FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

I have wanted one of these for some time and have taken my time deciding as some models have not had wonderful reviews. I eventually decided on this machine and I have not regretted my choice. Having read the instructions I eventually worked out what everything does. A roll of the plastic is kept within the machine. Very handy to make bags to the size you require. First step is to feed the start of the roll under the cutting blade (it has the plastic slider at the left hand side and it lifts to feed the end of the roll under). Pull it to the edge of the machine, shut the lid, lock and then press the seal button (top RHS). Once the light goes off, open and pull the roll through until you get the size of bag you want plus a little bit extra. To cut slide the cutter left to right and back again. You now have a bag sealed on 3 sides. To vacuum pack put the edges of the bag into the opening near the front of the open machine (once you have packed your items in obviously!) and vacuum - you can do this slowly (the tortoise), medium, or fast (the hare). There is also a pulse option to remove the air. Seal again and that's it! Comes complete with one canister and all the connections you need for vacuum packing in the canister for delicate items. Also one roll for DIY bags and quite a few made bags. Really need to read the instructions as veg mostly needs to be blanched before vacuum packing and freezing. They also suggest freezing a lot of items first before you vacuum pack. You have to watch when liquid is involved to avoid sucking any liquid into the vacuum section but a bit of kitchen towel solves that problem. I got this because I want to cook meals in bulk, portion and freeze. I am on a special diet for diabetes and was getting fed up spending a lot of time in the kitchen. This allows me to store extra portions and always have the right food available. I am delighted with this model - so delighted I have just ordered another for a gift. I suspect this will pay for itself in no time.

i did not get on with thiis machine. i do think that there was somthing wrong with it as it would not seal very well.

Well I finally had enough of food going off in the fridge. After googling for hours I finally decided on the Food Saver V2860. It's bigger brother V3840 was not very flexible in the seal making department, and had a lot of poor independent reviews, so the V2860 it was. It's so simple to use, from out of the box to sealing my first bacon slice took 3 minutes. The unit feels sturdy and well built, the seal created is wide and very sturdy. There is a moist setting on the machine which takes into account that there may be moisture along the seal and heats up for longer, making sure the moisture is boiled off before the seal. If your worried the seal may split, move the bag by 1 cm and do another manual seal which fairy guarantees no leaks. The canister that came with the unit is medium/small in size. I used it to seal a Lb of Jam sugar with no problems. I will say it's a little noisy when working but apart from that there were no issues. When not in use if flips up and takes up very little space on the kitchen counter, a big bonus in my opinion. Watch this space for further updates as I see how food spoilage is reduced.

I'm very impressed with this machine. It's quick, simple to use for most items and very effective. I note some users saying that it doesn't seal wet items well but I've had no problems at all if the instructions are followed correctly, putting a sheet of paper towel in the neck of the bag before sealing and being careful with the suction power. The vacuum pump is indeed extremely powerful. It will totally flatten slices of bread on a standard setting. Again, it's important to follow the instructions fully to get the correct results. Soft items are best frozen first before vacuum sealing. It will only work with the correct vacuum bags and rolls and not cheap or simple bags. However, there a plenty supplied to get started and by using the rolls you can make any size bag you like very easily.

I have to say I am a bit of a gadget freak when it comes to cooking. BUT this is one gadget everyone should have. I decided I wanted to have a go at Sous Vide, so I bought this for that purpose. I then discovered that it was going to save me a fortune in food I otherwise would have thrown away. One example. Buy a whole chicken, cut off the breasts and vacuum in a bag with a fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, 1 tbsp Noilly Prat, 25g butter marinade. Using the Giles & Posner Sous Vide (currently cheapest at Robert Dyas) cook for 3 hours @ 80C. Believe me you will be eating Michelin Star quality at home. Then with the rest of the chicken cut off the meat (legs etc.) and vacuum pack and into the freezer for another meal, then chop up the carcase, add 1-1/4pts water, 1 chopped carrot, 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 tsp dried herbs, 1/2 Bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 stick celery and pressure cook for 20 mins (best pressure cooker in the world WMF Perfect Plus) so you have a stock. Strain it and put it into a Foodsaver vacuum canister that comes with this machine, then into the fridge. This will keep a couple of weeks and you can use it in meals and soups. I have also purchased the Marinator. Absolutely brilliant, I marinated my pre fried beef meatballs for 1 hour using 1/2 pack tomato pasata, Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 bay leaf, 1 lemon juice, 1 chopped shallot. Then pressure cook with marinade for 10 mins. Bliss!!! Believe me, your life will change forever, and you will beat global warming for sure :)

poor performance, pricey