@pakopako If it fails, it swaps to the Microsoft mode of sucking. So, accurate either way, just less useful in one of them. (My Anova sous vide’s been doing just fine.)
@chiefbugbung I’m really tempted to say “It sucks so hard you’d swear it was from Microsoft”, except that I haven’t actually tested that, and if Microsoft made it, I guess it wouldn’t suck, literally.
@scilynt I recently went looking over at Amazon, and it appears that there are a number of makers supplying interchangeable bags and vacuum units that are compatible with these. Unless some outfit comes along and introduces a type that they claim “Makes All Others Obsolete!!!1!11!!” and puts enough advertising oomph behind it to muddy the waters and cause a flurry of destandardized “Ours Is SOOO MUCH BETTER!” competitors (this has happened before, with other stuff), you should be able to keep getting the bags. Many of the non-Anova bags are a good bit cheaper, too. For fifteen bucks, it looks like a decent deal.
@scilynt@werehatrack One workaround for a mason jar with a 2-part lid (or a smaller Ziploc) is to have what you really want sealed inside the special (Anova) bag.
As all the air is sucked out of the Anova bag, presumably all the air is sucked out of the Ziploc bag on the inside too; just push down on the part of Anova bag to close the Ziploc, then open the Anova bag to take out the now closed-and-vacuumed Ziploc.
@Noddy93 same here. Bought one of these on side deal day before yesterday for 13.99 less 20% coupon for BF deal. That was a better deal than this $14.99.
For anyone that uses Ball or Mason jars, there are also special lids available with this kind of port that will vacuum seal the flat disc part of the 2-part metal lids that come with the jars so they stay on without having to use the rust-prone rings & excess air is removed in the process, apparently.
@ircon96 One workaround for a mason jar with a 2-part lid is to have it inside the special bag. As all the air is sucked out of the bag, presumably all the air is sucked out of the jar too; just re-open the vacuum bag to take out the now-sealed jar.
@ircon96 Just out of curiosity, would you happen to have a link to an example? On the fence about breaking my non-buying streak here, and a mason jar option might help sway me.
I have a “traditional” type sealer. A $20 cheapy but It came with a jar sealing attachment so I learned a trick to use any ol plastic zipper bags. Get a gallon size bag, cut a pinky finger tip size hole over to the side (about where this sealer is in this pic for the offered sealer), put the food you want to seal in a different bag. Zip that bag ALMOST closed, put it inside the gallon bag, now fold a paper towel up until its about 2 1/2 inches squared. Slip that in the gallon bag right under the hole you cut and zip the gallon bag shut completely. That towel acts as a spacer so you dont vacuum to the other side of the bag. Now, put your jar sealer hose right on that hole you cut and vacuum away. You will hear the inner bag zipp snap shut if you listen. I t works well but I find that most zipper bags lose seal after a bit so I freeze right away. Its worked so far.
I bought this from here about a year or so ago. Yes, it requires special bags (the one I bought came with 20 bags; I’m still working with the first 5).
I’ll avoid 12-year-old-boy humor (although I’m sorely tempted), but it works very well. I use it several times a week. The small size of the pump is easy to store (not like my gigantic sealer), and it recharges with a USB-A to USB-C cord (I think that was also included, but I can’t remember because I have dozens of them). Yes, you have to wash the bags, but you can use them over and over–and over. I’ve only worn out one bag in a year.
I use it mainly for keeping avocado halves from oxidizing, and it does a great job there. You can use it for almost any time you need to keep food sealed up tight–just make sure to close the opening completely.
I garden and freeze a lot of vegetables in bags. I bought a vacuum sealer here a couple years ago, didn’t work out of the box. Continued with my previous meh-thod, a straw with zip lock bags. Works fine and is reliable. Recently bought a sous vide cooker here. I’ve never used the hand vacuum device or the bags. Still with the straw and zip locks, works great. One of my favorite meh purchases!
