Reddit mentions: The best vacuum sealers

Kitchen Equipment used.

I used a lot of foodsaver bags for the sole reason I was spending a lot of time and money and didn’t want to risk freezer burn because I was prepping so far in advanced. Food storage first – not including things like Ziploc freezer bags, foil, parchment… and then kitchen equipment:

Foodsaver V4400 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine with Automatic Bag Detection and Starter Kit | Safety Certified | Black & Silver : Mine is like 9 years old… I don’t know if I would recommend this one exactly had I bought again. I works good.. but the auto bag detection can be finicky… YMMV

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V4440-Automatic-Detection-Certified/dp/B00DI342B4/ref=sxin_3_osp64-9923e9b1_cov?ascsubtag=9923e9b1-6183-477e-aa56-8a4dfc4129ac&creativeASIN=B00DI342B4&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.9923e9b1-6183-477e-aa56-8a4dfc4129ac&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=food+saver&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B00DI342B4&pd_rd_r=88594738-3101-4d09-bd53-96278ca4d2e7&pd_rd_w=UhZe4&pd_rd_wg=ac2zF&pf_rd_p=a23a388c-add5-49df-b293-a31ade89c6bf&pf_rd_r=3YDACSK6QW44JXQA1GTP&qid=1573057908&tag=fsmag_os-20

FoodSaver B005SIQKR6 Special Value Vacuum Seal Combo Pack 1-8" 4-11" Rolls 36 Pre-Cut Bags, 1Pack, Clear : 1st : I bought at Costco when there was $10 off savings. I know the meal prep community can recommend off brand ones. The premade bags are a time saver so I in the future I would only by those in bulk and keep the rolls for random sized things. I know I know, one time use… but I do wash the bags if I can get a second use out of them / depends what I stored in there / do not use for sous vide

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-B005SIQKR6-Special-Vacuum-Pre-Cut/dp/B005SIQKR6/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=food+saver+bags&qid=1573057990&s=home-garden&sr=1-7

Plastic Deli Food Storage Containers with Airtight Lids (12 oz. - 48 Sets) :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CSH8Q7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

55 Pack - 2.25 LB Aluminum Pan/Containers with Lids/To Go Containers/Aluminum Pans with Lids/Take Out Containers/Aluminum Foil Food Containers From Spare - 2.25Lb Capacity 8.5" x 6" x 1.5" :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071CLMVRD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel – Silver : I think mine is only the 11 cup size…I have had it mine for.. oh 15 years? Maybe longer? and FYI: NOTE: Cuisinart has announced a recall of the older riveted S-blade of our winning food processor, which was included in models sold from 1996 through December 2015. Cuisinart will replace the blade free of charge, and the new blade will fit old machines. Anyone with this older blade should contact Cuisinart at https://recall.cuisinart.com (or call 1-877-339-2534).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXM4WV2/?tag=ccoequippilot-20

KitchenAid KSM75SL Classic Plus 4.5-Qt. Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Silver : I won’t get into the long story.. but I’m using my OLD (I got for my 16th birthday, so this bad boy has lasted over 16 years!!) Kitchen Aid 4.5 qt tilt head mixer….

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSM75SL-Classic-4-5-Qt-Tilt-Head/dp/B00BU27HYO/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=kitchenaid+stand+mixer+4.5&qid=1573058334&sr=8-3

but if you love to bake and have been on Santa’s good girl list like me.. I’m hoping I get this one for Christmas this year!

KitchenAid KSM7586PSR 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer Sugar Pearl Silver :

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XF7926/?tag=ccoequippilot-20

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 7-1/4-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven, Caribbean : If you live near a Le Creuset outlet.. check there… I got this model (in like an eggplant color) for $180 and there were 0 flaws… It made me wonder why I waited 15 years to get one!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076NOHTO/ref=twister_B007BA034A?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Cuisinart WAF-F20 Double Belgian Waffle Maker, Stainless Steel : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IA3HJGG/?tag=ccoequippilot-20

Cuisinart GR-300WS Griddler, Elite, Stainless Steel : https://www.amazon.com/b?node=14552177011&pd_rd_w=Z09x2&pf_rd_p=d3e725e5-9820-431a-824a-b2cb56851b67&pf_rd_r=MV3GQEMZFAYM1344C9M3&pd_rd_r=03f94bd5-9e41-4d7c-a7b7-0de5e8ee0295&pd_rd_wg=d2h15

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer, 1.0-Liter : Mine is 10 years old—so it doesn’t look exactly like this. I won’t be prepping any rice because this is so easy to make:

https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-TSC10-Uncooked-Cooker-1-0-Liter/dp/B0074CDG6C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3GWEIFTDW8TUQ&keywords=zuroshi+rice+cooker&qid=1573064673&sprefix=zuroshi%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-3

The rest of the equipment is either old, I don’t like it, or I am preparing to replace with much higher quality. I’m also planning to add an instant pot come black Friday/ Cyber Monday.

I can totally relate to your situation, I myself have no ability to clean my house, do anything hygienic, and have no job. So I am highly dependent on many, if not all of the services that you are looking for.

I first just did a simple Google search for "home care based services colorado", and came up with quite a few results that might work for you, including what's called "Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)" and "Aging & Disability Resources for Colorado". Here is a link to A List of Colorado Programs. If Colorado's ADRC is anything like Washington's, call up your local Social Security office and ask about starting the process for an ADRC social worker, and to have them come out to your house to assess you for home care services. Because your boyfriend is on actual disability, he might have an easier time going through the process. I do know of people with schizophrenia and other such mental illnesses like depression, that have been able to receive this service as well. After you are approved, they will assign you with a care company that sends out a caregiver for a preapproved set of hours a week to help you with cleaning around the house, cooking meals, etc. An added bonus is that you can get a doctor's note to pronounce your pets as medical necessity, like Seeing Eye dogs are, but these would be "emotional service" cats. Then after that your caregiver would then be able to clean the litter boxes for you as well from then on.

