Is a Foodsaver cost effective?

[eatatmidnight]

This time of year I freeze a lot of fresh produce which takes a lot of storage bags. I have been considering a FoodSaver but it seems like it may cost more.

Do any of you have any input?

 

[lucyem]

I think it depends. There are a bunch of online articles about it, just do a google search.

You can find used foodsavers on craigslist and save that way or use one of those bed and bath 20% off coupons etc. You can find the bags on sale now and then or at kohls or bed and bath. I have seen generic bags for less as well.

Personally with the amount of freezing I do, I find it invaluable. The bags are durable and seal up great.

 

[Marionnette]

This time of year I freeze a lot of fresh produce which takes a lot of storage bags. I have been considering a FoodSaver but it seems like it may cost more.

Do any of you have any input?

I don't think that the Foodsaver bags are anywhere near as cheap as the Ziploc or Glad freezer bags. BUT they preserve the quality of the food better, IMO.

I use them right after dinner and I vacuum seal all of my leftovers in individual portions. They get frozen immediately and my college kids load up on homemade dinners when they come home. Every penny spent on Foodsaver bags saves me more than double that amount on fast food costs that the kids would incur if they didn't have Mom's homemade <insert favorite meal here>.

I buy the bags in bulk whenever the Foodsaver website has a deal on them. I get the rolls and not the individual bags. I find that they are more cost-effective and I can create the exact size I need.

 

[bedogged]

This time of year I freeze a lot of fresh produce which takes a lot of storage bags. I have been considering a FoodSaver but it seems like it may cost more.

Do any of you have any input?

I really liked mine. Food stayed fresher longer and no freezer burn on frozen items. HOWEVER, mine broke just after the warrantee ended and the company, when I called, wasn't the least bit interested in helping me. They are too expensive to last only a year!

 

[Jerseymomof2]

I love mine! We have a huge garden all summer and I seal and freeze alot of the veggies. They are great all winter long.
I also get meats on sale cheap and seal & freeze them as well.

I have a huge deep freeze freezer so I fill that up in the summer and it last almost all winter long.

 

[southlakejr]

We use ours primarily for freezing bulk meat. I can't even tell you how much money it has saved us. It's also useful to freeze individual portions of leftovers and meals- way better than Lean Cuisine! DH and I do a lot of sous vide cooking, and this is a necessity. It lives on our counter and gets used several times a week.

We buy the rolls instead of individual bags. Truthfully, I buy generic rolls on eBay and haven't noticed any issues with quality. One of my favorite kitchen gadgets.

 

[rcraw45425]

I've been wondering about these myself. We are a family of four but our two teen girls are often not home at dinner time (one starting college locally and one will be a high school Junior). I usually buy steaks, ribeye and strip that are packed two to a package. Fine if we're going to all be home for dinner but frequently life gets in the way and if they're frozen it's difficult to get just one out of the package. I've tried the Ziploc portion bags but I'm not crazy about them. I'd love to be able to pack each steak separately, the way I purchase salmon and other items at Sams. Plus it would take up less freezer space. I was looking at the ones on the William Sonoma site and was appalled at the poor reviews when you were paying $200-$300 for the item.

 

[justlook3]

Not sure on the cost effectiveness but they certainly work better then the ziploc/slide bags. Because there's only two of us and all the best meat deals are on bulk packs, we freeze alot of meat. The food tastes fresher and doesn't get freezer burn plus you can even tell what the food is even if you forget to label it. Plus taking the air out makes the bags more compact for the freezer. I bought mine with a really good coupon stack at Target last year. The rolls/bags are pricey but you can buy generic ones online. Costco also sells combo packs of rolls/bags. I second that rolls are a better deal. When I bought mine there was a registration form and you got a roll cutter in the mail for registering. It works so much better than scissors.

 

[MomofTwinPrincesses]

Would not want to live without it. We use it for bulk meat purchases and we use the seal with no vacuum for chip and cereal bags. I also buy the rolls and cut bags to fit. I don't like the generic bags because I've had some freezer burn with them.

 

[eatatmidnight]

I use them right after dinner and I vacuum seal all of my leftovers in individual portions. They get frozen immediately and my college kids load up on homemade dinners when they come home. Every penny spent on Foodsaver bags saves me more than double that amount on fast food costs that the kids would incur if they didn't have Mom's homemade <insert favorite meal here>..

I guess it's time to look for the best model and a good sale.

I have a son away at college as well and hadn't thought about using homemade leftovers as a way to fill his freezer. Good idea.