Possibly important Note: The pilot light under the battery symbol on the top of the sealer is extremely dim blue. In bright light, you probably will not be able to see that it is illuminated. Your mileage may vary on this, of course, because I might have gotten one that just had an incredibly opaque battery shaped icon window. But I don’t think so.
Possiby Important Note: The battery charge light on these is blue and very dim. In normal room light, you might not be able to see that it’s on. Mine arrived fully dead, and for the first ten minutes of charging, the LED was still so dim that I couldn’t tell that it was on with the room lights turned off. Eventually, it lit enough that it was visible when I shielded it with my hands. I think I know why this batch ended up with Meh. This almost looks like a DAK-level “they fucked up, you save” situation.
Specs
Product: Anova Handheld Vacuum Sealer Kit
Model: ANHV01-US00
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$49.99 at Amazon
Warranty
2 Year Warranty
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 11 - Monday, Dec 15
Well that sucks.
@D_a_v_e Somebody had to say it. Tradition!
@D_a_v_e Does it really? It’s only 150W and, I’m going to be blunt, I don’t like Anova product lifespans.
@pakopako If it fails, it swaps to the Microsoft mode of sucking. So, accurate either way, just less useful in one of them. (My Anova sous vide’s been doing just fine.)
I wonder if I could use this instead of my trunk.
@yakkoTDI vehicle trunk or elephant trunk?
@mehvid1 Vehicle trunk. Where else would you store dead hookers?
The description says it works with any ziploc bags but that is definitely incorrect according to its Amazon posting.
@DavidChurchRN Correct
any old plastic bag?
@markkorn the description sucks.
@markkorn Not anymore!
Description says it works on any old plastic bag, but it sure appears to need their special bags with the vacuum port on it.
@mbimeh Yes, you’re correct - thanks!
This… can’t be true, is it?
@haydesigner No, it’s not true – our bad there, and it has been revised.
Cool, thanks @troy!
All of the aforementioned comments
@bonnielauria Repetition of the prior response.
@bonnielauria @werehatrack Affimation of prior comments.
How hard does it suck? My current bag sucker hasn’t been cutting it lately, looking for an upgrade.
@chiefbugbung I’m really tempted to say “It sucks so hard you’d swear it was from Microsoft”, except that I haven’t actually tested that, and if Microsoft made it, I guess it wouldn’t suck, literally.
I don’t know anything about vacuum sealers but an intrigued.
Is there a standard adapter type… Meaning will finding affordable replacement bags be easy for these?
@scilynt I recently went looking over at Amazon, and it appears that there are a number of makers supplying interchangeable bags and vacuum units that are compatible with these. Unless some outfit comes along and introduces a type that they claim “Makes All Others Obsolete!!!1!11!!” and puts enough advertising oomph behind it to muddy the waters and cause a flurry of destandardized “Ours Is SOOO MUCH BETTER!” competitors (this has happened before, with other stuff), you should be able to keep getting the bags. Many of the non-Anova bags are a good bit cheaper, too. For fifteen bucks, it looks like a decent deal.
@scilynt @werehatrack One workaround for a mason jar with a 2-part lid (or a smaller Ziploc) is to have what you really want sealed inside the special (Anova) bag.
As all the air is sucked out of the Anova bag, presumably all the air is sucked out of the Ziploc bag on the inside too; just push down on the part of Anova bag to close the Ziploc, then open the Anova bag to take out the now closed-and-vacuumed Ziploc.
@pakopako @scilynt @werehatrack
/giphy genius!
But can it balance a ball on top?
@hchavers It needs to blow to do that, not suck.
@hchavers @werehatrack
/giphy spaceballs
sweet… i bought one of these just last week on morning save for one dollar less than the meh price.
and it’s been great. the manual pumps tend to break easily so i’m quite thankful for this. it works fine with the vacuum bags i already had.
@Noddy93 same here. Bought one of these on side deal day before yesterday for 13.99 less 20% coupon for BF deal. That was a better deal than this $14.99.
