# vacuum sealer help needed



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Looking for one online. Dont know which one to get. Saw the Rival vacuum sealer and price seemed right but hate to go cheap on items I plan to use alot. Comments suggestions?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I have the "Food Saver" V2220, have had it for a few years and haven't had any issues with it. It uses either 11" or 8" inch bags and has a port for a jar sealer.

I dont think that model is available anymore but a similar one is the V2244.

http://www.foodsaver.com/product.aspx?pid=9902

The one I had before the V2220 was a Rival. It croaked because I let a bit of liquid be sucked up into the vacuum pump and that was the end of it but I had no issues with it up to the time I let that happen.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

A big thing to consider would be supplies. Where can you get the bags (or bag material) for the different sealers? I can get the FoodSaver products at my grocery store or at a Walmart - the other company names are harder for me to get. Just something to consider.

Like Dave, I also have a FoodSaver. I got my current one off Amazon - it's a really, really basic one. Found I didn't need (or even want) the bells and whistles that come on some of the other models.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I just got the Foodsaver V3440 for Christmas and I love it. Works great and came with some nice accessories. It also lets you use a variety of bags and canisters, like one that allows you to vacuum seal things in recycled jars (like pickle jars). The Foodsaver portion control bags are perfect for sealing up smaller items. Since it was a gift I did not pick it out, my wife did. But she said the reviews were very positive, her friends who have vacuum sealers recommended it and she said the same thing that Goshengirl said; bags and supplies were readily available locally (but cheaper online). I am sure there are many other awesome vacuum sealers out there, but I am definitely enamored with Foodsaver.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

I also recently found the 11" expandable bags at my local rural king. These come in very handy for bulky items as you can seal one end expand the bag to fit almost anything and then simply fold the other end back up and seal it too. 

I was able to seal up rice, beans, etc in 5 gallon buckets using these bags instead of mylar.

We have a pretty old foodsaver model, but it still does the job and has the port for vacuum sealing lids onto jars. We also have several of the vacuum seal containers from foodsaver (I think we got them at walmart) for when we open the big packages of rice, beans etc to keep it as fresh as possible as long as possible.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I just got the Foodsaver V3440 for Christmas and I love it. Works great and came with some nice accessories. It also lets you use a variety of bags and canisters, like one that allows you to vacuum seal things in recycled jars (like pickle jars). The Foodsaver portion control bags are perfect for sealing up smaller items. Since it was a gift I did not pick it out, my wife did. But she said the reviews were very positive, her friends who have vacuum sealers recommended it and she said the same thing that Goshengirl said; bags and supplies were readily available locally (but cheaper online). I am sure there are many other awesome vacuum sealers out there, but I am definitely enamored with Foodsaver.


I have this same model, have had it for 8 months now and it is rock solid... The bags can be cut down in size, you can also get containers with lids, etc... Great buy...


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

We bought a set of plastic canisters that are made for the food saver.
Every one of them cracked within a few months.
We use the jar sealer and it works great.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

We have an old Food Saver that we've owned for about 15 years, and it's still going strong. However, last year we purchased a Weston Pro 2300, and it is a great machine. It does automatic sealing, but also has a manual mode that lets you control just how much vacuuming is done so you can vacuum things like bread without crushing them. It was a good bit more expensive, but it has proven to be worth the extra cost.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Im hearing foodsaver a lot.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

k0xxx said:


> We have an old Food Saver that we've owned for about 15 years, and it's still going strong. However, last year we purchased a Weston Pro 2300, and it is a great machine. It does automatic sealing, but also has a manual mode that lets you control just how much vacuuming is done so you can vacuum things like bread without crushing them. It was a good bit more expensive, but it has proven to be worth the extra cost.


I get the impression that Weston is to the food sealer world what Excalibur is to the dehydrating world. Do they have attachments to use with mason jars?


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

I have a Foodsaver Series 2200. I went with it over the more automated 3400 Series since it gives me more control of the process plus it was cheaper.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Looking for one online. Dont know which one to get. Saw the Rival vacuum sealer and price seemed right but hate to go cheap on items I plan to use alot. Comments suggestions?


*I had a rival years ago...no comparison to the Foodsaver! 
(in fact, my first reaction to your post was: NO, NO, NO don't do it, lol)
Save yourself the flustration and get a Foodsaver. 
Sign up for their emails and they will let you know when they have a sale. *


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Thanks, thats why I figured Id ask.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> I get the impression that Weston is to the food sealer world what Excalibur is to the dehydrating world. Do they have attachments to use with mason jars?


