Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

[ThreeDJ16]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I regret not putting that in a separate thread in the Komodo General group. I don't think many folks saw it in time down here where I buried it.

I typically hit the view unread post button or look at the newest topics on the right (main page list). So I saw it when I first got to the forum, unfortunately 45 minutes later was too late.

-=J

[mk1]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

After much consideration I bought a chamber sealer last week. I wanted to freeze soups and stews....

I bought the Vacmaster VP112, an almost commercial device. It is nice, though large and heavy. i think i made the right decision for my uses. I paid 670 delivered but have since found it for 600 on Black Friday...oh well why did I look?

I made 3 vats of soup this weekend, and it worked great. Turkey/stuffing...Split pea...and beef vegetable.

Since water boils at room temperature at low pressure, you dial back the suction to just when it starts to boil, then seal.

[bryan]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I get my bags here

http://www.agribags.com/vacuum_bags_pg1.html

If you find a better deal please let me know.

My VacMaster is a "Most Used Appliance".

You will like it as much as the Komodo-Kamado.

Works great for family heirlooms, documents, books, fish and all else. No more freezer burn.

Congrats on your purchase.

I find myself doing a lot of what I call pocket food.

I seal individual servings of leftovers.

I grab a handful when going fishing or on short trips. By time to eat they are thawed and ready.

Just snip the bag eat and toss bag in trash. (Thanksgiving is in the bag so to speak)

You are going to love this machine.

[gerard]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I typically hit the view unread post button or look at the newest topics on the right (main page list). So I saw it when I first got to the forum, unfortunately 45 minutes later was too late.

-=J

Actually, that was 24h,44m later.

[ThreeDJ16]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I typically hit the view unread post button or look at the newest topics on the right (main page list). So I saw it when I first got to the forum, unfortunately 45 minutes later was too late.

-=J

Actually, that was 24h,44m later.

Hehe...still drunk I guess. Skipped the forum Sunday. Guess I assumed Cyber Monday for the deal when indeed it was a Cyber Sunday.

-=J

[fcnich]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

Just thought i would add the this thread. I just purchased a vacuum sealer made by food saver, called a "game saver" . I purchased it at Gander Mountain. Made for repetitive use, i sealed up 15 one pound bags of pulled pork and it did an excellent job. Comes with a dc adapter for you hunters, it can be plugged into the cigarette lighter to use in the field. A bit pricey but compared to some of the others i have looked at not bad $200.00.

[Syzygies]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

called a "game saver"

Yeah, we have that one, it's their best one. If it's going to fail, hope it does within warranty as their customer service does its best to compensate for their build quality. Replace the gaskets regularly. Wet them if they're old and you didn't take preceding advice. Press down a little to start the vacuum. Make sure the sealing area is very clean, as anything will disrupt their microscopic seal. I still want to hurl mine into the yard every now and then, and I'm said to be good with objects. I don't like this object.

For liquids I've taken to using inexpensive chamber vacuum bags, directly sealed on a $60 impulse sealer that makes a spectacular 4mm seal. I drop the bag over the sealing bar so nearly all the air is on one side, nearly all the liquid is on the other, smooth out the sealing area so there's only the faintest liquid between the plastic layers (not enough to make any noise on sealing) and seal, holding the sealer down a few seconds afterwards for the seal to cool. This is great e.g. for stocks. A 1/4 tsp bubble doesn't bother me. Even a chamber-sealed sous vide pouch will off-gas some bubbles while cooking. I chose bags rated for cooking food; if one is already invested in unrated bags, let sleeping dogs lie. There is a difference, but it isn't worth a debate.

[fcnich]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

Well i hope i dont have to throw mine, (although i have done some of that back in the day...well except for the laptop i threw in the pool) i will keep you posted!!!

[mguerra]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

Per Cookshack, I got a Vacmaster. VP112 chamber unit. One cool feature is the ability to vac seal the special containers. I'm giving it a real test. I made a big batch of guacamole and sealed it up in the 0.5 L container. If it doesn't turn black, I know I found a winner!

[bryan]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

Doc

Congrats on your Vac.

