Does anyone have a Food Saver? What do you like/dislike about it? Are they worth the money?

I am thinking about getting one, but I don't know anyone who has one I can compare to.

Thanks for your help!

I got one for xmas last yr. and used it once. dh got it mainly for venison and when we did use it, it worked great. Very easy to use and do. Bags are a little expensive. I am happier re-using ziploc freezer bags on everything else I think.

My MIL has the foodsaver and she likes it well enough but she's told me that freezer bags work just as well and often, are just plain easier. Just depends on the person.

I have one and it's great if you buy in bulk or your dh hunts but I really hardly use mine either. I think it improves the quality over freezer bags when you freeze food and the food last longer. it's really easy to use and easy to store.

can someone recommend a brand or tell me what brand not to get.
TIA
allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I have an actual Food Saver brand and LOVE IT!! I can buy in bulk and my husband recently killed a buffalo and this way the food lasts longer, in my opinion, less freezer burn. I also bought the food saver brand rolls of bags. But I got both from Tuesday morning for about 1/3 the price than reg retail. I understand that the sam's or Walmart bags work just as well and when I run out I plan on using them. I truly love mine and use all the time. I found that with reg freezer bag things were getting freezer burnt. Although according to my mom it was because I wasn't wrapping them properly. But if I wrap things in reynolds wrap and then put in a bag I can't tell what is in them. And quite frankly I would rather see what is in the bag, than even write on it.

I would recommend one!!

We have the Black and Decker brand which was much cheaper than the other brand. I have not had a problem with it. You can also buy these canister sort of things to prolong the life of your other grocery items.

We have an actual food saver and love it. We buy large pork loins when they are on sale and cut them into chops and roasts and then portion size them into the freezer packs. We used to do it with the trays of chicken thighs and legs we got at costco but they now sell them in serving sized freezer packs. I recommend it. If you cut the bag a little longer you can also wash and re-use the bags, which we do and it helps keep costs down. Plus, food saver also runs specials on their bags from time to time. You can also get these things on QVC too. They have one know I would love but just can't justify buying. It folds up and can sit inconspicuously on the back of the counter, plus you can do baked goods (you can pulse out the air now) and it has a tray for juices when you do meat.

I bought mine at Walmart. It was really cheap - I didn't want to invest a TON of money in something if I didn't know whether I'd like it or not. I tried to steal my mom's off her, as she hardly uses it, but it's invaluable to her during hunting season, so she wouldn't give it up. LOL I use mine constantly. It works well for being only like $45 or so. Once it dies (or I can't think of a better Christmas present) I'm going to get a more expensive one that has the Crush-Free seal and drip tray. I'd like some canisters too. It has saved me a TON of money. Before I got it, I was always throwing away random foil-wrapped pkgs from the freezer. The sealer lengthens the shelf-life of the food. I have meat from months and months ago that is still good. If I lose something in the back of the freezer, it isn't a lost cause. It's actually usable. It's paid for itself ten times over and will continue to do so.

I buy meat when it's really cheap, and use the vacuum sealer to marinate the meat. If you do this, be forewarned that a little goes a LONG way. Don't over-season your meat, as the vacuum process intensifies the seasoning by infusing it to the meat. If your meat is raw when you're sealing it, and has a lot of juices inside, fold up a paper towel and place between the meat and the open end that you'll seal. The juices will be sucked up into the towel, not into your machine.

I also freeze cookie dough. I make a huge batch of dough, and use a scooper to make even sized balls of dough. Freeze on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, then put inside vacuum bags and seal. When we want fresh cookies, I pop some out of the pkg and within 10-15 minutes we have yummy home-baked cookies.

There are SO many uses for this. I know I could use it way more than I already do. We could fill numerous threads with tips and ideas.

Remember that you can boil the bags too. I've read a lot about people who make large batches of pasta or soup, and freeze in bags, then boil a pot of water and drop in the bag. You can microwave in the bags too. They are extremely versatile. I use Wal-Mart bags - they work well.

Also, another tip: Vacuum seal a spare outfit for your child and keep it in the trunk.

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Here are some tips and ideas.

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