Recently I noticed a lot of advertisements for the FoodSaver vacuum systems and think, “Wow, that is great! No more wasted food, save money, etc..”. Then I flash back to the day my parents brought in a similar product probably 25 years ago, the Seal-a-Meal. That seemed great then too, until the supplied roll of bag material was gone and mom told me the bags cost more than the food that was put in them to save. Was the FoodSaver a new, worthwhile system, or just an old system from a couple decades ago in fresh packaging?
I was interested, but did not want to part with100+ dollars for something I would not use. I searched on-line for other’s opinion, and was surprised at the number of people singing the praises of the FoodSaver system. I did however see some comments on the price of bags. With the majority in favor of the system, I decided to the the plunge. I went to Sam’s Club and walked out with the latest and greatest (at the time) FoodSaver V2830 vacuum packaging system for about 140 bucks. The system came with the main unit, 2 canisters, jar sealer, and a couple rolls of bag material.
Of course like a kid with a new toy, I went home and started vacuum packing everything (tip: deviled eggs on a plate does not end with a good result!). I was very impressed with the power of the vacuum. I was not impressed with the jar sealer that is made to be used with canning jars. The canisters, these are great! Now that I have had the system for a while, it is mainly used for leftovers, cereal, sugar, etc. I bought another 100 dollars worth of canisters and containers and believe that I have already more then that by not throwing away food that has been in the refrigerator a few days. When stored in the vacuum containers they will keep for a lot longer and will be used. I still use bags for items bought in bulk that will be frozen or kept for a long time before it will be needed. A Thanksgiving dinner bagged and frozen tasted great after about 3 weeks.
When I bought the extra containers, I also bought a handheld model. These are sold either as CoffeeSaver or WineSaver, and can be had for 20 – 40 dollars. This seems to be as powerful as my main unit, and easier to use on the canisters. Using the main unit, you have to hook up a hose to the aux port, the handheld is just inserted into the canister. I have both setting next to each other and the handheld is used ten times as much the the big unit. I still do not regret buying the big unit, as I feel that I am getting my money’s worth from it with the use it does see, plus the cool factor of watching it crush items in the bags.
Tips to help you get the most from your investment:
Do not use a 30 cent bag to save 20 cents worth of hot dogs.
Consider buying just the handheld model if canisters and containers would meet all your food saving needs.
Shop the FoodSaver website, but only the good deals. They will often have closeout bags and the handheld units priced at about half price.
Re-use bags unless they contained meat.
Label and date bags in the freezer with a permanent marker.
In conclusion, I feel that the FoodSaver system is worth the investment, just make sure it suits your needs. If you do not have leftovers from meals, do not like to buy in bulk, do not want to prepare meals ahead of time, and use all your cereal and such before it gets stale, this may not be worth it to you.
