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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Sunday, November 05, 2006 - 11:30 am
Does anyone have a FoodSaver (Tilia)? It vacuum packs food for long(er) term storage in the fridge or freezer. Then you can microwave in the package. (You can seal up any item.) I've been reading reviews on Amazon. Pretty much just five star reviews! I'm seriously thinking about it.
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Sunday, November 05, 2006 - 10:03 pm
I've had one of these for many, many years. I love it. The new models are a lot smaller and just as efficient. WHile I have used the sealable pouches before, I now mostly use the canisters that work with the system. They are awesome! I live alone, but I buy things in bulk at Costco and then seal them for storage using the Food Saver. Works like a charm. If you don't want to get the canisers, you can use large canning jars, as long as you get the jar sealer attachment. It will suck all the air out of the jar and leave the flat, rubber-lined top securely fastened in place. Then you just use a bottle opener to pry it loose (gently so as to release the seal without bending the lid) when you want to use whatever is inside. If you don't use all of it, just reseal and store! It's a great money-saving device. Wouldn't trade mine for anything -- unless it was a newer, smaller version. 
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Monday, November 06, 2006 - 1:05 am
I have one but I was trying to seal up a lot of salmon I had caught and burned out the heat strip. Does anyone know if I can get a new heat strip? I did buy a different brand that was supposed to be for bulk processing but it doesn't seem to work as well for me.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Monday, November 06, 2006 - 5:45 am
Max, I don't understand the purpose of canisters or how they work. Don't know that I'd be interested in them. Do you feel the ready-made FoodSaver bags or the rolls of bag material are better? When it comes to the rolls, more use for the 8" wide or 11" wide or both come in handy? From something I read in the reviews, does machine put a 3" seal on packages? Reviewer thought that wasted a lot of bag material, but he was still very happy with the whole thing.
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Monday, November 06, 2006 - 12:19 pm
It really depends on what you plan to store and how much. I use the canisers for things like nuts and coffee (my grinders kept breaking, so now I grind in bulk at Costco and store in sealed canisters to keep it fresh) and anything else that's loose or would get crushed in the bags. I've also used the jar sealer to package homemade soup mixes for gifts. PUt in all the ingredients, seal the jar, decorate the top with something festive, attach a recipe card and you have a great, inexpensive hostess gift that's useful, too. I have the rolls of bag material because I like being able to make the bags be whatever size I need. Seems less wasteful to me. Don't know what the 3" seal is referring to. Mine leaves about an inch between the seal and the cut edge of the bag.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 2:23 pm
I like my Food Saver for a lot of things. Things that don't seal right for me (no matter how I try), are liquidy things such as Swiss Steak. While it is sucking the air out, it pulls juices up into the seal area and either makes a mess on the equipment, or doesn't seal completely. I get super frustrated with that, because I like to make big batches of certain things for freezing, like the Swiss Steak or Sauerkraut and Pork.
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 9:36 pm
Hukd, that's when the canisters (they have a marinating bowl, too) come in handy. Juicy things really don't work very well unless you leave a lot of space between the juice and the sealer, get out as much air as you can manually before starting the FOod Saver, and then just plain get lucky! 
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Thursday, November 09, 2006 - 6:03 am
I ordered the FoodSaver V2440 and three rolls of both 8" and 11" material from Amazon. I was debating about it and then saw a coupon code for $25 off order of $125 or more. That got me!
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, November 10, 2006 - 6:59 am
Yeah, I figured that, Max. I just wish they didn't show commercials using it to seal soup and other sloppy stuff in the bags. It's misleading, IMO, because it is super messy. I am still happy overall that I got a food saver. Just wanted to mention a downside to its abilities.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 7:29 pm
My FoodSaver came today. Hukd, instructions suggested freezing liquids in a container, bowl, whatever (then removing frozen block from container) before sealing in a FoodSaver sealed bag. A question . . . has anyone made their own side seams on a bag? Problems doing that? Instructions say not to. I was thinking of making side seams for certain small food items I want to freeze.
