Vacuum Sealer

[Blimey]

I have an "imminent" need to vacuum seal a bunch of dry food (dog food--bought too much). I borrowed somebody's foodsaver yesterday, proceeded to bag 11 bags per instructions, with a new roll, and already 10 have lost vacuum. I've read online about double sealing but the thing is proving a pain. It doesn't seal properly for whatever reason, and I'm sure the bags themselves have no holes.

Evidently this thing is a great sealer for $60

https://www.amazon.com/NutriChef-Automatic-Sealing-Preservation-Indicator/dp/B01MXLTR09/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=NutriChef+PKVS18BK&qid=1602175061&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRUlVOVJSTVpOOUkyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODc4MjUwMVlQWkgxNVNNSjZWSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTYyODI3OTEwWkpCNFVZUlAwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Anybody else here, what are you using?

 

[Bob]

The quality of the bags is just as important as the sealer itself.

Here's the one I have. If you want to give it a try, you're more than welcome to borrow it.

Weston Professional Advantage Stainless Steel Food Vacuum Sealer 65-0501-W - The Home Depot

The Professional Advantage Vacuum Sealer by Weston has everything you need for reliable sealing in an attractive countertop model. With a 210-Watt motor, the vacuum pump delivers 23 in. HG vacuum strength.

www.homedepot.com

 

[kev74]

I have this one and am happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/GERYON-Machine-Automatic-Starter-Indicator/dp/B07B4W5PMB/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=geryon+vacuum+sealer&qid=1602177565&sprefix=geryo&sr=8-3

 

[Retired MSG]

Plus 1 from me regarding Weston. Great equipment. Bags shouldn't lose seal like that. Foodsaver were my first couple of sealers they're ok,but pump wears out pretty quickly.

 

[Blimey]

These were foodsaver bags bought from target last night on a roll.

I did another bag and double sealed it both ends a couple hours ago. Fairly sure it's already losing vacuum. I'm pretty sure the machine is faulty. It's probably not heating long enough but there's no way to increase the seal time.

I knew after the first bag my multi-year desire for a vacuum sealer was going to terminate with owning one. It's as satisfying as I always thought it would be.

 

[spat]

I have an "imminent" need to vacuum seal a bunch of dry food (dog food--bought too much). I borrowed somebody's foodsaver yesterday, proceeded to bag 11 bags per instructions, with a new roll, and already 10 have lost vacuum. I've read online about double sealing but the thing is proving a pain. It doesn't seal properly for whatever reason, and I'm sure the bags themselves have no holes.

Evidently this thing is a great sealer for $60

https://www.amazon.com/NutriChef-Automatic-Sealing-Preservation-Indicator/dp/B01MXLTR09/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=NutriChef+PKVS18BK&qid=1602175061&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRUlVOVJSTVpOOUkyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODc4MjUwMVlQWkgxNVNNSjZWSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTYyODI3OTEwWkpCNFVZUlAwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Anybody else here, what are you using?

I bought a cheap harbor freight sealer only. It’s nice because it has adjustable temp setting, and without the vacuum mechanism it's much easier to put the seal right where you want it.

We vacuum seal stuff with the normal sealer, then add an extra seal with the HF sealer right next to it.

Seems to work way better.

HF doesn’t seem to sell them anymore, but it is similar to this one.

Amazon.com: 8" (200mm) Impulse Sealer Upgrade Thicken Iron case- Manual Poly Bag Heat Sealing Machine Closer Kit w/Adjustable Timer, Portable with Free Replacement Element Grip and Teflon Tape (8 Inch): Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: 8" (200mm) Impulse Sealer Upgrade Thicken Iron case- Manual Poly Bag Heat Sealing Machine Closer Kit w/Adjustable Timer, Portable with Free Replacement Element Grip and Teflon Tape (8 Inch): Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

 

[Blimey]

I bought a cheap harbor freight sealer only. It’s nice because it has adjustable temp setting, and without the vacuum mechanism it's much easier to put the seal right where you want it.

