I'm ready to buy a vacuum sealer--any recommendations?

Chamber vacs are the only machines that will do liquids.
They are expensive but worth it.

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ruzil

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Only $1000? I'll probably get two.

Thanks, Ruzil.

on sale at Costco

$99 right now. This thing works great.

Vac sealing liquid is tough though. You'd probably have to freeze it first then do it.

Thank you for all of the suggestions. Will report back when I start vacuuming sealing up all sorts of shite in the house.

Get a chamber machine if you have the space and can afford it. Not only can you use basically any cheap plastic bag instead of the special ones that Foodsavers use, you can vacuum pack anything, including full on liquid because they pull a vacuum on the entire chamber that the bag is in, so there's no external pressure to squeeze the liquid out of the bag until the bag is well sealed and you open the chamber and expose the bag to atmospheric pressure again. Foodsavers cannot do this because they only create a vacuum inside the bag while the bag is still exposed to atmospheric pressure, so atmospheric pressure will push liquids or very soft foods right out of the bag into the machine.

Packing things like gumbo or soup is a pain in the arse because you have to pre-freeze it in another container, then transfer it into the Foodsaver bag and vacuum seal it then. Also, sous vide can be touchy because you're going to try to be pulling a vacuum on a wet piece of meat, so it can get messy. I've used a bit of paper towel in the bag to soak up liquids or 45 minutes in the deep freezer to firm the meat up a bit before pulling a vacuum on it. The chamber vac would just do it without batting an eye or any other steps other than vacuum packing it.

I wish I had the room for a chamber vac. I don't, so I just use a cheap $25 Foodsaver. I didn't see anything in the more expensive models that really made sense to pay for. There are other options you can pay for like manual control, soft vacuum modes for delicate foods, bag roll storage, bag cutters, etc., but I have a drawer to store the bag roll, a pair of scissors to cut it, and everything I vacuum pack is already frozen, so I don't need anything other than the full power vacuum pump and the sealing bar.

Tip for things like gumbo, soups, soft foods, etc., if you get a Foodsaver: Get a bunch of those ziploc type disposable food storage containers with lids. They're perfect for pre-freezing liquid or wet foods before vacuum packing for long term storage as they've got a regular shape and the lids will help somewhat in protecting the food from the dry freezer air. I've tried putting stuff directly in the bags before and standing them up open in the freezer and then pulled a vacuum on them later to seal them. They freeze in irregular shapes and are a pain in the arse to handle/store, though. The food storage containers give you a nice, square, infinitely more storable shape to what you're freezing. A little warm water on the bottom if the food is stuck to the container pops the food right out for packing and the containers go into the dishwasher to get ready for reuse.

I've got a foodsaver gamesaver...it was a few dollars more than a traditional foodsaver and I liked that it had a 10-year warranty (although since then I've heard some horror stories about getting warranty replacement/service).

My two pieces of advice are that if you are sealing something with a lot of liquid in it (even meats) throw it in the freezer for a couple of hours, as that'll help when you are using the sealer and liquid from the meat won't squeeze out and I think you'll get a better seal overall.

The other thing would be to buy generic rolls on Amazon...you can get them a lot cheaper than if you buy the foodsaver-brand ones, and if you buy one w/good reviews you'll get about the same performance.

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I've tried putting stuff directly in the bags before and standing them up open in the freezer and then pulled a vacuum on them later to seal them. They freeze in irregular shapes and are a pain in the arse to handle/store,

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If you or someone you know has the skill you can make something similar to a folder holder (see pic) that will hold the bag upright and once frozen the bag will be flat on two sides making them easier to stack..

Never saw the advantage to a vacuum sealer. With a straw I can suck all the air out zip lock freezer bags for storing liquids, veg's, meats, etc. etc. I use containers for very few things. Plus I can avoid the vacuum bags cost and save counter space without the sealer. I just don't see the need for one.

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Yea... I freeze gumbos, stocks, soups in little disposable ziplock tupperware thingys... once frozen, transfer to a bag and vac pack’m. Wash the dispos ziplock thingys and put up for the next batch.

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Honestly, I don't bother with soups and gumbos. I freeze them in the freezer containers. When I put the gumbo in the container, I cover the top of the gumbo with plastic wrap and push out any bubbles. No freezer burn and they stack, so it's not a big deal. It's essentially like vac sealing and keeps a long time very well. I ate gumbo from 2 years ago that I found last month. Delicious.

The best way to seal liquids is with Ziploc Freezer bags. Zip closed all but the last 1/2". Angle the bag up toward the unsealed side. press from the bottom to get all the air out then zip closed. Store flat in the freezer until frozen and Voila. Or do the same as above, but lower the bag into a large bowl of water until all the air is out then seal.