Add to my favorites
Do you or any of your readers use a Food Saver? If so, are they worth the money? I’d love to hear the pros and cons of investing in one. -Gina
I’ve never used a Food Saver before so I haven’t the slightest clue. I’ll let my wonderful readers chime in and give their take; I’m curious to hear, too!
Subscribe for free email updates and be entered to win $100!
Previous post: Pampers Gifts to Grow: 50 free points
Next post: Free Bio True contact solution sample
Previous post: Pampers Gifts to Grow: 50 free points
Next post: Free Bio True contact solution sample
MoneySavingMom.com is an upbeat and encouraging blog dedicated to helping you find great deals, stretch your hard-earned dollars, and live on less than you make so you can save more and give more. I'm glad to have you here!
Get the latest deals and coupon matchups from 110+ local and national stores. Click here to view a list of all the stores that are covered.
{ 201 comments }
← Previous Comments
I received one as a gift and like it a lot. Having said that, the bags are atrociously expensive even on sale (at least in this area) and if I didn’t have one I think I would invest in the less expensive hand held varieties made by Ziploc first if you don’t do a lot of bulk freezing to do.
I tried the multi-wrap freezing thing but it just never worked well for me. I still got freezer burn (guess I just leave things in the freezer too long). So I asked for one for Christmas (this was before the hand helds came out).
The only things I’ve had to pre-freeze are things that might squish.
What is has been the very best for is to package meals up for my elderly father. I can suction meat in one, mashed potatoes (please freeze first or you will laugh a lot) in another, and a veggie in a third, etc., label them and STAPLE THEM TOGETHER above the seal line so he just grabs and has a whole meal he can reheat in the microwave. I suppose if you pre-froze it all, you could seal it all in a single bag.
We have had one for 9+ years and love it! My husband is a hunter and processes his own meat so it’s a must for that! We love the marinator that came as a bonus. We have given one to each of our kids as they married and moved out. They just save you so much money if you buy large quanities and need to fight freezer burn! I have re-used my bag as many as 5 times before it got to small to re-seal.
I love mine! It is an investment though and yes, the bags are expensive. In my experience, if you have a Costco membership, they have the best prices on the refills, and if not, you can use the 20% off coupons that come in the mail and get them from Bed,Bath and Beyond. I use mine primarily for meats, fruits and veggies that I can find a great deal on and want to stock up on. They are wonderful for marinating meats and for people who might find portion-specific foods necessary for dieting. When you are camping or hiking, they are also quite useful as the food takes up much less space and is easier to pack and store. It is also awesome for sealing toiletries before traveling as you are guaranteed not to have spills or those infamous “expanding bottle” explosions! Mine came with a set of canisters that are useful for keeping chips, brown sugar and other dry goods fresh too. I think that the more uses you can find for the machine, the easier it is to justify. You can definitely get creative and have fun with them though. Hope this helps!
My favorite thing about my foodsavor is the jar sealer. I seal the tops of my canning jars to preserve brown sugar etc so it doesn’t dry out. Works like a charm!
I thought I “had” to have one and received it for Christmas. The first and only time i used it (in two years) I was disappointed! I tend to buy burger in bulk, cook it up and freeze it in 1/2 lb pkgs. I find it much quicker to use baggies and squeeze out the air then to use the machine. It seemed to take forever and then I ran out of bags before I was even finished. The bags are expensive and I’ve never been able to convince myself to buy more so mine is waiting for the next yard sale. I know others that swear by them but I am able to get enough air out that I’ve never had a problem using the baggies.
I am using one for over 10 years. It is great and I freeze meats in small portions and buy in big ,money ,savings packages. I wash the bags out with hot, soapy water and reuse them until they are gone. I cook soups and stews and chillies in a big pot and freeze the rest and always have home made meals on hand. I write the dates on them and this way all will be used right. I can only recommend them.
I’ve had one for over 5 years and absolutely love it!!!!
I love mine. I had a Deni brand 20 years ago, but recently upgraded to the Food Saver.
I live alone, but buy large, family sized packages of meat and frozen veggies. You certainly can wash the bags and reuse them (even if you put raw chicken in them), and they will withstand a 2 minute dip in boiling water.
I have the Reynolds handheld for small items, and this brand handheld can be used on the Ziploc bags. My problem is finding the Ziploc brand bags (Reynolds no longer makes theones for their sealer).
Overall, the Food Saver a great product. Try finding one on e-bay before paying full price.
After reading the posts, I was impressed with the thought of buying a Food Saver and guess what? Found one at a yard sale Saturday for $10 which I talked her down to $8. It includes the bags, the canister, the instuctions, etc. At least I can find out if I like it or not!! Thanks for this Q & A.
We LOVE ours!! We use it to freeze ALL leftovers – we have used it for homemade deep dish pizza, chicken and dumplings, chicken noodle soup, veggie soup, jambalaya, grilled steaks, chicken alfredo, enchiladas, lasagna… just to name a few! We also use it to buy meat and cheese in bulk and then foodsaver them in usable portions. We actually got ours from a thrift store for $5 – yes, $5!!! It is Foodsaver brand, has the additional outlet to vacuum seal canisters, the manual seal… all of the newer functions and it works GREAT!!
Definitely check the thrift stores or Craigslist if you want one but can’t afford a new one! 
Oh yes, and the bags ARE reusable!! Personally, I would not reuse them if I put raw meat in them, but for leftovers, just wash them out with a bit of soap and water, hang upside-down to dry and you are set to use them again!
← Previous Comments