For anyone that uses Ball or Mason jars, there are also special lids available with this kind of port that will vacuum seal the flat disc part of the 2-part metal lids that come with the jars so they stay on without having to use the rust-prone rings & excess air is removed in the process, apparently.
@ircon96 thanks for this!
@ircon96 One workaround for a mason jar with a 2-part lid is to have it inside the special bag. As all the air is sucked out of the bag, presumably all the air is sucked out of the jar too; just re-open the vacuum bag to take out the now-sealed jar.
@ircon96 Just out of curiosity, would you happen to have a link to an example? On the fence about breaking my non-buying streak here, and a mason jar option might help sway me.
I have a “traditional” type sealer. A $20 cheapy but It came with a jar sealing attachment so I learned a trick to use any ol plastic zipper bags. Get a gallon size bag, cut a pinky finger tip size hole over to the side (about where this sealer is in this pic for the offered sealer), put the food you want to seal in a different bag. Zip that bag ALMOST closed, put it inside the gallon bag, now fold a paper towel up until its about 2 1/2 inches squared. Slip that in the gallon bag right under the hole you cut and zip the gallon bag shut completely. That towel acts as a spacer so you dont vacuum to the other side of the bag. Now, put your jar sealer hose right on that hole you cut and vacuum away. You will hear the inner bag zipp snap shut if you listen. I t works well but I find that most zipper bags lose seal after a bit so I freeze right away. Its worked so far.
I bought this from here about a year or so ago. Yes, it requires special bags (the one I bought came with 20 bags; I’m still working with the first 5).
I’ll avoid 12-year-old-boy humor (although I’m sorely tempted), but it works very well. I use it several times a week. The small size of the pump is easy to store (not like my gigantic sealer), and it recharges with a USB-A to USB-C cord (I think that was also included, but I can’t remember because I have dozens of them). Yes, you have to wash the bags, but you can use them over and over–and over. I’ve only worn out one bag in a year.
I use it mainly for keeping avocado halves from oxidizing, and it does a great job there. You can use it for almost any time you need to keep food sealed up tight–just make sure to close the opening completely.
I garden and freeze a lot of vegetables in bags. I bought a vacuum sealer here a couple years ago, didn’t work out of the box. Continued with my previous meh-thod, a straw with zip lock bags. Works fine and is reliable. Recently bought a sous vide cooker here. I’ve never used the hand vacuum device or the bags. Still with the straw and zip locks, works great. One of my favorite meh purchases!
If you vacuum seal a margarita you will distill off some of the alcohol during the process!
You forgot this:
Seal Of Approval
(You’re welcome.)
@aquastardreamer Food bags only. The ones for clothing bags are set up for the small size of shop vac hose or a typical vacuum cleaner hose.
@werehatrack well I tried (says someone who’s never used either bag type)
/giphy haunted-defiant-dad
I’m down. It would be nice to air seal some common daily use foods instead of just my sous vide stuff that requires busting out the roll and sealer.
Your order number is: psychotic-terrifying-sleet
Got mine and used it once (plugged in), but it doesn’t hold a charge.Once I unplug it, it’s dead. Anyone else?
@SargassoC Same here. Ended up with two that don’t work. LED shows fully charged, but the power button doesn’t do anything.
@SargassoC Oh, that reminds me, need to test mine.
Possibly important Note: The pilot light under the battery symbol on the top of the sealer is extremely dim blue. In bright light, you probably will not be able to see that it is illuminated. Your mileage may vary on this, of course, because I might have gotten one that just had an incredibly opaque battery shaped icon window. But I don’t think so.
Possiby Important Note: The battery charge light on these is blue and very dim. In normal room light, you might not be able to see that it’s on. Mine arrived fully dead, and for the first ten minutes of charging, the LED was still so dim that I couldn’t tell that it was on with the room lights turned off. Eventually, it lit enough that it was visible when I shielded it with my hands. I think I know why this batch ended up with Meh. This almost looks like a DAK-level “they fucked up, you save” situation.