meed help with which Vacuum seller to get

[CUTigerQ]

Need to get a vacuum sealer for my Q from Amazon. Need to be able to seal in at least gallon bags...anyone wanna recommend one that they have or have used? Want to get it by next week...HELP!!

Amazon only please...wanna use my points!

[Okie Sawbones]

We love our Amazon.com: Weston 65-0201 Pro-2300 Vacuum Sealer, Silver: Westen Food Savor: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BTlJm3L9L.@@AMEPARAM@@41%2BTlJm3L9L.

[CUTigerQ]

Ooh...can we hoot for a little cheaper?

[Trailer Trash]

Well... In lieu of your request for a less costly option, I have to say I love my Vacmaster VP215. I'd have no problem purchasing one of their "refurb" units that would save considerable dollars for a top notch machine. See here;

https://www.vacmasterfresh.com/search.php?search_query=Refurb

I wish I would have purchased one of these many years ago instead of a "Foodsaver". It was a good unit in its day but no comparison to one of these. The savings in bags alone would have been a deal by now, not to mention the sealing qualities of a Vacmaster.

I'd understand the hesitancy to spend this kind of money with the options being what they are but to me it is worth it in the long run.

[mattmountz94]

Amazon.com: FoodSaver V4440 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Bonus Built-in Retractable Handheld Sealer & Starter Kit, Black Finish: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411VzTX5P7L.@@AMEPARAM@@411VzTX5P7L

i just got this for xmas. have used it 3 times so far and like it. Does up to 11" bags. Very easy to use

[Untraceable]

Weston Pro is a no brainer if you are not ready for chamber units. Don't let the price scare you away. its worth it

[IamMadMan]

The bottom line is:

We will give you all kinds of recommendations and it may even confuse you in making your final choice....

You need to figure out what you want from your sealer and just how often you will use it before making an educated choice.

I started out with a FoodSaver which made poor seals and within 4 months it bit the dust. After a second FoodSaver which lasted a little over 6 months. However, I used it a lot, much more than the average kitchen. For occasional use it probably would be a great unit. After the second FoodSaver went bad, I realized that I would have to keep buying these units for who knows how long... They are not repairable, parts are not available for them, and they are considered disposable units.

For someone who does not seal items on a regular basis, it is probably a great unit for the price and will work very well with low frequency. It is light and it stores easily between uses in a cabinet or on a shelf taking up very little space.

After my second Foodsaver failure, I figured I had already spent enough to buy a heavy duty unit, so now I actually figured it was time to purchased one and be done. I chose the Weston because it has dual piston pumps rather than a singe pump. Although a perfect vacuum is 0 psi, the food saver draw is -7 psi whereas the Weston is -14 psi. We all realize that neither will ever exceed the 0 psi of a vacuum, the Weston unit does get you to the vacuum state with more consistency over a shorter period of time with a stronger seal. It has both manual and automatic seal functions, so one can manually seal wet foods with "manual" operations or let it automatically seal with dry operations.

The Weston also has user serviceable parts readily available so you can repair the unit if need be, or you can send it back for repair. I have had mine for 3 years now and only recently I replaced foam seals and heater bar for less than 30 dollars. It took less than 10 minutes with minimal effort. Although the unit was still working properly, I felt preventative maintenance is also part of caring for the unit.

I choose the Weston Pro-2300 model because it had a stainless steel shell, the 2100 is identical but has an enamel finish for about fifty dollars less. Weston now has the Pro-3000 model which is the Po-2300 with a visible vacuum gauge and an adjustable seal timer.

I have had the Weston for over 3 years now without incident, sealing 10 to 20 bags a week depending upon activities for that week. The downside of the Weston is that it has a very large footprint and weighs about 40 (or more) pounds so it does not store easily unless you have a second kitchen or private prep area where you can leave it out all the time.

The Weston unit seals appears to be twice as wide as FoodSaver, and it seals flawlessly with liquids or food residue present. I have never had a weak or faulty seal with the Weston Pro-2300. The Weston bags are rated food safe for use in boiling water and they are also dishwasher safe. I have never reused bags, but many others have said they have washed and reused bags.

The marketing for some sealers is geared toward recurring sales of sealing bags. they make much more from sales of the bags than from the machine. They lead you to believe that you save money by purchasing their bags on sale, but they won't tell you that other bags of the same size are compatible with their sealer. FoodSaver regularly has sales on their bags and rolls which give you up to 50% off if you buy in volume. The sale price even at 50% off is still higher than the normal prices of Vac-Master and Weston brand bags and rolls. When you compare the prices of other micro-channel bags to FoodSaver, you will save a great deal of money.

I pay $9.99 for 100 pint bags 15.95 for 100 quart bags. Weston Pro Series will also seal the 15" X 18" bags which will easily seal 2 - 3 pulled pork butts. Weston will use any brand of micro-channel vac-seal bags including Foodsaver and Vac-master. Vac-master and Weston bags are so cheap they make the use of rolls to save money an antiquated choice. However the use of rolls is still a great choice for sealing whole racks of ribs and other long items.

