PSA: That fancy vacuum sealer I bought was a total waste of $120

I got talked into buying one of those expensive commercial-grade vacuum sealers last year. Thought it would help me portion out subprimals and save money in the long run. Eight months later I've used it maybe 4 times because it's too much hassle to drag out for small batches. The bags alone cost me about $30 a box and they hardly ever seal right on the first try. I still just use freezer paper and butcher twine like I always did. Has anyone else had better luck with a simpler model or am I just using this thing wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_mason10h ago

...and honestly they're lying to you about how much food you'll actually seal. I bought a cheaper FoodSaver model for like 60 bucks and it does the same job without all the hassle. Only pull it out when I'm doing a big Costco run or processing a whole deer, which is like twice a year max.

finley_price245h ago

Wait do you actually process a whole deer yourself? That's pretty metal honestly. My buddy does that too and swears by the same cheap FoodSaver, says all you really need is the vacuum and the bag material. So true about the marketing though, they act like you're gonna be sealing single chicken breasts every day when really it's more a "I bought too much at once" emergency tool. Bag rolls are where they get you anyway, I just buy off-brand on amazon and it works fine.

robinson.hannah2h ago

Wait hold on, whole deer? That's wild. You mean like skinning it and cutting it up yourself? I thought my buddy was hardcore for just doing a quarter of one. Bet the cleanup is a nightmare too, all that blood and hair. But your friend's got the right idea with that FoodSaver method, that's smart.