FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

[goldenstar]

Anyone have one? How helpful are they really? They are a bit pricey and, needless to say, I don''t want to take the plunge unless it would be worth it.

TIA!

 

[JulieN]

two words: sous vide

 

[LaraOnline]

I don[t know what sous vide means, and I''m too lazy to google!

My man got one, basically to store his fish catches... he also got me a few of the food containers ... it''s like a lot of gadgets you can get these days - bl**dy good idea, but waay to fussy for every day.
That said, I''m sure that if you had it set up and plugged in, you could easily incorporate it into your life style. They really DO keep food fresher, no doubt about that.

I just about think it''s worth dragging it out of the cupboard for the extra life it gives the coleslaw!

Also, my frontier-type friend borrowed it when she was cutting up a cow... although by the end of the cow, she had lost her enthusiasm for time and effort it takes!

Still a cool gadget to have, though!

 

[monarch64]

I used to have one and never used it. I love Press N Seal, much more convenient than having yet another small appliance in the kitchen.

 

[lyra]

We have a model from Costco, I don''t even know much about it!

For us, we mostly use it for separating and freezing meats into dinner for 4 size portions. So we are able to buy larger packages of meat (which is usually on sale) and portion it out. Same goes for salmon, which we get fresh and freeze. My husband has experimented with all sorts of things, and once the novelty wore off we use it less. One more helpful use was sealing baked goods over the holidays and for shipping to family. Ours is usually stored out of sight.

 

[dianne]

My Mom swears by it. She loves it and uses often....really helps when you buy in bulk.

 

[goldenstar]

Thanks for the feedback. I''m not so sure I''d use it everyday. The most common thing we do is buy meat in bulk and then freeze it. We usually consume the meat before it has the chance to get freezer burn. Hmmm...still debating...

 

[VRBeauty]

You can also buy little hand-held versions that work with special zip-lock bags. You can buy the device (Reynolds handi-vac is one) and bags at most large grocery stores. This is less expensive to start with... I'm not sure how the cost of the bags compare to the rolls of packaging material you'd use for the counter-top versions. My mother used to swear by her large vacuum sealer -- she used it for everything. She now swears by her hand-held version, and has given one to each of the kids. I'll use mine one of these days...

 

[CdnBlingGal]

100% satisfied with my FoodSaver. Saves me $$. We got ours at Costco.

With only Dh and I to feed, I purchase whole frying chicken (cut them up at home), bulk packages of meats and freeze it all. I have not thrown out any meat when I''ve had them vaccuum sealed. If I forget to take my meat out the night before, I usaully like to defrost in a sink of cold water. When I had meats in ziplock bags, I find there is always a bit of water that gets into the bag.

I keep mine off the counter. It is a bulky appliance but it''s a money saver. My .02 cents.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Very timely thread! DH and i have been talking about getting one of these, especially now that we''ve received our Costco Amex rebate.

Cdn- We''re also a household of two, and therefore cannot take advantage of buying in bulk. But with this we could!

 

[purrfectpear]

If they watched Top Chef they''d know what sous vide is

 

[Linda W]

DH and I love ours. I even freeze my homemade soups. No more freezer burn ever.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 4/2/2009 7:13:50 PM
Author: purrfectpear
If they watched Top Chef they''d know what sous vide is

SNAP!

Unfortunately, it didn''t work very well for poor Carla during the finals.