Food Saver
- Thread starter In the Kitchen
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
I received the FoodSaver brand "starter set" for Xmas from my husband. It has the unit, roll of bags, & canisters. Husband got it at CostCo for, I believe, around $100. CostCo also carries multi-pack rolls of the "bags" as well at a decent price.
Just visited Amazon. I was looking at the 845 model for around 80 bucks, read some nice reviews for the most part, then saw some with "advanced design". Supposedly shutting down the vacuum before crushing delicate items....
Are the ones with advanced design worth the much added cost? $116 - $148?
I imagine as a first time user I will be happy just having one, but don't want to sell myself short if there is some great feature in the more expensive ones.
Thanks
Are the ones with advanced design worth the much added cost? $116 - $148?
I imagine as a first time user I will be happy just having one, but don't want to sell myself short if there is some great feature in the more expensive ones.
Thanks
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I never use the feature that lets you stop the sucktion before it is done, but I know others who love that feature. The features I love that I would not want to live without are:
One touch operation. I do not have to hold anything down. I just hit the button and walk away. It shuts off when it is done.
Accessory port so I can use it with canisters. This is probably my favorite feature. I use canisters 90% of the time and bags the other 10%.
Built in bag roll storage.
Built in bag cutter.
One touch operation. I do not have to hold anything down. I just hit the button and walk away. It shuts off when it is done.
Accessory port so I can use it with canisters. This is probably my favorite feature. I use canisters 90% of the time and bags the other 10%.
Built in bag roll storage.
Built in bag cutter.
Truth be told you can stop the suction before it is done. Just stop and seal. I do it all the time on my $50 FS.
My first FS had the "one touch"--and it really didn't work that well for me. I had to press down. It may have been a question of adjusting the top, etc.
My first FS had the "one touch"--and it really didn't work that well for me. I had to press down. It may have been a question of adjusting the top, etc.
Thanks. That's just what I needed to hear.
The 845 model (cheaper one) comes with one canister plus a couple rolls of bag material, so has the accessory port, the bag storage, you hold down the top for 3 seconds to start the unit, but that part had some negative comments on it not working all the time from a couple reviewers....
Sounds like a good starter unit!
hmmm, now where am I going to put it
The 845 model (cheaper one) comes with one canister plus a couple rolls of bag material, so has the accessory port, the bag storage, you hold down the top for 3 seconds to start the unit, but that part had some negative comments on it not working all the time from a couple reviewers....
Sounds like a good starter unit!
hmmm, now where am I going to put it
Darlene7 said:
I just spoke to a customer service representative at FoodSaver and asked several questions about using them and which one would best fit my needs. I asked about storing ice cream, too. She said the canisters/containers are not recommended for freezer use so bags would be the only way to store ice cream. She and I both agreed that would be a messy situation.
I noticed that K-Mart, Target, Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Linens 'n Things, and Sears all carry FoodSaver products in my area. Most of these same places have web addresses if there's not a physical store in your community.
JoAnn L.
Master Chef
In the Kitchen said:
Thanks for this post. I just bought a Kenmore brand food saver and am very interested in all the things you can do with one.
candelbc
Senior Cook
Ebay has a good amount of Foodsaver accessories..
Also, the Black & Decker Freshguard that I have is compatible with all Foodsaver bags and accessories...
-Brad
Also, the Black & Decker Freshguard that I have is compatible with all Foodsaver bags and accessories...
-Brad
Hungry
Senior Cook
pacanis said:I'd like it to last longer than it does and reading about the lettuce peaked my interest.
I live by myself and lettuce always goes bad before I use it all. I'll buy a head for tacos, maybe make a salad, go to grab some for a sandwich and it will be brown and slimy. I've tried tupperware, which takes up a lot of room, ziploc bags especially for fruits and veggies and wasn't impressed with either.
Anything that can get me another week+ out of a head of iceberg lettuce has my interest.
See my post #13.
Hungry
Senior Cook
I have read all the post Re: the use of the food saver.
Two comments:
I have found that it is best to freeze meat before vacuuming it. I believe I made a steak tough by sucking all the juice out of it. Freezing first, you don't have to worry about sucking the blood and juice into the machine.
The same would apply to Bananas. Not so much as sucking the juice from them but they would probably SQUASH!
I keep mine in a zip lock bag and have kept then over a month.
No problem with ice cream. It don't stay around long enough to neec vacuuming.
Charlie
Two comments:
I have found that it is best to freeze meat before vacuuming it. I believe I made a steak tough by sucking all the juice out of it. Freezing first, you don't have to worry about sucking the blood and juice into the machine.
The same would apply to Bananas. Not so much as sucking the juice from them but they would probably SQUASH!
I keep mine in a zip lock bag and have kept then over a month.
No problem with ice cream. It don't stay around long enough to neec vacuuming.
Charlie
Hungry said:
This part? "BTW I keep ice berg lettuce for over a month. My salad "fixins"
Lettuce in one container, veggies on another are good for 5 days."
I didn't really follow it the first time I read it. It reads like your carrots, peppers, tomatos..... (veggies) only last 5 days. That can't be right. Mine last a lot longer than that dropping them in the crisper drawer.
Good job on the lettuce, though. Wonder if a FS would get you a couple extra weeks?
Bags are available at WalMart by the roll--not a combo of different sizes as they sell at Costco. Also Amazon. I don't use the narrow bags very much so it isn't as cost effective to get them in the mix of bags as sold.
Bags can easily be re-used which is a big cost saving. Cut them larger than needed (for small items) and then save for another use.
I also will use a regular plastic bag inside if the item is particularly messy/juicy/sticky so cleaning the bag isn't such a problem.
Bags can easily be re-used which is a big cost saving. Cut them larger than needed (for small items) and then save for another use.
I also will use a regular plastic bag inside if the item is particularly messy/juicy/sticky so cleaning the bag isn't such a problem.
spryte
Senior Cook
I made guacamole and stored it in a FS container in the fridge for a week... and it was still fresh and green and beautiful!
Corey123
Washing Up
Hungry said:
I don't think I've had that problem with vacuum-sealed steaks.
To test how good the bags work in the fridge, I purposely vacuum-sealed some sliced cheddar cheese and let it stay there for almost a year.
Believe it or not, that cheese did not have so much as one speck of mold or mildew!
Ice cream, or sorbet, if homemade, can be kept in one of those 64-oz Glad containers, but put a piece of plastic wrap between the container and lid. This will help assure that no air gets in.
LRCooks
Assistant Cook
Is it ok to seal pearl onions in a mason jar for pantry storage?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Not really. Food Savers (and other vacuum packers) are not a substitute for canning. They will prolong the life of many foods, but they are not a way to preserve them.LRCooks said:
Along the same lines, if something usually needs to be kept in the fridge, it will still need to be kept in the fridge after vacuum packing.
Corey123
Washing Up
GB, I think he or she WANTS to use a mason jar for this purpose.
But I think it will have to take the whole sterilization and canning process to do it. Yes, you're right! For both the fridge AND freezer.
But I think it will have to take the whole sterilization and canning process to do it. Yes, you're right! For both the fridge AND freezer.
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LRCooks
Assistant Cook
Actually, I want to just keep them from sprouting for a while. Not long term storage. Just a bit longer than I usually keep any onions. So, I'm not interested in canning - just a longer short term.
