food saver?

[sosurreal09]

anyone use the food saver? is it WORTH the price? im so sick of throwing out freezer burnt meat! i have tried hefty, ziplock, knock off brands all freezer bags seem to fail. im also tired of wasting so many bags. is there a more eco-friendly alternative when freezing meats? i buy my meat for the month b/c its more convienient than going to the market daily with a 9 m/o! TY

[Arduinna]

I seriously considered one but in the end decided that I wanted to cut back on plastic storage for my food so I'm shopping more, freezing less and wrapping with butcher paper when needed.

My mom has had more than one foodsaver, they sure don't seem to last long if you use them alot due to motor burnout. When I considered one everyone I talked to says they end up having to replace them every few years.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by Arduinna

My mom has had more than one foodsaver, they sure don't seem to last long if you use them alot due to motor burnout. When I considered one everyone I talked to says they end up having to replace them every few years.

I have never used a foodsaver, but my MIL has 3 or 4 broken ones piled up in the garage (she's a packrat). They don't seem all that reliable, to me.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Mindful Home Management.

[KristyDi]

I've had mine for 2 or 3 years now and I've been happy with it. Seems to be doing fine and it does allow me to keep, especially meat fresher longer IME.

[Jaxinator]

What about the little Ziploc hand pump? It's super cheap, like less then $5, and it works pretty well. You have to buy the special freezer bags with it, but I've been able to open them and pump the air out a few times, and it takes up like zero space in the kitchen. I found it in the aisle with the rest of the baggies.

[pear-shaped]

Originally Posted by Arduinna

My mom has had more than one foodsaver, they sure don't seem to last long if you use them alot due to motor burnout. When I considered one everyone I talked to says they end up having to replace them every few years.

We had one. It worked really well but only lasted about a year. I don't think I used it all that often, either. I was worried that I'd done something to break it, but now I see that they're not very reliable.

[sosurreal09]

Originally Posted by Jaxinator

What about the little Ziploc hand pump? It's super cheap, like less then $5, and it works pretty well. You have to buy the special freezer bags with it, but I've been able to open them and pump the air out a few times, and it takes up like zero space in the kitchen. I found it in the aisle with the rest of the baggies.

i have that! i all of a sudden cant find the bags ANYWHERE. not at walmart or target or even BJ's where the heck did all the bags go?!

[mirlee]

Ironically, Dh asked me about getting one yesterday! We were hoping to get one eventually to keep things a bit fresher like cheese and other foods. I am concerned to hear that they don't last long. They aren't exactly cheap. A chef friend swears by it. I am still out on the idea. I'll be watching this thread to see other responses.

[ChristyMarie]

We finally bought one and I LOVE it. Easy to use and it really keeps the food so much better than any other packaging option. Ours is from Costco and they carry the bags. I have no idea why we waited so long.

And, if you are a total foodie and want to sous-vide cooking it works for that too.

[karika]

We have one. I noticed that with the suction, blood would end up in the interior tray, so be real careful about that. We would reuse the bags by cutting them carefully when opening then wash with soap and air dry. When we divorced, xdh kept it and the suction part stopped working. We bought it in late 2002. Suction stopped working in 2007. We only used it a lot when we first got it, then not so much.
I guess if you are the type to buy a side of beef, it would be a great thing. I do like a pp suggestion of freezer paper though. I fondly remember assembly line type wrapping sessions as a child. We raised animals for food then.
Ours cost $100 or $139... if you do get it, I think the deluxe model is probably a better quality. But I am also on a kick to not buy any new plastic. Not just the bags, but the machine itself. Big oil is killing us so I no longer wish to support it. Plastic (among many other normal, every day items) is one of the main things made from crude I found out recently.

[Jaxinator]

Originally Posted by anielasmommy09

i have that! i all of a sudden cant find the bags ANYWHERE. not at walmart or target or even BJ's where the heck did all the bags go?!

That would be my luck, everything I love gets discontinued. Check online though, maybe it's just in your region that they pulled it?
I should stock up at my store just in case. If so, maybe it's time for a foodsaver

[BlueLeaf]

Originally Posted by karika

But I am also on a kick to not buy any new plastic. Not just the bags, but the machine itself. Big oil is killing us so I no longer wish to support it. Plastic (among many other normal, every day items) is one of the main things made from crude I found out recently.

Do you still freeze things? If so, how do you do without plastic? I hate using plastic but also want the cost advantage of buying in bulk and freezing.

[neomi]

I have a food saver and I use it when i buy a large quantity of meat...and i divided the meat and seal up the portions (so you don't lay out a whole big pack of meat to thaw) and put into the freezer....we use ours for sealing up potato chip bags and putting away fresh veggies from the garden, and sales from stores too!...its really good to keep Cheese from molding and keeps lunch meats longer too!!
If you have a Family or if your single, this foodsaver will save you money!
And to save money....it does take work and time!!
So..go ahead and purchase you one!!
You will be glad you did!! And the money you will save down the road will add up!