@bph just about all vac bags are safe for sous vide- the temp required to melt the bag is much higher than boiling (water). Not recommended for deep frying, though.
@alchymist On further look, they claim it works with any bags, so we could get heat safe BPA free bags to use with it. Not sure about the ones that come with it.
The amazon reviews comment on issues with liquid which would suck, but for $15 bucks its a good model to mess around with and experiment with to see if its worth the extra cost and effort over water displacement ziplock bags. If I like it maybe I will spring for a liquid safe model.
I made pulled pork in a bag once though and all the liquid seeped out and had to be mixed back in. Actual vacuum seal might help. Maybe?
Awesome linked replacement bag roll that costs more than the device itself ordered. 11" is pretty nice though. Should have plenty of room to fit some fancy stuff in there.
@ceagee Basic Sous Vide: get a cooler, sealed steak, hot water (135-140) and a thermometer. fill a cooler with a few gallons of 135 water (be sure to cover the steak). Submerget the steak for at least an hour, be sure it never drops below 130. Unseal it, pat the steak dry and sear it.
I use hot tap water and add boiling until my thermometer tells me the water is 135. I submerge it for at least an hour, checking it every 30-60 minutes to ensure the water doesn't drop below 130, where bacteria could grow. Then I take it out and quickly sear it in a hot grill or a hot cast iron skillet or hit it with a blow torch.
@gijoewade What does this accomplish? Juicy steaks, more flavorful, tenderness? Not trying to be a smartass, just curious. And did you mean you have to check it every 30-60 seconds for an hour?
@SteveOOO An idiot proof way to cook. As long as it stays above 130, you can come back an hour late and nothing bad happens. It more or less gives a perfectly cooked steak. Usually juicier, and it gets more tender the longer you do it. Just be sure to keep it above 130, and don't spend to long searing it - do it hot and fast. A buddy sous vides a brisket before the smoker for incredible effect. 48-72 hours to make tough cuts "fork-tender." Sous Vide is also perfect for chicken. I stopped cooking chicken for a while because the line between food poisoning and dried out meat is too thin. Sous vide your chicken wings first to cook the meat (look up how hot the water needs to be) and then throw them in HOT oil to crisp up the skin. Add sauce (1 part butter and 2-3 parts Franks hot sauce is good) and serve.
@editorkid With my Sansair, I usually do it at 131. At around 130-135 fat renders nicely to release the full beefy goodness. The starting 135-140 temp I give to beginners, because I don't want their water bath not being hot enough and they get sick. I don't want a first timer to get sick - a water bath that isn't warm enough is the perfect place for microbes. If you sear it fast, there is no need to rest the meat.
@Jetlag since it sucks, if the original owner used it that way we'd have no worries, right? Only what you put/leave in the bag potentially stinks, right?
@cengland0 but two bags is hardly enough to assure the thing even works reliably before stocking up. And from the bag link on the front page, the stuff costs less than 50 cents a foot. The deal is even more cheapskate then me. ;-)
@Stallion As long as the generic bags are manufactured for vacuum sealers. These bags have air channels in them so it can suck the air out from anywhere in the bag.
@Stallion I see some "I returned my unit and they sent me a new model" in the reviews; maybe that's where the refurbs are coming from. So it's a bit of a gamble but I'm in for one anyway.
@somf69 I decided to read this topic because I wanted to see whether anyone else had thought that, too. (Well, I hadn't glommed onto the "skinned" part.)
I started with a cheap vacuum sealer like this to try them out. I have since moved on to a very nice Foodsaver unit. Bags are cheap on amazon so don't let that hold you back. I seal everything that I put in the freezer with them - love them. Once you go vacuum style you never go back!
@mfladd spoiler alert, I bought one. But can I use this to completely marinate my chicken before grilling or will the Italian dressing get sucked into it?
As long as the bag is big enough and the liquid is not near the top it should be fine. I did it with my starter one. If, and when, you love it - you will step up to a better one with wet/dry vacuum settings. Enjoy.
I have a fancier Food Saver and the containers that you suck the air out of. I love this thing and use it daily. Food seriously stays fresh so so so much longer. If you want something like this, I think a better model (yup, more money) is the better way to go.
@droopus um... "hypothetically", canning jars work phenomenally well for that- you can store cured flowers for years without loss of terpenes or viability. The 1/2 pint and pint jars fit into the 11" bags (roll stock) and the combination of the jar seal and bag keep everything safe.
@droopus - for short term (1-3months) a cigar humidor works, too- ambient humidity level is kept to 60-70% and temp never passes 70. My dad (76 yrs old) has a batch of what we call "Kenmore Kush" he grew in '03 in vac-sealed jars that are 11+ years old in his freezer (hence the name) and we broke one out for the holidays last year. It was still potent and sweet, with minor degradation after all that time- and there's still at least 5 jars in there. Beats the hell out of egg nog.
If I hadn't bought the FoodSaver GameSaver Deluxe last September I'd probably give this a go. Fifteen bucks is basically impossible to beat. I spent about a hundred bucks more than that on my FoodSaver.
@The_Tim I found a Gamesaver in like new condition in the box at Goodwill for $20. It is missing the cigarette lighter 12V cord and the hose/jar attachment, but other than that it's perfect. It's great for sous vide.
If you are thinking about getting one, it might be good to start with a cheaper unit and see how often you use it. I got a different brand for $4 at a garage sale, and although I don't use it much I do like it. If you expect to seal leftovers then you will be disappointed because it isn't worth the effort. Sealing extra spices or long term storage is a different matter. Want to pack an emergency pack of clothes in your backpack? Now they are compressed and will stay dry even if you fall into a lake. Have some shirts you want to keep because of the sentimental value, but will never wear? No bugs will eat them and they are a lot smaller. That emergency mylar blanket take up too much space in your first aid bag? Vacuum seal it. Does your mestinon get soggy when you look at it funny? Make little bags and seal out the moisture. Black peppercorn in bags 20x the size of your grinder? Divide and seal that shit. Don't want to waste a bunch of marinade? Toss in the defrosted meat and suck out the air. (sometimes even bakeware and all)
Are those Drumsticks "ice cream" cones? I never thought they could look any sadder than they already do from their packaging, but now I see I was mistaken.
