FoodSaver at Costco

[taxlady]

On my most recent trip to Costco I spotted this:

Seems to come with a canister. Any thoughts? Can I get it a lot cheaper in the US? My mother-in-law has a postal box in New York that it could be shipped to if it's enough cheaper. I checked Amazon.ca and Shop.ca. Similar looking ones cost more, or the same + shipping.

edit: those links don't take you to the products, just the online stores. I can't seem to make those not links.

 

[FrankZ]

I am not sure you will find it cheaper, or enough cheaper to be worth the hassle.

 

[Dawgluver]

I got my V3240 model from Amazon last year for $119 and free shipping, couldn't tell if that's the model you're looking at. Also, mine's white, and no canister.

Ah, on closer inspection, yours is the 3800 model, so it would be more expensive

 

[Andy M.]

It's difficult to compare prices for FS because they seem to have different configurations and model numbers for every outlet. You'll have to compare package contents and decide from there.

 

[taxlady]

I am not sure you will find it cheaper, or enough cheaper to be worth the hassle.

Thanks. That's sort of what I figure, and, I get to bring it home right away.

 

[cave76]

When I had a FoodSaver (when it first came out) I did use it quite a bit, but we were growing almost all our own food then.

Why I don't get another one---cuz I just LOVE toys----is I don't have the counter space for one. My bad---- if something isn't out I just don't dig it out from under the counter etc. Maybe you will.

It would certainly keep a head of lettuce fresher, once it was vacuumed, but each time you open that bag, if you only want to use part of it, you'd have to reseal. I got around that by making the first bag much larger than needed.

For storing dry things in a jar it was great! Again, if you opened that jar and used just 1/4 cup of peanuts you'd have to reseal it. I can't remember if all that opening and resealing could be done with the same lid or a new one had to be used each time.

 

[Zagut]

I think Frank Z summed it up nicely. Is it worth the hassle to save a couple of bucks?

When my old seal-a-meal died I was in Walmart and saw a FoodSaver for $119. 3400 series. What I liked about it was that it had a cutter for the rolls of plastic. And it had a wet/dry setting.

I use the cutter a lot. The wet/dry doesn't do much. Just a different amount of vacuum. You still can't seal really wet stuff.

Canisters are nice. Looking at the brochure that came with the FS. you can get a set of 3 canisters for $24.99. 3/4 Qt., 1 1/2 Qt., and 2 1/2 Qt.

2 1/2 Qt. alone is $9.99.

Bringing it home right away is the important thing to me over saving a buck or two. Not to mention if there should be something wrong returning is greatly simplified.

I love my vacuum sealer and wouldn't want to be without one for long.

 

[CWS4322]

On my most recent trip to Costco I spotted this:

Seems to come with a canister. Any thoughts? Can I get it a lot cheaper in the US? My mother-in-law has a postal box in New York that it could be shipped to if it's enough cheaper. I checked Amazon.ca and Shop.ca. Similar looking ones cost more, or the same + shipping.

edit: those links don't take you to the products, just the online stores. I can't seem to make those not links.

Hmmm...might have to go to Costco in July when I bring those fresh eggs to Montreal for you. By then, I suspect you will have played with yours and you can let me know if it's worth it...my other one died, but this one looks far superior.

 

[bakechef]

I think Frank Z summed it up nicely. Is it worth the hassle to save a couple of bucks?

When my old seal-a-meal died I was in Walmart and saw a FoodSaver for $119. 3400 series. What I liked about it was that it had a cutter for the rolls of plastic. And it had a wet/dry setting.

I use the cutter a lot. The wet/dry doesn't do much. Just a different amount of vacuum. You still can't seal really wet stuff.

Canisters are nice. Looking at the brochure that came with the FS. you can get a set of 3 canisters for $24.99. 3/4 Qt., 1 1/2 Qt., and 2 1/2 Qt.

2 1/2 Qt. alone is $9.99.

Bringing it home right away is the important thing to me over saving a buck or two. Not to mention if there should be something wrong returning is greatly simplified.

I love my vacuum sealer and wouldn't want to be without one for long.

To seal really wet things like whole chickens, I fold paper towel and put it across the top of the bag between the chicken and where it seals. The paper towel does a good job of catching the juice and is easy to dispose of when you open the package in the future.

 

[Cheryl J]

Great idea, bakechef!

I got my V3420 FS about 5 yrs ago at WalMart for about $120, and use the heck out of it. If it died tomorrow, I would replace it immediately. Living alone, I use it so often to separate large packages of meat to individual servings. I love it and wouldn't be without one.

 

[FrankZ]

To seal really wet things like whole chickens, I fold paper towel and put it across the top of the bag between the chicken and where it seals. The paper towel does a good job of catching the juice and is easy to dispose of when you open the package in the future.

They sell bags to do that too..

I tend to freeze things first, then seal.

 

[Cheryl J]

I do too, with liquidy stuff. I bought 6 lbs of strawberries and several mangoes recently and only used half, so the other half got mashed and frozen in ice cube trays, then popped into FS bags.

 

[Kayelle]

I wish I had the counter space for one but since I don't, my old fashioned method of squeezing the air out of a flimsy plastic bag and freezing that inside a heavy duty freezer zip lock bag works well. I never have any freezer burn either. Works for me.

 

[bakechef]

They sell bags to do that too..

I tend to freeze things first, then seal.

I'm too cheap to buy specialty products, I have plain bags and always have paper towel, so that works for me.

 

[cave76]

I wish I had the counter space for one but since I don't, my old fashioned method of squeezing the air out of a flimsy plastic bag and freezing that inside a heavy duty freezer zip lock bag works well. I never have any freezer burn either. Works for me.

I've just recently found that that method of squeezing all the air out of a plastic bag when saving lettuce, cilantro etc works a charm. (In the fridge, not freezer) I lived all my life not knowing that---- until a friend demonstrated it and kept after me until I started doing it myself. Slow learner.

It mashes the heck out of the cilantro but---- what the hecK. I wind up chopping it up anyway.

 

[FrankZ]

I wish I had the counter space for one but since I don't, my old fashioned method of squeezing the air out of a flimsy plastic bag and freezing that inside a heavy duty freezer zip lock bag works well. I never have any freezer burn either. Works for me.

Our lives in a closet. I pull it out to use it. The closet is right outside the kitchen though.

I'm too cheap to buy specialty products, I have plain bags and always have paper towel, so that works for me.

I did find it humorous when I found out you could be bags with paper towels in them.

 

[CWS4322]

Our lives in a closet. I pull it out to use it. The closet is right outside the kitchen though.



I did find it humorous when I found out you could be bags with paper towels in them.

All my "extra" toys live in the basement...or, at least they did until recently. I have started converting the small, was an office room, by the dininig room to a pan room. Works for me! I was going to convert it to my sewing-knitting-craft room, but decided I cook more often than I sew...
K.

 

[FrankZ]

All my "extra" toys live in the basement...or, at least they did until recently. I have started converting the small, was an office room, by the dininig room to a pan room. Works for me! I was going to convert it to my sewing-knitting-craft room, but decided I cook more often than I sew...
K.

A lot of things do live in the basement, the Foodsaver just happens to not be one.

I can't say there was a plan for that, it just sort of happened.

 

[GotGarlic]

We don't have a basement. The water table is too high here in the Tidewater area

 

[FrankZ]

We don't have a basement. The water table is too high here in the Tidewater area

You should get a cellar then.