Since you both are not married, you both will have to go through this process separately and I'm assuming would be assigned a separate social worker. Meaning one person may be eligible for more things than the other, and I'm sure the social worker will be more than willing to help you through all this.

As for the food, I too really hate reheating food in the microwave and get tired of processed foods. I invested in a FoodSaver | non, which vacuum seals food and extends their shelflife by months. I'm sure you can easily find a used one on craigslist or goodwill. The bags are a little spendy, but you can reuse them quite a few times if you wash them well. Just pull a preprepared meal or vegetable from the freezer and warm it up in a pot of boiling water. I'm sure there's a bunch of YouTube videos with good "How to" guides for getting the most out of a FoodSaver.

As for finding work as a person with a disability, I can totally relate to this, and have a few blog posts floating around in this sub getting into the different things that I do to make a little money to survive. Like using referral links – as I did above – to make a percentage off Whatever purchase is made from that link. I also make designs and post it to my RedBubble store for people to buy them on T-shirts, posters, pillows, etc. Totally not trying to link bait everyone. It can be really slow or really good passive income, depends on how much time you put into it. A good subreddit for making money online is /r/WorkOnline.

I hope all this helps, sorry I don't know Colorado law and there couldn't be more helpful with that. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Two things that I use all the time that I don't see mentioned:

Stovetop Smoker. With all the meat I cook, being able to smoke it gives it a whole new depth of flavors without adding any carbs and makes even simple dishes special. Very inexpensive too once you buy the initial smoker. I bough a bunch of different types of wood chips and they've lasted me about half a year now. Even in my small apartment there's hardly any smoke leak (although I do crimp foil around the edges to help keep it in) and I've never set off the smoke detector with it. If you do have an big outdoor smoker this one is nice for doing smaller portions or if the weather's not great outside. Highly recommend it if you like smoked foods.

Vacuum sealer is the other item I use all the time. I like buying certain staples from Costco in bulk (chicken/beef/pork/etc) and being able to portion it out and freeze it has helped cut down on the cost of keto a lot. It's also useful as a good timesaver or to keep food fresh for longer even if you don't freeze it. For example, I often only use about a quarter of an onion in a lot of recipes, but I'll chop the whole thing and seal the rest so it stays fresh for the next few days. I'll then take however much onion I need out the next day and re-seal the bag.

I don't have a brand I recommend over another, I personally have a Rival that I got for Christmas. A lot of people really like Foodsavers and I see them at Costco all the time. They can be inexpensive (~$40) for a basic one or more costly if you want extra features like canning or automatic sealing or different speeds. I do recommend not using whatever brand of bags they tell you to use however. What I do is buy cheap bulk bags such as these and use them instead. Zero problems with them and much cheaper than the brand name ones. I do keep a roll of 'cut your own' around in case I need something bigger, but I find for about 90% of what I do the smaller bulk bags work fine.

If you keep an eye out on meat sales and buy in bulk or buy a lot of meat that's about to expire for cheap, I think the vacuum sealer will pretty quickly pay for itself.

And tossing it out there, one item that's not necessary but in the 'nice to have' category is the immersion blender. Great for thickening soups since we don't add cornstarch or other traditional thickeners, and it's nice for other things like making your own mayonnaise. I also use it for making my own marinara sauce - mine has zucchini and cheese blended in. Again, not necessary and you can probably use a regular blender for this, but the immersion blender is really nice and convenient.

I would highly suggest investing in a vacuum sealer. I got mine refurbed for $26 shipped from a deal on www.meh.com which admittedly is a bit cheaper than usual but you can find them for around $50 and they generally include a roll that's several feet long and enough to make a ton of bags.

Once vac sealed then place inside the jar in a dark place and it will be insanely safe, literally about as good as you could ever ask.

Basically to ensure potency and no oxidation you want to have as little air as possible and that's why you need a vacuum sealer because it sucks it all out. There is no other way to do this properly asides from maybe a nitrogen wine preserving spray which is expensive and disposable.

If you don't want to take them out of their original bags I would suggest leaving them open before you vac seal them so the vac will remove the air from the original bags as well.

This one seems to be pretty decent for $43 and it's the #3 top selling one on Amazon

And by pretty decent I mean it looks a lot better than the cheap one I have lol.

It includes like 20 feet of rolls and 10 larger square pre-made bags so that's enough to seal A TON of stuff including food lol.

Vac sealing is by far the best option due to the lack of air and empty voids (pockets of air) which no other solution provides.

There are just two of us, and I end up freezing often. If I've made a large batch of soup/stew kinds of things, I usually freeze in these freezer containers or quart-sized ziplocs, so they are in batches of one or two servings each. To reheat, it is easiest to put in a pot on the stove (run under hot water to loosen it from the edge of the container or bag), but you could leave in the fridge for a day to thaw then spoon into a bowl or mug and microwave.

When I made a big pork shoulder, after shredding I added bbq sauce to about 1/4 and we ate that for a few days. The rest I froze in three FoodSaver bags - unseasoned except for the rub I put on before cooking. Used one bag to make carnitas, the other two are still in the freezer...little blank canvases. =) For thawing the FoodSaver bags or Ziploc bags, I put them in a big bowl of cold water. Once they are soft (half hour or so?) you can reheat however you want.