@Cappo while I get your point, I feel there is little real problem here... after all, I doubt the plastic bags are refurbrished (and even if they are... don't eat the first two things you seal... kinda like a brita pitcher)
Since the machine is pulling air out of the bags and the food is only in contact with the bags, I think you'd be ok here.
@baqui63 Having had a sealer, I know that sometimes liquids/meat juices will sometimes get sucked up into the vacuum feed. I don't know if refurbishing includes sterilization.
sweet, needed one of these. The new vertical food savers review really poorly for $180, and they make too many damn models to compare. I had one of these and it worked great until I broke it. For this price? Sold.
What's the largest thing you could vacuum seal with this? Could you do bulky sweaters? Blankets? Food applications look suspicious but if I can save some storage space I might go for it.
@njd The roll to make bags are 11 inches wide, you cut the roll to as long as you need then seal one cut edge, but allow nearly a half inch on either side inside the 11 inches. So you have 10 inches width inside the bag. If you can roll up your sweater or blanket, it will probably fit. But this is really not made for that. You can get much bigger vacuum bags for storing clothes at a home store or sometimes dollar tree. You just use a regular vacuum cleaner hose attachment for those bags.
@ojohn I've never had luck with those space saver bags. They vacuum all the air out and then you store it away. The next time I go fetch the clothes, the seal is gone. It seems the zip lock that they use isn't a perfect seal or air gets in that one-way valve.
Although I have never put clothes into my food sealer, I've never had one get air into it once it was sealed -- ever!
Right now I'm resisting the urge to buy this. But I'm already thinking of ways I could use it, so I'm sure I will cave at some point tomorrow unless it sells out.
@Thumperchick Me too. I just keep thinking that if someday I have a really good reason to get one I'm sure I won't be able to find one this cheap. And then I'll be kicking myself.
@Thumperchick I had one that worked very well but never replaced it. The vacation I'm on is far more expensive than I anticipated so will need it to deal with all of the costco bulk food I'll be living off of for a while when I get home.
@ruouttaurmind I have one of these (soon to have 2) and yes- they'll work on 11" bags without issue. It's a great no-frills machine for $15. It'll pay for itself (and the bags) in 2 months or less.
@alacrity Thanks for confirming. I have an older FoodSaver that's gotten finicky the last few months. This is about half the price of replacing the heat strip.
@KDemo I would ask for the next winning powerball numbers, but that might be an abuse of your gift. So, I am going to rolodex your extrordinary powers until I really need them :)
I have an older FoodSaver that's on it's last legs. But this works very well: I put the soup into one of those thin, rectangular "disposable" tupperware-like ZipLoc or Glad containers (that are VERY reusable). I stick it in the freezer until it gets firm, then pop it out of the container and into a vacuum seal bag (I use the rolls; they're economical). Quick vacuum and heat seal and Bob's your uncle, you've got a tidy package of soup that'll last for months in the freezer. This process also works exceptionally well for juicy foods like ground beef.
These things are awesome for camping! I prepare my meals in advance and vacuum seal them. At the campsite I can just toss the bag of soup or stew or sgetti into a pan of boiling water.
It's also awesome for backpacking or boating/kayaking/canoeing. I seal up matches, clean socks... anything you'd rather keep dry.
@ruouttaurmind - I've never had one, but freezing soup sounds like a great idea. You could freeze it in the bowl or pot you'll use to reheat it, then put it in a bag. When you're ready to reheat, pop it back in the bowl - easy peasy. I really want one.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks for that great tip. I don't use mine for wet food but I now know a good way for doing that.
I mostly use mine to seal bags of rice. I'll buy 25 pounds at a time and seal them in small lots.
I also reuse my bags. I'll make a bag 11" x 20" and when I open it, I cut the top off. Next time, I have an 11 x 18" bag. I wouldn't reuse it if it was anything that would get the bag dirty.
Perfect freaking timing! I was just saying yesterday how I'd love to get one of these things to seal up my old computer documentation and parts for better storage. Commodore 64 and Apple II code printouts, you have a new home!
Since I bought the Anova sous vide circulator on Prime Day, Anova ads are on all the privacy-invading commercial sites I visit, including meh. I'm really sick of having my every Amazon and Google search shoved back into my face on every god damned site I visit. I've had just about enough.
But for fifteen bucks I'm definitely buying one of these things since I have a sous vide circulator now.
@SSteve - Go undercover, man. I've started using Chrome's incognito search unless I'm ready to actually buy. Especially when clicking Amazon links (there are so many), incognito really helps.
@KDemo I just installed Ghostery on the laptop and so far it's great. I disable trackers as I run across them and web pages are loading much faster and with fewer ads. It's scary to see just how many trackers some sites have.
When you have one of these you can scoop up any meat you find at half price in the grocery store "Reduced for quick sale". Instead of missing it and thinking out loud "gee I wish I had a vacuum food sealer".
@dashcloud Maybe not the best idea, but the first image is the fun-image. Thought repackaging something already in a frozen package might be funny enough. We need a few not so great ideas to make the great ideas look even better. And plus,.... the cactus did not work out so well.
@captainnibbles start with the honey mustard chicken breasts in the app. They turned out great. The sous vide part is easy, but getting the sear once the chicken is done is a little tricky. Also SeriousEats.com has a ton of great sous vide recipes.