No, they do not have the jar attachments (at least I have never seen them). I've heard that there is a way to use the food saver jar attachments with it, but since I still have the food saver, I never looked into it. I may have check the next time we use it. I'll report back when I do.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> It does automatic sealing, but also has a manual mode that lets you control just how much vacuuming is done so you can vacuum things like bread without crushing them.





> it gives me more control of the process


I am a little confused here. I have an automated Foodsaver V3440, but I can control the process as well and stop the vacuum suction and have it seal any time I want too. I have little experience with these so maybe I am missing something here.


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

We buy the bags in bulk on ebay. FAR FAR less expensive.

Vacuum sealers will have a tendency to get blocked by food particles. Ours stopped working, and we bought a new one. Before I ever opened the package, I decided to try and fix it. It literally has a tiny rubber valve, not unlike a 2 cycle carb. Little piece of debris gets stuck and it will no longer pull a vacuum. I've taken it apart a couple of times, and last time looked at it wondering if maybe a small amount of hot water poured through it would clean it out. Don't know haven't tried it yet.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

We have a Foodsaver brand unit, the manual kind. I am less than impressed with the process. We have been unable to seal any kind of meat products with it, because of it sucking the juice out of the meat and preventing the plastic from melting/sealing.

The only way we have been able to seal meats is to freeze them first in a ziplock baggie and then remove the ziplock bag and put it in the sealer type bag. Not an efficient process.

Similiar problem with anything remotely dusty. It may TRY to seal, but it leaks, or doesn't stick at all.

We have had some success sealing dry beans, peas, and lentils in jars using the Foodsaver brand jar attachments. Generally, the regular size lids work about half the time, but only if we boil the lids first to soften the sealing rubber. You can forget using wide mouth lids. We have never successfully sealed any jar with a wide mouth lid. Oh, it pulls the vacuum, shuts off and all, then when you remove the vac attachment, the lid comes off with it. EVERY TIME. Useless.

Some types of jars do not fit the jar attachment, if the ridge below the threads is not the right size.

The vac sealing machine is a REAL PAIN TO CLEAN. Get some meat juice in it, and you get to tear the thing apart to get it all out. Not fun, and not reccomended.

Did I say say I despise this thing? In just a few words:

*IT SUCKS, in more ways than one.*  Anybody wanna buy a barely used Foodsaver? Going cheap. If you make it fast, before I take a ball pein hammer to the thing.

Here's a review from someone else on Wal Mart's site:
"This product does not preform as advertised, any moister in the bag after vacuuming will not allow the bags to seal, you will have to reseal the bags so it takes a lot of time to use this machine. I called customer care and was told that's the way it is so I would have to just reseal when I have any moister in the bag... I do not recommend buying this product."

I guess I'm not the only one who had these problems. Don't buy one.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Machinist,

There are some limitations to the machines. I do understand your frustration. I spent 1/2 day trying to seal and package a full side of beef a few years back that we bought and couldn't figure out why my seals wouldnt hold, until I broke my man rule and read the manual. It is recommended to partially freeze any meat product to prevent the juice from blocking the seal. I prefer now to make my bags and place the meat in them, and stand them in the freezer for 1-1.5hrs. Once they are kinda crunchy not frozen solid, I start taking them out a few at a time and sealing them. 

As far as dusty items, your best bet is to not pull a full vacumn, but as soon as the package starts to draw down hit the manual button. I recently bagged up several 25lb bags of flour, and even if you let it go full automatic, I pull the bag out wipe down the inside after the new seal and then do a manual seal after that to try and maintain the seal. It maybe overkill for most things but I tend to double seal all my bags at both ends.

Hope that helps.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

It's one heck of a lot easier to leak some Mig gas into a bag of grain or flour, or a jar of beans for that matter. We quit using the so-called "Foodsaver" and relegated it to the barn loft along with all the other consumer junk we have tried that did not work. Salad spinners, vegetable slicer-dicers, and such tripe. I'll have an auction some day to sell all that stuff and only invite people I don't like. :soapbox2:


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I am a little confused here. I have an automated Foodsaver V3440, but I can control the process as well and stop the vacuum suction and have it seal any time I want too. I have little experience with these so maybe I am missing something here.


