Foodsaver

ChangingTami
ChangingTami Posts: 109 Member
edited October 4 in Food and Nutrition
I am thinking about buying a FOODSAVER...........open boxes of items only used once go stale, items in freezer are in there longer get freezer burn......changing one's life style in this household means a box of cereal can last a month or longer. :wink:

Anyway, Do you own a FOODSAVER? What are your thoughts about it? What type do you have?

Replies

  • kstw
    kstw Posts: 52 Member
    I like them. We use it for portion control, freezing meats, fish, veggies, etc in two person portion amounts. This way we don't lose food from cooking then not eating it or, as you say, using something once and it going stale.
  • midwesthiker
    midwesthiker Posts: 144
    I LOVE my foodsaver. It is really old, I have had it for probably 8-10 years - got it as a gift. It is a very basic model but still works great. I keep saying I want a new one with the instant seal button but I won't buy one until this one dies.

    I buy family packs of meat and break it down before foodsaving. A word of advice, make sure you label it. You may know it is pork now, but in a month you will be wondering what it is!

    I also use with veggies from my garden. I blanch them, then freeze them. You can put the bag right in the boiling water to cook them. Same with soup. I freeze soup in gladware then transfer to a foodsaver bag. You can actually cook the soup in the microwave right in the bag without opening it. Then cut it open and pour into a bowl. I have done the same with leftovers. That saves the microwave from getting all messy. Just keep an eye on it. The bag will poof up, but it you leave it too long it will eventually explode! :noway:

    I actually store my cereal in tupperwear containers that are tall and skinny. Since I pack it for work every day I would never have time to pull the foodsaver out and close it back up. I store all my chips, cookies, crackers, and pasta this way.

    I have talked about my foodsaver so much that many of my friends have bought them and love them just like I do.
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Yes, yes, yes! I couldn't live without mine! I have a V2830 model that is a probably around 3 years old. It sets on the counter all the time. I purchased it one winter during a Christmas sale at Kohls, and got it very cheap. (Probably under $50)

    I use mine mainly to reseal packages (cereal, crackers, frozen foods), etc. to prevent foods from becoming stale or getting freezer burn. I buy large packages of meat that I then repackage in smaller sized portions to be put in the freezer, and I use the Foodsaver bags with the vacuum and sealer.

    My mom has one (uses it so much, she may be on her 3rd one by now). She is fortunate to live in a part of the country where fresh fruits abound, so she makes freezer jam, freezes nuts, berries, etc. She recommended to me not to by other brands, that the Foodsaver was the best one.

    MIne came with the plastic containers, but I haven't used them yet... I definitely would recommend buying one, it will pay for itself with the food you won't be throwing out.
  • ChangingTami
    ChangingTami Posts: 109 Member
    I use mine mainly to reseal packages (cereal, crackers, frozen foods), etc. to prevent foods from becoming stale or getting freezer burn. I buy large packages of meat that I then repackage in smaller sized portions to be put in the freezer, and I use the Foodsaver bags with the vacuum and sealer.

    This is all the reasons I am looking for one too!
  • ChangingTami
    ChangingTami Posts: 109 Member
    Same with soup. I freeze soup in gladware then transfer to a foodsaver bag. You can actually cook the soup in the microwave right in the bag without opening it. Then cut it open and pour into a bowl. I have done the same with leftovers. That saves the microwave from getting all messy. Just keep an eye on it. The bag will poof up, but it you leave it too long it will eventually explode! :noway:


    Love this idea!!
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Same with soup. I freeze soup in gladware then transfer to a foodsaver bag. You can actually cook the soup in the microwave right in the bag without opening it. Then cut it open and pour into a bowl. I have done the same with leftovers. That saves the microwave from getting all messy. Just keep an eye on it. The bag will poof up, but it you leave it too long it will eventually explode! :noway:


    Love this idea!!

    I agree, this is a great idea, I need to try it!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    I love mine! As everyone else mentioned I buy meat in big packages and then re-portion for two people and freeze it. A sharpie marker works fine for labeling the meat before freezing...B for beef, T for turkey, P for pork...etc. I have used it to re-seal those crinkly plastic bags like in cereal boxes and some chip bags will re-seal too. I used to make up "frozen dinners" on those el cheapo plastic plates out of left overs that I could just grab and go with. I have even been known to wash the used bags in the dishwasher and use them again! I also have the 3 piece canister set that I use for things that I don't use often that are sold in largish packages...flour, seasoned bread crumbs, and brown sugar are usually in them. It is kinda fun to put a marshmallow in one and watch it get HUGE when you suck the air out, and shrink again when you break the seal.

    I haven't done it myself, but I have seen where people have used the foodsaver to package doll clothes and fine lace items for storage.
  • ChangingTami
    ChangingTami Posts: 109 Member
    Thanks girls your input has been very helpful......I just placed an oder for one from Kohls at 30% off. Thanks again!!!
  • MikeDailyIntake
    MikeDailyIntake Posts: 133
    family of 5, food dosn't last long enough in our house to go stale.
  • ChangingTami
    ChangingTami Posts: 109 Member
    family of 5, food dosn't last long enough in our house to go stale.


    I could understand that.....when I was growing there were 8 of us. Mom, dad, grandma and 5 children.

    However, now there is just my husband and I.....so you could see why we have leftovers all the time, even more when he is deployed. :o)
  • lisamg681
    lisamg681 Posts: 1
    I just got a foodsaver for Christmas and made chili last night, froze it in tupperware and transfered it to the foodsaver bags this morning. Am I reading correctly, can you take the frozen block of soup and microwave it right in the bag? I saw one place that said cut off the top corner and one that said you don't have to. What works best for y'all?
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    If you froze the chili in the bowl then put it in a foodsaver bag, when you take it out of the freezer you should be able to pop the whole thing in a similar sized bowl and poke a few holes in the top before you nuke it. I wouldn't nuke it until it boils, just until it thaws enough to break it up and get it out of the bag. Once stuff inside the bags get hot they get difficult and painful to handle.

    FYI for next time... no need to freeze in the bowl first. Fold the top of the bag down to keep it clean, fill it, and with your machine at the edge of a table or counter, seal it up tight. Then you can stack them in the freezer and save space. For thinner soups and sauces I put one of the bags in a square (milk carton) or rectangular box (bottom half of a cereal box works great), fold the top edge down, fill it and put it in the freezer overnight. The next day I can seal it up without getting the machine gunky, and they stack nice since they are frozen square.
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