@captainnibbles We made cod with our Anova last night. It was perfectly flaky and delicious. No searing necessary so it's an easy thing to start with. 130° for 30 minutes. We cooked it with five-spice, rice vinegar, mirin, and tamari. But salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice would be great too.
We were going to try sous vide burgers last weekend when my sister and her husband were here but the power went out so we grilled instead.
This might be a great "second unit" - I have a FoodSaver unit and it works well in the kitchen. But when I want to process food in another space (like hops for brewing or loose-leaf tea in the pantry) it is a hassle to unplug and haul the FoodSaver. A hassle I will address with a $15 Rival!
The bags can get expensive; often, especially for bulky items like milk powder or grain, I'll use super-cheap Mylar bags and just stick a little "straw" of bag material in at the seal. It's an idea I swiped from our local homebrewing store: the Mylar bags are used for chamber vacuum sealers, but don't work with these because the air can't be evacuated by the vacuum... sticking a short piece of trimmed bag opens you up to bags of this nature: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00967K3EQ/
Pictures may explain this better than I have. It's Step 5 and Step 6 from http://adviceandbeans.com/2011/04/food-savers-and-mylar-bags/ but I've never used the first 4 steps and everything seems to seal fine, even without Dr Frankenstein's soldering iron.
Nice! Yes that's exactly what I do here. The video drags a bit in the beginning ("here's what we do that never works") but it's a good point to let the corrugated bag piece hang down into the food. I don't usually bother with double-sealing past the "straw."
If vacuum isn't a priority (i.e. sealing a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos) this guy works great too. I find myself sealing the factory-issued bags of frozen veggies, the big open bag of pretzels, 3/4 of a "ream" (?) tostadas after taco night... cheap, faster than a vacuum sealer and no consumables!
I have a Food Saver along with a mile of bags for it. We seldom use it; too lazy. So. I did the logical thing and bought this. Think I'll try to purchase very small appliance under $20 that Meh offers. Sounds like a good goal, no?
Whew! I hit the "buy it" button after pondering and couldn't get the "+" to add one to my cart. When I refreshed the site, lo it was sold out. That was close; meh almost had my $15...
Last thing of record on My Orders list is "MEH: YEAR ONE LIMITED EDITION COMMEMORATIVE COLLECTORS SHIRT". Which is lovely, even though it's not purple.
@mfladd and @hollboll conspired to gift me one of these after I whined about not being able to afford one. Teach me to whine about stuff. Too, too kind. sniff Um, THANK YOU!
@mfladd@hollboll My situation recently changed, and I must be more frugal. This will really help, because I'm embarrassed to say how much food I find myself wasting. You're helping more than you know. Thanks again. Hugs.
@KDemo I also can't let you have only 1-2 bags. As August Goat I decree - if you can send me your address privately, perhaps if @sohmageek already has your email - that I will also send you a box of bags to go with it :)
@mfladd - Awww, you're turning goatliness in a new altruistic direction this month. I already have some bags on my Amazon list, you really don't have to do so much. I am very touched by your kind offer.
@KDemo Still going to do it. I will send you a private email on wOOt - watch for it later today :) p.s. It is a Goat decree, and you can't refuse the Goat. That is one power I do have.
@mfladd - Since you invented this diabolical plan and figured out my secret code name over there, I feel I must surrender to your superior intellect. You're a good man, Charlie Brown.
(Wonder why the fates keep sending me to woot lately - is messaging in the works here?)
Really? How u do that with no email? Verrry resourceful, you are. I will prepare to hermetically seal all manner of foods (and maybe some other stuff) for posterity. Thank you, @mfladd, Here's a bag for you:
Bags arrived last night, I've been prolonging the life of nuts and frozen foods with abandon. It's been said, but this thing really sucks! Proudly initiated into the ranks of bag ladies, thanks to @mfladd.
Received my sealer thingy today. It came in a ginormous box with 36 pack long string of Texas air. I still have the mile of air that came in my Fuku. I'm saving it for one, big, dog terrifying, explosion.
So, everyone, what's the first thing you sealed? I'm debating between some frozen artichoke hearts that tend to get freezer burn, or some smoked mozzarella (but what if I want to use it?).
@KDemo My wife sealed up some leftover dill head after a canning session. Monday night I sealed up a couple chicken thighs and some carrots (separately) for sous vide cooking. They both came out amazing.
@Tyathca bummer that stinks - feel free to try forcing it flat or other sorts of attempts that might either work or break it. We'll refund or send you another if we have one without caring of condition that ones in.
@Tyathca Same happeend to mine, except there are 3 small bumps in the heating element. This results in 3 small holes. I haven't disassembled the heating element yet but I'll take a look..
@Tyathca I didn't disassemble the heating element, but found that the bumps go away if you apply more pressure during the sealing process in that area.
I also ordered a roll from Amazon, and I had a great time last night sealing up bags of homemade chili for the freezer. I made my entire household stand and go "ooohhhh" at the process.
Mine doesn't suck....well take that back. It SUCKS alright but only because it doesn't actually suck. All it does is seal, no vacuum action. I've wasted over 10 bags trying to get it to work. Will be contacting them about the warranty. Fully expecting it to cost more than 15 dollars to ship it where it needs to go to get fixed.
Avoiding "refurbished" products from this site in the future.
@kfm423 It sucks that your vacuum doesn't suck, so it sucks. There is a warranty on it, however, for 1 year from date of purchase! You should totally contact them to see if they can help your sucky vacuum to suck so it stops sucking.
Specs
Condition: Refurbished
Warranty: 1 Year Sunbeam
Estimated Delivery: 8/6 - 8/9
Shipping: $5 or free with VMP
What’s in the Box?
1x Rival vacuum sealer
2x Vacuum seal bags
Pictures
Probably not the best use (also you get two bags)
Side view
Top view
Vac and seal
Price Comparison
$69.68 (new) at Amazon
Find a relevant price comparison? Please share it in a comment in this thread
Warranty
90 days
It only includes two bags? so you can store, like, two things before you have to buy more?
