Food Sealer Info Request

Food Saver, Model 2490.
Like: Works great, no more freezer burn, price of ~$130 at COSTCO.
Don't like: The canisters that came with it don't hold a vacuum so tossed them in the trash, which is not enough of an issue not to buy it.

I have the Foodsaver Professional and I'm very happy with it. I would think anything in their line is good.

We have the model v3825 from Costco. This is the second one for us. Passed the first on to one of our sons who is still using it. Both models have worked flawlessly. This is one purchase I made that my wife actually approves of.

Echo all of the above. Although we have good luck with the canisters they seem to hold the vacuum quite well.

Foodsaver makes lots of different models that have minor variations in appearance and features. Some are metal, some plastic. Some can be stored on edge, presumably reducing storage space.

I use my model V2490 frequently in four ways:

(1) freezer storage-raw foods (proteins, and blanched vegetables and fruits)
(2) freezer storage-portioned sizes of cooked foods (e.g., homemade spaghetti sauce)
(3) vacuum canister storage of dry goods
(4) sous vide cooking

Here's a recent sous vide short rib cook I did, just after sealing the bags:



Cost of bags is a nontrivial expense. Roll bags that you custom-size (roll is stored inside the machine, you unspool just enough to fit your food) are handy. I find that I like the narrow bag rolls more than the wide; they seem to fit food better. Costco sells bag rolls at good prices.

If bags aren't used to store proteins, FoodSaver says they can be reused. The trick is to allow enough extra room so that when you cut open the bag after first use, there's enough space left to seal it again, slightly smaller.

A pulse feature is essential, to avoid sucking up liquids into the machine and to avoid crushing delicate items. If you're something that's fragile or has sharp edges that might pierce the bag, one strategy is to lay it in a tray within the bag and then vacuum seal. I like to hold bags with liquid over the edge of the counter, so that liquid is slower to be drawn into the machine and I can release the Pulse button when I see the liquid climbing up. The FoodSaver recommendation is to freeze liquids and put frozen-solid chunks in the bag before vacuuming, but this extra step can be a pain.

I've never had a seal fail, even in sous vide cooking. The manual says the "wet" vs. "dry" seal setting makes a difference, but I don't notice it. If I remember, I use the wet to get the maximum strength seal, but it's not a big deal.

I, too, found the canisters unreliable, and replaced 2 of the 3 in the first set. Replacement set is holding well so far. I wouldn't recommend getting the machine just for the canisters, but in my experience they improve storage life for things like barley, rice and brown sugar. If the canisters fail again I probably won't replace them. I have not tried the wine bottle and Mason jar accessories.

Use a Sharpie to write on the bag what it is, how much of it there is, and when you stored it.