Pasta is OK to put in the freezer, but its texture will be a little different once you reheat it. If you're going to eat it soon or if you aren't feeling like taking the extra steps, it would be OK to freeze it with the chicken/stew. I personally would prefer to make just enough pasta to eat for now, then just freeze the extra stew/meat and, when you decide to reheat and eat it, take the ten minutes to make some fresh pasta. It's worth it. Good luck!

I bought a ton of hops and have no idea how I will ever get through them unless I make a ton of big IPAs. On hand, I have 1 pound of centennial, columbus, and belma. About 14 ounces of cascade. Maybe 2 ounces of citra, and 4 of simcoe. They take up a lot of room, but not THAT much room. In my side-by-side fridge, they take up maybe a shelf. The centennial are whole hops and are like 2x the size, so you have to take that into consideration.

For storing, they go in the freezer, vacuum sealed. I didn't want to buy a big vacuum sealer, so I bought one of these ziploc hand vacuum pumps as well as a jar vacuum pump valve thing and that way I can do a kind of quick ghetto vacuum seal on bigger hops bags and store the smaller amounts of things in vacuum sealed jars. It's not amazing or as great surely as a regular foodsaver type vacuum, but it's way smaller and cheap, even compared to the foodsaver version of the hand pump.

There are tea bags you can heat seal with an iron. They seem small but they might work for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Press-N-Brew-White-Paper-Fusible-Bags/dp/B00A5DHLEK

Also, most of the larger tea bags can be heat sealed with an impulse sealer. Most of us don't have an impulse sealer, but if you have a foodsaver, or other vacuum sealer, you can use the seal only option to close tea bags with the machines sealer. I hope I explained that well.

You can buy a vacuum sealer pretty cheaply these days if you don't already have one. It might be an option to buy one just for your tea bags. Here is a cheaply that just seals for 15 bucks!

https://www.amazon.com/iTouchless-Handheld-Airtight-Storage-Aluminum/dp/B000N5YBKC/ref=sr_1_cc_4?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1524400935&sr=1-4-catcorr&keywords=Food+sealer

Here is an example of a heat sellable tea bag that would need higher heat than an iron, and they are a good size too.

https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Disposable-Drawstring-Unbleached-Material/dp/B075NSNP38/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1524401087&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=Heat+sealable+tea+bags&psc=1

Hope that helps!

So there are two main types of vacuum sealers; External sealers and chamber sealers. External sealers are like your garden variety food saver. The bag stays outside the machine and the machine draws air from the open end of the bag. Upsides are they are inexpensive and quite effective for sealing dry or frozen goods and they are small. Down sides are that they use corrugated bags (which are pricey) and don't work well with moist food (or at all with liquids) because the suction draws the liquids from the food and prevents the bag from sealing. Chamber sealers have a chamber that the whole bag/food combo sits inside of and the chamber is evacuated. Since the vacuum is on the inside and the outside of the bag there is no pressure differential so you can vacuum pack anything including a bag of liquid. The bags are also much cheaper because they are simple smooth plastic. Downsides are that the machines are MUCH more expensive, require maintenance (oiling) of the pump, and they are quite large in comparison to external sealers.

Now, the quality difference between a <$100 external and a $200-300 external are going to be things like durability, vacuum pressure, and sealing bar width. More expensive units usually have dual piston pumps that evacuate faster and to a higher level of vacuum, wider sealer bars for a better seal (for instance I always do two seals with my food saver to be safe), can seal more bags continuously without over heating, and have more features like adjustable vacuum pressure, marinating modes, and various sealing options.

You can get over priced externals that sell on points like built in roll storage, various (usually useless) accessories, and fancy looks but you are wasting your money. This is an excellent entry level external. It is a single piston pump with no fancy features, but it works perfectly fine on most things. You'll generally have to let wetter meats set up a bit in the freezer first so they don't leak liquid, but that's true for most externals without a "wet" or "low vacuum" setting. This would be a higher end external with dual piston pump, cooling fan and a bunch of settings. This guy here is about as cheap as you will find for a dual piston, but it will not be nearly as durable or versatile as the Pro350.

Chamber sealers, you can spend $500-15,000 on but for most home users this is the gold standard. Inexpensive (for a chamber sealer at least) and has a well proven track record. Come see us over at /r/sousvide we have a ton of threads discussing sealers.

I have the basic model found at target. I got it about a month ago, dont remember the exact cost but I think it was somewhere around $55-65. Also got the [jar sealer] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9WXjyb40EXJ9H) attachment and about 4 dozen jars divided amongst quart, pint & half, and pint sized.

I loaded up on these bags: [Commercial Bargains 2 Pack 11" x 50' and 8" x 50'] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG5I5AK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ASXjybDZAJ08T)

The 8" perfectly fit my burritos. I'd say I'm using about 6 inches per burrito so if I'm careful I'll get at least 100 burritos out of a $12 roll. Also you can use regular ziploc freezer if you trim off their zip lock seal. The vacuum doesn't agree with the thin ziploc bags every time but it's surely good enough for freezer burritos.

Very true, I'm going to link some of my equipment that I love feel free to ask questions. The pre cut bags are amazing because my portion size is consistent due to the constant container size that is/was the real game changer


FoodSaver B016C4KK20 Vacuum Sealer GM2050-000 GameSaver Outdoorsman Sealing System, kkkk Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016C4KK20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DxZWCbEAB17ZX


Enther Meal Prep Containers [20... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742KGQG8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


Enther Meal Prep Containers [20... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742M47V5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

100 Gallon Vacuum Sealer Storage Bags for Food Saver, Seal a Meal Vac Sealers, 11" x 16" Size, BPA Free, Heavy Duty Commercial Grade, Sous Vide Vaccume Safe, Universal Design Pre-Cut Bag Avid Armor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H0WLQA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HMNWCb5E77H5M

If you're cheap like me, or have no more space for appliances, like me, you can get the vaccuum lid sealer for Mason Jars, and a small hand pump that will attach to the lid. I'm sure they don't do as good a job as the electric model, but they work fine for me. I also store them in a freezer.