@elpepe It's $15, man. You have high expectations.
@elpepe I'll only need 2 bags. One for my hopes, and one for my dreams. :(
@TBoneZeOriginal @elpepe its meh.com , why expect anything other than meh stuff
I didn't actually expect one when I commented about it in the prime day thread. Are the bags safe for sous vide and bpa free?
@bph I want to know this too!
@bph The bags they linked to for replacements are definitely OK for Sous Vide. Use them all the time :)
@bph just about all vac bags are safe for sous vide- the temp required to melt the bag is much higher than boiling (water). Not recommended for deep frying, though.
@alchymist On further look, they claim it works with any bags, so we could get heat safe BPA free bags to use with it. Not sure about the ones that come with it.
The amazon reviews comment on issues with liquid which would suck, but for $15 bucks its a good model to mess around with and experiment with to see if its worth the extra cost and effort over water displacement ziplock bags. If I like it maybe I will spring for a liquid safe model.
I made pulled pork in a bag once though and all the liquid seeped out and had to be mixed back in. Actual vacuum seal might help. Maybe?
@bph It only comes with 2 bags so you'll probably want to look into replacement ones right away. The linked bags are BPA free.
@bph I ordered the bags linked too. Tired of almost drowning stuff getting the air out of Ziplock bags :p
Awesome linked replacement bag roll that costs more than the device itself ordered. 11" is pretty nice though. Should have plenty of room to fit some fancy stuff in there.
@bph since I had to look up "sous vide" does that mean I am not qualified to own one of these ?
@ceagee Basic Sous Vide: get a cooler, sealed steak, hot water (135-140) and a thermometer. fill a cooler with a few gallons of 135 water (be sure to cover the steak). Submerget the steak for at least an hour, be sure it never drops below 130. Unseal it, pat the steak dry and sear it.
I use hot tap water and add boiling until my thermometer tells me the water is 135. I submerge it for at least an hour, checking it every 30-60 minutes to ensure the water doesn't drop below 130, where bacteria could grow. Then I take it out and quickly sear it in a hot grill or a hot cast iron skillet or hit it with a blow torch.
@gijoewade What does this accomplish? Juicy steaks, more flavorful, tenderness? Not trying to be a smartass, just curious. And did you mean you have to check it every 30-60 seconds for an hour?
@gijoewade Oh, but why, oh why, would you use sous vide to overcook a steak?
@SteveOOO An idiot proof way to cook. As long as it stays above 130, you can come back an hour late and nothing bad happens. It more or less gives a perfectly cooked steak. Usually juicier, and it gets more tender the longer you do it. Just be sure to keep it above 130, and don't spend to long searing it - do it hot and fast. A buddy sous vides a brisket before the smoker for incredible effect. 48-72 hours to make tough cuts "fork-tender."
Sous Vide is also perfect for chicken. I stopped cooking chicken for a while because the line between food poisoning and dried out meat is too thin. Sous vide your chicken wings first to cook the meat (look up how hot the water needs to be) and then throw them in HOT oil to crisp up the skin. Add sauce (1 part butter and 2-3 parts Franks hot sauce is good) and serve.
@editorkid With my Sansair, I usually do it at 131. At around 130-135 fat renders nicely to release the full beefy goodness. The starting 135-140 temp I give to beginners, because I don't want their water bath not being hot enough and they get sick. I don't want a first timer to get sick - a water bath that isn't warm enough is the perfect place for microbes.
If you sear it fast, there is no need to rest the meat.
Go to http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html for more than you want to know about sous vide
replacement bags cost more than the vacuum
@communist they're pretty cheap at costco for the $150 sealer
What the hell is that sealed in those bags? Gator heads!?!
@shannenelaine They're obviously dinosaur teeth, gosh.
@shannenelaine Ice cream cones.
@cole They do look terribly appetizing don't they?
@atannir preserve dinosaur teeth because even though they've lasted millions of years they won't stay fresh outside of the refrigerator?
This sucks
@somf69 and seals
What'd you do to Hank this time?
I know his routines haven't been a hit, but he is getting there.
I have one of these- for a no-frills unit, it works pretty damned great. Now it looks like I'll have a back-up, too.
This is pretty good for keeping your food from smelling like your frozen dead cats.
@Jetlag since it sucks, if the original owner used it that way we'd have no worries, right? Only what you put/leave in the bag potentially stinks, right?
Let's not get too generous with the inclusion of too many bags.
@RedOak The inclusion of bags would make it cost more. The unit is only $15.
@RedOak In the time it's going to take for this to reach you, I bet you can find more bags.
@cengland0 So this unit is like a bill for $25 more in replacement bags.
@cengland0 but two bags is hardly enough to assure the thing even works reliably before stocking up. And from the bag link on the front page, the stuff costs less than 50 cents a foot. The deal is even more cheapskate then me. ;-)
If I didn't already have a little one and a big one, I'd snap one up. Meh's buyers really are bringing their A game lately.
Gonna have to sleep on this.
It's gonna be awkward, what with the hard plastic and the sucking action and all.
@cinoclav don't ogre think it
Good price... but a,picky machine to use... I have to push real hard and sometimes it takes a few minutes to seal the bag
Reviews are spotty, but maybe the refurbished units fixed a lot of what people complained about? Price IS nice.
@Stallion As long as the generic bags are manufactured for vacuum sealers. These bags have air channels in them so it can suck the air out from anywhere in the bag.
@Stallion I see some "I returned my unit and they sent me a new model" in the reviews; maybe that's where the refurbs are coming from. So it's a bit of a gamble but I'm in for one anyway.