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 7:50 pm
I don't remember trying side seams but it seems like something I would try to do. Try it doing a double seam on all sides like one about 1/8 to 1/4 inch away from the first one just to make sure it seals. The only problem I had with mine is if you try to seal too much at one time, it will burn out the heat strip.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 5:20 am
The instructions have probably been updated through the years. About overheating, instructions read: Wait at least 20 seconds for appliance to cool down before you begin vacuum packaging another item. Troubleshooting: Nothing happens when I try to vacuum package -- Wait 20 minutes to allow appliance to cool off, and then try using it again. Note: The appliance will shut off automatically if it becomes too hot. About side seams, instructions read: Do not create your own side seams for a FoodSaver bag. These bags are manufactured with a special side seam, which is sealed all the way to the outer edge.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 5:31 am
<<Hukd, instructions suggested freezing liquids in a container, bowl, whatever (then removing frozen block from container) before sealing in a FoodSaver sealed bag.>> I was supposed to read directions?
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 6:46 am
LOL! I often don't read directions either. This time I did. Directions even recommend even freezing juicy meat (beef, chicken, etc.) for an hour or two before sealing in a bag because liquid from the meat could be sucked into the seal while vacuuming, therefore causing an imperfect seal.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 1:48 pm
I just vacuum packed a few things. Made my own side seams. Works fine. Saves on bag material use.
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Butrflynet
Member
12-29-2003
| Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 5:28 pm
I love my Food Saver. It really helps with portion control and bulk food purchasing. I buy ground meat in bulk and form it into quarter-pound patties with a patty maker, then package the patties in 2 pound amounts in sandwich bags and then seal them in a canister before storing in the freezer. I can remove the number of bags I want from a canister and reseal the canister. I also save the plastic cooking trays from foods like Healthy Choice and Stouffer's and use them to make my own dinners from leftovers before sealing and freezing them. I try to use the canisters as much as possible because they are so reuseable. They say you can reuse and reseal the bags, but I just haven't been all that happy about reusing bags that have had raw meat stored in them. And, yes the trick about freezing liquids before sealing really does work. The 3" seal someone referred to was probably talking about the margin between the edge of the bag and the line of sealing. I agree, it is rather large and sometimes seems a waste, especially if a small bag is used without a lot of room for resealing. I have a dozen or so canisters in various sizes and use them to store all grains, nuts and seed products. It keeps the moths out and the freshness in. Also don't need to keep the stuff in the freezer anymore so there's more room for meats and meal trays. If you do a lot of marinading, you'll like the marinade add-on canister.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 8:04 pm
I saw one of these in Sam's Club today --it was $118 -- is that a decent price? We've been eyeballing these things for about a year, and I'm thinking it would be worth it's weight in gold.
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Monday, November 20, 2006 - 12:53 am
That's a fair price, Teachmichigan. I paid $200 for mine but it is more commercial one and made by a different company. Mine has drain and is supposed to seal through the liquid but don't bet on it. I'd go with the one you found. I used to have one of those and I like it better than the one I have now.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Monday, November 20, 2006 - 5:58 am
Teach, that's about what I paid for mine. Check out the FoodSaver web site for more information and a description of various models. Then Amazon for info and reviews by users. I got model no. V2440. I love it. And I love frozen bananas. (There's something about frozen bananas....) I cut the bananas in half and make two lengthwise bags from app. 7.5" long piece of 8" wide bag material -- meaning I make side seams. I'm thinking I may need canisters too.
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Butrflynet
Member
12-29-2003
| Monday, November 20, 2006 - 7:03 am
I do the same thing with bananas, Color! They are so so good, and much less fattening and bad for us than icecream. Ever tried frozen grapes? Just pluck them from the vine and pop them into a bag to freeze. They make great munchies on a hot summer afternoon.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Monday, November 20, 2006 - 11:22 am
Frozen grapes are good too. (Pluck from vine? Not around Chicago.) Next summer I'll have to freeze, then vacuum seal some of that good juicy summer fruit for mid-winter. Macintosh apples are good, but they don't "excite" me the way summer fruit does.
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 1:20 am
I thought the frozen bananas would be better for me than icecream too but I guess it's all that chocolate on them that hurts, huh?
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 5:57 am
Sometimes I might drizzle chocolate sauce over the frozen bananas, but I really like them just plain too.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 3:41 am
Saw something on Rachael Ray yesterday. She was doing a segment on uses for baggies. Her guest was Gloria Estefan. Gloria's suggestion cost a penny (?) as opposed to cost of the FoodSaver. (They didn't bring up FoodSaver and wouldn't have the strength of FoodSaver seal, but....) Close a zip lock bag (kind where two side tracks are squeezed together) up to a straw inserted in the bag. Suck the air out of the bag. Pull out the straw and quickly finish closing the bag. Hmmmmmm. Cheaper. Would certainly work for some things. Through experience I've found that lettuce definitely keeps longer in a vacuum sealed bag. Straw thing would work for that.
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