Foodsavers

[Joker]

Ok I just finished reading all about grain mills and everyone here reviews items real well and tells it how it is.

So lets move on to foodsavers of course it will have lots of uses but sealing hops and other brewing ingredients will also come in handy. So lets here it. Who uses them, what do you got, what do you like or dislike about them?

 

[JnJ]

Love ours, nothing to dislike. Great for brewing stuff and other food stuff.

 

[Brew-boy]

Love mine I store my hops in them then put into the freezer.

 

[Chris_Dog]

Love ours, nothing to dislike. Great for brewing stuff and other food stuff.

Ditto!!!

 

[e lo]

I got a cheap non-food saver, non-seal-a-meal brand, and I hate it. The vacuum is terrible. Conceptually, it's a great idea, but get a good one; don't cheap out like I did.

 

[howlinowl]

Gotten mine not to long ago. Sometimes mine doesn't seal the bag all the way, and a couple hours later I find that the bag has sucked air back in. I think my problem may be that I'm not making sure that the area that it's going to seal is absolutly clean and dry. Usually I just have to cut the top off and reseal and it's good. Operator error most likeyl. My mom used to have some white adapters that fit over mason jars to vacuum them. Anybody use jars to store? I'm thinking that I could get a load of jars, fill 'em to the top with grain, vacuum and store. I gotta buy the adapters, though and probably have to order them.... everywhere I look just has the machines and bags.

Allan

 

[Buford]

I bought a Foodsaver the other day. Since then I have packed a bit over 6 lbs of hops in the freezer in 4 oz packages. I also sealed up a bunch of grain I wouldn't be using for a while.

Thing works great. It makes nice tight packages, and it seals very well. I have a V2040 or a V2060 (not sure which without checking the number on the machine, the two on the Foodsaver website look alike).

 

[Joker]

Ok lets try this again. I was hoping people would give manufacturer and model numbers. I have heard there are some that have premade bags and others that just give you a roll of plastic. My assumption is that just having a roll of plastic to work with is much preferred.

This is on SWMBO (family) X-mas wish list so I really want to get a good one.

 

[TWilson]

I have had an original Foodsaver for about 8-9 years. It just got retired due to bad seals. The sealing strip finally crapped out. I replaced it with this one.
http://www.foodsaver.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=985

I would have preferred this one, but SWMBO said I had bought enough high-$ stuff for a while. Gotta try to keep her happy.
http://www.foodsaver.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=4892

You really need to think about how you are going to use it and determine which one best fills your needs. We pack a lot game meats and fish, sometimes with marinade. I wanted one with a larger overflow channel. I also wanted one with a wider sealing strip, and one that can do multiple seals in short order. Oh, and the accessory canisters, containers, and jar lids are great and can be used for all kinds of stuff. For example, if you are pressed for time and want to marinade your steaks or other meat before grilling, throw the meat and the marinade in one of the containers and vacuum it. Your meat will be ready for the grill in no time.

 

[Evan!]

Go FOODSAVER. I've seen plenty of other crappy models. My uncle sells them on QVC and infomercials (you've probably seen him hocking them on a saturday morning infomercial at some point) and companies send him sample products like the foodsaver all the time, just trying to get him to sell their stuff. Most of it's crap. I do have some french thing that he gave us that has served us well for a number of years, but you can't find them anywhere and the thing is huge. But anyway, back to your question:

First, with foodsaver, you can buy rolls, which you cut to fit and are awesome because there's no size limitations other than the width. You can also get pre-sized bags, but I don't use them. Lastly, you can buy canisters, and they are well worth it. I keep coffee and stuff in them, and it stays fresh for weeks.

If you plan on just using it for hops and grain, go with the smaller version like Buford got...it's not worth the extra $$ for bells and whistles you won't use. But if you plan on using it, like I do, for kitchen stuff like marinating, etc., I'd get a higher-up model like the one they sell at Sam's Club.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

I've got this guy:
http://www.foodsaver.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=4717

It's our second as I busted the hose connection on the first one and the seal strip was starting to crap out on me. I had the first for about 6 years.

To help illustrate how much I love this thing...My SWMBO and I moved from VA to OR a few months ago. I came out here first while she was in VA responsible for packing. At the time we were staying with her parents till we moved and had both foodsavers there. My wife packed the box for the NEW FS, but put the old FS in there. It wasn't a happy night when I discovered this. She went back to VA and I insisted she pack the new one in her bags to bring back.

 

[Joker]

Now we are getting somewhere.

We raise our own pork so I will be packing that, deer and elk if I can ever shoot one, and of course brewing materials.

 

[Evan!]

Oh, dude, I hunt deer every fall and it's indispensable when it comes time to keeping meat fresh.

 

[JnJ]

This is the one we have. Had it about a year now and it works great. You can use the pre-made bags or the rolls to make your own.
http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vac-300-Vacuum-Sealing/dp/B00004Y2RO/ref=sr_1_98?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1195668971&sr=1-98

 

[SPLASTiK]

My Dad and I got back from deer hunting a few weeks ago and when we got back into town my Dad decided to run to Costco and buy a Foodsaver.
He bought this one... It's online right now for $115 with rebate. Guess who borrowed it from him the next day for hops?

 

[S0meB0dy]

I would have to say that a foodsaver was one of the greatest purchases I made. I use it for bulk hops and grains as well as meats and fish when I get a chance to go fishing or hunting. It was worth every penny.