Picture 4 kind of looks like a skinned flying monkey
@somf69 I decided to read this topic because I wanted to see whether anyone else had thought that, too. (Well, I hadn't glommed onto the "skinned" part.)
@somf69 I thought it was @matthew's next PHC project.
I started with a cheap vacuum sealer like this to try them out. I have since moved on to a very nice Foodsaver unit. Bags are cheap on amazon so don't let that hold you back. I seal everything that I put in the freezer with them - love them. Once you go vacuum style you never go back!
@mfladd spoiler alert, I bought one. But can I use this to completely marinate my chicken before grilling or will the Italian dressing get sucked into it?
@mehdaf
As long as the bag is big enough and the liquid is not near the top it should be fine. I did it with my starter one. If, and when, you love it - you will step up to a better one with wet/dry vacuum settings. Enjoy.
The one i had the juices get sucked up into the vacum and you can never get them out nasty
Be warned:
Few things in the kitchen are as frustrating as a shitty vacuum sealer. If you get one of these hopefully you get a "good one".
jaunty-terminal-alligator
@slloyd82 You'll want the extra-large bag for that.
This is going to save us hundreds of dollars in cheese alone!
@ElroyBob don't touch your cheese, that's a tip i learned recently, btw, this is not metaphorical - just don't touch your cheese
I have a fancier Food Saver and the containers that you suck the air out of. I love this thing and use it daily. Food seriously stays fresh so so so much longer. If you want something like this, I think a better model (yup, more money) is the better way to go.
Good price... but a,picky machine to use... I have to push real hard and sometimes it takes a few minutes to seal the bag ...... drumstick ice cream🍗🍦
Weed, of course. My grower in CA uses the Ziplock heat sealing system, and with product inside three sealed bags, even my bloodhound can't smell it.
@droopus um... "hypothetically", canning jars work phenomenally well for that- you can store cured flowers for years without loss of terpenes or viability. The 1/2 pint and pint jars fit into the 11" bags (roll stock) and the combination of the jar seal and bag keep everything safe.
@alacrity Yep, love my mason jars. I keep my little
here in an old gun safe that keeps the temp at 65 all year long. B)
@droopus - for short term (1-3months) a cigar humidor works, too- ambient humidity level is kept to 60-70% and temp never passes 70. My dad (76 yrs old) has a batch of what we call "Kenmore Kush" he grew in '03 in vac-sealed jars that are 11+ years old in his freezer (hence the name) and we broke one out for the holidays last year. It was still potent and sweet, with minor degradation after all that time- and there's still at least 5 jars in there. Beats the hell out of egg nog.
Great for keeping your ammo dry!
@opiemeh great thinking.
In for three, apparently. enigmatic compliant thunder!
I've been wanting one of these for quite a while now. Thanks Meh buyers! Will it preserve my anxious-grassy-cheddar?
If I hadn't bought the FoodSaver GameSaver Deluxe last September I'd probably give this a go. Fifteen bucks is basically impossible to beat. I spent about a hundred bucks more than that on my FoodSaver.
@The_Tim I found a Gamesaver in like new condition in the box at Goodwill for $20. It is missing the cigarette lighter 12V cord and the hose/jar attachment, but other than that it's perfect. It's great for sous vide.
I understand Jeffrey Dahmer used one of these....
@eeterrific he liked his women like his coffee- ground, bagged and in the freezer...
@alacrity He actually liked Men
@skeet huh... ok- I guess with enough garlic, anything is palatable
@skeet Yes. He. Did.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cannibal-and-serial-killer-jeffrey-dahmer-is-caught
Yuck!
brunette-ditsy-effect
Never had one before, was interested, $15 seals the deal.
If you are thinking about getting one, it might be good to start with a cheaper unit and see how often you use it. I got a different brand for $4 at a garage sale, and although I don't use it much I do like it. If you expect to seal leftovers then you will be disappointed because it isn't worth the effort. Sealing extra spices or long term storage is a different matter. Want to pack an emergency pack of clothes in your backpack? Now they are compressed and will stay dry even if you fall into a lake. Have some shirts you want to keep because of the sentimental value, but will never wear? No bugs will eat them and they are a lot smaller. That emergency mylar blanket take up too much space in your first aid bag? Vacuum seal it. Does your mestinon get soggy when you look at it funny? Make little bags and seal out the moisture. Black peppercorn in bags 20x the size of your grinder? Divide and seal that shit. Don't want to waste a bunch of marinade? Toss in the defrosted meat and suck out the air. (sometimes even bakeware and all)
@Fen_Star Meh should pay you commission for this post because you are very convincing.
Are those Drumsticks "ice cream" cones? I never thought they could look any sadder than they already do from their packaging, but now I see I was mistaken.
@Zendriver I have a few left in the freezer (in standard packaging, not vacuum sealed)... thanks for the idea of what to eat.
@baqui63 well now I want one. Crap. Too late to go to the store. (And if I did I probably would get something else anyways. )
"Here's a weirdo who "vacuum-packs exothermic cutting rods and underwater welding electrodes"."
Sounds pretty smart to me if it protects rods that cost $100-200 per box from premature oxidation - not weird at all.
If the dogs catch me at the airport will @snapster bail me out?
@ThatsHeadly why would dogs be looking for welding rods? Or marinating chicken?
Sounds like you need to visit @JasonToon in Seattle...
unsafe-klutzy-zinc
(several KKK pix but this "zinc enclosed house" takes the cake and was the first hit)
I used to have a vacuum sealer. It broke, and I miss it.
Still... refurbished food related machines still kind of leave me wary.
@Cappo while I get your point, I feel there is little real problem here... after all, I doubt the plastic bags are refurbrished (and even if they are... don't eat the first two things you seal... kinda like a brita pitcher)
Since the machine is pulling air out of the bags and the food is only in contact with the bags, I think you'd be ok here.
Besides, soooo many other things to seal...