I was using it to seal mylar bags and liked being able to open the top of the machine to seal all but a small portion in the middle of the bag.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

A trick you can use when sealing fresh meats is to pat the piece dry, put it in the bag and put a small rolled up paper towel between the meat and the part of the bag that will be melted when sealed.

When the vacuum is drawn the liquid will soak into the paper and it will give you enough time to seal the bag before it travels up farther and wets the area to be melted.

Works for me.



machinist said:


> We have a Foodsaver brand unit, the manual kind. I am less than impressed with the process. We have been unable to seal any kind of meat products with it, because of it sucking the juice out of the meat and preventing the plastic from melting/sealing.
> 
> The only way we have been able to seal meats is to freeze them first in a ziplock baggie and then remove the ziplock bag and put it in the sealer type bag. Not an efficient process.
> 
> ...


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

machinist said:


> We have a Foodsaver brand unit, the manual kind. I am less than impressed with the process. We have been unable to seal any kind of meat products with it, because of it sucking the juice out of the meat and preventing the plastic from melting/sealing.
> 
> The only way we have been able to seal meats is to freeze them first in a ziplock baggie and then remove the ziplock bag and put it in the sealer type bag. Not an efficient process.
> 
> ...


That is completely strange in regards to meat, we sealed 25 ribeye steaks fresh with no issues the first time we used ours... Haven't tried flour and such yet... Although we cut our own bags and gave 2 inches at the top for space... Maybe we got lucky on no juice flowed that far during suction?


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

machinist said:


> It's one heck of a lot easier to leak some Mig gas into a bag of grain or flour, or a jar of beans for that matter. We quit using the so-called "Foodsaver" and relegated it to the barn loft along with all the other consumer junk we have tried that did not work. Salad spinners, vegetable slicer-dicers, and such tripe. I'll have an auction some day to sell all that stuff and only invite people I don't like. :soapbox2:


Would you recommend using the port and accessory hose for jar sealing??


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

Sentry18 said:


> I am a little confused here. I have an automated Foodsaver V3440, but I can control the process as well and stop the vacuum suction and have it seal any time I want too. I have little experience with these so maybe I am missing something here.


The confusion is due to the fact that my model of Food Saver, being 15 years or so old, does not have a manual control and it just waits until it pulls enough vacuum and the seals.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

machinist said:


> *IT SUCKS, in more ways than one.*  Anybody wanna buy a barely used Foodsaver? Going cheap. If you make it fast, before I take a ball pein hammer to the thing.


How cheap is cheap? I wouldn't mind having a spare.

For the last 3 days we have had trouble getting a good vacuum seal. Davis moistened the sealer and it is working properly again. Evidently it was allowed to dry out a bit too much.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> We quit using the so-called "Foodsaver" and relegated it to the barn loft along with all the other consumer junk we have tried that did not work


You seem to be in the smallest of minorities. I did a lot of research on Foodsavers and other vacuum sealers and found very few people who did not love them. My limited experience supported that conclusion as well.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

Mine is new, and I have been sealing stuff like crazy, I have only had a couple of issues with it so far, and I think that was operator error. I learned to make sure you have 2 inches spare, seal twice to make sure it "took" and don't let a wrinkle get in the vacuum part. I 'm gonna seal some flour today....that could be interesting....


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

The vacuum port works fine with the jar attachments, but the jar lids are very difficult to attain a seal. That's why we boiled them to soften the rubber. That works if you HURRY to get it done. Sometimes. So, it is far easier to just blow a little inert gas into a jar and be SURE of the result the FIRST time. Stuff keeps practically forever that way. 

If we are going to freeze meat anyway, why the heck does it need to be vac sealed? It is supposed to prevent freezer burn, but ours never stays in there long enough for that to be a problem. Same goes for what is in the fridge. Why would I want to use a floppy bag to store things in the fridge when I have sturdy plastic containers I can reuse? 

This machine has been useful for sealing up some dry cereals and dry beans in bags. Period. Can't find another sensible use for it. But those packages of vac-sealed dry stuff are globular in shape and do not store compactly. They take 50% more room than the same things in a ziplock bag that can be laid flat. I can use inert gas in a ziplock and keep things just as long as being vac sealed. The ziplock can be bought cheap, then opened and reclosed many times with no hassle. 

Just one more piece of over-hyped consumer crap, IMHO. A little thinking about food storage easily eliminates this thing. I feel like I got suckered into buying the Foodsaver by advertising hype, so it would be worth more to me than I could sell it for to just run over it with a truck for some satisfaction.