I use the 3mm bags from here

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/vacuum ... pouch.aspx

Due to the low meat cooking temps for meat 3mm is a good selection for sous-vide cooking and/or food storage.

(I started with the 4x6 and 8x12 inch bags)

A rubber foadable canning jar funnel is a great help for filling bags.

I use a varity of empty veg cans and a tomato juice can for bag holders.

ALWAYS fold the bag top back 1-2 inches before filling. (unfold and you are ready to seal the clean lip surface)

How is the seal test going?

I have sealed some of my Old old books. Works great. I also do my ammo.

[mguerra]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

The guac is still bright green. By the way, my recipe for guacamole is very simple: avocado, salt, garlic powder. If you put all sorts of other stuff in your guac, try this recipe once. The key to the flavor is the level of avocado ripeness; I like them just before they are too far gone. Or slightly less. Definitely softer and not harder.

Nice tip on the ammo.

BTW, Saturday I looked at an H and K compact .45, it felt SO good in hand. I don't really need another .45, but that little item is tempting.

[Syzygies]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

My research lead me to the belief that the Minipack Cyclone 30 could be the best compact external clamp vacuum sealer. I now own one in New York, buying the last one from one vendor at $295. Rumor has it this machine has been discontinued; anyone imagining that they can drop ship one may be wrong about this. I'm in a PayPal dispute over a second unit for California which never arrived from The Vak Shack, at $350. If the Minipack Cyclone 30 is available anywhere, one will have to pay $400 or so. Use a credit card that you're sure will side with you; by the time a PayPal dispute resolves, these may be long gone from the market. You will have missed your chance.

The competitors at this price point (Weston and private label versions of same) all look like they were built in someone's garage, are bulkier, and have various unhappy reviews. There is nothing astonishing about the Minipack, it just works as one might have expected a $50 Target unit to work, except one needs to pay $400 these days for such quality. The gaskets do not need replacing. The pump stays on while sealing (what moron at FoodSaver didn't think this was necessary?). The unit is compact, all metal, digital display with multiple adjustable saved settings. The cheap note is the totally unnecessary plastic drip tray (just clean the space in which it sits) which can interfere with a full vacuum.

To be fair, by its own measurements the Minipack Cyclone 30 reaches a 6% or 7% vacuum, which is enough to shrink pouches pretty hard around food. I'd guess this is twice the FoodSaver vacuum, and I really wonder what people are thinking who use FoodSavers to apply a vacuum to containers such as Ball jars. Can enough pressure to hold the lid on tight really make any difference to the keeping properties of food within? I made some experiments involving sealed pouches with pinholes inside a Ball jar, and as best I could tell the FoodSaver vacuum was negligible. Enough to hold the lid on, but no significant effect on the contents.

A chamber vacuum machine easily reaches a 98% vacuum, which facilitates many Modernist techniques I could perhaps live without. Some of us are worried not only about the money, but the counter space. $400 for a unit that really gets the job done and is small and portable is a good thing.

Bags are also a consideration. One does break even with enough volume through a chamber machine, because the bags cost so much less. Yet few of us are really at this volume. The chamber pouches are also wonderful; if one gets used to them (say, with liquids and a $40 impulse sealer) one learns to detest the clumsy, overpriced FoodSaver bags. One easily buys chamber pouches rated for 48 hours of sous vide simmering; FoodSaver makes no such statement.

I found a less expensive source of "channel" bags that are rated for sous vide and "boil in pouch" applications:

VacMaster VacStrip bags

They're an interesting design: Extra material is inserted to provide the vacuum channels, so the 3 mil pouch itself is not compromised by vacuum channels. My only bag failures have involved bones; the Cyclone pulls the plastic pretty hard around a bone, making a puncture likely. Notice one can order bone guards, which are also used with chamber machines.

Dear reader, you may hear from others who bought 5,000 chamber bags on price before considering the question of heat safety, and now want to assert that there is no safety issue. Health safety is a moving target; I remember when we gradually became aware that smoking could kill. Just flagging a possible issue for you to consider; we're erring on the side of caution.