@baqui63 Having had a sealer, I know that sometimes liquids/meat juices will sometimes get sucked up into the vacuum feed. I don't know if refurbishing includes sterilization.
@Cappo Ah... I see... hmmm... (and ewww!)
sweet, needed one of these. The new vertical food savers review really poorly for $180, and they make too many damn models to compare. I had one of these and it worked great until I broke it. For this price? Sold.
Oh god, what did I just search for?
@pyip001 is that a young Ewan McGregor?
What's the largest thing you could vacuum seal with this? Could you do bulky sweaters? Blankets? Food applications look suspicious but if I can save some storage space I might go for it.
@njd The roll to make bags are 11 inches wide, you cut the roll to as long as you need then seal one cut edge, but allow nearly a half inch on either side inside the 11 inches. So you have 10 inches width inside the bag. If you can roll up your sweater or blanket, it will probably fit.
But this is really not made for that. You can get much bigger vacuum bags for storing clothes at a home store or sometimes dollar tree. You just use a regular vacuum cleaner hose attachment for those bags.
@ojohn I've never had luck with those space saver bags. They vacuum all the air out and then you store it away. The next time I go fetch the clothes, the seal is gone. It seems the zip lock that they use isn't a perfect seal or air gets in that one-way valve.
Although I have never put clothes into my food sealer, I've never had one get air into it once it was sealed -- ever!
@ojohn @cengland0 thanks, sounds like "meh" all around on my end
Right now I'm resisting the urge to buy this. But I'm already thinking of ways I could use it, so I'm sure I will cave at some point tomorrow unless it sells out.
@christinerenee so did you buy it?
@mehdaf I did not. I couldn't make up my mind before they sold out. And now I can't decide how I feel about that.
The longer I think about this, the more I want it. But I'm also pretty sure I won't use it as much as I think I will...
@Thumperchick Me too. I just keep thinking that if someday I have a really good reason to get one I'm sure I won't be able to find one this cheap. And then I'll be kicking myself.
@christinerenee Exactly.
@Thumperchick I had one that worked very well but never replaced it. The vacation I'm on is far more expensive than I anticipated so will need it to deal with all of the costco bulk food I'll be living off of for a while when I get home.
Before I order... can anyone confirm this is definitely compatible with 11 inch bags and rolls?
@ruouttaurmind The specs at the top say it's compatible with any vacuum sealer bags.
What the heck, I grabbed two. I'm sure, if nothing else, I can get $20 for one of them at a yard sale.
@ruouttaurmind I have one of these (soon to have 2) and yes- they'll work on 11" bags without issue. It's a great no-frills machine for $15. It'll pay for itself (and the bags) in 2 months or less.
@alacrity Thanks for confirming. I have an older FoodSaver that's gotten finicky the last few months. This is about half the price of replacing the heat strip.
$41.97 at Walmart.
Bah, couldn't talk myself out of it.
ambitious-shaggy-gate
@Thumperchick you won't be sorry (if this one works). But if you love them as much as I you will upgrade soon (this a starter machine).
@Thumperchick At this price, it's prob'ly gonna sell out, so I'll bet you'll be glad you did it. I want but can't spend.
@KDemo you were right. Sold Out.
@mfladd - Anything else you'd like me to predict?
@KDemo I would ask for the next winning powerball numbers, but that might be an abuse of your gift. So, I am going to rolodex your extrordinary powers until I really need them :)
I have an older FoodSaver that's on it's last legs. But this works very well: I put the soup into one of those thin, rectangular "disposable" tupperware-like ZipLoc or Glad containers (that are VERY reusable). I stick it in the freezer until it gets firm, then pop it out of the container and into a vacuum seal bag (I use the rolls; they're economical). Quick vacuum and heat seal and Bob's your uncle, you've got a tidy package of soup that'll last for months in the freezer. This process also works exceptionally well for juicy foods like ground beef.
These things are awesome for camping! I prepare my meals in advance and vacuum seal them. At the campsite I can just toss the bag of soup or stew or sgetti into a pan of boiling water.
It's also awesome for backpacking or boating/kayaking/canoeing. I seal up matches, clean socks... anything you'd rather keep dry.
@ruouttaurmind - I've never had one, but freezing soup sounds like a great idea. You could freeze it in the bowl or pot you'll use to reheat it, then put it in a bag. When you're ready to reheat, pop it back in the bowl - easy peasy. I really want one.
@ruouttaurmind This answered one my questions, thanks! (How to deal with a lot of liquid, without getting it sucked up into the machine.
@Thumperchick Also the better models have a wet/dry food setting for this, as well as a vacuum tube tool that can be used with foodsaver containers.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks for that great tip. I don't use mine for wet food but I now know a good way for doing that.
I mostly use mine to seal bags of rice. I'll buy 25 pounds at a time and seal them in small lots.
I also reuse my bags. I'll make a bag 11" x 20" and when I open it, I cut the top off. Next time, I have an 11 x 18" bag. I wouldn't reuse it if it was anything that would get the bag dirty.
Perfect freaking timing! I was just saying yesterday how I'd love to get one of these things to seal up my old computer documentation and parts for better storage. Commodore 64 and Apple II code printouts, you have a new home!
@TellarHK Those items might be better suited for a home in the Smithsonian... ;-)
@TellarHK Have you considered scanning and uploading the printouts to the Internet Archive? They'd love to have them!
@dashcloud You mean like these?
http://www.mocagh.org/softguide/c64user.pdf
http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Apple/Apple%20II%20Reference%20Manual%20-%20Woz.pdf
OH GOD NOT THE CHILDREN!!!
icy-ostensible-bigfoot
pro tip: use chip bag clips(good quality ones with rubber and strong spring) on both corners to hold it down for you.
