Vacuum Sealer for food

[dingdongrb]

Honestly I haven't really checked around but I'm wondering if anyone has personally purchased a vacuum sealer in order to seal food to be frozen.

I would like to know the location and perhaps estimated pricing.

I also would like to be able to have a source for the bags, especially heavy duty ones for freezing meats.

Thanks in advance.

[Brit_Doggie]

A simpler and effective way is to suck out the air with a straw then seal and freeze,it worked for me back home with my large chest freezer with never any ill effects.

[harrry]

There are a couple of small units available. As good as any(and they are not commercial standard) is the one that is sold by the chinese kitchenware dealer that is at most Macros. They also sell not bags but the plastic rolls of bagging.....you have to seal the bottoms yourself and cut.

Most of the bags that frozen food comes in can be resealed by them but not all plastic bags can...some are too thin I think.

If you want a better vacuam you may be better using a home vacuam cleaner (with a clean pipe end of course ) to empty the air out of a bag and then sealing with rubber bands.

[WitawatWatawit]

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop108-dz-2802sd-white-252095.html

I recently bought this one - thoroughly recommend it. Don't worry about plastic bags - just experiment with different types that shops use or whatever. The trick is to learn how long to set the heat timer for each type of plastic. So the bags are dirt cheap. Another trick, and one that is important to learn after the heat thing, is to hold open the plastic bag around the suction nozzle with your fingers to ensure maximum air is sucked out - the plastic can get sucked into the nozzle and block it.

[harrry]

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop108-dz-2802sd-white-252095.html

I recently bought this one - thoroughly recommend it. Don't worry about plastic bags - just experiment with different types that shops use or whatever. The trick is to learn how long to set the heat timer for each type of plastic. So the bags are dirt cheap. Another trick, and one that is important to learn after the heat thing, is to hold open the plastic bag around the suction nozzle with your fingers to ensure maximum air is sucked out - the plastic can get sucked into the nozzle and block it.

That looks a little better than the Fagor one which does not have a heat adjustment and can allow the bag to close at the nozzle which is out of sight.

[robertmueller]

We bought our Fagor Vacuum sealer MV-200 four years ago at Central KSK at B3'190.

It does a great job. The bags can be used in the freezer and in the boiling water (as other member said, not all can do this) etc.

At Central there is always the same problem: you never get the accessories or the spare bags. So you may order well ahead.

In Rimping Promenada they have the vacuum sealer from the company Unold, selling at something B4'990. They also do have spare bags for this machine.

Or you can order the vacuum machine online on alibaba. The advantage there is that they also sell the accessories, e.g. the liquid container fitting to this vacuum machine etc.

Price will be approx. the same - including freight, import tax etc. - as you pay here.

Good luck!

[Chicog]

I just use Ziploc or other brand gallon bags, do the job for me.

I don't understand this "heavy duty" bit, do you throw your meat around before freezing it?

[Konini]

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop108-dz-2802sd-white-252095.html

I recently bought this one - thoroughly recommend it. Don't worry about plastic bags - just experiment with different types that shops use or whatever. The trick is to learn how long to set the heat timer for each type of plastic. So the bags are dirt cheap. Another trick, and one that is important to learn after the heat thing, is to hold open the plastic bag around the suction nozzle with your fingers to ensure maximum air is sucked out - the plastic can get sucked into the nozzle and block it.

That looks a little better than the Fagor one which does not have a heat adjustment and can allow the bag to close at the nozzle which is out of sight.

Mmm. And about half the price too. I gave in to impulse recently and bought the Fagor one - easily justified because cooking is my hobby and I do an awful lot of it. Without giving any thought to it at all I sort of assumed that the very heavy duty resealable food bags I buy from Makro would be suitable for the machine - they certainly are robust enough but the machine didn't really like them, not quite sure why. I think the vacuum couldn't get any traction, although this could be a case of not knowing how the new toy works properly.

I would appreciate anyone sharing a source of the bags; don't like the thought of going back to Central for consumables, and I think a roll would be better.

Edit: I just re-read the posts and Harry has answered my question.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Konini

[FolkGuitar]

I just use Ziploc or other brand gallon bags, do the job for me.

I don't understand this "heavy duty" bit, do you throw your meat around before freezing it?

Some plastics are more 'air tight' than others. I'm not speaking of the seal. I'm talking about the plastic itself. If this doesn't make sense to you, think about the rubber helium balloons we had as kids. No matter how many times we knotted the nozzles, when we woke up in the morning the balloon was no longer on the ceiling. Plastic that allows air to penetrate will lead to freezer burn for the contents of the bag.

[Chicog]

Yes, I get what you mean, but those Ziplocs are pretty thick. I normally buy a whole fillet and chop it into individual portions and bag it up for the freezer.

Several months later no sign of freezer burn.

The sandwich bags are flimsier, but I don't think they're designed for freezing.

I even freeze soups in the bags, I've been in Thailand for too long.

[WitawatWatawit]

Yes, I get what you mean, but those Ziplocs are pretty thick. I normally buy a whole fillet and chop it into individual portions and bag it up for the freezer.

Several months later no sign of freezer burn.

The sandwich bags are flimsier, but I don't think they're designed for freezing.

I even freeze soups in the bags, I've been in Thailand for too long.

Freezing soup in bags, indeed. It's time you went home, young man.

But of course it's not all about freezing. For example some work shirts which I'm not yet ready to throw out have been vacuum sealed in the event I suddenly get an urge to work in an office again. Bulk nuts divided up into small proportions and sealed to retain freshness. Ditto veg. Toe nail clippings for black magic rituals - that sort of thing.

[worgeordie]

I find ziplock bags are good enough, i mean i am not going to be cutting a

whole cow up and freezing it,then keeping it for months,the longest any

meat stays in my freezer is 4-6 weeks,best just to keep it simple.

But if you boys want another toy,that's OK too.

regards worgeordie