale. They bring it over and we will seal them, I'll generally get some for helping them out.
I use it all the time and have family that buy hundreds of lbs. of meat when it goes on sale. They bring it over and we will seal them, I'll generally get some for helping them out.
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
Hmnn. Ok lets think about this logic style. I use in food storage two rolls of freezer paper per year, about five gallon and a dozen quart boxes of ziplock bags. I think we will take saran wrap out of the equation, as this could be used for some things I do that to, but wouldn't be a replacement.
$8 for the freezer paper $30 for the big bags, and $60 for the small ones, so I'm in $98 on food storage just in bags. And this is with low waste and reusing.
So a good one looks to cost low $50 (adjusted that down) High $170 deluxe all the belles and whistles. I expect from that my cost would be about $60.
Add rolls of bags, and not sure how that would work, say $40 a year to keep me in bags? Am I reasonable? I think I am overestimating the cost of the machine if I shop about and underestimating the cost of the bags.
$100 would be my cost.
There is also a side benefit, having this should reduce spoilage, so it will reduce my food costs. We are hell on spoilage (forgive the bad language) around here, but we still do lose about $20-$60 a month. ($60 was not our fault, power out). If a vac packer could reduce that, say, by half, it would meet the cost.
And also be much cooler. Plus I an think of a couple of ways it would help with camping. Good pull on the TP idea. I can think of several other seldom used things I'd be happier to have in a vacuum pack.
I think I will put this in the purchase list on my next monthly financial status of the household meeting with my Beloved Wife. Unless you tell me the rolls of bags are very expensive, I think the numbers seem to work, even on the short term, and then it is a sunk cost, and we get vac pack for free with just the cost of bags.
Anyone an accountant here? numbers seem to work well.
TBS
$8 for the freezer paper $30 for the big bags, and $60 for the small ones, so I'm in $98 on food storage just in bags. And this is with low waste and reusing.
So a good one looks to cost low $50 (adjusted that down) High $170 deluxe all the belles and whistles. I expect from that my cost would be about $60.
Add rolls of bags, and not sure how that would work, say $40 a year to keep me in bags? Am I reasonable? I think I am overestimating the cost of the machine if I shop about and underestimating the cost of the bags.
$100 would be my cost.
There is also a side benefit, having this should reduce spoilage, so it will reduce my food costs. We are hell on spoilage (forgive the bad language) around here, but we still do lose about $20-$60 a month. ($60 was not our fault, power out). If a vac packer could reduce that, say, by half, it would meet the cost.
And also be much cooler. Plus I an think of a couple of ways it would help with camping. Good pull on the TP idea. I can think of several other seldom used things I'd be happier to have in a vacuum pack.
I think I will put this in the purchase list on my next monthly financial status of the household meeting with my Beloved Wife. Unless you tell me the rolls of bags are very expensive, I think the numbers seem to work, even on the short term, and then it is a sunk cost, and we get vac pack for free with just the cost of bags.
Anyone an accountant here? numbers seem to work well.
TBS
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Bags are expensive, specially if you buy the brand name ones. Given how much you spend on ziplocks ($100), I'd guess your bag cost to be much more than your estimate. I bought no name 8" wide bags today. Two 20 foot long rolls for $8.98. There are also 11" wide bags for more $$. If you were sealing a single chicken breast, you'd need a bag several inches beyond the size just to fit the chicken as there has to be a length that reaches the sealing mechanism in the machine. Not sure how much that is yet.
Vac sealing will help eliminate spoilage due to freezer burn but not if you have a power failure.
I've always felt I could approximate the freezer life of vac sealed foods by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap then put then in Ziplocks, so I couldn't justify the cost. Of course, I sacrifice the convenience of quick defrosting under water and other uses.
Consider checking out Goodwill, Salvation Army and other second-hand stores. As I mentioned above, I got mine for $2.
Vac sealing will help eliminate spoilage due to freezer burn but not if you have a power failure.
I've always felt I could approximate the freezer life of vac sealed foods by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap then put then in Ziplocks, so I couldn't justify the cost. Of course, I sacrifice the convenience of quick defrosting under water and other uses.
Consider checking out Goodwill, Salvation Army and other second-hand stores. As I mentioned above, I got mine for $2.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Btw, Andy is a retired accountant
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
Dollar store bags, here, and reuse them till they bleed, but still spend a bunch on them as most of my food planning involves bulk buying and storing food.
Got Garlic, says you're an accountant. So yeah I'm doing a cost benefit analysis.
I'm trying to justify the sunk cost of the apparatus, with the savings, because, yeah I do see a lot go out the window in bags.
I can do the same thing, with a good tight wrap in freezer paper, wrap it in gaffer tape, and put it in a bag. I think that is where you are going with the 'saran wrap and bag plan'.
I suggest heavy freezer paper, about the same cost, and holds up better than saran wrap particularly if it gets wet. I've had a pound of ground beef swim in water for a week that was at 37ish (best I could keep it below 40 was throwing ice at it so it had to take a swim) It was together and edible. Plastic wrap tends to fall apart. Paper holds well,
Now vacpacs, seem to be indestructible.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I tend not to keep my plastic wrapped food in water.
erehweslefox
Sous Chef
Well it started out as ice
I mean I'm not an idiot.I do always plan, when camping, that all my ice becomes water.
Not recommended project for daily storage.
Wife and I were camping, so you tend to refrigerate by dumping more ice in. I like keeping things in bags and freezer wrapped but all of them eventually get a wet bath. freezer paper seems to hold up well. And you dump out the water, but the ice is just making more.
Kind of hope vacuum sealer is a good solution for this need.
The problem is I'd be on a camping trip and have all this plastic, but I'm used to taking a bag out with us. Usual.
TBS
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Well it started out as ice
I wasn't suggesting you are.
Just that your needs are different from mine. I like plastic wrap because it clings and conforms to the irregular shapes of foods to keep air away from the product.
No doubt a vac sealed product would be ideal for camping but you already have that problem solved with the freezer paper, etc.
My bottom line is this. Vac sealers are a great convenience but not necessary. Home cooks and campers can get by without. That said, it can be useful and fun to use.
Roll_Bones
Master Chef
I have found cost and quality to be the main reason I buy most all meat at Costco. NY Strip, Ribeye and most all steaks run about 2-3 dollars less a pound. They are also superior to our grocery store.
I also never bought the ground beef as it seemed to lean. I have since found out after trying it, it too is superior to anything I can buy at the grocery store. It makes way better chili and taco meat. Hardly any water (juice released) and browns up very nicely. I'm sold. I have not tried it for burgers.
I finally tried Costco's whole chickens. While large (about 4-6 LB's) to be excellent.
I made fried chicken last Sunday and my wife commented on how good it was. I did nothing different other than using Costco chicken.
Hey Andy, have you tried the frozen wing sections at Costco again? Kirkland brand.
I bought a bag last trip and they were huge!
Just thought I would check in as you told me you experience was small wing sections.
Now that football is thankfully back on, they had many many bags of them!
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