Vacuum sealer

[Steveruch]

Best one?

 

[AzOr]

I have a foodsaver basic model. Has been very reliable since purchased, maybe 6 or 7 years. You do have to keep the vacuum slot very clean and dry.

You may want to take a look at the Inkbird model. I believe they were running a discount for HBT members.

It’s only a matter of time until I bite the bullet and purchase a vacuum chamber sealer.

Good luck

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I have the foodsaver fm5200 I've had it for probably 10 years and it gets used constantly. Especially in dear season, great working piece of equipment to have. The feature of being able to make your bottom seal, cut the bag to desired length, fill it, suck it, and seal it all in a quick easy process makes it's a nice time saver as well.

 

[MaxStout]

Mine's the Foodsaver FM2000, which I've had for years and like a lot. But I think it's discontinued. Whichever model you get, don't spend the extra $$ on Foodsaver brand bags and rolls. Buy the generic rolls from Amazon. They work just as well. You can cut off what you need, seal the bottom, fill and vac-seal.

The Mason jar attachment is nice to have too if you store stuff in jars.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I had the first version of the Inkbird. Worked fine for most things. Wouldn't seal soup. Not hot enough to seal through the wet. Supposedly the second version does better.

Two models of Foodsavers have had no problem in that regard.

+1 generic bulk roll of bags.

 

[mac_1103]

You may want to take a look at the Inkbird model. I believe they were running a discount for HBT members.

I got that one when my very old foodsaver died about a year ago. Been pretty happy with it so far. Seems like there's a technical glitch with that discount though.

 

[lumpher]

I got that one when my very old foodsaver died about a year ago. Been pretty happy with it so far. Seems like there's a technical glitch with that discount though.

I have the Inkbird VS-02 I got on their beta-test offer. Works great and I haven't ran into anything it won't seal yet as long as it's dry or moist, but you have to make sure the sealer is dry when you use it.

I had the first version of the Inkbird. Worked fine for most things. Wouldn't seal soup. Not hot enough to seal through the wet. Supposedly the second version does better.

VS02 isn't great for wet stuff, either, as it tends to get the sealer wet and then it won't seal.

 

[day_trippr]

I bought our FoodSaver sealer back in 2011 when I was growing hops. It's still going strong, mostly used for breaking down and freezing bulk meat purchases as well as our garden produce...

Cheers!

 

[cfrazier77]

I am using an Inkbird VS04 and it is better than foodsaver that I was using. The heating is adjustable, you can burn through the plastic if you want. But, it is a very wide seal, wider than food saver. I like this a lot for Sous vide cooking.

 

[hilljack13]

I have a Nesco I got off Amazon. Over 13K reviews, but it has a higher price tag than others.

 

[Spartan1979]

I have a NutriChef I bought from Amazon. It works fine and has some attachments that I've never used.

 

[Mr. Vern]

1 foodsaver bought in 95 lasted until about 5-7 years ago.

2 inkbird models since then, both with minor issues which could be attributed to user fault (may have got a very little bit of liquid sucked thru)

Still good pricing for Inkbird, I might make a frankenbird with the ones I have.

 

[Rish]

Inkbird VS05 gives you good control of the amount of vacuum so you can do hard vacuum for meats, etc., or soft for breads and liquids. I really like mine. You can use generic roll bags to customize size and save some money.

 

[Yooper]

I got an INKBIRD when it was a great deal here on the forum. I have to say that it’s better than my old food saver model, and I would recommend it. The retail price was fairly high (over $120 I believe) but I did get a great deal on it and now that I’ve had it for a while, processing venison, fish, crab, shrimp, etc, I would even have spent the full price had I known how good it was. Solid, pretty heavy, and no problem at all with using it quickly (my old one took a long time to vacuum, seal, cool) so would give it a solid 5*.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I have a Nesco I got off Amazon. Over 13K reviews, but it has a higher price tag than others.

I have this one too. I use it with garden vegetables, meats, and for breaking down larger bags of hops into smaller sizes.
I use the jar sealer with it a LOT! I store my specialty grains vacuum sealed in half-gallon jars, and also dried beans, loose tea, oatmeal, cornmeal, grits, wheat, etc. we use in the kitchen. No problems with it so far.

 

[AzOr]

Am I the only one that’s drooling over a shiny new vac chamber sealer?

Pros; seals wet stuff easily, cheaper bags, tighter seal for meats etc.
Cons; heavy, expensive

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Am I the only one that’s drooling over a shiny new vac chamber sealer?

Pros; seals wet stuff easily, cheaper bags, tighter seal for meats etc.
Cons; heavy, expensive

Looks interesting. If I didn’t already have a relatively new sealer I’d be tempted to consider it. I didn’t even know these things existed.

 

[DavidWood2115]

If you are a Costco member and not in a hurry, they usually have a very good deal on a nice FoodSaver unit once or twice a year (unit offered varies, but the two that I have work great).

 

[odie]

Best one?

for what?

 

[AzOr]

If you are a Costco member and not in a hurry, they usually have a very good deal on a nice FoodSaver unit once or twice a year (unit offered varies, but the two that I have work great).