Interestingly, my hand pump came with the jar sealer, but I cannot find a listing like that on Amazon anymore. I only see the jar sealer with the hose attachment for the electric appliance. Just don't get the Mason lids with the nozzles built in. The attachment I listed will do it on standard Mason lids.

This is great, thanks. I own the Anova v1 and I've backed the Nomiku v2 because of the smaller vessel size, I'd love to be able to just use a kitchen pot for little things.

My big question is around vacuum sealers. Right now I use the Waring (http://www.amazon.com/Waring-PVS1000-Pistol-Professional-Vacuum/dp/B008LW73UY/) gun sealer and I really like it but I can't seal anything that has a lot of liquids. I think all the consumer grade vacuum sealers have this issue.

I think I need to buy a chamber sealer (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=node%3D1090768&field-keywords=chamber) but these things are HUGE and not cheap.

Suggestions anybody?

P.S. Make these - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/sous-vide-glazed-carrots-recipe.html. OMG SO GOOD!

Frozen and vacuum packed you shouldn't need to purge with CO2 or N2, but it wouldn't hurt.

If you're just using this occasionally go for something off the shelf residential and foodsaver bags, super easy to use. If you need something more heavy duty for daily use I've been using this guy for years: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GP81R2. I still recommend the foodsaver bags to get a good vacuum and all the air pulled out.

> Which ever model you buy, make sure it has a separate vacuum and seal button.

This is a good point. I just got my first vacuum sealer, a Crenova VS-1, I paid $40 on Amazon (it's $70 now, but will hopefully drop again at some point).

It has a button that will just seal, and a button that will vacuum to a certain level, then seal automatically. It has Dry and Moist modes, the Moist mode pulls less vacuum before sealing, to try and avoid sucking liquid into the seal area.

If the bag seems like it's going to crease, I click one end of the sealer bar down, then pull on the other end of the bag, and click that side down. That helps pull out any possible creases.

There is an inexpensive one on Amazon with good reviews, Seal-A-Meal, $36:
https://www.amazon.com/Seal-Meal-hands-free-indicator-FSSMSL0160-000/dp/B008HMWC4A/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

But it seems to only have a single button, which starts/runs the entire process. It sounds to just seal a bag, you slide the bag only onto the seal area, but not the vacucum area. It probably vacuums nothing, then seals the bag. But I'm not sure if you have many other options.

I can start vacuuming a bag that has some liquid. But before the liquid gets pulled to the seal area, I can hit Cancel on mine to stop the vacuum pump, then immediately press the Seal button to seal the bag. I'm not sure if you'd be able to do that with this Seal-A-Meal. I don't know if its Cancel button will cause it to actually seal the bag, or just stop the process entirely. If Cancel makes it seal, that would be OK.

This Nesco has nice features, at least, for $50:
https://www.amazon.com/Nesco-VS-02-Vacuum-Sealing-Starter/dp/B00IUAK39A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484093198&sr=8-1

A Seal button, a Vacuum/Seal button, and a button for vacuuming external things like jars (using an attachment). It also lets you specify a short or long seal time.

Mine is not fancy, but it seems OK to me so far. It has a 3-year warranty, which doesn't hurt. Some people suggest just buying an inexpensive one (in the ~$50 range), and replacing it when it eventually fails, since it sounds like even the $200 ones aren't going to last forever.

Lipavia Sous Vide Container - 26 Qt works perfectly for me. It's too big for 90% of what I do but when I want to do several racks of ribs or steaks for the extended family, the extra size is great. I also use it to hold all my sous vide stuff (vacuum sealer, Joule, bags, etc) when I'm not cooking in it.

https://www.amazon.com/LIPAVI-Sous-Vide-Container-Polycarbonate/dp/B014U596GO?ref=ast_p_ep

This foodsaver works perfectly for me.
https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-Sealing-System-Starter/dp/B0044XDA3S/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1518471516&sr=1-9&keywords=food+saver

I haven't used any those devices, but i love my foodsaver vacuum. there is two great reasons, easy to make your own bags and i can use mason jars
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E42R8O/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_5_r
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025N2MKG/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_1_r
https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FCARWJAH-000-Wide-Mouth-Regular-Accessory/dp/B016OL1AB6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478231232&sr=8-2&keywords=mason+jar+vacuum+sealer

well, I agree with the sous vide if you have a vacuum sealer. you can get a foodsaver one on amazon for the price of a couple ribeyes. This is the model that I have and it's suited me very well. It's also great if you like to buy in bulk. I've found that I've saved a lot of money using this thing. However, I'd say put it somewhere where you'd see it or else you're easy to forget about it. /end mini commercial

The sous vide makes the meat really tender and you can add your marinade right in there when you vacuum it in, saving yourself a ton of time. I usually finish it off using a cast iron pan or under the broiler.

in case you haven't already considered this, if you have a vacuum sealer, you can vac-seal mason jars with this attachment. Also needs a plastic air tube if you don't already have it. If you don't have a foodsaver type thing, internet says you can use the same attachment with a hand-held vacuum sealer like this. You can also use it by itself to vac-seal plastic bags. I have never used a handheld so I can't say for sure how good it is. You can probably also find any of that stuff at WalMart or something.

