Woot sometimes has a deal but subject lines....
Looking for cheap but reliable vacuum sealer for freeZing
- Thread starter jbaca
- Start date
If you sign up for the Foodsaver mail list they send discount coupons all the time.
http://www.foodsaver.com/index.aspx
http://www.foodsaver.com/index.aspx
This is what we use, works great:
http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/VacuumFreezerSystem.aspx
Can't get much cheaper!
http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/VacuumFreezerSystem.aspx
Can't get much cheaper!
At the French Culinary Institute in NYC, they use Ziploc bags and a clever sealing technique to get food packed almost as tight as with a vacuum sealer. Check it out:
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/0...temp-primer-part-ii-cooking-without-a-vacuum/
Ziploc Bagging:
Ziploc bags are excellent cook-chill tools. At the school we always call out Ziploc, rather than re-sealable bags, because many off-brands don’t work. The seals fail, the bags come apart when cooking, etc. Do not purchase the Ziploc with the sliding do-dad. Get the regular double-seal type. We buy the freezer storage bags because they are supposed to act as a better vapor barrier than the regular type, and they are rated for re-heating in the microwave. We stock quart and gallon size bags. If you learn the proper technique for bagging, Ziploc bags can get almost as tight as a vacuumed bag.
The Technique:
1. Fill a container with enough water to submerge your product. 2. Make sure there is liquid or oil in the bag. Add your product and seal the bag except for one corner. Put your finger in the open corner and start submerging your bag like it shows in the picture. Submerging as shown will minimize the amount of trapped air.
1 and 2. Submerge the bag and work out all the air. 3. Just before the last corner goes underwater, remove your finger and seal the bag completely.
Finished Ziploc. No air bubbles. Almost as good as a vacuum.
The advantages of the Ziploc are:
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/0...temp-primer-part-ii-cooking-without-a-vacuum/
Ziploc Bagging:
Ziploc bags are excellent cook-chill tools. At the school we always call out Ziploc, rather than re-sealable bags, because many off-brands don’t work. The seals fail, the bags come apart when cooking, etc. Do not purchase the Ziploc with the sliding do-dad. Get the regular double-seal type. We buy the freezer storage bags because they are supposed to act as a better vapor barrier than the regular type, and they are rated for re-heating in the microwave. We stock quart and gallon size bags. If you learn the proper technique for bagging, Ziploc bags can get almost as tight as a vacuumed bag.
The Technique:
- Fill a container with water deep enough to easily submerge your food and bag.
- Always add some sort of liquid to the bag –fat, stock, sauce, etc. The liquid is necessary to fill the gaps around your food and expel the air from the bag.
- Add your food item. A significant advantage of Ziplocs over vacuum bags is that the food can be added to the bag hot. All vacuum bagging procedures require your food to be cold (more on that in the upcoming vacuum section of the primer). If you are searing meat and adding it directly to the Ziploc bag make sure the surface of the meat is below 100˚C (212˚F) or the bag will melt. Be especially careful to not touch the bag with a hot set of tongs or spatula.
- Close the seal of the bag almost to the edge, leaving the last portion of the seal open –make sure you have correctly sealed the bag. Put your finger in the corner to make sure that part of the seal is open.
- Carefully immerse the bag in the water starting with the closed corner, not the open one. Make sure you do this step carefully, allowing air to escape up and out of the open corner.
- Just as the open part of the seal is about to go under the water, close it up.
1. Fill a container with enough water to submerge your product. 2. Make sure there is liquid or oil in the bag. Add your product and seal the bag except for one corner. Put your finger in the open corner and start submerging your bag like it shows in the picture. Submerging as shown will minimize the amount of trapped air.
1 and 2. Submerge the bag and work out all the air. 3. Just before the last corner goes underwater, remove your finger and seal the bag completely.
Finished Ziploc. No air bubbles. Almost as good as a vacuum.
- you don’t need to buy a vacuum
- food can be bagged hot
- food can be removed from the bag and re-bagged easily
- the process is very gentle on foods and doesn’t change food textures the way vacuum bagging can
- it’s just as effective for cooking as vacuum bagging for most items
- not as convenient for bagging a lot of items as the vacuum machine
- Ziplocs cost more than vacuum bags
- doesn’t provide some vacuum benefits –fast marination, extended storage, oxygen removal.
- Thread starter
- #6
Vey helpful
Cheap is relative but I've been pretty happy with our Food Saver. Among other uses now buy meat in llarger quantities and freeze. Saves a lot of money. I think it was around $150 with an extra box of bags.
+1 on the food saver, we bought a food saver pro 8-9 years ago, it's gotten a lot of use. Used mainly during deer hunting to pack filet's, roasts, and stew meat. Meat really seems to last a lot longer using it versus ziplocs or freezer paper.
It is a bit spendy, though the price for the bags have gone down over the years. I usually pick up a big box of rolls (cut to size bags) every 3-4 years, and it's usually around 40-50, though I think now they can be had for 30 at times.
I do use mine from time to time to break up a big pack of chicken or a pork loin, Mine is really big and takes up a lot of real estate so I usually only bring it out for really big jobs that it's worth the hassle for. If you're looking for a day to day sealer, I'd go with a smaller version and look into a big one to keep stored for the really big jobs (i.e. processing a deer).
It is a bit spendy, though the price for the bags have gone down over the years. I usually pick up a big box of rolls (cut to size bags) every 3-4 years, and it's usually around 40-50, though I think now they can be had for 30 at times.
I do use mine from time to time to break up a big pack of chicken or a pork loin, Mine is really big and takes up a lot of real estate so I usually only bring it out for really big jobs that it's worth the hassle for. If you're looking for a day to day sealer, I'd go with a smaller version and look into a big one to keep stored for the really big jobs (i.e. processing a deer).
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
We bought a foodsaver v845 several years ago and it did great. Then the vacuum in it started to mess up some by not vacuuming at times. I looked into repair and from what I found it couldn't be fixed so the wife bought a v3020 model. It's more of an upright model (to save counter space I guess) and the only thing we don't like about that model is it doesn't have the bag storage or bag cutter, so we keep the old one in the cabinet and use it to cut bags (get a straighter line than scissors) and then use the v3020 to vacuum and seal.
It seems to work better (for me at least) if I freeze stuff overnight and then vacuum seal it...seems to get more air out. Works great freezing single servings of stew and then vacuuming them the next day.
Just did a quick google and the v3020 can be had for as little as $50-$75, but a lot of the places say out of stock. Normal retail is $99.99 I think.
I still have some ribs, bologna, and ham that I smoked a month or so ago that are frozen in 2-4 serving sizes. Thaw 'em out and they are great.
It seems to work better (for me at least) if I freeze stuff overnight and then vacuum seal it...seems to get more air out. Works great freezing single servings of stew and then vacuuming them the next day.
Just did a quick google and the v3020 can be had for as little as $50-$75, but a lot of the places say out of stock. Normal retail is $99.99 I think.
I still have some ribs, bologna, and ham that I smoked a month or so ago that are frozen in 2-4 serving sizes. Thaw 'em out and they are great.