We vacuum seal stuff with the normal sealer, then add an extra seal with the HF sealer right next to it.

Seems to work way better.

HF doesn’t seem to sell them anymore, but it is similar to this one.

Amazon.com: 8" (200mm) Impulse Sealer Upgrade Thicken Iron case- Manual Poly Bag Heat Sealing Machine Closer Kit w/Adjustable Timer, Portable with Free Replacement Element Grip and Teflon Tape (8 Inch): Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: 8" (200mm) Impulse Sealer Upgrade Thicken Iron case- Manual Poly Bag Heat Sealing Machine Closer Kit w/Adjustable Timer, Portable with Free Replacement Element Grip and Teflon Tape (8 Inch): Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

Yeah the seal is the issue on this one. It's a borrowed unit but looked in good shape. Going to either order the nutrichef or geryon in next few hours I think.

The last bag I did has unsealed. What a waste of time.

 

[spat]

Yeah the seal is the issue on this one. It's a borrowed unit but looked in good shape. Going to either order the nutrichef or geryon in next few hours I think.

The last bag I did has unsealed. What a waste of time.

The sealer on ours sucks too. It barely lasts long enough to get to the other machine.

I don’t know why they make them so badly. You can't possibly save any money by making the seal duration shorter.

You do need a temp/duration adjustment to get a good seal though, it absolutely has to be tailored to the bags you are using.

You also need to make sure the area of the seal is clean. Not such a big deal on dry goods, but if you're sealing meat you don’t want to try sealing wet bag.

 

[Saltwater60]

Make sure there is no dust at all or food material in the seal area or You’ll never get it sealed.

 

[spat]

Make sure there is no dust at all or food material in the seal area or You’ll never get it sealed.

Also way easier to do with the double seal.

The first seal will hold just long enough to wipe a paper towel over the spot you're going to put the second in.

Especially things like chicken it is hard to get the first seal right without making the bag way larger than necessary. But the second seal is easy.

 

[dwa12479]

I have a Cabelas Preservac that I've had for years. I buy the Cabelas brand bags in 25' rolls. The bags are just as important as a good sealer. Ive never had a bag lose seal in the freezer.

If you suck up any liquid, it'll prevent a good seal. I do use it sometimes when I marinade things to help the meat suck it in faster too.

 

[C_staz]

I have a foodsaver..
I use it from time to time.
When i do use it..i seal a lot.
If youre planning on sealing often and multiple items..id go with a commercial sealer.

I sealed some old 12 gauge my grandfather purchased way before my time..might be over kill..but anyway..well worth picking one up.

Just my .02

 

[Blimey]

I got the geryon in the mail on the weekend.

It's better than the foodsaver but it's probably going back. Damn thing is failing too much.

The foodsaver, using new foodsaver bags, failed on 10 of 11 bags I sealed. All failed within a day or so. One is still rock hard and holding up a week later.

So with the Geryon I used both its bags and the foodsaver bags. I have had probably a 75% failure rate using foodsaver bags with it, and about a 20% failure rate using its bags. I've tried double sealing. I've tried sealing and then sealing immediately again to really melt the seal in.

I'm truly at a loss as to what is causing these failures. The vacuum is strong but it fails out. The bags are not getting punctured because I had one fail even after wrapping the dog food in its own bag to avoid rough bits. I'm wiping down the inside lip of the bags to ensure no dust is there.

The foodsaver was an impressively shitty device. It did create a stronger vacuum than the geryon (the food is rock hard), but failure rate was out of this world.

I read some other people's threads on reddit and I'm starting to think these home grade vacuum sealers are just trash across the board. Lots of people saying they can never get more than 75% success rate.

For you guys with the Weston how does that stand up? Fuck I hate shitty tools and appliances and have no problem paying for quality if it's truly necessary.