This will keep things tight for a loooong time. Jars come in colors if you're worried about light getting through the clear glass. I'd recommend wide mouth jars for dry goods because they're easier to scoop out of. I do a fuckload of cooking related things so I buy in mass quantities and store a shit-ton of stuff from flours, grains, and sugars to all kinds of dehydrated food in vac-sealed jars. Moisture would fuck any of that stuff up right quick and I have never yet had anything mold or go bad. When I moved I found some dehydrated foods that had gotten pushed to the back of the shelves and were like ten years old and still perfectly good.

Vacuum seal bags can only stand up to a few re-seals before you need to put everything into new bag and static cling becomes your new enemy. Mason jars solve the static and the humidity problems. They come in pint to half-gallon sizes so you can split your stuff up however you want. You can go into them as often as you want and easily seal them back up. Put 'em in a box, throw some paper in so they don't bang together and you're good to go. I keep a working jar filled with whatever I need for the month (which I usually don't bother vac-sealing) and I keep the excess sealed up tight separately on a shelf in the basement. Golden.

Edited to add: /u/nodnizzle

Absolutely. There are some caveats though. My wife and I have this vacuum sealer (Amazon link) and we also have a smoker so we'll do 30 pounds of pulled pork at a time and that sort of thing. Here's the catch though. There can't be any moisture when you vacuum seal or it just pulls the liquid out and won't seal. So, you end up having to slightly freeze everything (about an hour or so) and then seal it. It isn't a big deal but it does take a bit of time.

The other thing though is that it does give us the freedom to buy in bulk when stuff goes on sale and really helps pay for itself very quickly. Costco sells the freezer bags and Amazon does as well. Those seem to be the two cheapest places to get them.

Like /u/skwibby said, it's an essential kitchen item.

Thanks everyone for the info and insight. I'm definitely leaning more towards one. I thought it would improve the flavor but having a proper seal seems pretty critical. I was looking at this model on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D5TMBE0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hiMEybM3SWGVY

I would like to stay under $100 if possible. If anyone has any recommendations, they would be greatly appreciated.

Sure!

Amazon link, Jet Link. We just got it, but it has worked well so far. Bought the generic vacuum bags from amazon to save that extra.


I'm not sure if either the 15% or 20% off code is still valid, but even at $20 off it's a great savings.

> For instance, I want a good vacuum sealer for food, but it's something I need to ask people about here

A few months ago I got a Weston. It's a commercial sealer, and quite a bit larger than the FoodSaver ones. I didn't like the fact that on Amazon, some of the FoodSaver models had almost half of the people saying it fell apart in a few months. The Weston has a metal chassis, comes with a free spare sealing strip, and you can order replacement parts for it. I don't use it all the time, but so far it's worked great. Not cheap, but if it lasts me for several years it will be worth it.

Second the FoodSaver. Although we sprang for the fancier version with the handheld sealer. We got a good deal on it at Sam's. We've had it a few months and are really enjoying it. We are totally prepared for the new baby - our freezer is full of ready to go soups, stews, quiches, and slow cooker meals. :-) And it's great for our weekly meal prep as we use it for things that quickly go bad like sliced apples and guacamole.

Edit - http://amzn.com/B00DI342IW

We only prep protein at this point bc we just didn't have the freezer space. We typically do steam packs for veggies and salads for lunch and dinner twice a week.

this is the second one we bought. It works well on the cheaper bags, but something to be careful about this one doesn't seal as completely on the "regular" setting if there's pretty much any fat the gets sucked up. The "moist" setting does seal better. We didn't realize this was what was happening at first. When we first got it, we'd have intermittent bags that looked sealed but then when we took it out of the freezer it was re-inflated slightly and freezer burned (no bueno)

FoodSaver FM2435-ECR Vacuum Sealing System with Bonus Handheld Sealer and Starter Kit, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C464ZCQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XI6ezbBHFQ7J3

This is the first one we bought but it overheats if you move & seal too many bags in quick succession. When this happens, it stops sucking air out (but still will seal the bag). It seals wet / fatty foods better, though. It's has a bit more wastage with the plastic then the FoodSaver, but the hopper for the bags is slightly larger:

Nesco VS-02 Food Vacuum Sealing System with Bag Starter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUAK39A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Jw7ezb9ESJYWS

These are the bags we've used the last few times:
Two 8"X50' Rolls of FoodVacBags 4 mil Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer Bags - Make Your Own Size Bag! - for Foodsaver, Seal-A-Meal, plus other machines https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPS32MI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yy7ezb2ZQEJ6S

Go to www.camelcamelcamel.com and paste the addresses in to see how the prices trend out. The FoodSaver we got on sale for just shy of $100.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016OL1AB6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498924756&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=foodsaver+mason+jar+sealer&dpPl=1&dpID=31JgVG8mhxL&ref=plSrch

This doesn't replace pressure canning, but is great for very quickly pickling stuff you'll keep in the fridge for up to a couple months.

It also works great for long term storing things like grains, nuts, etc. I bought some of the giant mason jars for that.

There's supposed to be a 'useful stuff' link in the sidebar, but it looks like it's blank to me. /u/revolution486 is there still a wiki type thing for products?

OP, I bought a cheapo food sealer on amazon that's worked great for me. Ziplocks always leaked. This is the one I have, but I paid $17.59 on 10/31/18:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HMWC4A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've used stock pots for the most part, but they're clunky and waste a lot of heat (which wears your SV device a lot) I'm looking at upgrading to the plastic bins now, but if you don't have a ton of funds right this second, it's a good component to hold off on to make sure you'll use enough to justify.

