It seems it's really not necessary to buy a vacuum sealing machine as the food does not need to be totally vacuum sealed. Will my Seal-a-Meal do?
1255139
You just need to get as much air out of the bag as possible to improve contact between it and the water. I just happen to already own a Food Saver machine so use it to vacuum and seal my food that I cook. The material I have read says a heavy duty ziplock bag work well also.
1255140
I don't know if the seal-a-meal will work. I use a vacuum sealer but I remember reading that other bags can be used but make sure and get out as much air as possible.
1255141
I use a Food Saver brand and it's OK. I hope to buy a nicer version soon but in the meantime, I think you just want something to get as much air out as possible.
772740
So far i've just used the Food Saver brand of bags. But you should be able to use any bags. I'm not happy with the performance of my Rival vacuum sealer though. It worked great the first few times using it. We haven't used it very often and we are already having problems with it. It's suctioning fine but the sealer does not kick in to seal. We've only had it for around 6 months. We keep the rubber part that does the seal protected so it doesn't dry out or flatten by wrapping it in the original packaging and still it's not working propertly. So, I don't recommend this product.
1852388
I have not tried but I understand that it will NOT. I bought this unit a little more than a year ago and I use it everyday. It has more than paid for itself and my freezer in that time. We simply don't throw food away. Vac seal and freeze become grab and go. The chamber units allow you to save liquids, seal jars and all kinds of things. I bought a bag of potato chips, sealed them in a jar and opened it 8 months later--they were great. It won't replace canning but it does save money immediately. Hope that helps. One final thought is that vacumaster does make other units which do seal mylar bags. I've sealed mine with an iron, straw and oxygen obsorbers. I have not tried but I understand that it will NOT. I bought this unit a little more than a year ago and I use it everyday. It has more than paid for itself and my freezer in that time. We simply don't throw food away. Vac seal and freeze become grab and go. The chamber units allow you to save liquids, seal jars and all kinds of things. I bought a bag of potato chips, sealed them in a jar and opened it 8 months later--they were great. It won't replace canning but it does save money immediately. Hope that helps. One final thought is that vacumaster does make other units which do seal mylar... » Read More I have not tried but I understand that it will NOT. I bought this unit a little more than a year ago and I use it everyday. It has more than paid for itself and my freezer in that time. We simply don't throw food away. Vac seal and freeze become grab and go. The chamber units allow you to save liquids, seal jars and all kinds of things. I bought a bag of potato chips, sealed them in a jar and opened it 8 months later--they were great. It won't replace canning but it does save money immediately. Hope that helps. One final thought is that vacumaster does make other units which do seal mylar bags. I've sealed mine with an iron, straw and oxygen obsorbers. « Show Less
1336055
It all depends on what you put in the bag. Dry items like dehydrated foods and such work fantastic. Liquid items are hard to get a good vacuum seal. Wet items work OK but you have to stop almost every time you do one bag to clean the liquid tray, or it won't seal properly. But I have done whole fish and large pieces of meat with no problem.
2124761
Definitely! I use only Weston Vacuum bags (quart size) with my Food Saver vacuum sealer, and my daughter uses only Weston Vacuum bags (including gallon size) with her Rival Seal-a-Meal. We both like them much better than our machines' brand bags -- plus they are much cheaper.
1430507
Yes, you can use a VACUUM-type sealer that sucks all the air out of the jar -- I do it all the time. Food Saver brand does it very well, as long as the unit is capable of sealing 'cannisters'.
1586487
I would think so.. I tried sealing food in an old potato chip bag using a hot knife to seal.. IT WORKS! so i'd think it should work with FoodSaver. Potato Chip Bag material is very superior and keeps vacuum for a long time.
841399
I use my vacuum sealer to seal chopped chicken meat I purchase large amounts and it is great to put them inportion sizes and freeze... been doing this since I purchasedthe unit and have had no problem whatsoever! Great machine.
102241
Yes an impulse heat sealer or foodsaver like pump is necessary to seal these shut, although these bags are very thin and don't seal well and break easily after being frozen and the plastic stretching. Look into zippops they are the best alternative I found with good thick plastic and a ziplock like seal so you don't need a heat sealer even though you can use one anyway. This product here isn't good though
1448446
YES! I accidentally found out how much better vacuum sealed steaks tasted vs ziplocked and I was HOOKED. I'll grill out mass quantities off meats (pork chops, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, hamburger patties... you name it, let them cool slightly and seal 'em up. I call them "meat snacks". I've actually sealed chili, ground turkey and tomatoes, ham and potato stew... pretty much anything. Really helps to be able to grab something from the freezer at work vs going out for fat food. (Typo intentional, lol.) Protip... if your sealer seems to be losing suction after say a year or so, just moisten the foam rings prior to using. Gotta do it each time, but it beats buying a new unit. YES! I accidentally found out how much better vacuum sealed steaks tasted vs ziplocked and I was HOOKED. I'll grill out mass quantities off meats (pork chops, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, hamburger patties... you name it, let them cool slightly and seal 'em up. I call them "meat snacks". I've actually sealed chili, ground turkey and tomatoes, ham and potato stew... pretty much anything. Really helps to be able to grab something from the freezer at work vs going out for fat food. (Typo intentional, lol.) Protip... if your sealer seems to be losing suction after say a year or... » Read More YES! I accidentally found out how much better vacuum sealed steaks tasted vs ziplocked and I was HOOKED. I'll grill out mass quantities off meats (pork chops, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, hamburger patties... you name it, let them cool slightly and seal 'em up. I call them "meat snacks". I've actually sealed chili, ground turkey and tomatoes, ham and potato stew... pretty much anything. Really helps to be able to grab something from the freezer at work vs going out for fat food. (Typo intentional, lol.) Protip... if your sealer seems to be losing suction after say a year or so, just moisten the foam rings prior to using. Gotta do it each time, but it beats buying a new unit. « Show Less
768079
Since it vacuums out all liquid, you probably will need to pre-freeze. When I need to do sauces, or meats, I make a Foodsaver bag, then freeze my food in that, and vacuum and seal it the next day. Hope this helps! BTW, we use it more than I could have imagined. It is a nifty device! My husband loves it.
1819855
Yes. I bought StaVac Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer Bags on Amazon. They have worked very well for me. They are quart size and are sealed on one end, so you save time sealing. They sell 100 bags for $22.95 which is a fantastic price because the Food Saver rolls are very expensive and have to be cut and sealed on both ends.
2267281
Its hard to say without know what your trying to seal, but it won't pull a complete vacuum if there are gaps where air can get trapped, its not powerful enough for that. It helps to arrange the food so that it is at the bottom of the bag and compacted as much as possible before hand.
1696707
It totally works for that as well! I put sandwiches, rice, yogurt and it seals the food in its compartment. There is no leaking whatsoever. However, I only put food in that doesn't need warming or heating up as I prep lunches the night before and put in fridge.
316266
While I haven't tried it myself there is a review http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0055-FreshSaver-Handheld-Vacuum-Sealing/product-reviews/B002NGNBR8?pageNumber=2 that says no it will not work.
759592
There is a simple way to seal without suction (vacuum). The sealer bar is in front of the vacuum chamber. Simply put bag edge on the sealing portion in the very front. Otherwise the law of physics apply, and it real doesn't matter what sealer you use. It will suck liquid or marinades out of the bag. There is no seal only button. Please for you others, I will not respond any more!
1404682
No, it does not come with a vacuum sealing machine. You'll have to purchase that separately.