Food Vacuum Sealer
GEoff - I have the one that ziplock makes - it goes with the ziplock bags - it is awful!! I've contemplated one of those other ones but they are so darn expensive. What I usually do is cook a lot then freeze portions in containers labeled in the freezer. That way on my late (or lazy lol) nights I can just pop one out and microwave it. Hubby works 2nd shift so many nights I cook just for myself. That and I take the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Hi Geoff -
I have one of the really expensive sealers and to be honest, it's not the great. For me, it's a lot of trouble to haul it out and use it. And often, I end up trying two or three times to get the bags to seal properly and it gets kind of frustrating. I find that it is easier to cook in bulk and freeze in containers.
In fact, on Friday night I made a huge batch of homemade chili and froze it into portions. Small containers for me and larger containers for my boyfriend.
Lisa
I have one of the really expensive sealers and to be honest, it's not the great. For me, it's a lot of trouble to haul it out and use it. And often, I end up trying two or three times to get the bags to seal properly and it gets kind of frustrating. I find that it is easier to cook in bulk and freeze in containers.
In fact, on Friday night I made a huge batch of homemade chili and froze it into portions. Small containers for me and larger containers for my boyfriend.
Lisa
I have the Food Saver and I love it. But, unless it can sit on a counter, it is a pain to haul out of the cabinet and you tend not to use it. Food Saver, in fact, has just redesigned its unit to be vertical and much easier to use. It works very well though. If you live near a Sam's Club or Costco, they sell them there cheaper than other stores or online.
Bonnie
HW 248.9;SW 221; CW 138.7
HW 248.9;SW 221; CW 138.7
Geoff,
I have to second the comments about packing and freezing. Using the little glad or ziplock containers is a great way to pre-portion things - they come in 1/2 cup and 1 cup measures, so you are measuring automatically as you're getting the things ready to freeze. The lids stay on really well and you can mark them with a sharpie (take it off with denatured alcohol later if you want to relabel) or masking tape. In fact, I use them daily for packing my food and snacks for work - and for some things, I literally just pick the container out of the freezer and put it in my lunch bag - it's perfectly thawed by time to eat it.
Karen
I have to second the comments about packing and freezing. Using the little glad or ziplock containers is a great way to pre-portion things - they come in 1/2 cup and 1 cup measures, so you are measuring automatically as you're getting the things ready to freeze. The lids stay on really well and you can mark them with a sharpie (take it off with denatured alcohol later if you want to relabel) or masking tape. In fact, I use them daily for packing my food and snacks for work - and for some things, I literally just pick the container out of the freezer and put it in my lunch bag - it's perfectly thawed by time to eat it.
Karen
I have a food saver purchased on Ebay that hasn't worked since day 1. I found it better to go to a restaurant supply store and buy the cup, pint and quart size containers that the chinese restaurants use. The only drawback is that the lids don't microwave well. But they are really cheap.
Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
I have a food saver that I love, I have foster kids and never know how many kids will be here week to week. The food saver allows me to keep homemade meals for them ,in case a child ends up here on a " no cooking"night
Tia has just begun to fight............
rebirthday was 9*30*09
Start/322
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current-233
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I have a Foodsaver from Walmart and I LOVE it! I buy meats in bulk and then separate and seal them to freeze in portions. That's mostly what I use it for. They keep much longer than in a regular Ziploc or other similar bag (I'm talking about the zipper Ziplocs/Glad/Hefty not the sealer Ziploc) because you've removed the air which is where freezer burn comes from. Ihaven't tried the little Ziploc sealer to know how that works.
They also have a marinating dish which is great to draw out the air so marinade draws into meats and are much more tender as well as flavorful. And also they have cannisters that you could seal dry goods or whatever.
Whatever you do, don't buy a Deni. Someone got me one for Christmas one year and it never worked. My dad kept telling me I was doing something wrong till I gave it to him to see if he could work it and he trashed it and got me my Foodsaver.
You can buy ready made bags or just the rolls and make your own depending on the size you need to seal. I use both and I use the heavy duty bags because of doing so much freezing.
My dad uses his commercial grade sealer so much that he's gone thru 4 of them during the warranty periods.
They also have a marinating dish which is great to draw out the air so marinade draws into meats and are much more tender as well as flavorful. And also they have cannisters that you could seal dry goods or whatever.
Whatever you do, don't buy a Deni. Someone got me one for Christmas one year and it never worked. My dad kept telling me I was doing something wrong till I gave it to him to see if he could work it and he trashed it and got me my Foodsaver.
You can buy ready made bags or just the rolls and make your own depending on the size you need to seal. I use both and I use the heavy duty bags because of doing so much freezing.
My dad uses his commercial grade sealer so much that he's gone thru 4 of them during the warranty periods.
Jill
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