Searing in an oven is going to be possible but difficult. You need to keep applying heat while you're searing so you can't just take the pan out and toss the meat in, but you often want to baste or flip, so you also can't just drop the meat in and close the oven. The general advice I've heard is that enameled cast iron is "approved" for use on glass tops but (and I'm quoting someone else here):

>I wonder whether this whole issue is real at all. I've been using my heavy Le Creuset stuff for five years now with not a hint of a scratch anywhere (yes, I know it's coated but it's still darn heavy). So I just did a google search on the subject and found dozens of similar threads on all sorts of other chat sites, and you know what they all had in common? Despite the manufacturers' recommendations against using cast iron on glass cooktops, I was unable to find a single report of anyone ever actually getting any scratches! On the contrary, there were LOTS of postings from people saying they'd been using cast iron on glass for years and years with no problems at all.
>
> I'm starting to think that warning is just the manufacturers' lawyers playing CYA.

You can also buy a butane burner for ~$20 if you have the urge.

Another common tool is a straight up blow torch. If you have trouble with evenness, a searzall attachment helps spread the heat.

I really appreciate my vacuum sealer when meal prepping. It's super helpful to freeze food for longer storage.


what I use

Also, I've found a simple kitchen scale is very useful for portion control.

this one

I bought one of these but don't remember paying $35 for it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002FWIVCA/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1421944018&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&dpPl=1&dpID=31ho5XmCDHL&ref=plSrch

I use it on a mason jar sealer like this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00005TN7H/ref=pd_aw_sims_6?pi=SS115&simLd=1

It says you need the tube but the soft rubber on the vacuum makes a good seal on top of the sealer, the only issue I have with this setup is that you open all the hops to the air every time you weigh some out, a proper vacuum sealer is definitely going to be purchased in the future.

I used the cheap seal a meal on amazon here for my homegrown hops this year and really liked it. Grab a 50' roll of bags and you're set for awhile.

Can't comment on its usefulness for food, but seems like it would work great to seal up meat bought in bulk to freeze.

Umai Dry bags and a vaccum sealer is a great place to start.
Vaccum Sealer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D5TMBE0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IJbvDbPANG2SB
Umai Dry: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUS4J4S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wKbvDbVW1HXJQ

For dry aging I suggest the biggest whole loin you can buy.
I've found 20-35 days works best for most cuts but every cut is different so do your research. (35 for ribloin works great). Also don't throw away the trimmings. Grind the trimmings up and mix them with hamburger meat. You'll love it trust me

Sauce and heaviest foods on botton, lightest or bruisable things or things that could get soggy (strawberries, lettuce, etc.) on top.

Pack as tightly as possible without squishing/ruining food.

Set out and let it get to room tempterature (about an hour or so), then seal the jar and put in fridge. This will allow the mason jar to "vaccuum seal", and stay sealed until you pull it back out of the fridge -- so leave it refrigerated until you grab it for work in the morning or are ready to eat it that day in general. **TIP: this works best with salads. if you're going for more complex foods, like dairy based sauces, you may want to invest in a jar sealer and seal right away!

DONE.

Easiest thing. I do it with salads all the time, and they last about 9 days in the fridge.

Tip: keep things like dairy on the side, and grab with the jar.

I don't know the answer re: density but I'll bet you'd find out more by researching why, as it says in the sidebar, the NCHFP and USDA have not approved any method for canning large amounts of fat (which pb would fall under). Canning fats is not for the faint of heart. I mean some people do so for lard and tallow. But picture pulling boiling jars of pure fat out of a giant bubbling pot of scalding water using canning tongs and you get the idea.. It can go so wrong if something tips, cracks etc.

Is preserving pb something you are trying to do? I suspect the heat and pressure required to safely do so at home would change the taste from what most people would enjoy. You could probably make a natural one with a longer fridge shelf life by taking the air out with one of these to slow down oxidization. The commercial producers use preservatives to achieve the same thing. But really, what makes the most sense is to use a jar sealer to take the oxygen out of your jars of nuts (so they don't go rancid on the shelf) and then make small batches of pb as you need it.

I've seen hot water bath recipes for canned boiled peanuts and for a nutella type spread but that's it.

TheWirecutter.com is a pretty nifty review site. They pretty much aggregate reviews and information from the web and try to provide information on good buys. Here is the sealer they recommended. I bought it off Amazon yesterday and it should arrive today. I'm looking forward to it.

First, while wearing gloves, pack that shit into a motherfuggin ziploc baggy. Then, dispose of the gloves and grab another pair. Throw those babies on and get yourself one of these handy dandy Vacuum Sealers and throw your baggy in there and seal it on up. Then, grab yourself some petroleum jelly, completely coat the outside of the first sealed package, swap out your disposable gloves and re-seal that baby a second time. Repeat once more with another layer of petroleum jelly, re-re-seal it in a third vac layer and sneaker express your way on down to your nearest USPS office cause you're ready to ship some weed. Key things to note are that if you have any trace amounts of particles on your fingers and touch the outside of one of the vac seals, you basically just nullified that layer (on the off chance a dog smells your package). Be very, very careful about contact transfers. Never try and pack while high. Also, make sure to package it discretely and in such a way that none of the layers will rupture. I'm also pretty sure that using the mail to ship across state lines probably makes it a federal crime, so don't be dumb kids.

Edit: that really neat bot below me linked the price history for that vac sealer but you don't have to buy an expensive one like that. I bought a ~$60 one like five years ago for sealing meat and shit and it still works great

This one is way cheaper than the costco one. Ive had mine for almost 2 years and it has been great. Certainly saved me money on cheeses and meats that I can buy in bulk.

The bags are safe for immersion cooking, according to the package.

I heard that all vacuum sealers eventually go, so buy a cheap one.

