Wife is interested in a vacuum sealer. Cabelas has them from ~$100-$2500. I'm sort of interested in the ones that are in the $2-300 range. So does anyone have one?
Not yet but some day I'll make the plunge.... Probably after season sales with coupons would be the way too go....
I have some simple foodsaver one. It works well, though you do need to be careful if the food (meat) is too juicy b/c it can mess up the seal. It definitely does keep the food fresher than any other way.
yotehunter
Member
I've got a old game saver. We use it for everything in the garden other than our tomatoes which we can. We freeze roughly 30 too 40 lbs of walleye and perch fillets every year with the sealer. Its probably 8 or 9 years old and the only trouble we had was we had too replace the seal couse the sweet corn sugar made them sticky and one ripped, the fiancé order two news ones on line at a mere 12 bucks and we were back in buisness. The game saver has been a good investment at our house.
Milo
Tatonka guide.
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I have a weston model that is the same one cabelas sells with their label on it. Its a horse and a way better upgrade from a foodsaver in every aspect. The seal strip is about 3 times as wide as the foodsaver one and makes it welll worth it in opinion. Foodsavers are not built for heavy, repetative use.
hammerhead
Junior Member
Milo
Tatonka guide.
- 8,188
- 171
Milo
Tatonka guide.
- 8,188
- 171
I have a Foodsaver. Can't remember the model. Rural King in the $125 ballpark. Has been good. I double seal each end. Not that I don't trust one seal, just a bit OCD i suppose. The one Milo describes sounds nice. Might not double seal if it were so much thicker an area.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I have used the same FoodSaver for probably ten years. It has been great. I would like one with more bells and whistles. What I would look for in a new one would be:
- Easy to clean drip tray
- Storage for vac rolls
- Bag cutter
- Adjustable vacuum amounts (for marinades...cooking sou vide rocks)
- Air seal container compatibility (great for things like guac that go in the fridge)
- Bag sensor (automatically starts once the bag is inserted, nice to have when you are cutting up deer so you don't have to hit a button)
- Easy to clean drip tray
- Storage for vac rolls
- Bag cutter
- Adjustable vacuum amounts (for marinades...cooking sou vide rocks)
- Air seal container compatibility (great for things like guac that go in the fridge)
- Bag sensor (automatically starts once the bag is inserted, nice to have when you are cutting up deer so you don't have to hit a button)
This seller on Ebay has cheap bags.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271191044024?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I'm with Phil - I double seal for the peace of mind.
I do my venison with vacuum bags - deep freeze - they're like bricks and don't get freezer burn.
Good for sealing dry food for the zombie apocalypse too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271191044024?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I'm with Phil - I double seal for the peace of mind.
I do my venison with vacuum bags - deep freeze - they're like bricks and don't get freezer burn.
Good for sealing dry food for the zombie apocalypse too.
I'm on my 3rd foodsaver in about 12 years. This one seams to be built a little beefier than previous models. I really like the one Milo posted. My cheap ass may have to put that one on the Christmas list. As many Deer and Hogs that I butcher each year, something like that would be tits
I have a food saver that we got for our wedding in 2010 that I used 6 or 7 times that now won't vacuum at all. Haven't had a chance to call their customer service about it though.
We have been using the same Foodsaver my cousin owns for 3-4 deer a year for the last 8 or 9 years, still works like a champ.
We have been using the same Foodsaver my cousin owns for 3-4 deer a year for the last 8 or 9 years, still works like a champ.
after going through a couple of cheaper Foodsaver sealers in less than five years, I ponied up the money for the Cabela's CG-15. it was a bit of an investment, but it sure has served me well for the last 9 years. I think I got it in 2004. might be the best $400 I've ever spent. between fish, big game, squirrels, berries and sausage making, I've probably sealed a two or three thousand bags with this thing. the best thing about these types of sealers, as already stated, is the 1/4" wide seal. the second best thing is the that you can seal 15" wide bags or two quart sized bags at a time. is a real time saver when you have a 50 or 100 bags to seal at a time. third best thing is that you can get replacement parts for these types. when a Foodsaver quits working, you buy a new one. if the vacuum pump on the Weston sealers goes, you can replace it along with the seals, heat strip, etc. if you put up a lot of food from the field, a good vacuum sealer is indispensable. and even if you don't, it's great for buying meat and stuff in bulk when it's on sale, like whole pork loins and such, and reducing them to a favorable serving sizes and vacuum sealing. don't know what I'd do without good sealer now that I've grown accustomed to having one.
Don't forget cheese. I buy some of the big chunks of cheese from amish country. Cut it into smaller sizes, and vacuum seal them to throw in the freezer. I drop around $90-100 once a year on the cheese and my wife says she doesn't have to supplement it much during the year. Just throwing another idea out there for you guys who have never tried it. Cheese can be frozen too!
Schu72
Well-Known Member
Foodsaver v3460. Works great for us. Vacum seal most of my smokies and summer sausage so I can sread it out over the year. Moist and tasty, just like it was fresh.