Quality Vacuum Sealer?

[Waorani]

Over the years I've had various vacuum sealers from Walmart/similar places. Some worked ok at best, and others not at all. I'm ready to get something better and willing to spend a few bucks so looking for any recommendations/experience. Also, any thoughts about bags - again the easily available stuff I've been using just doesn't hold up?

 

[spressomon]

I burned up a Tilia Foodsaver (the sealer tape) vac...then bought this one (the Food Vac model). Talked to Doug himself when I was trying to decide...he was very helpful. It works as advertised; however it takes longer to seal each bag than the Tilia/Foodsaver; but you can do multiple bags one right after the other and after turning on the pump/sealer it's hands off operation (so if you are preparing several bags worth of food it is actually quicker overall since you can be preparing another bag to be sealed while it's sealing the bag in the vac).

Not as compact as the Tilia/Foodsaver; works with Doug Care bags (very good bags!) or the Tilia/Foodsaver rolls/bags; does not interface (without mod) with the Tilly Foodsaver canisters, bottle tops, etc. (we still use the Tilia for cannisters, marinators, wine bottle toppers, etc. since our Foodsaver works as a pump only).

http://www.dougcare.com/foodstorage/homeequip.htm#foodvac


Give him a call...

 

[Jon in NC]

I've got one of these;

http://www.sealameal.com/products/vacuum/basic/

Walmart carries them. I got mine at a auction for $5

 

[spressomon]

I'll just add: The Tilia worked fine until I brought back 200lbs of fish fillets from Alaska...that did it in .

 

[yuurei]

Vacuum Sealer

I wouldn't buy anything but a Foodsaver. I've owned three FoodSavers for over 20 years and had problems with only one and that was because of lack of use.

Just make sure the one you buy shuts off automatically when the bag is sealed (I think most if the new ones do). The first FoodSaver I had didn't do this and you had to time it just right - not long enough it didn't seal and too long it melted the seam. Which is pretty much why I stop using it. But like I said, I think most of the new ones don't have this problem.

The other reason I would recommend them is I once bought some of their canisters (and yes, they're as expensive as hell) and didn't happen to use one for months after I bought it. Well, come to find out it was cracked on the bottom and wouldn't seal. I called FoodSaver and they replace the canister (and the lid which there was nothing wrong with) without question and for no cost - no even shipping!! First rate service.

Just my $0.02 - good luck.

 

[spressomon]

I wouldn't buy anything but a Foodsaver. I've owned three FoodSavers for over 20 years and had problems with only one and that was because of lack of use.

Just make sure the one you buy shuts off automatically when the bag is sealed (I think most if the new ones do). The first FoodSaver I had didn't do this and you had to time it just right - not long enough it didn't seal and too long it melted the seam. Which is pretty much why I stop using it. But like I said, I think most of the new ones don't have this problem.

The other reason I would recommend them is I once bought some of their canisters (and yes, they're as expensive as hell) and didn't happen to use one for months after I bought it. Well, come to find out it was cracked on the bottom and wouldn't seal. I called FoodSaver and they replace the canister (and the lid which there was nothing wrong with) without question and for no cost - no even shipping!! First rate service.

Just my $0.02 - good luck.

Wow...that's not the same Foodsaver after-sale warranty service I have recently experienced! After e-mailing their customer service about an issue I am having with their marinator container (which I have only used a half dozen times) they replied that they want me to call an 800 number during daytime hours and have a tech guide me through the operation, over the phone, on how to correctly use this container (it will allow the air within the container to be vacc'd out but it will not hold the vaccum once released...a problem with the ball bearing or whatever they use in the lid to allow one-way vaccuming). That's assuming I don't have to wait on 'hold' for god knows how long only to discover the person/tech that I waited to talk to doesn't know diddly about anything .