I know most of you use the ZipLoc bags for sealing the foods, however I am very clumsy and will definitely mess up with the Ziploc bag, so if anyone has any recommendations for a good vacuum sealer like Foodsaver model etc., please let me know.
We’ve been FoodSaver fans for years, and have had at least six different models. And that is a problem. They are not suitable for heavy use, and don’t have replaceable parts; also, they can’t handle liquids or moist foods very well. So, when we decided to jump into sous vide, we started looking around, and settled in VacMaster VP210 Chamber Vacuum Sealer–a bit pricey, but a wonderful solution that we love! We have spent more on our series of FS than the price of the VM.
VavMaster is out of my league, so I opted for Foodsaver’s Gamesaver Deluxe model T000-33270. Rather have a manual foodsaver than automatic…less bag waste, more control… Have mine placed on top of my countertop microwave… That way the bag hangs down in front of the microwave as it’s vacuuming making it less likely to draw liquid into the sealing channel…
I also have used Food-Savers for a few years the last one had a few issue eventually, but I had it for at least 5 years and used it a lot. I purchased their latest version a few months ago at Costco for about $130.00 and it really works well. I especially like the attachment for the zip style bags that can be reused. Down side is the vac bags can get pricey.
Chamber vacs are GREAT but your looking at $700+ and parts for them are expensive when they break. We have them where I work and they do break, they can be repaired though. Up side is the bags for chamber vacs are really cheap. And yes they handle liquid/wet/moist foods where the F/S is not so good.
The Food-Savers are compact, chamber vacs are not.
I may upgrade to a chamber vac someday. Thought about is before I got the new Food-Saver but it wasn’t worth getting a divorce over lol!
Bottom line for the money the Food-Savers work well.
Good Luck!
Love my Weston. Deep vacuum well. Has a marinade function for the external canisters (which were inexpensive add-on). Weston brand bags seem cheaper too (although you could probably use them with any food saver too) Looks good, performs great. Don’t get the cheaper plastic Weston though, had to return that. Was total junk.
Like GoodReina, I too really like my Weston Professional Advantage vacuum sealer and their bags. I bought this as the recommendation from Cooks Illustrated and have not been disappointed. Reviews are very positive and since receiving the unit on 12/24/2014 I’ve sealed a couple of dozen items. Not one has lost its seal in either the freezer or refrigerator, or while cooking.
ok, seriously, get as much out as possible. It’s not so much for the vacuum factor as it is that the bag is in tight contact with the food so that the heat can transfer efficiently. Otherwise you are heating up a bag of air.
Obviously, you want a good seal so that the bag doesn’t fail and turn your SV cooker into a soup blender.
I like my Weston also. But for shorter cooks (1-4 hours) I find myself using Ziplock bags more and more. It’s really not that hard to get all the air out. For lager cooks (>4 hours) I will vacuum seal.
It’s been working well. No issues, simple to operate, two vacuum settings (strong and weaker, for softer foods), and two sealing settings (dry and wet; wet keeps the heat on a bit longer).
The built in cutter is really useful for cutting sections off rolls, and you can keep the roll in the sealer.
There is also a port for evacuating external vacuum containers.
Buy the least expensive Foodsaver that you can find. If it dies, you aren’t out much. You can get another one. Trust me, Foodsaver works far better than Zip Lock. Easier to use and you won’t wind up wasting meat from a leaking bag.
UPDATE: My Weston is now almost 6 years old and still working well. I’ve sealed hundreds of packages without a single failure. I replaced the seal around the vacuum slot about two years ago and that’s the total maintenance I’ve done with it.