FoodSaver Users -- HELP🙄🤷‍♀️

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

I had always seen the demos on QVC and decided to take the plunge & buy one.

I've tried and tried to the point I'm feeling it was a waste of $$$ and frustrated!

It certainly isn't as easy as they demo -- at least for me☹️. These are my issues -- maybe someone knows:

such a WASTE of bag roll -- must have at least 3" extra or doesn't seal. So if you are sealing a small block of cheese for instance bag, you need 3" extra is wasted.
if you open & want to reseal -- doesn't work😡. (Although, vendor stated you can reuse & reseal bags)
I have tried a zillion ways to cut bag w/cutter-- NOPE....
(see pic below cutter doesn't seem to cut just jams -- so I use scissors)

Sometimes takes a few "tries" to get air out of bag. Sometimes it's not tight and I need to start over by cutting bag again, and resealing.

The other thing I don't like is bags takeup a lot of space in freezer since they are so oversized vs. wrapping individually and placing in freezer bag. I have french door style freezer.

I'm not liking this thing & rolls of bags aren't cheap.

any ideas what I'm doing wrong!!

I've read the instruction book that I know it by heart😉. This is the model below -- Thank you!!!

loriqvc · ‎11-06-2011

@homedecor1 - I'm sorry you're having such problems with your FoodSaver; they really are easy to use once you get the hang of the features. I wish I could just jump on a call with you and talk you through things, but since I can't, hopefully these tips will help. Feel free to post more questions if needed!

•Yes, you will "waste" a bit of the bag when you're sealing your food. I choose not to reuse the plastic bags (one of the few things I don't recycle!), so I started buying the ready-made quart bags for vacuum sealing smaller items. If you're an Amazon shopper, I highly recommend the OutOfAir brand bags—they work well and are much cheaper than the FoodSaver bags. (You can even get them on Subscribe & Save.)

•To use the bag cutter, your bag needs to be UNDER the cutter. You need to feed the plastic underneath the cutter bar so the blade will come into contact with the plastic.

•Setting your bags in the machine appropriately is the thing that takes the most getting used to, but it's easy if you exercise patience (especially the first few times). Carefully bend the top of the bag so it is sitting nicely in the inner channel before closing the lid, make sure the lid is closed in a way that doesn't shift the bag around, and use the lever on the side to lock the bag into place. Tug the bag gently if needed to make sure it is secured in the unit. You should be able to vacuum and seal like a pro.

•I use my FoodSaver for a lot of bulk items and place the sealed bags inside either freezer-safe containers or just plain ol' gallon bags. This has worked well for me with things like the Authentic Gourmet croissants (don't be tempted to stack them; just seal one layer at a time), Heartland Fresh chicken breasts (two fit well in the quart-size bags), and baked goods (be careful to control the vaccum when sealing so you don't crush the items).

ETA: I just looked on YouTube and found several helpful videos about basic use of a FoodSaver—if you're interested, you may want to check them out for a demo rather than reading my little novel.

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@loriqvc wrote:
@homedecor1 - I'm sorry you're having such problems with your Food Saver; they really are easy to use once you get the hang of the features. I wish I could just jump on a call with you and talk you through things, but since I can't, hopefully these tips will help. Feel free to post more questions if needed!

•Yes, you will "waste" a bit of the bag when you're sealing your food. I choose not to reuse the plastic bags (one of the few things I don't recycle!), so I started buying the ready-made quart bags for vacuum sealing smaller items. If you're an Amazon shopper, I highly recommend the OutOfAir brand bags—they work well and are much cheaper than the Food Saver bags. (You can even get them on Subscribe & Save.)

•To use the bag cutter, your bag needs to be UNDER the cutter. You need to feed the plastic under the cutter bar so the blade will come into contact with the plastic.

•Setting your bags in the machine appropriately is the thing that takes the most getting used to, but it's easy if you exercise patience the first few times. Carefully bend the top of the bag so it is sitting nicely in the inner channel before closing the lid, make sure the lid is closed in a way that doesn't shift the bag around, and use the lever on the side to lock the bag into place. Tug the bag gently if needed to make sure it is secured in the unit. You should be able to vacuum and seal like a pro.

•I use my Food Saver for a lot of bulk items and place the sealed bags inside either freezer-safe containers or just plain ol' gallon bags. This has worked well for me with things like the Authentic Gourmet croissants (don't be tempted to stack them; just seal one layer at a time), Heartland Fresh chicken breasts (two fit well in the quart-size bags), and baked goods (be careful to control the vaccum when sealing so you don't crush the items).

@loriqvc

I am truly a foodsaver dummy & your help is great🙂

I read these directions 10x's to cut the bag -- never realized I wasn't putting it the right way 🙄🙄🙄

And what a good idea, another DUH moment yes seal the package (🤞🏻🤞🏻) and stack in freezer bag. No stacking or sliding all over. I spent $42 on 2 rolls and they went quickly. I'm a Amazon prime member & will order that brand on your advice.

I will try again to seal something and use your directions. They make more sense than the instruction booklet.

Maybe, there is hope for me yet & yes, wish you were close I'm a better "hands on" learner.

Thank you so much 🙂🙂 and will report back if I am successful 😉

Homedecor

loriqvc · ‎11-06-2011

@homedecor1- Good luck! I know you can do it.

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@loriqvc

I can sew a wedding dress, mans suits, drapes, etc. can do various home improvement projects but a foodsaver has stumped me🙃🙃

Are these the bags? I bought the rolls at Kohl's.

azgal · ‎03-09-2010

@homedecor1 Loriqvc gave you some great advice.

If you still have problems, the customer service people are really helpful.

A few years ago I all of a sudden had trouble sealing so I called them. She explained how to clean the gasket and that solved the problem.

I'm sure they can walk you through the process.

I think you will love it once you get the hang of it. We use ours a lot. Mostly to freeze meat but also batches of cookies.

I buy a 2lb loaf of cheese and seal it after each use so it will last longer in the fridge. I use a larger bag than I need so I can keep cutting it and resealing it. Just a little tip for you.

“We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.” Abraham Lincoln

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

I'm not a big fan of the rolls and prefer the pre-cut bags. They do make re-usable zipper bags too if you want to be able to open, pull a little out, and then re-seal. You'll need the accessory hose with the adapter to do that. Not sure if your machine came with that or not. Mine has the hose, but I had to buy the adapter separately, but my husband has found he can also use it with the old-style canisters that he now keeps his coffee beans in, so he's a happy camper now.

I also don't often re-use my bags, but if you want to, just remember you'll still need that extra space in top, so you'll have to seal less stuff in it than you did before because you had to cut off the top of the bag to get into it.

Some stuff I freeze first before I seal. Anything that is liquid I'll freeze first. Chili and spaghetti sauce I can put in the bags, seal the top with some sort of clip and freeze on it's side so it's not bulky. After it's frozen I remove the clip and seal with the machine.

Eileen in Virginia · ‎08-25-2010

I'm not a fan of the rolls, but I do like the precut quart and gallon bags. I buy the quart bags at BJ's and the gallon ones wherever I can find them. I don't wash bags for reuse, but I'm careful about how I place the food in them so I can reseal them after removing a portion of the food. For instance, I divide a pound of bacon in half, then fold the 2 sets of slices in half and place the 2 half-pounds on top of each other in a quart bag to seal. When I cook the top portion, it's easy to reseal the bottom one until we need it. The same holds true for hotdogs, "hard" lunch meats like salami, blocks of cheese, etc. I also put sealed bags of the same item in a ziplock bag to keep them from getting lost in the freezer. Buying in bulk, I don't know what I'd do without my FoodSaver.