Again, if you're happy with your FoodSaver, lucky you. Like $50 headphones or a $14,000 sticker car, why rock the boat if nothing is obviously wrong? There's also ziplock bags, one can get pretty close to FoodSaver quality storage with a bit of manual dexterity.

[mk1]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

My only complaint about my VP-112 is its size on the countertop, so I keep it in a closet.

I love making pulled pork packets which go from freezer to a water bath to the plate.....

I do home ground burger packets too. And home cut steaks from strip and ribeye primals.

[mguerra]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

The VP 112 is a counter space hog for sure. I may put mine on a rolling kitchen cart and stash it in the dining room between uses. It's not as massively heavy as some chamber machines, you can carry it, or roll it. The thing is 24 " deep so it's bulky. I will try it for travel packing and see how it compresses down say, a sweater.

[bryan]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I buy chicken breast buy the case at "Sams". (their meat dept here... does not do frozen)

Package by the each, sous vide, and freeze.

Serving Day:

Thaw, then I bread and brown according to how I am serving the chicken.

I have served steaks on time to a crowd where each and every one was done to perefection and on time.

Much of my Komodo cooking goes into individual serving pouches.

Somewhere before serving I place [hr:33b59w4o]all needed pouches in a 165F bath.

To move the serving time is no problem.

Open the steaks and do a fast 1 min per side on a Komodo and at the same time have your other food pouches pre-heating in a 165F water bath.

Meat = clip brown and serve.

Veg's = clip and serve

[5698k]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

The Cabelas Pro series works well as far as a non commercial unit. I've used one quite a bit for packing fish, three years in a salt water environment, and so far, no bag leaks. It is just for normal home use, but way better than the food saver.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[bryan]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

For those using a foodsaver type system...

1- Semi freeze then seal.

or

2- Place folded paper napkin inside bag all across top.

(don't block seal area)

Either way will stop water from entering machine.

[Jstaggie]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I'm in a PayPal dispute over a second unit for California which never arrived from The Vak Shack, at $350. If the Minipack Cyclone 30 is available anywhere, one will have to pay $400 or so. Use a credit card that you're sure will side with you; by the time a PayPal dispute resolves, these may be long gone from the market. You will have missed your chance.

I don't know if you resolved this yet, but before I saw your post I ordered the same Item from The Vak Shack and was concerned because I heard nothing from them at the time of order or when the PayPal payment cleared. I emailed and got no response, but today I got a second contact number from their Facebook page for Don at 717-512-5500. I called him and a short while later received an order confirmation. I'll update here when it ships/I receive it.

It turns out that Derek--one of the owners I think--was unfamiliar with PayPal's clearing procedures for a bank transfer/e-check and marked the order non-paid because payment was not attached with the original notice of the order. I don't know if that's ideal, but I'd never had PayPal delay payment on a transaction until this one, so it's plausible that PayPal changing the process for check payments caused confusion.

I'll update if I have any other problems.

[Syzygies]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I don't know if you resolved this yet

PayPal heard nothing from the guy (I did, an apology for being busy) and refunded my money. Whew! However, the boilerplate in the refund included the message:

If the seller's account has insufficient funds to complete the refund owed

to you, please be assured that we will take appropriate action against the

seller's account, which may include limitation of the seller's account

privileges.

Huh.

Apparently, PayPal gave me money back that was in the seller's account. We've also experienced sellers folding without funds; Amex invariably sides with the customer, while other credit cards side with "the man". I'm not sure I trust PayPal for any amount I'm not willing to lose. A conservative rule: It's worth paying more, if they accept Amex.

Dennis would be the one exception: We had no concerns using PayPal to buy our Komodo Kamado. This is squarely Dennis's reputation, not PayPal's. I'd hand Dennis cash, and sleep like a baby that night.

Bottom line: VakShak doesn't have their act together.

[mguerra]

Re: Best vacuum packer? (FoodSaver alternatives?)

I opened a separate, dedicated checking acct just for PayPal purchases. I keep just enough money in there to cover PayPal purchases. PayPal has no access to my personal nor business checking accounts.