Since I bought the Anova sous vide circulator on Prime Day, Anova ads are on all the privacy-invading commercial sites I visit, including meh. I'm really sick of having my every Amazon and Google search shoved back into my face on every god damned site I visit. I've had just about enough.
But for fifteen bucks I'm definitely buying one of these things since I have a sous vide circulator now.
flowery winning roadrunner (from Duck Duck Go image search)
@SSteve - Go undercover, man. I've started using Chrome's incognito search unless I'm ready to actually buy. Especially when clicking Amazon links (there are so many), incognito really helps.
@KDemo I just installed Ghostery on the laptop and so far it's great. I disable trackers as I run across them and web pages are loading much faster and with fewer ads. It's scary to see just how many trackers some sites have.
When you have one of these you can scoop up any meat you find at half price in the grocery store "Reduced for quick sale". Instead of missing it and thinking out loud "gee I wish I had a vacuum food sealer".
Sigh. Just bought a replacement one at Costco when mine broke. Somehow, I just can't resist a $15 one though. At $15, I can leave it at camp.
can...can you do people with it?
just asking, you, know, because a friend wants to know...
don't judge me.
@Steve7654 If they're in little pieces, yes
@Steve7654 You'll need the Fargo model wood chipper as an accompanying item to really make it sing.
@Steve7654 just like coffee- ground, bagged and stored in the freezer.
@sammydog01 no, no... this is a thing:
http://www.featureshoot.com/2012/08/flesh-love-photographs-of-vacuum-wrapped-tokyo-couples/
@Steve7654 I was afraid that's what you really meant...
@Steve7654 Wow, it really is a thing. I wish I could unsee that.
@kylethephotoguy This item seems to be missing the funny picture- picture 4 doesn't seem to be exotic food or an item. What's happening?
@dashcloud Maybe not the best idea, but the first image is the fun-image. Thought repackaging something already in a frozen package might be funny enough. We need a few not so great ideas to make the great ideas look even better. And plus,.... the cactus did not work out so well.
the marinade process is a pain in the ass, i will put some papertowels near where i'm sealing to stop the juice from creeping up and ruining the seal
@commodog add 2-3" to the bag size (rolls of bag stock are relatively cheaper) and have the sealer sit higher than the bagged product- it'll help.
Were we going for a Wilfred Brimley look on the "Meh" button for this item?
okay FINE
virtuous-exemplary-pepper ... I just got an Anova for Father's Day, and have been going through ziplock bags like crazy.
@Arsh I just got the Anova as well. Nice little toy. I saw this unit and got really excited - unfortunately I just missed it!
@streich Aww too bad. I love the Anova. I'm making consistently amazing chicken with it.
@Arsh I've had my Anova and havent used it yet, and regret it everyday (and yet continue to not). Hopefully I can get on board
@captainnibbles start with the honey mustard chicken breasts in the app. They turned out great. The sous vide part is easy, but getting the sear once the chicken is done is a little tricky. Also SeriousEats.com has a ton of great sous vide recipes.
@captainnibbles We made cod with our Anova last night. It was perfectly flaky and delicious. No searing necessary so it's an easy thing to start with. 130° for 30 minutes. We cooked it with five-spice, rice vinegar, mirin, and tamari. But salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice would be great too.
We were going to try sous vide burgers last weekend when my sister and her husband were here but the power went out so we grilled instead.
Seems like a no brainier at this price.
meaty-unassuming-scarf
This might be a great "second unit" - I have a FoodSaver unit and it works well in the kitchen. But when I want to process food in another space (like hops for brewing or loose-leaf tea in the pantry) it is a hassle to unplug and haul the FoodSaver. A hassle I will address with a $15 Rival!
The bags can get expensive; often, especially for bulky items like milk powder or grain, I'll use super-cheap Mylar bags and just stick a little "straw" of bag material in at the seal. It's an idea I swiped from our local homebrewing store: the Mylar bags are used for chamber vacuum sealers, but don't work with these because the air can't be evacuated by the vacuum... sticking a short piece of trimmed bag opens you up to bags of this nature:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00967K3EQ/
Pictures may explain this better than I have. It's Step 5 and Step 6 from http://adviceandbeans.com/2011/04/food-savers-and-mylar-bags/ but I've never used the first 4 steps and everything seems to seal fine, even without Dr Frankenstein's soldering iron.
@2palms I always wondered how these worked. Here's the direct video link:
Nice! Yes that's exactly what I do here. The video drags a bit in the beginning ("here's what we do that never works") but it's a good point to let the corrugated bag piece hang down into the food. I don't usually bother with double-sealing past the "straw."
If vacuum isn't a priority (i.e. sealing a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos) this guy works great too. I find myself sealing the factory-issued bags of frozen veggies, the big open bag of pretzels, 3/4 of a "ream" (?) tostadas after taco night... cheap, faster than a vacuum sealer and no consumables!
http://www.rakuten.com/prod//251336438.html
@uwacn If there were anything with juice meat etc the juices would be up in the vacum..getting eboli
I have a Food Saver along with a mile of bags for it. We seldom use it; too lazy. So. I did the logical thing and bought this.
Think I'll try to purchase very small appliance under $20 that Meh offers. Sounds like a good goal, no?
Whew! I hit the "buy it" button after pondering and couldn't get the "+" to add one to my cart. When I refreshed the site, lo it was sold out. That was close; meh almost had my $15...
@uncleop Maybe it is your fault they are sold out. You bought the last one.
@cengland0 ha ha ha. Nope.
Last thing of record on My Orders list is "MEH: YEAR ONE LIMITED EDITION COMMEMORATIVE COLLECTORS SHIRT". Which is lovely, even though it's not purple.
Now I can go savor my $15 savings.
So what did Meh do with the other seven?
@mfladd - I don't even know what to say.
@mfladd and @hollboll conspired to gift me one of these after I whined about not being able to afford one. Teach me to whine about stuff. Too, too kind. sniff
Um, THANK YOU!