But don't be misled here, no vacuum sealer likes liquids, and liquids can damage the unit if it gets into the vacuum chamber. This is even true with both FoodSaver the Weston Pro, and many others. Chilling soups, stews, and chili for a few hours makes sealing these items easy without incident. You also have the manual seal button which you can press if liquids start to flow into the collection tray before they can be sucked into the the vacuum port. You can also freeze the liquid in a shallow dish and then put the frozen item into the bag and Vac-Seal. The only unit that does well with liquid content is the vacuum chamber sealer which draws the air our of the chamber rather than the bag. But the price of a chamber sealer is usually cost prohibitive, even for the seasoned vac-seal user.

The best advice I can give you, is to do your homework before you buy, Compare, compare, and compare again!!! The final decision is yours and only you will have to live with your choice, whether it be good or bad. In today's market a higher price does not always mean higher quality, but sometimes it is just an opportunity to make a greater profit from an uneducated customer. A higher price does not always mean a better unit, that's why it is important to do your research.

Yes, sometimes you get what you pay for, but without research on the different units you could also wind up a lot less that what you paid for.

[sturev]

If you're not ready for a chamber vac, then I'd go with this for a buck and change...

http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/foodsaver-professional-vacuum-sealer/FSFSSL0320-000.html#start=9

[cheez59]

I have had 3 Foodsavers. The first two were pure junk and only lasted for a couple dozen uses each. Then at someone's recommendation I bought the $200 Foodsaver Gamesaver Silver thinking because it was more money it must be the ticket. Well it was better than the first two but it is still not worth much. I double sealed every bag and still had about 25% seal failure with food in the freezer. Then I looked at the Westons but I am so soured by the whole thing that I just could not justify the nearly $400 expense. There are some mixed reviews even with their pro models.
Now I just use regular Ziploc freezer bags and squeeze out as much air as I can. Food will not last as long with this method so I date the bags and use them in a reasonable amount of time.

[alexf]

I regret buying a foodsaver. I'm going to buy the Weston. The pump on the foodsaver is just not up to snuff on the bigger stuff such as brisket. You end up with lots of air pockets.

[pjtexas1]

i have a food saver. never really used it for sealing meats because of all the issues everyone mentioned. the only thing i do with it now is seal bags of chips, pasta, etc. it does a good job of those small things and we have probably had it 5 years. i am with cheez on ziplock freezer bags. i double wrap in saran wrap and use freezer bags. i do this a lot since it is just the wife and me at home now. she can't even eat a whole chicken breast so i wrap those individually and they stay good for months and dating them helps me be certain that i am cooking them in order.

[USMC]

I've had good luck with my food saver that I've had for about 4 years. As someone else mentioned it is a good entry level vacuum sealer. Mine is still rocking along solid and does what it is supposed to do. I may get a Weston depending how much longer this one will last.

[Lowki]

At Christmas i got the cheapo "foodsaver: Gamesaver" on sale for $50. Plan is to make sure i am using it, and not just something i want. (have already had to buy a more bags :-D) and also to get the missus on board with it so if/when i burn it out i will get the go-ahead to buy a better/stronger/featured version.

In case you are interested i have to double seal the bags, (higher end models will do it with one) which means that i put 4 seals on every bag i make, so i spend a fair amount of time waiting for the sealing element to cool when i go through a big batch of que. Which isn't surprising to me but is a PITA and makes the job take alot longer than it would with a nicer setup.

For the price and as a first sealer (owned not used) i am pretty farkin happy with it. Just my .02 cents.

[Jason TQ]

I got a food saver at costco like the one mattmountz and it has worked well for at least a few years now. And I use it a bunch. Some weeks sealing 20bags though some weeks I might not seal anything. That being said sometimes the liquids give it a little trouble and on larger sealing like 5-10lbs of raw chicken it might not get all the air out. But I'm glad I made the purchase.

Once this one dies or starts to I'll probably be looking into a Weston model.

[CakeM1x]

Cry once and get the VP215. ROI is pretty fast on these things and it's built to last. I'm glad I splurged at my age as the savings will be even greater.

-Bags are cheaaaap
-Oil Pump , built to last
-No more worrying about liquids
-More tricks with compression (ie: vodka infused compressed fruits, etc)

[MikeJ65]

I have the VP112 and the VP215. For home use, the VP112 works fine. It is a bit slower to pull vacuum and seal and requires two hands to open and close, but if you are doing a couple hundred bags a year it is fine. Look for 'used' ones on ebay. Webrestaurant sells their returns on ebay and the VP112 typically sells for $250-300. Usually these are brand new units in open boxes.

[robinfresno]

I got a refurbished vp112 which was basically new in box from the myvacmaster.com store; they come with the factory warranty which is nice

I use it all the time and really like the 12x14 bags it can support when vac sealing bacon and whatnot; great for marinades; leftover soup, chili etc... not having to worry when sealing liquids is really nice

[HolySmoke77]

I just purchased the Vacmaster 120 and consider it money well spent...no more cheap foodsavers for me, plus no loss of liquid in my sealed bags anymore. Heck, if you want to you can seal up a bag of water with no loss.

[Smokey Lonesome]

As others have posted, depends on how much sealing you do. No doubt the Food Savers work well for occasional use. Heck, I have a Lady Kenmore which works for me for the past 11 years but then again I only seal a dozen bags a month.

[blazinfire]

Well having my foodsaver vacuum sealer for a while now. I just got done packing 17lbs of bratwursts and I have to say I'll never buy a foodsaver product again!! I had to reseal 50% of my packages because the darn seal broke or lost vacuum! I'm looking to upgrade to a weston. Only because I'm pleased with the product I got from my meat grinder!