TOP THREE KITCHEN SMALL APPLIANCES

I have 3 favorite small "luxury" kitchen appliances...my Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer, my Kitchen Aid food processor, and my FoodSaver vacuum sealer.  (Coffee Maker is a requirement, not a luxury!)  Today, I am writing about my FoodSaver.  I was a fan of the Seal-a-Meal product back in the 1980s but then, it died and I did not replace it.  Then, we got a Sam's Club in our part of Austin and we started buying some bulk items...I quickly learned I needed a vacuum sealer of some sort or I would be wasting a lot of those "big savings".  I've had that one for over 15 years...and it does still work.  It is temperamental though.  You can't process much without it getting really hot and it's sort of a yellowed white...and I decided last year it was time for a new one.

One of the things I learned about living at the coast is humidity wreaks havoc on your dry goods...crackers, cereal, chips...stuff like that.  I have thrown away more of these "stale" products since moving here than I have in my entire life!  Of course, part of that is that I don't have my adult children, their friends, and my grandchildren stopping in to snack...so I have things a little longer down here than I would have up in Austin.  It was getting expensive to throw that stuff away!  Ziploc bags didn't do the trick, chip clips, and twist ties didn't do the trick.  So one day I was flipping channels and stopped on QVC because they were demonstrating a FoodSaver.  It caught my eye because this was a sleek looking black and stainless product (which matches my kitchen appliances) and it had one particular feature that made me think "SOLD"!  It had a "seal only" button. 

The "seal only" button had me from the first moment I saw it demonstrated on QVC!!!

Why is this such a big deal?  Well, you can re-seal any bag that was originally "sealed" with heat.  It has separate controls for vacuum and then seal - including a moist or dry option.  AND, it holds a roll of bags inside the system...no more digging out my box of bags every time I needed to seal something. It has a built-in cutter for getting a straight edge when cutting the bags to the size you need (no more hunting for scissors), and it has a removable drip tray for easy clean up when liquids are sucked into the machine (unlike my old one). Add the concept of 3-Easy-Payments (love that) and I was at my computer, keys clicking, sending my order.

The insides include bag roll storage, a cutter, and a easy-to-clean drip catcher

I purchased model V2840.  It cost $86.28 plus tax and shipping....now a few dollars more I see.  Came with 2 rolls of bags and a couple of other things I don't use (the vacuum cord for sealing jars).   I know it has paid for itself since I bought it last May.  I've used up the two rolls of bags and bought a box of bags at Sam's Club.

The plus of re-sealing the retail product bag also means a saving on the rolls of plastic.  I seal chips after every use, just cutting them open with scissors when I want to use them again.  I seal plastic bags of brown sugar, I seal cracker bags and sleeves, I seal cereal bags, pasta bags, rice bags...easy peasy.  I haven't thrown away a stale product in ages.  Cereal lasts for months...just have to train everyone in the house to seal after using and leave room for sealing when cutting the bag open.  No crushed chips - because you don't vacuum.  You can use the controls to vacuum a bit and then hit seal...very flexible.  It's great! 

Triscuits almost gone - last opened a month ago - will be fresh next time opened!

Brown Sugar will be fresh an ready to use after I sealed the top

holding the upside down re-sealed bag of brown sugar

The second best use is prepping meats and vegetables for the freezer.  My sons fish.  The first time they came home with 20 trout fillets for me to package up, my old FoodSaver barely made it.  My neighbor also fishes and brings me some of his catch from time to time.  FoodSaver makes short work of those; I can package in just the right size for individual meals or family meals...very flexible.  Also, since my husband is home intermittently due to travel, I find myself having too much ground beef for a smaller meal for the teen and myself.  If I buy ground beef at the H.E.B., it is generally packaged at about 1 1/4 pounds.  So, I buy a few packages and re-pack them in the vacuum seal bags and weigh out 3/4 pound per package...which makes it about right for a mom and a hungry teen-ager.  I can buy a big 4-pack of steaks at Sam's Club and package them individually, I can buy fresh shrimp when it is in season and package it up for later use...without an ounce of freezer burn or ice crystals reaching it.  I packaged up nuts, squash, tomatoes, or anything that I can normally freeze...freezes better and fresher with my FoodSaver.

Shrimp packaged and frozen - no visible freezer burn!

Roasted Acorn Squash from October 2010 - perfect condition!

Leftover nuts are fresh for the next use when stored in freezer

Less than 2 weeks in a "Freezer Ziploc" - ice crystals all over the chicken! 
Should have used my FoodSaver!

The only negative comment I could make is the rubber seal sometimes comes off - but I just stick it back in its track and we're good to go. 

No one is paying me to review this or giving me anything to say good things.  I just love the product.  Best appliance for saving money I've found!  I like to share with my friends and readers when I find a good thing.

A product that does what it says it will do!  I love it!!!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!