FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine, Automatic Bag Detection, Sous Vide Friendly, with sealer bags, roll, handheld vacuum sealer, black

Let's be honest, I was skeptical. My kitchen is already full of unitasker gadgets that promised the world and now live in a dark cupboard. But after throwing away one too many bags of freezer-burned chicken breasts and stale cheese, I decided to take a chance on a basic FoodSaver vacuum sealer. And wow, am I ever glad I did!This isn't some fancy, Bluetooth-connected, space-age appliance. It's a straightforward, incredibly effective machine that does one job and does it perfectly: it removes air from bags. That's it. And that's its genius.Here’s why I’m obsessed:➤ Effortlessly Simple to Use: I was sealing my first bag within 5 minutes of unboxing. You just place the open end of the bag into the channel, press down the latch until it clicks, and hit the button. The machine does the rest—sucking out all the air and sealing the bag with a perfect, airtight weld. It’s so intuitive my technophobe partner used it without even asking for instructions.➤ It Actually Works (Shockingly Well): The proof is in the pudding—or in my case, the frozen salmon. I used to dread the icy, crystallized mess that came out of my freezer. Not anymore. I vacuum-sealed some fresh fish, forgot about it for two months, and when I thawed it, it looked and tasted like I had just bought it. The difference is night and day. No more freezer burn. Ever.➤ Saves Money & Reduces Waste: This is the biggest win. I can now buy meat in bulk when it's on sale, divide it into portions, and seal it without fear. That giant bag of coffee grounds? Sealed shut, it stays fragrant for weeks. That half an onion I never know what to do with? Throw it in a small bag and seal it for tomorrow's omelet. My grocery bill has gone down, and my guilt over throwing away food has completely vanished.➤ Surprisingly Versatile: Beyond the basics, I've started marinating steaks in minutes instead of hours (the vacuum process pulls the marinade right into the meat!) and I’ve even sealed important documents and first-aid supplies for camping to protect them from moisture. It’s a handy tool far beyond the kitchen.The bottom line:Don't be fooled by its simple design. The basic FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer is a powerhouse of practicality. It doesn't have a million settings because it doesn't need them. It's reliable, durable, and it solves a real, everyday problem beautifully.If you're on the fence, just get it. This unassuming little machine has quietly become the most valuable player in my kitchen. It just works, and it works with ease. Five stars without a doubt.

The first one came defective. But they sent a replacement and I made a bunch of freeze dried raw dog food for a trip. And some burgers. Works great and easy to use..

I purchased this about 6 months ago. At first, it was absolutely amazing. I got a case of pecans from a nut farm and a bunch of chicken breasts and thighs and sealed them up and stuck them in my freezer. I was very pleased with the performance.After a bit, it seemed to stop working. It would still seal the empty bags from the roll of bagging material, and it would try to suck the air out of the filled bag when I tried to seal - it would 'function' but it was no longer sealing bags with food in them. It just kept trying to suck the air out. I thought it was broken and I was angry, but not to the point of trying to return it or get it 'fixed'. I just stuck it back in the cabinet hoping it if sat for a while something inside might 'reset'.I pulled it out a few months later (this week) and tried to use it again. Was getting the same behavior. So I started googling around to see what I could find out. Found other reviews about the same behaviors. Started reading through the manual looking for troubleshooting info. Basically it just told me to make sure there's no wrinkles inthe bag, and to make sure it was clean. It looked clean, but I went ahead and wiped it all down, pulled out the gasket and wiped it and flipped it over.AND IT'S BACK TO WORKING LIKE IT DID WHEN I GOT IT!!! VERY happy that I didn't get rid of it, didn't take it in for someone to work on, and didn't get angry and throw it away. It just needed a little cleaning... LOL!

My old food saver finally took a dirt nap after 20 years of use. It became time to shop for a replacement. The important things for my replacement being - same size bag roll (11"), internal bag roll storage and built in bag cutter (a sharpie pen holder like the old ones would be nice, but I can live without that).This one is almost exactly like my old one (except the pen holder!) - works well and gets the jobs done quickly. I hadn't realized my old food saver was getting weak until using this one! Wow, quick and efficient!The lid lock is pretty secure - and you want to make sure to use the "storage" setting when not in use as I believe leaving the lid in the fully locked position will over time cause early retirement of the sealing integrity.If you're looking at a food saver, consider the value of having the bag roll storage built in - you might think the smaller one is a space saver which it is, but then you have to find a place to store the bag roll and then cutting that bag with scissors or a knife can be a pain. With the bag roll storage and cutter built in, simply pull out enough bag to get to the sealer and seal that end first which creates the "bottom" of the bag, then roll out the size bag you need with a little extra bag (good tip, makes it easier to seal and less chance of liquid spilling out before you hit the seal button - saves cleanup!).Yes I do recommend this vacuum sealer - they work great and can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year by saving leftovers or uncooked protein which can be saved in your freezer.My "tip" on using a little extra bag -- when sealing wet products (like chicken wings) you will see as the vacuum process takes place liquid start to work it's way to the top of the bag and it can get into the drip tray and although it is kind of designed to do this, I don't like the mess. So as I see the liquid getting just about to the top of the bag I hit the seal button. This stops the vacuum and seals it at that instant. I've not had freezer burn using this technique and have NEVER had spill-over into the food saver. The other thing you can do is freeze your product overnight in a rigid type container and then remove it from that container and vacuum seal the next day. Believe it or not you can use the food saver bags instead of containers to seal soup this way - it really does work!