Seal-a-Meal FSSMSL0160-000 Vacuum Sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HMWC4A/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_FJSIwbD17PJER

Yay happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear shercock! Happy birthday to you. (I signed that in ASL , but you couldn't see it...)

But this nifty vacuum sealer would make my life so much easier when it comes to sending my baked goods! thissssss

It really depends on your budget. You can get a nice home sealer for anywhere from $50-100 (plus extra for extra bags), here is the one I have. It gives me just about 12" of sealing/vacuum space and they make bags that are 11" wide so if you could get the butt in that space then you'd be good. Anything larger than that you'd need a commercial grade sealer and then you're talking anywhere from a couple hundred bucks on up. Here's an example of a 15" sealer.

I have found I can seal just about anything with mine and depending on the shape of the butt you could probably get it done.

Good luck.

Forgot to talk about my idea for the stolen shredded cheese. Note that this one is also not poisoning.

I don't know what kind of cheese you like, but depending upon cheddar, mozarella, or a mix of white and yellow cheese (Mexican), we can do this.

• $1.88 for new bag of shredded cheese: https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/shredded-cheese
  
• $4.03 for white crayons: https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-FBA_52-0836-053-520836053-Standard-White/dp/B0044S904Q
  
• $5.99 for orange crayons: https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Large-Crayons-Orange-Bright/dp/B0044SH5IY
  
• $15.13 for a plastic bag heat sealer: https://www.amazon.com/iTouchless-Handheld-Airtight-Storage-Aluminum/dp/B000N5YBKC
  
• $8.00 for cheese grater: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005D098VO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_wajwCbCGNFBXA
  
  Buy your bag of shredded cheese and carefully cut open the top, empty cheese into some other container. Take those crayons, carefully unwrap the paper on each crayon. Take 4 or 5 of the crayons and secure them in a row, side by side as they would arrive in the box, and grate some 'cheese'. Add new 'cheese' to original cheese bag, then heat seal the top of the bag.
  
  Leave that in the fridge on Friday.
  
  Ingestion of crayons is fairly safe: https://www.crayola.com/faq/safetymsds/are-crayola-and-silly-putty-products-nontoxic-even-if-ingested/

I don't have any experience with either, but I have had a "Seal A Meal" since August of 2016 that I've had good luck with (and it's cheaper than both of the listed units). ;)

Oh, and here are the bags I use with it....

If you have a good saver with the accessory port,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016OL1AB6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_1PnRzbR9QX9RV

This is what I use. Have to get some Mason jars, but can reseal after measuring. Quart size jars hold a pound perfectly well.

I have a FoodSaver pretty similar to this one that I got in a starter kit from Costco for under $200. I got extra generic bags off Amazon.

I love the FoodSaver. It's got the extra wand thing that works really well at sealing wine bottles (it came with one and I bought two extra vacuum corks), and it holds a roll of the bag material in the top. I use it just about every day and so far haven't had any problems with it.

You could also get a cheaper one and just buy the generic rolls of material on Amazon. As long as it seals, and you can easily tell if it does, you're good.

Also, not sure it's even necessary but I always double-seal my bags. I put the regular seal then put the bag back in and pull it back about a quarter inch and seal it again just to be safe. I'd rather spend the extra minute it takes than risk boiling $100 of filet mignon or prime ribeye.

If you're into marinading your ribs, you might consider getting a vacuum sealer and then buying the rolls of bags online.

Seal one end. Cut the length to what you need for your whole rib, add the ribs and the marinade, then DO NOT USE THE VACUUM. Just try and get most of the air out and seal the other end.

Now you can even freeze the rib in the marinade if you want but regardless, it's perfectly safe to go right into the fridge.

Yeah i got my sealer for like 50 bucks and it seals while vacuuming been working pretty well so far.


Here's the link to amazon if you want to check it out: GEYRON Vacuum Sealer

I have the FoodSaver V2244 which is as close to standard issue consumer grade as I'm aware of. I've only had it since October but have used it almost every single day since then and have been very happy with its performance, especially for its price. I'd recommend it!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HMWC4A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this one is cheap and works great. You can use amazon brand bags that also work great and make it so much cheaper

I have the handheld FoodSaver model similar to the hand pump one. I didn't want another appliance on my counter, but I wanted a vacuum sealer for sous vide cooking. It works great for me. I got mine at Target but here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002FWIVCA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ObTBzbB7Z2114

There's really no need to break down into small quantities. Once you open the original packaging, vacuum seal and freeze the remainder. If you use the bags or rolled material, just leave the packaging large enough that it can be cut open and resealed several times. Better yet, if your vacuum sealer has a port for a hose, get one of these and use Mason jars. https://smile.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0006-02P-Regular-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B0000CFFS6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1F6PQ6AH3Q4ZV&keywords=food+saver+jar+sealer&qid=1564619563&s=gateway&sprefix=food+saver+%2Caps%2C262&sr=8-4 A quart jar will hold a pound of pellets and, at less than $1 each they'll save you money over the bags in time.

I buy several pounds at a time when I find a good sale and often store them for 2 or 3 years before opening. After opening, some may be stored in a jar for another several months without any noticeable degradation.

Regardless of how you package them, the important thing is that they're vacuum packed and frozen.

So I bought the Anova for like 75 bucks, but then I figured hey, if I'm gonna cook like this, I need to be able to do two different temps, so I bought this one too. They work pretty much identically, except the cheaper one goes to a higher temperature and also comes out of the sleeve, which makes it more versatile and I end up using it more. I simply cut a hole that it could fit through into a plastic bin, and that's my sous vide container. Before I did that, I just used a stock pot with tin foil over the lid. So, you can get into this for around $50, you don't need all the fancy stuff.