Costco now carries Kirkland brand vac bags. They seem to be good quality.

 

[SkyPilot]

I have a Nesco I got off Amazon. Over 13K reviews, but it has a higher price tag than others.

Glad to hear it is working out for you. I had a couple of foodsaver ones over the years. When the finally died a few years ago I bought the Nesco. Seems sturdy and well built but it takes forever to seal… Thought maybe it was getting tired so I recently ordered a new one. It too takes 10 seconds or longer to seal a new bag or from when it is done vacuuming until it completes the seal. It is going back. I also have a cheap ziplock one I bought for the second home. No storage for the bag roll but works great! Vacuums and seals quickly. As mentioned the cheap amazon bulk rolls work fine in both no need to pay for the name brand.

 

[hilljack13]

Nesco. Seems sturdy and well built but it takes forever to seal…

My first so I can't compare. I do think the countdown on the unit is a bit wonky. For bags, I just get a bulk mix from amazon ~$20 or so. I also got the small bags for breaking large yeast bricks down to normal sachet size.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

My first so I can't compare. I do think the countdown on the unit is a bit wonky. For bags, I just get a bulk mix from amazon ~$20 or so. I also got the small bags for breaking large yeast bricks down to normal sachet size.

Ditto. Compared to sitting beside a hot pressure canner in July for half an hour, the 10 second seal is no problem for me. In fact it’s a pleasure by comparison. But I guess everything is relative to what you are used to.

 

[redrocker652002]

I was lucky enough to get the Inkbird sealer for free on a special here. Great sealer I have used a number of times to seal left over grains and hops. Would recommend it.

 

[Oldskewl]

I have had 2 Foodsavers over the years. First one was a lower end model and eventually died. I have a higher end model now but I struggle with foods that are wet(i.e. summer corn). Honestly I think it is the cheap bags/rolls that I bought from amazon. I never had that issue with Foodsaver bags. I have heard good things about www.outofair.com bags but have not tried them yet. I plan to soon. If they don't work I am going to give the Inkbird a try.

 

[pvpeacock]

I've had two Inkbirds. For the price, I can buy one every few years if necessary. My wife and I are shocked at how much we use these having never owned a vacuum sealer before. I'm looking at a chamber sealer now, but am not sure I want to spend the money or want something that bulky. At the same time, being able to seal liquids or wet food items seems like a big plus.

 

[SkyPilot]

I have this one too. I use it with garden vegetables, meats, and for breaking down larger bags of hops into smaller sizes.
I use the jar sealer with it a LOT! I store my specialty grains vacuum sealed in half-gallon jars, and also dried beans, loose tea, oatmeal, cornmeal, grits, wheat, etc. we use in the kitchen. No problems with it so far.

Hmmm. I haven’t tried the vacuum sealed jar trick yet. Sounds like a good idea. Will give it a try..

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

The lower end/home owner sealers require those expensive textured bags. Commercial vacuum sealers use smooth, lower cost bags.

 

[MaxStout]

The lower end/home owner sealers require those expensive textured bags. Commercial vacuum sealers use smooth, lower cost bags.

And most of the lower-cost vac sealers won't seal the metalized mylar bags, if you wanted to use those.

 

[marc1]

Am I the only one that’s drooling over a shiny new vac chamber sealer?

Pros; seals wet stuff easily, cheaper bags, tighter seal for meats etc.
Cons; heavy, expensive

I've been looking at these for a couple years now. Maybe this year we'll get one; we seal a lot. Some models also have replaceable parts, so can be fixed rather than trashed if something breaks (given the price point, this is very welcome).

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Best one?

Our $5000 model might be a tad bit of overkill for you.

 

[bstacy1974]

If you're only sealing hops and small bags of grain, any budget vacuum sealer on Amazon will do.
If you're looking for a true kitchen, household tool, get a chamber sealer. Luckily, I kinda inherited a chamber sealer from my in-laws. It's a small commercial model we use to seal salmon in the summer.
Once you start sealing things, you'll look for more and more ways to use it.

 

[Steveruch]

If you're only sealing hops and small bags of grain, any budget vacuum sealer on Amazon will do.
If you're looking for a true kitchen, household tool, get a chamber sealer. Luckily, I kinda inherited a chamber sealer from my in-laws. It's a small commercial model we use to seal salmon in the summer.
Once you start sealing things, you'll look for more and more ways to use it.

That is all I'll probably be doing.

 

[AzOr]

Am I the only one that’s drooling over a shiny new vac chamber sealer?

Pros; seals wet stuff easily, cheaper bags, tighter seal for meats etc.
Cons; heavy, expensive

The other big plus is you can seal things like beef patties or crab cakes without them turning into mush. With my current vac sealer I have to form things into patties and then put them on a cookie sheet and par freeze them before I seal them. I actually do this quite often with salmon and crab cakes, sausage and beef patties etc. It's a pretty big pain in the rear. Being able to seal soups and marinades in pouches would be a game changer ( I hate that saying).

 

[day_trippr]

The FoodSaver model I have has a low-power setting for dealing with squashable or wet stuff. No problem freezing patties, for instance...

Cheers!