Vacuum sealer bags
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 21
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!
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cambridge Ohio USA
Posts: 744
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.
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Rivesville, WV
Posts: 3,192
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.
#5
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.
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 13
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.