 

[Bob]

I can recall only a couple of failures with mine. I tried doing some foods with a lot of liquid and achieved mixed results, but that’s not unexpected. I’ve done a bunch of clothes and towels, and each and every one stayed solid until I opened it. I did some daily rations for the pack I keep in my car, and the bags themselves got mangled and failed long before the seal did.

There are some cheap bags out there that won’t keep a seal. There’s going to be some trial and error, and a bunch of wasted bags. The offer is still open to give my Weston a go if you want.

 

[Blimey]

I can recall only a couple of failures with mine. I tried doing some foods with a lot of liquid and achieved mixed results, but that’s not unexpected. I’ve done a bunch of clothes and towels, and each and every one stayed solid until I opened it. I did some daily rations for the pack I keep in my car, and the bags themselves got mangled and failed long before the seal did.

There are some cheap bags out there that won’t keep a seal. There’s going to be some trial and error, and a bunch of wasted bags. The offer is still open to give my Weston a go if you want.

Where are you located? I feel like the weston might be the way to go. I am thinking about all the bags of sausages I've bought from costanzas over the past five years and exactly zero have failed.

 

[MilesTeg]

We bought a Weston 2 deer seasons ago. It is leaps and bounds better than the others we tried (foodsaver & cableas brand foodsaver). I think we paid $400ish for the thing, I cant quiet remember. With that said I think we would have been better off ponying up the extra money and buying a chamber vacuum sealer. If anyone has any recommendations on one of those I would appreciate it.

 

[Keyzard]

FWIW, we have the "Foodsaver" brand sealer. We use it mainly to seal large frozen meat orders when we get them. I always use the "wet food" seal setting and it seems to work more consistently........

 

[GOPerfect]

I have a Foodsaver. I liked it a bit when we first got it. Not so much anymore.

Bags cost too much, too often the seal is not good. I am a fan of Ziplock and O2 packets.

 

[kev74]

I have a Foodsaver. I liked it a bit when we first got it. Not so much anymore.

Bags cost too much, too often the seal is not good. I am a fan of Ziplock and O2 packets.

Ziplocks are considered permeable for oxygen for food storage. I can't explain why, but its what I've been taught.

 

[GOPerfect]

Ziplocks are considered permeable for oxygen for food storage. I can't explain why, but its what I've been taught.

You are correct, the type of plastic used is a less of a grade that Long term storage bags. When I use the Ziplock, it is for a shorter term storage... A few months up to six months. Long term, I use Mason jars.

 

[Blimey]

I have a Foodsaver. I liked it a bit when we first got it. Not so much anymore.

Bags cost too much, too often the seal is not good. I am a fan of Ziplock and O2 packets.

Have you considered one of the more expensive ones? Also the bags for a vacuum chamber (the machines are very pricey I have just learned) appear to be super cheap.

 

[GOPerfect]

Have you considered one of the more expensive ones? Also the bags for a vacuum chamber (the machines are very pricey I have just learned) appear to be super cheap.

I am looking into the Vac Chamber. I really like what I am seeing in the videos thus far.

 

[Blimey]

I am looking into the Vac Chamber. I really like what I am seeing in the videos thus far.

There is one on amazon for $399. The reviews are 5/5, but only 9-10 reviews. However, if you click on the reviewers' names and see their other reviews they do appear to be largely legit people and not paid chinese plants (as is common with a ton of amazon reviews).

 

[HIghlander]

I'm on my second Food Saver (20 years with both) and only time had a problem is not keeping the rubber lining clean that caused improper sealing when vacuum sealing.

 

[Retired MSG]

I don't recall any failures with my Weston. If you have the scratch a chamber sealer is the top end type

 

[S&W Fan]

I'm on my second Food Saver (20 years with both) and only time had a problem is not keeping the rubber lining clean that caused improper sealing when vacuum sealing.

Same here. I’m still using my Food Saver VAC 750 that we purchased 20 yrs. ago.We Keep it good and clean after every use and don’t skimp on the bags .