We do not....but our neighbors do. And we are SO lucky that our neighbor, Wayne, is a great fisherman. We get a lot of fish from him that has been vacuum sealed. It works great. I can find out what brand if you are interested.
Yes I have the Food Saver, and that is the brand name. They sell them at Kohl's, Macys etc..(high end stores) but you can find them at any Sam's club, Bj's, maybe even WalMart. The Food Saver goes for around $120.00 around here. Last year for Christmas I got my mom and sister one only because I LOVED mine. I use it at least once a week and I Love it. It'soooooo easy to use. Well lets just say.. I went from a family of 5 down to just 3 of us now (kids move on) but for some reason I still buy food (meat, fish, etc) for 5. We had a garden this year that gave us a lot of beans (blanched and baged), peppers, corn, etc..
And my Hubby loves to cook, so using the food saver seems to keep the food fresher for a longer period of time and he also loves to fish so we also love it for that reason.
I would say if your willing to spend a little over $100.00, it's well worth it but only if you are going to use it often.
I wouldnt buy it if you only intend to use it.. say......maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
I usually buy the family size of meats and there are only two of us now. Of course I never know when I will have an extra or two with family living so close. Several family members have them and love them. I have been wanting one for years but would not pay the high price. They seem to have come down over the years and I do think they would be worth the investment. I hate to have meat get freezer burnt and my boys go deep sea fishing a couple time in the summer and bring back fish to freeze.
Thanks for the input.
Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31
I have the foodsaver model. It works great, and I only paid about $50.00 for it. You can buy bowls that will take the hose attachment to suck the air out. I havn't bought any of those yet, but do want them for leftovers etc. When getting meat ready for freezing ,I use a regular ziplock bag ,and seal that, and then place in the bags you vacume. This way you can reuse the expensive foodsaver bags, they do revacume/seal.
That sounds like a great product for the price. This would work great for smaller things, and take up less space. I like the fact you can open the bag and then reseal. I'm thinking it will come in handy for lunch meats, cheese, etc. Thanks for posting the reviews Bob. We all need some help to keep our hard earned money out of the trash.
The Reynold's model that Bob posted is sold at WalMart too. I have been thinking of getting one of those myself as the price is right and I do freeze a lot of individual portions. I have the old original SEAL A MEAL pre vacuum that belonged to my stepmother and even though it didn't have the vacuum feature even that was great. I used it for ages to reseal potato chip bags, freeze veggies from the garden, seal up homemade sauces, etc. The addtion of the vacuum has only made sealers better. Dianne you won't be dissapointed. The SEAL A MEAL is back on the market with the vauum sealing feature added now to compete with the Food Saver and the Deni Sealer.
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
Sandy
Thanks for posting your results on the Reynolds. I had forgotten all about it on my several recent trips to WM. I was more focused on looking for the 97 cent feeders and buying a new sewing machine since mine burnt up in the middle of working on orders. I have to go back again today for more Armo Fleece so I will look to see if they still have them and if so I think I will buy one. I just had to clean out the fridge of things I stuck in there and forgot about...YUCK!
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
I finally broke down and bought the Reynolds Handi-Vac and I really do like it. It is so easy to use and I love that the bags are reusable and it doesn't take up any space on the counter and very little space in the cupboard. I am glad I spent the 10.00 for it (not counting the additional pack of bags that I purchased. If you want a vacuum sealer but just can't lay out the cash for the other brands or don't have room for the bigger ones then give this one a shot. I don't think you will be disappointed
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
Alice
I used it for both. I had ground beef that was cooked that I didn't need to use it all so I packed the remaining portion in a bag and froze it...am using it today for gooulash. I also used it to such the air out of partially used peppers and onions and a few other things in the fridge. The peopper was also used later and just as fresh as the day I sealed it up. Usually after a couple of days my peppers don't look too great. If I get enough tomatoes this year I will blanche them and put them in the freezer using the sealer. I really like it for its convenence anr portablility.
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
I have been using this Handi vac almost daily. I was throwing away so much produce and lunch meat before. Now I take the large bunch of celery and cut it in half and put it in the Handi Vac and it is fresh every time I pull it out for a stalk or two. Onions and peppers that are partially used have also remained fresh. I buy larger amts. of lunch meat now and divide it and freeze what I am not currently using. Also great if you use frozen waffles, etc. No more ice crystals all over the food in the freezer. I am actually so pleased with this little gadget that I am buying one for everyone in the family for Christmas and it won't break the bank. It is also very economical too because I have washed the bags, let them air dry and reused them.
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
Yes you can reuse the bags, but after so many times they will leak. Penny, I would not trust them with tomatos. What I do is use a cheaper seal type bag and then put it in the sealer bags, this way I don't have to wash it. Or, like with lettuce, and stuff like lunch meats, cheese, whatever, just wrap in plastic wrap first.
Sandy
my DH was shocked that I put out the 10.00 for the handi-vac to begin with. He says that if it is over 3.00 I won't buy it. Yes I know I'm cheap.
Just a quick update on what I have been doing with my Handi-vac. This week I have put up fresh corn on the cob, zucchini, yellow squash. Used it to seal up and store fresh carrots, celery, partially used onions, and peppers, Also bought large package of Chicken bressts and wrapped them individually then sealed them up in the large bag. Just remove what is needed and vacuum the rest and back into the freezer.
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
This message has been edited by Pennytoo on Sep 3, 2008 10:14 AM
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alice
, or as DH would say a Shenny 