Product Review-FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

Product Review-FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

A full product review of the foodsaver vacuum sealer!

I’ve done a LOT of product reviews over the years. I do so- because I think it really is so important to share honest information and knowledge about products and services if it will help other consumers in whether they should make the purchase or not.

And I can’t tell you how many times other consumer reviews have helped me make a solid decision on products. WAY more than I can count for sure!

So I decided that I would start a new series here on the blog to do just that.

Share my knowledge about products we use in the hope that by doing so I can help YOU, my sweet friends make that ever so important decision to click ‘add to cart’ or scan now, or just WALK AWAY!

How these reviews will go is I’ve chosen three categories to base my review on. 1. Performance  2. Quality   3. Price

I will share as brief as possible- but detailed information on each category along with additional pros and cons!

None of these reviews will be sponsored posts (unless I state so) and all reviews will be my honest (and humble) opinion.

If I share affiliate any affiliate links it will be for your convenience to check out the product details further on your own. If you do make any purchases I will receive a small commission and for this, I send a HUGE virtual hug!

With that said…Let’s begin Product Review #1!

Let me start with why we purchased the FoodSaver in the first place.

The photos above show the frustrating outcome we’ve experienced at times when freezing food with two very familiar and popular products.

Freezer Method 1-Ziploc bags oftentimes don’t seal properly and allow air to enter inside the bag. The air then begins to dehydrate the food inside and eventually will damage it with what we all know as the dreaded FREEZER BURN!

Freezer Method 2-Freezer paper is a bit more expensive than Ziploc bags but again, sometimes it doesn’t protect food any better. Even if you’ve wrapped it tightly.

Now, of course, food is still safe to eat if it has freezer burn, but the taste and texture will definitely be off and who wants that?

Not me!! But to throw it away is a waste so what do you do?

Well, you can double or even triple bag or wrap as I did. But that started to add up big time!!

Enter the Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer!

When we began researching vacuum sealers we found out there are lots of different makes and models out there. All at different pricing levels. Foodsaver itself has several different models too!

Here is what we found on the model we chose-V2244S

Performance: The vacuum sealer is VERY simple to set up. Basically you just take it out of the box and plug it in!

But getting it to function properly will take a bit of a strong hand! Although the instructions say Easy Lock and Latch it isn’t so easy!

The handle clearly states Rotate until Locked (it won’t start unless it is) but pressing that handle into locked position takes some doing. Even Michael had a difficult time getting into place.

Once in place though, the product works quite simply.

Place your food item in one of the bags (included)or make your own(more on that later). Lift the lid and place the end inside (diagram there will instruct you how). Close the lid. Pull the handle down into a locked position. Press the button (Vac/Seal). The machine will then begin sucking the air out of the bag. When complete the (Vac/Seal) light will go off and the (Seal) light will come on. This actually seals the end of the bag. When the light goes off you can pull up on the handle and release the bag.

The food is now tightly sealed and ready for the freezer!

Quality: light weight-durable and comes with freebies!

The model V2244S is what I call a baseline vacuum sealer. What this means is it doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles like some of the other models. It does come with a few extra accessories and one additional function though. First, the accessories-This model comes with 11″x 10′ vacuum seal roll,(3) 1-quart bags & (2) 1-gallon bags. Although the additional bags won’t last long the roll does provide you with plenty of additional that you can make on your own.

These bags are heavy duty and BPA free and they also have a white strip that I use to mark what’s in the bag and the date I froze it!

It also comes with a hose for the handheld sealer (not included) that can be used for preserving food items in your refrigerator and pantry into Ziploc type bags and containers. ***We did not buy this additional feature initially but plan to now.

Price:$79.99

Although this model is the lowest priced vacuum sealer that FoodSaver offers it is NOT the lowest priced vacuum sealer out there. As mentioned this price includes the vacuum sealer, 3 1-quart bags 2 1-gallon bags, and a roll of additional bags that you will need to cut and seal on one end before using. It also comes with a hose that you can use for the additional handheld sealer (not included.)

Pricing for these vacuum sealers has also decreased IMMENSELY since we first checked them out years ago-but the add ons and new functionality has INCREASED!

Pros: 

1.No assembly required.

2. Easy to use (Once you figure out how to work the handle)

3. Seals food tightly! (It claims up to 3 years) Although nothing in our freezer has ever lasted that long (we eat it up) and we haven’t had the sealer for a year yet, so far items we froze six months ago have NO freezer burn.

4. It comes with bags and an extra roll of bags you can cut to fit. Which means you can get started freezing food items without additional purchases right away!

5. The sealer can be used for wet or dry items and has a removable tray so cleaning is a breeze.

6. Price-$80 I know this should be a con but it’s actually not. As I mentioned vacuum sealers have gone WAY down in price and the add ons you get are worth at least $50 themselves!

7. The roll of bags can be cut to fit instead of automatically cut so you waste less!

Cons:

1. The handle is a bit hard to push down
2. Requires additional purchases (bags, hand sealer)
3. Sealing requires the bag to not be full. (So if you’re planning on saving money by stuffing as much in as you can, it won’t seal properly!)
4. The bag must be dry at the end to seal properly. (This means no meat juice, oil, water, etc, or the bag will not seal properly.)
5. It doesn’t work with ‘soft’ items. (Since this product seals so tightly you should avoid putting anything that can be squished like bread into the bag

Whew! That’s a LOT of info to digest I know!! And I apologize if it’s a bit too MUCH! I suppose like with anything I may need to work out some ‘bugs’ with this new series and I always look forward to your comments with advice!

Overall Michael and I both are quite satisfied with our purchase. Yes, there are a few issues but for the most part, this VERY basic sealer is just right for our needs. The cost is mid-range, the additional cost for a roll of bags is a bit more than the amount of freezer paper and Ziploc bags, but we use less of them and they actually SEAL! So it seems to balance out.

So if you’re looking for a cost-effective, healthy, quick and easy way to freeze your food, I definitely recommend this FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer.

We hope this product review was helpful and if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to email us at cdscountryliving@gmail.com or leave a comment below!