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BillCA · March 21, 2007, 01:16 AM

Chemist308 et al,

The better units are the Tila brand FoodSaver machines and their specially designed packaging material. I bought one of these in 1998 and it paid for itself in about 6 months by allowing bulk purchases that could be stored for long periods.

I've eaten fish & steaks that were sealed fresh, then frozen for up to 15 months.

Tips and Cautions:
1. Do not try to seal up liquids, especially flammables ones. Bad idea.
2. Using masking tape on sharp edges (e.g. front/rear sights) to prevent vacuum loss through poking a hole in the bag.
3. Pointy things can be sealed if you embed their tips in wood or styrofoam first (needles, pins, knives, nails, etc.)
4. Thin pasta (angel hair) and similar stuff should be placed on oval shaped cardboard & sealed.
5. For matches, batteries, coins and other small items, put them into a sandwhich baggie and partially seal it before vacuum packing. This gives you a carry pouch for them when you open the package or a spare baggie for other uses..and it helps protect the sealed bag from punctures.

It's important to keep the units very clean both for food sanitation reasons as well as to ensure a good heat seal.

When I bought mine, we started buying chicken, pork ribs, ground beef, steaks and tri-tip roasts at CostCo (good quality meats) in bulk packages. Since there were only 2 of us, we bagged things in pairs and sealed them for freezing. We used a permanent marker to write the contents and purchase date on the outside edge. Just before the whole Y2K thing, we made two big buys at Costco, sealed up lots of stuff, just in case. Afterwards, we used it up and didn't have to buy any meat or vegetables until Thanksgiving of 2000 (and only then 'cuz turkeys are too big to vac-bag).

Best of all, if you have kids, you can cook up a bunch of food then create a long bag of "leftovers" divided into entree, veggie and side dish for the kids to heat up on their own. Works great if you cook in a wok and add cooked rice to a single bag.

March 21, 2007, 01:16 AM	#12
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	Chemist308 et al, The better units are the Tila brand FoodSaver machines and their specially designed packaging material. I bought one of these in 1998 and it paid for itself in about 6 months by allowing bulk purchases that could be stored for long periods. I've eaten fish & steaks that were sealed fresh, then frozen for up to 15 months. Tips and Cautions: 1. Do not try to seal up liquids, especially flammables ones. Bad idea. 2. Using masking tape on sharp edges (e.g. front/rear sights) to prevent vacuum loss through poking a hole in the bag. 3. Pointy things can be sealed if you embed their tips in wood or styrofoam first (needles, pins, knives, nails, etc.) 4. Thin pasta (angel hair) and similar stuff should be placed on oval shaped cardboard & sealed. 5. For matches, batteries, coins and other small items, put them into a sandwhich baggie and partially seal it before vacuum packing. This gives you a carry pouch for them when you open the package or a spare baggie for other uses..and it helps protect the sealed bag from punctures. It's important to keep the units very clean both for food sanitation reasons as well as to ensure a good heat seal. When I bought mine, we started buying chicken, pork ribs, ground beef, steaks and tri-tip roasts at CostCo (good quality meats) in bulk packages. Since there were only 2 of us, we bagged things in pairs and sealed them for freezing. We used a permanent marker to write the contents and purchase date on the outside edge. Just before the whole Y2K thing, we made two big buys at Costco, sealed up lots of stuff, just in case. Afterwards, we used it up and didn't have to buy any meat or vegetables until Thanksgiving of 2000 (and only then 'cuz turkeys are too big to vac-bag). Best of all, if you have kids, you can cook up a bunch of food then create a long bag of "leftovers" divided into entree, veggie and side dish for the kids to heat up on their own. Works great if you cook in a wok and add cooked rice to a single bag. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)