Vacuum sealer bags
 

I have a food saver sealer and want to know if anyone has triedother brand bags? The food saver bags are considerably more $$. I know the other brand bags are 3-4 ply vs food saver are 6 ply but not sure if this makes that much of a difference.Thanks!

RE: Vacuum sealer bags
 

I've used the generic version from Walmart. Didn't seal all that well, and the ridges weren't as pronounced as the Food Saver bags, so the air didn't evacuate as well. I've gone back to theFood Saver brand. Whan I actually compared how much I was getting from each brand, the generic wasn't really saving me any money.

RE: Vacuum sealer bags
 

We just use the real, food saver bags. They work great for the venison.

RE: Vacuum sealer bags
 

We used a sealer for years. Then I got tired of paying the ridiculous price for the bags. Now we use good quality Zip-Loc bags and a heavy straw to remove the air. This procedure works very well. We use the small bag first. then put 3 or 4 small bags into one larger Zip-Loc bag, and we use the straw on the larger bag also. Works just as well IMO, and a lot less money. Tom.

RE: Vacuum sealer bags
 

The generic bags sold at Wal-Mart work well, and are much cheaper than the name brand. You can improve the protection they provide by giving the meat a light coat of cooking oil to seal it's surface before vac sealing and freezing.

RE: Vacuum sealer bags
 

We use the Reynolds Handi Vac. It doesn't have quite the power of a Food Saver, so it takes a bit longer to remove the air, but it does a fine job if you have the patience. The bags seem to be cheaper than the Food Saver ones as well, and more importantly, are resealable. Resealable bags don't make a big difference for something like venison steaks where you will be eating them all at once, but they are fantastic for smoked bacon, lunch meats, and other foods where you don't use the whole bag at once.