Vacuum Sealer Recommendations

Just bought a Cabelas 12" unit on sale at $80 off . I'd been using a a Foodsaver for decades. This is a step up from Foodsaver. Dual seal and less work effort required. I'm sure the Vacmaster will be awesome but I didn't want to spend that kind of coin for my wife and my 20 Springs a year.
 
We bought a Vacseal Pro 2100 (became the Weston) 15 years ago after our 3rd Foodsaver crapped out. The 2100 has been going strong doing approx. 250 lbs of fish, meat and veggies per year without a hiccup. We buy the Cabelas pre sized bags when they go on sale. Used to use the FS from Costco, but they have gone down hill and we get too many blown bags.


Corey_lax said:
My Costco foodsaver is going on five years and still going strong. My next one will be a chamber sealer but I have no reason to upgrade right now. Can’t really beat the value.

quick question, why do butchers always use paper instead of vacuum sealing? I’m looking into ordering a half a Buffalo, and wondering if I should vacuum seal or keep it in butcher paper. Maybe butcher paper until frozen to keep the meat from getting squished and then vacuum seal to keep it for longer?
Click to expand...

We only vac seal our pepperoni, jerky and summer sausage. We tight wrap in butcher paper all our wild game and never had a problem. If you learn to wrap your meat tightly, you shouldn't have any issues leaving your meat in the freezer up to 18 months. I feel it is just extra work to tight wrap then vac seal your meat if you eat it with in 18 months.

Wrap and freeze and use the expensive bags for other things.

Cheers

SS
 
vacpac.jpg I bought a Sipromac table top unit back in 2014. Made in Canada, 2 sealing bars and seals 4 mil bags which protects product longer.
 

Attachments

  • vacpac2.jpg
    vacpac2.jpg
    265.4 KB · Views: 75
Food Pak Systems in Van. Not cheap thou..was just ove $5000 when I bought it. I bought it because Chinootka Lodge in Nootka had the same unit and I knew what it would do, how to use it and it stood up to lots of use there.
 
Anyone buy a knock off chinese chamber vacuum sealer off ebay or Amazon? I have a Chinese diesel heater and Couldn't be more happier especially when I can buy 10 Chinese diesel heaters for the price of 1 webasto/planar/espacher. At that price it is a no Brainer and the chinese diesel heater has worked flawless for past 2 years . Curious if big red engineers make decent knockoff chamber sealers as well...anyone have any experience on knockoff chamber sealer?
 
This thread really sucked me in! Hahahahaha. *ahem*. Annnnyhooo. Question for those with the Vacmaster 215. It looks like a great machine but how do you handle full sides of large salmon? It looks like the unit would work well for most cuts but sometimes we seal up a whole side for special occasions and I expect it wouldn't fit into the 215's chamber. Do you keep a Foodsaver on hand for those times?
 
SaltyAlice said:
This thread really sucked me in! Hahahahaha. *ahem*. Annnnyhooo. Question for those with the Vacmaster 215. It looks like a great machine but how do you handle full sides of large salmon? It looks like the unit would work well for most cuts but sometimes we seal up a whole side for special occasions and I expect it wouldn't fit into the 215's chamber. Do you keep a Foodsaver on hand for those times?
Click to expand...
yup , large foodsaver from cabellas for whole tunas, salmon-xtra large whole fillets. 215 does everything else
 
Corey_lax said:
quick question, why do butchers always use paper instead of vacuum sealing? I’m looking into ordering a half a Buffalo, and wondering if I should vacuum seal or keep it in butcher paper. Maybe butcher paper until frozen to keep the meat from getting squished and then vacuum seal to keep it for longer?
Click to expand...

Butcher paper is immune to cracks and pinholes in the plastic causing you to lose seal. The seal is the paper on the meat and holds up way better over time for meat. Its very hard to wrap fish as efficiently as meat though, hence why most people vac fish.

I butcher my own wild game and a good wrap with butcher paper is good for 2 years in the freezer no problem. No need for the vac sealer.
 
ryanb said:
Butcher paper is immune to cracks and pinholes in the plastic causing you to lose seal. The seal is the paper on the meat and holds up way better over time for meat. Its very hard to wrap fish as efficiently as meat though, hence why most people vac fish.

I butcher my own wild game and a good wrap with butcher paper is good for 2 years in the freezer no problem. No need for the vac sealer.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I got my buffalo and it's amazing and definitely won't last 1 year lol.
 
ryanb said:
Butcher paper is immune to cracks and pinholes in the plastic causing you to lose seal. The seal is the paper on the meat and holds up way better over time for meat. Its very hard to wrap fish as efficiently as meat though, hence why most people vac fish.

I butcher my own wild game and a good wrap with butcher paper is good for 2 years in the freezer no problem. No need for the vac sealer.
Click to expand...

I totally agree as I cut and wrap my own wild game as well. One extra layer of protection that I have used for many years is I wrap the meal sized cuts in Costco food wrap (Saran wrap) and then wrap in butchers paper. The meat is like it just came off the animal when thawed and unwrapped for dinner. Takes a little more time but not too bad once you get a system working. Definitely worth it for the end product to me.

Oly
 
Oly1 said:
I totally agree as I cut and wrap my own wild game as well. One extra layer of protection that I have used for many years is I wrap the meal sized cuts in Costco food wrap (Saran wrap) and then wrap in butchers paper. The meat is like it just came off the animal when thawed and unwrapped for dinner. Takes a little more time but not too bad once you get a system working. Definitely worth it for the end product to me.

Oly
Click to expand...
I wrap all my fish, portioned chicken, steaks, etc. that I am going to vacuum pack in Costco Resinite (similar to Saran wrap) before I vacuum pack. This gives an extra layer of protection to the meat or fish and prevents any moisture being sucked up compromising the seal when vacuum packing (using a Costco vacuum packer). I have virtually no seal failures this way and fish portions are still perfectly sealed when I use them.

I get a whole lamb each year from a friend in the interior. It is cut and wrapped at a commercial butcher in the interior. The last few years the meat has been wrapped in plastic film with a heat seal on the ends then it is wrapped in butcher paper afterwards. The few pieces that have lasted more than a year have still been in perfect condition.
...Rob
 
Anyone tried the Vacmaster Pro 380? Been eyeing it for awhile. Has longer sealing bar so can do two bags at a time.
 
We bought the VM 520 after burning up 8-10 food savers. Not even remotely the same product. If money is not a problem buy a chamber sealer and never look back. It’s awesome that you can put marinade in the bags, seal, freeze and it marinates while it thaws.
 
My foodsaver gamesaver recently kicked the bucket after 7 years so it was time for a new one. I ended up getting a Weston Professional Advantage. It was America's Test Kitchen top recommended sealer under $200 (US and a couple years ago) and have put through a lot of coho, lings, crab & rockfish recently and I'm very impressed by it. Makes a tight vacuum and a good seal. It was $290 CAD off Amazon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

myles
Cabellas Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer
Replies
0
Views
613
myles
myles
B
Letter to the Minister
Replies
5
Views
985
SpringVelocity
SpringVelocity
pescador
Vacuum Packing Bags
Replies
11
Views
2K
Ringo
R
carpeweekend
First Tuna Trip - Bamfield Tuna Shootout
Replies
9
Views
3K
Derby
Derby
Whole in the Water
Important Area 19/20 SFAB Online Mtg. Nov. 3, 6:45-9PM
Replies
11
Views
3K
Whole in the Water
Whole in the Water
Back
Top