@KDemo you weren't whining. You just said you really wanted one (a few times :). Enjoy. (p.s. @hollboll is my partner-in-crime)
@mfladd @hollboll
My situation recently changed, and I must be more frugal. This will really help, because I'm embarrassed to say how much food I find myself wasting. You're helping more than you know.
Thanks again. Hugs.
@KDemo
Back
@KDemo I also can't let you have only 1-2 bags. As August Goat I decree - if you can send me your address privately, perhaps if @sohmageek already has your email - that I will also send you a box of bags to go with it :)
@KDemo Do not ignore a royal goat decree! You will get it one way or the other. Don't make me go all medieval goat on you!
@mfladd - Awww, you're turning goatliness in a new altruistic direction this month.
I already have some bags on my Amazon list, you really don't have to do so much. I am very touched by your kind offer.
@KDemo Still going to do it. I will send you a private email on wOOt - watch for it later today :) p.s. It is a Goat decree, and you can't refuse the Goat. That is one power I do have.
@mfladd - Since you invented this diabolical plan and figured out my secret code name over there, I feel I must surrender to your superior intellect.
You're a good man, Charlie Brown.
(Wonder why the fates keep sending me to woot lately - is messaging in the works here?)
@KDemo I hope. And yes, you devious minx - I had to search for your wOOt name. But the Goat knows all!
@KDemo Bags are on their way as we speak :)
Really? How u do that with no email? Verrry resourceful, you are. I will prepare to hermetically seal all manner of foods (and maybe some other stuff) for posterity.
Thank you, @mfladd, Here's a bag for you:
Totes MaGoats!
@KDemo You gave me your email on woot. Check the one you gave me. You should have an email for amazon. You may just need to activate it. :)
@mfladd - Yes, but I thought you'd send an email, I didn't know you could link to Amazon that way. Cool!
Bags arrived last night, I've been prolonging the life of nuts and frozen foods with abandon. It's been said, but this thing really sucks! Proudly initiated into the ranks of bag ladies, thanks to @mfladd.
@KDemo enjoy the vacuum sealed baggie goodness!
Off topic but my Oster ice cream maker came and man is it purrrrty !!!
@mellowirishgent bring it to the Oster thread. People have just started talking about receiving theirs. (so is mine, but I haven't used it yet).
https://meh.com/forum/topics/oster-ice-cream-sorbet-and-yogurt-maker
Received my sealer thingy today. It came in a ginormous box with 36 pack long string of Texas air. I still have the mile of air that came in my Fuku. I'm saving it for one, big, dog terrifying, explosion.
@Teripie And now that you have the sealer, you can make your own bags of air! Well, two, anyway...
@Teripie verified allllllll da airs below
Mine arrived today, but with only one bag ;-(
@paulw1128 I got mine yesterday and only had one bag, too :( Works well, though.
Why Shipping box so big???. USPS could not fit it in the parcel box. I had to spent gas money to pick it at the local post office.
Mine came with lots of air too. I hope meh is paying by weight and not by volume.
Can't wait to get home and try it!
Received my Vacuum Sealer today. Only one bag. TOTAL RIPOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!
@buttermaker I got three for family & a friend. All came w/one bag in each box :( .
Only one bag why why why!!!????
Mine only came with one bag :(
Giant box for me
Only small box inside it
lots of dunnage, too.
Seriously - that was a weird packing job.
@Thumperchick - Hooray for dunnage!
So, everyone, what's the first thing you sealed? I'm debating between some frozen artichoke hearts that tend to get freezer burn, or some smoked mozzarella (but what if I want to use it?).
@KDemo fresh corn on the cob cut up into smaller portions for the winter :)
@KDemo My wife sealed up some leftover dill head after a canning session. Monday night I sealed up a couple chicken thighs and some carrots (separately) for sous vide cooking. They both came out amazing.
@SSteve I did some sous vide as well. I did a chuck steak, and it came out really well!
The one I received is defective. There's a raised spot in the center of the sealer strip that makes a hole in the bag.
@Tyathca Go to your order page, find the sealer and click on "I need help". Tell them the problem and they will do everything they can to help.
@Tyathca bummer that stinks - feel free to try forcing it flat or other sorts of attempts that might either work or break it. We'll refund or send you another if we have one without caring of condition that ones in.
@snapster that is one of the most awesome responses from a company! Big thumbs up!
@Tyathca Same happeend to mine, except there are 3 small bumps in the heating element. This results in 3 small holes. I haven't disassembled the heating element yet but I'll take a look..
@Tyathca I didn't disassemble the heating element, but found that the bumps go away if you apply more pressure during the sealing process in that area.
I ordered a vacuum seal roll from Amazon and I'm enjoying vacuum sealing everything I can. It works!
@creativecstasy Which roll of sealing bags did you order? Should I order the name brand ones or are the knock-off/generic ones just as good?
@Prissy I got this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I1OM7TO
I also ordered a roll from Amazon, and I had a great time last night sealing up bags of homemade chili for the freezer. I made my entire household stand and go "ooohhhh" at the process.
Mine came with 0 bags and was DOA. Not a great deal!!
@twinn999 Not cool! Have you tried contacting the warranty holder for this product?
To see if they can replace it for you?
Mine doesn't suck....well take that back. It SUCKS alright but only because it doesn't actually suck. All it does is seal, no vacuum action. I've wasted over 10 bags trying to get it to work. Will be contacting them about the warranty. Fully expecting it to cost more than 15 dollars to ship it where it needs to go to get fixed.
Avoiding "refurbished" products from this site in the future.
@kfm423 It sucks that your vacuum doesn't suck, so it sucks. There is a warranty on it, however, for 1 year from date of purchase! You should totally contact them to see if they can help your sucky vacuum to suck so it stops sucking.