Vacuum Sealers

[Glyn]

I’m toying with the idea of buying a Vacuum Sealer, and was hoping for some advise as to: do they work well? is it worth avoiding cheap ones? that sort of thing.
My main use will be to pack oats/porridge, noodles, etc in as small a package as possible for multi-day trips.

Thanks in anticipation!

Glyn

 

[edh]

Cooked (wet) or not?

 

[Glyn]

Cooked (wet) or not?

Uncooked, dry (mainly)

 

[edh]

Just roll it up in a ziploc...why be complicated?

 

[Glyn]

Just roll it up in a ziploc...why be complicated?

That’s what Mrs Glyn just said. I think you both might have a point

 

[edh]

Mrs Glyn knows best

 

[Nigelp]

Mrs Glyn knows best

No, no. Buy a gadget!

 

[Many Miles]

I've had one years. I use the heat seal facility loads - in general use at home and for camping meals. In reality the vacuum option didn't work that well. I dehydrate a lot of my camping grub and there's normally a "sharp" ingredient involved (rice, pasta) that punctures even thick plastic bags - albeit tiny holes - that ruin the vacuum. Heat sealed alone or in ziploc bags is fine though. I tend not to prepare more than what I need on an upcoming trip but have stored dehydrated food successfully for months in "unvacuumed" bags.

 

[Diddi]

These are good bags.
And can take hot water for eating porridge etc out of , so no washing up.

I can send you some to try if you wish...tho I only have 1 size.

I only ever used the grip seal not heat seal...

 

[Many Miles]

The bags inside boxes of cereal are brilliant for repurposing for storing dry food. I can cut them up and reseal to suit my portion sizes (large!) perfectly.

 

[cathyjc]

I got a cheap vacuum sealer years ago from Lildl. The bags just don't "hold " a vacuum and its not that straight forwards to get a good seal..
I just don't bother using it now - double bag my home dehydrated meals and store in the freezer ( belt and braces) keeps for months /years, fine.

I since did a bit of reading and basically you need a good quality/expensive one for any sort of reliability and the bags are not cheap either.
Don't bother.

 

[Glyn]

I since did a bit of reading and basically you need a good quality/expensive one for any sort of reliability and the bags are not cheap either.
Don't bother.

That's what I suspected. thanks.

 

[Glyn]

These are good bags.
And can take hot water for eating porridge etc out of , so no washing up.

I can send you some to try if you wish...tho I only have 1 size.

Thank you very much for the kind offer Having now abandoned the vacuum sealing idea, I'm going to further investigate press-seal bags - might just order some from your link.
Thanks again.

 

[Baldy]

Instead of single use plastic bags i now use the porridge bars. Dipped in hot chocolate are quite nice.

 

[Nigelp]

These are good bags.
And can take hot water for eating porridge etc out of , so no washing up.

I can send you some to try if you wish...tho I only have 1 size.

I only ever used the grip seal not heat seal...
View attachment 53171

What size do use? And do you know what volume it is?

 

[Teepee]

My vacuum sealer does regular duty pulling a vacuum in glass jars. All my ingredients that go off/stale get stored like that, including oxygen absorber sachets.

Occasionally, I'll seal a foil Mylar meal pouch for a long trip.

FWIW, you don't need a machine to pull a vacuum. Oxygen sachets sealed in a pouch with an iron will absorb 20%of the gas to compress the contents a bit and obviously the lack of oxygen keeps the contents fresh.
Sterilising in steam or the oven at 100c can stop any risk of Botulinum.

 

[Diddi]

What size do use? And do you know what volume it is?

Trying to find them and will get back asap.