I just bought a FoodSaver. Does anyone have one? What do you find it works for/doesn't work for?

Whatever you use it for, just remember it can't make foods that need to be refrigerated shelf-stable. In other words, if you would normally refrigerate meat, when you vacuum pack it, you still need to refrigerate it. There are some food pathogens that are MORE likely to grow in a vacuum.

Cheese - I used to buy bulk cheese, cut it into smaller chunks and vacuum pack them. They lasted MUCH longer. It helps to vacuum pack the opened bag closed again, too.

Preparing food for the ice chest. When going on a picnic or packing up an ice chest, it really helps to vacuum pack the food first so you can submerge it in the ice but it doesn't get soggy.

Vacuum packing ice. It stays frozen longer if you vacuum pack it. Again, this is wonderful for the ice chest. If you add alcohol to the water, it stays mushy (mark the bag!) and makes a good ice pack.

Vacuum packing foods, especially individual servings, for the freezer. Just be careful because the frozen plastic bags tend to get damaged when shifting stuff around in the freezer and the vacuum is lost.

Vacuum packing shelf-stable foods like beans, nuts, popcorn, grains, etc. As above, it is important to check the bags to make sure they don't break and lose vacuum. I have a canning jar attachment on my vacuum packer and tend to pack my shelf stable foods in jars instead.

Vacuum packing for a trip - just make sure you don't pack more than you can fit in a suitcase on the return trip! Still, vacuum packing daily doses of vitamins, etc, is really convenient.

Vacuum pack a change of clothes for each family member and stick them in the car or your emergency backpack. They'll stay clean and dry in case you ever need them.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

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Stephanie

I have the canisters and I use them more than anything else because I store produce in them. In the summer I always have fresh berries in the fridge in a canister--my strawberries have lasted up to 2 wks!

We also use it for meat when dh hunts, or if we buy large pkgs of meat when we find a good sale, we split it into meal-size portions and vacuum seal.

The best deal we've found on the bags is on the rolls at Sam's club.

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Stephanie

Yes, they are right beside the foodsavers at both of the ones we shop. Here's a link to it on their site, but it's only $36.74 at the store. Sam's Club - FoodSaver® Combination Bags & Rolls