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

Trick I found with vacuum sealing jars is to start to pull the vacuum, let up and twist the sealer cup a little and start again. I've learned to "hear" when a jar is properly sealed, and it's not the lid pop, there's a slight difference in sound of the machine.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

I have boiled jar lids, greased the jar cup with Vaseline, ran the vacuum repeatedly, jiggled everything. No dice. It just doesn't work except accidentally now and then. 

I've had enough. I'm running over it with the truck.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> along with all the other consumer junk we have tried that did not work. Salad spinners, vegetable slicer-dicers, and such tripe.


Sounds like you haven't found a good working kitchen device since the manual butter churn.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

Sentry18,

Heh, heh. Well, paring knives work really well, good quality can openers, and potato peelers. Beyond that, uh, not so good. 

Any idiot can make something more complicated than it needs to be, and hire an ad agency to sell it. It takes real genius to invent things that are both simple and effective, like most basic hand tools, whether they be for the shop or the kitchen. Most kitchen gadgets sold today fall into the first category, in my experience.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

Hey, I'm sure this may have already beed addresed....but I seem to remember reading something about dry dogfood not saving well....and I was wondering if anyone thought it saved better in vacuum bags?


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

MetalPrepper,

I have read that dog food will keep much better if vac sealed. I haven't tried it, because I have 2 dogs each over 100 lbs., and they eat like horses. No way I could seal as much dog food as they would need.

It makes sense to vac seal it, since it is the oil in dog food that oxidizes and gets rancid.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

Thanks Machinest.....I have 2 mid size (60-70 lb) aussies.....I have saved cases of canned dogfood but they actually eat dry, so I thought I'd give it a shot if it would save, but yeah, that would require a lot of vac bags....hummmmmmm


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

machinist said:


> I have boiled jar lids, greased the jar cup with Vaseline, ran the vacuum repeatedly, jiggled everything. No dice. It just doesn't work except accidentally now and then.
> 
> I've had enough. I'm running over it with the truck.


Buhbuhbuhbut I offered to buy it!


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## professor (Nov 19, 2012)

Can you use the food saver to seal Mylar bags?


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

I seal all dry dog food, otherwise I have pantry moths having a feast. Yes, it keeps longer, even have some in mylar bags for the long haul.

No, mine will not seal mylar bags.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

professor said:


> Can you use the food saver to seal Mylar bags?


I had hit and miss results. If you try it, pre-seal as much of the bag as possible then pull the vac and seal. I strongly suggest at least 2 different seals (I used an iron for the 2nd seal.)


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## professor (Nov 19, 2012)

Thanks guys - really enjoy being able to ask the dumb questions and get answers! There is great information on this forum!


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

AuroraHawk said:


> Buhbuhbuhbut I offered to buy it!


Uh, well, it's worth more to me to get some satisfaction out of mashing it! :rant::rantoff:


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

machinist said:


> Uh, well, it's worth more to me to get some satisfaction out of mashing it! :rant::rantoff:


just curious... did you use vinegar on a towel or paper towel to clean the jar lid first?

boiling the lid is not really necessary, all you have to do is heat up the lids so that the rubber ring on them gets gooey and tacky... on my stove top 3 works fine for that.

the reason why I ask about vinegar is that it cuts fat, if you didnt use perfectly clean things like a funnel when putting the contents in the jar, perhaps there was enough residue on the jar top to prevent a good seal? That would be bad.

I just started using the foodsaver I got as a gift a while back and I love it, I've gotten the mason jarring lids and the 3 cannisters just recently and they work GREAT!!! although I was sad to learn that Pace picante salsa jars are just a smidge to tall to fit in the 2.5 qt cannister, so I'm thinking about finding a dealer that will ship me an acrylic jar with the same ID/OD but taller and then my lids from the foodsaver jars should work just fine.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I got my food saver today and resealed a few mason jars of meal, pancake mix, and flour and it worked great.(and one jar of crackers)
I had one not seal, used a new lid and it did fine.
I have been reading about food savers and one site with advice says she checks her sealed jars every month and resealed any not sealed.
I was doing that already but will still do it even using the food saver.
Is it the jar, the lid, or just bad luck?
I can't say but will check regularly.

Oh, and the site said to use coffee filters in jars to keep from getting fine powders in the machine--I had no problem today, but had plenty of head room at top of my jars.


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