Kitchen

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Many years ago, I convinced myself that I needed a Food Saver.  I bought one at Kohl's.  Then it sat there and I never used it. Eventually one of the kids asked if they could have it and I said ok.  Then two years ago I ordered a no name brand from Amazon.  I use that one 1-3 times per month. 

[Goldengate8361]

I've never had one but have thought about getting one to freeze steaks individually. Question: Do they really keep meats - like a steak - frozen without freezer burn? I've always suspected that they would not protect meat well enough.....What has been your experience?

[Eileen in Virginia]

I've been using them since QVC first offered them. My original Food Saver lasted for a long time (15 years or so, maybe longer). Its replacement took up too much counter space, so I got a NutriChef instead. While I don't use it everyday, I do use it 2 or 3 times a week. It uses Food Saver bags and would probably work with their accessories, but I've never used them so I can't confirm that. I mostly shrink wrap meats before freezing them, but I also use it to store items I don't use frequently like cornmeal, brown sugar, etc. I do most of our grocery shopping at BJ's, but it probably wouldn't be worthwhile if I couldn't portion and shrink-wrap the food. 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@Goldengate8361 wrote:

I've never had one but have thought about getting one to freeze steaks individually. Question: Do they really keep meats - like a steak - frozen without freezer burn? I've always suspected that they would not protect meat well enough.....What has been your experience?

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Yes, @Goldengate8361.  I regularly buy a multi pack tray of ribeyes at Costco and individually vaccum package them when I get home. It's important to use the correct bagging material made for a sealer and not something like a ziplock freezer bag.  The proper bags are made for a reason.  Your machine has a built in sensor to tell when all the air is vacuumed out and will immediately move to the sealing step.  Before you put the open end of the bag into the sealer, make sure it is isn't wet, to where the seal won't be complete.  To do this, put your steak in the bag and wipe the inside of the open end of the bag with a paper towel.  Proceed to vacuum and seal.  The same process will work for any kind of fresh meat or fish.  

[Goldengate8361]

@JeanLouiseFinch Thank you for the info. I also buy the multi-pack of steaks at Costco and that was exactly why I was asking. 😀

[Boehm Collector]

I have an old FoodSaver machine I purchased directly from the FoodSaver website.  It still works very well,   When I need to purchase a new one I think I will go with America's Test Kitchen recommendation:

Nesco Deluxe Food VS-12 Vacuum Sealer, 130 Watts, Kit Bags & Viewing Lid, Compact,

[Sunshine Kate]

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@Goldengate8361 wrote:

I've never had one but have thought about getting one to freeze steaks individually. Question: Do they really keep meats - like a steak - frozen without freezer burn? I've always suspected that they would not protect meat well enough.....What has been your experience?

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I have a Food Saver and use it for shrink wrapping steaks.  Yes, the meat is protected like the day it was purchased.  Perfect!

Once shrink wrapped, the meat stays fresh for a long time.

I purchased my Food Saver from Costco.

[Rockycoast]

Gosh, we bought our first FoodSaver over 25 years ago.  Recently replaced it with a newer FoodSaver model.  One of the best kitchen tools we have.  We buy in bulk and use it frequently.  We get the bags off of Amazon.  No, we did not purchase it from qvc. Better prices were to be found at our local kitchen store. 

[Pink is happy]

I had Food Saver long ago and replaced with Nesco--Very Happy with the quality of

the Nesco!