Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer

[jennyema]

There isn't any reason why you could only use a vcacusealer for frozen food.

The Reynolds one works great. I bought a bunch of them for stocking stuffers!

I also polished and vacusealed my silver the other day. What a great idea!

 

[Callisto in NC]

There isn't any reason why you could only use a vcacusealer for frozen food.

I think the confusion on that is that there was one UK site for the VacuSeale that Bridge posted that said to only use the bags in the microwave for cooking with frozen foods. Personally, I'm leery of any bag that goes in the microwave, I've had one too many melt on me. Scary stuff! Stinks too!

And jennyema ~ you have some lucky people if you're giving Handi-Vacs. Lucky them!!

 

[Corey123]

I usually place the bag in a microwave-safe bowl or dish, then I open the bag a little to let the steam escape. Works every time.

Jennyema, won't the forks poke holes in the bag?

 

[Poppinfresh]

I thought about buying one of these, but then I remembered what happened to my Deni vacuum sealer.

It got used twice, and has been collecting dust in my garage for almost 2 years now.

Nothing in my house lasts long enough to vacuum seal it, I guess.

 

[Corey123]

This one WILL work. Trust me.

Haven't had one bit of trouble with it at all! It uses no heat sealing to work. It juswt merely pulls out all the air and the bag STAYS sealed until you want to open it.

I think that the problem with those regular vacuum bag sealers is that the heater strip starts to fail prematurely. and their vacuum bags end up failing to hold the vacuum seal.

 

[jennyema]

Jennyema, won't the forks poke holes in the bag?

So far so good. I put them in sideways.

 

[Corey123]

Another way is also to put some soft paper around the mouth ends, such as paper napkins or paper towels.

 

[mcnerd]

I have the FoodSaver which I've used for years for just about everything in the kitchen, garage, first-aid kit, car, travel, etc., and I've been using the Reynolds Handi-Vac for about a month. Wal-mart had them first it seems, but no extra bags, so I was reusing the 3 bags that came with the starter kit. I love them both and each has their purpose.

The Handi-Vac is excellent for leftovers or items you tend to get access to on a regular basis -- cheese, luncheon meat, onions, croutons, etc -- and keeps them fresher longer. The ziploc feature is what makes it so special, to open, close and reseal in a matter of seconds. Considering its a manual seal I am impressed that the seal holds. I've only had one instance where it "unsealed" itself. I resealed it, making sure the ziplock was positive, and it stayed sealed after that. I am cautious about sharp items, especially once an item is frozen and gets bumped in the freezer.

Super great item. For $10 I highly recommend it.

 

[Corey123]

So glad to hear that you like it!

If for some reason Walmart doesn't have the extra vacuum seal bags, you should be able to get them at Target, Walgreens or Kmart.

I find that kind of stupid and dumb that Walmart does not have the extra vacuum seal bags, unless they ran out of them.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

WooHoo! I scored a couple of these Reynolds Handi-Vacs at Target last night. There were plenty of bags there for sale, too. I'm so glad to have read about these here because I doubt I would have tried it if ya'll hadn't been raving over them. I already have a Food-Saver but man, this thing is so much easier. I've been sealing up stuff all day!!!

 

[Caine]

So, of course, I go back to the Von's (Safeway) where I bought mine, and they only had the 1 quart size bags available.

 

[Caine]

Nothing in my house lasts long enough to vacuum seal it, I guess.

Is my kid living at your house now?

 

[Corey123]

Left and right!

Glad to have helped you Fisher's Mom, in making your decision to get one!!

I'm giving the Kenmore unit away. I know someone who'll take it off my hands.

 

[Corey123]

I'm going to have to cancel giving away the Kenmore unit unless the person still wants it.

The batteries in the Reynolds unit were low, so the thing wouldn't vacuum seal. In the meantime, I tried using the Kenmore unit as a backup. As I had suspected in the first place, the heating strip has wimped out, causing the bags not to seal!! The vacuuming worked fine, but the heater strip doesn't seal.

I eventually DID get more batteries for the Reynolds unit, and it worked as it should. I will NEVER AGAIN buy those ill-fated large units ever!! They are just no good! That's the 2nd large unit that I got that wimped out on me.

The sad part of that irony is that I only had the Kenmore unit for two short years!!

It's now known that the bags aren't at fault. The blasted units wimp out. Proof to my theory as to why the bags kept on coming loose!!

 

[pacanis]

I've had some of the Reynolds bags allow air back in. These had items in them that were stored in the fridge, so it wasn't from freezing and getting bumped around. You could plainly see that the bag had lost its vacuum after a couple days. I'm still going to rely on my Foodsaver unit for anything I don't need to get at all the time, like cheeses and such. And items going in the freezer. I'm curious whether the zip-loc failed or the valve.... It has only been the smaller bags.

 

[Corey123]

I was at a friend's house this evening and saw HIS machine for the first time.

I noticed that the heating strip was different than the one on mine. It is black and looks more reliable! He got his from BJ's for only $119.00 with a $10.00 rebate. So I told him to let me know the next time he goes back out there and I'll pay him to get me one.

His looks much more professional than the two that I had! Like the one shown in the commercial. So I'll try THAT one soon.

 

[camp_cookie]

I received a Foodsaver for Christmas, but I have yet to use it. I plan on getting one of the little Reynolds units as well. I plan to use the Foodsaver for big projects and with the containers and the little Reynolds unit for small stuff such as storing hotdogs and such from an open pack.

 

[Corey123]

As long as the bags remain vacuum sealed, you can keep the stuff in the freezer almost indefinitely! And it won't ever spoil or turn rancid!

 

[muzzlet]

Thanks for this post Corey. I had seen the commercials too and wondered if they really worked. Will definitely go get one!!

 

[Corey123]

You're welcome!

While you're there, make sure that you get some extra batteries as well. So that you'll have more when the ones already inside the unit get low on power.