Yes, get the basic 7 gallon brew bucket. Drill a hole in the lid with their drill bit. Add the bulkhead. Add a TC to ball lock gas post. Now you can do closed transfers.

I also love my Tilt and TiltPi running on a Pi Zero.

With all that cash you won't mind a large grain storage bin perfect for 50 pound grain sacks.

You can break down your pound bags of hops into smaller bags with a vacuum sealer.

Try an RO system and upgrade it with a 14 gallon pressure tank (can't find the link).

If you're going to do this, make sure you're using good quality freezer bags, otherwise air will just get in again.

Honestly though, an inexpensive vacuum sealer and bags run about $40. I bought both of these about a year and a half ago, and the vacuum sealer is still working great, and I've used less than half of each roll of bags.

Also if you're looking to meal prep, things like chili or soups can be frozen pretty effectively. This sauce also freezes beautifully, but freeze just the sauce, not the sauce already mixed with the pasta. You could also do mini lasagnas in disposable aluminum loaf pans, which would provide 2-4 servings each depending on your hunger levels and the size of pan you use.

Do you have or know anyone who owns a vacuum food saver?

If not, you can try those Space Bags you attach your home vacuum to. I tried the Space Bags for some extra pillows but, it seemed to slowly leak and expand with air again. It could've been because I over stuffed it though.

Whatever you end up doing, try and make sure they're clean, dry and coated all over with oil. Wouldn't hurt to toss in those little Silica Gel packets, either.

Just sealed two bags of this recipe with a lower end foodsaver: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XDA3S

It has a drip tray in the sealing chamber so some liquid is ok. Only issue I had was the first seal was not 100% so I just closed the lid and sealed again on the same spot, no issues. Granted, it's not 100% air tight but it's pretty close and I imagine will ultimately be fine.

There was also a suggestion on here to freeze the unsealed bag for an hour or so (to get the liquid mostly solid) then seal. I'd imagine that works well.

I've been surprisingly happy with https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N2HE2HD . It's small, which is nice since I have limited room, and has handled moist things and things with small amounts of liquid fine as well. Not sure how long it'll live though.

My vacuum sealer has a liquid vs dry mode as well as a gentle vs normal mode. Does the job pretty well.

I plan on storing my seeds for years. Here's how I do it:

1. Drill a 3/4" hole in the lid of a 2 or 4 oz. baby food jar, using a Forstner bit. Tape over the hole with micropore tape on both sides. Fill the jar half-way with Damprid (calcium chloride). Silica gel only gets RH down to 40%, whereas CaCl2 lowers it to <25%. Stuff the rest of the jar with cotton and screw the lid on. I stick the baby food jar to the bottom of a pint- or quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar using these from Wallyworld.
   
   
2. Put the seeds in small ziploc baggies or breeder's packs inside the mason jar. Make sure they're slightly open and not airtight.
   
   
3. Put some oxygen absorber packets in there.
   
   
4. Put the lid on and vacuum seal the jar with one of these and a vacuum pump. You can use a Food Saver pump if you have one but I went with a cheaper option. I squirt some silicone in a ring around the lip for a better seal to the jar sealer.
   
   
5. Screw the jar ring on and store the mason jar in the fridge.
   
   This method takes care of the 3 things that lower seed viability--humidity, oxidation (with the oxygen absorbers and vacuum seal), and temperature. I also plan on saving herb for the long haul like this, but with 62% Boveda packs instead of the CaCl2.

I love my Gamesaver (link on amazon). Be sure to buy the mega-rolls of third party bags, they are tremendously cheaper. (example)

I do this, only I vacuum pack my salads using one of those canning attachments and a brake bleeder.

I actually get a pretty good vacuum and my salad stays crisp in the fridge for a week. Just remember to layer your ingredients as to not get anything soggy.

As enterstip mentioned, they're easy to eat out of and readily washable in the dishwasher. I reuse the caps (lids?), too. As long as I don't damage/bend them while trying to break the vacuum.

Wide Mouth Jar Sealer

Wide Mouth Mason Jars

Edit: The advantage of doing this using mason jars as opposed to Tupperware would be evacuating near all the air as opposed to lazily squeezing it out using one of those cheap bowls.

Oh, and not to mention people at work'll think you're awful crafty bringing in vacuum-packed mason jars full of salad.

Anova is good, I bought it when it came out years ago, still going strong. There's a new version coming as /u/gctep pointed out.

Also, I use this as a vacuum sealer, FoodSaver is way too expensive for the same features.

I just sear my stuff on the grill if it's going, or most likely in a cast iron on the stove.

And container is good, really anything works. I have a giant metal pot someone gave me for cooking Thanksgiving sized portions of potatoes.

I have a Weston 2300 that's pretty badass. I would highly recommend it.

Edit: Here's the Amazon link.

This is the one I have. It was only $60 and works like a champ. Somewhat no-frills when compared to the others people are linking, but I'm happy with it.

I use this Foodsaver brand sealer, but I don't recall it costing as much as shown on Amazon (bought at Costco). https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V4440-Automatic-Detection-Certified/dp/B00DI342B4/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2LWXNGPHBSJQW&keywords=foodsaver+system&qid=1556562192&s=gateway&sprefix=foodsaver+sy%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-8. It's great for meat and, of course, hops. I break down a pound of hops into 1 oz and 2 oz packages. My only gripe is that I cut down larger bags into fourths and then painstakingly seal up the sides and bottoms to make smaller bags. Time consuming, but I haven't found very small bags to use. Of course, I haven't really looked.

Edit; Okay, I just looked. There's a shit-ton of small bags available. Boy do I feel dumb...

I like the FoodSaver brand. I had one for 7+ years and only replaced it because they came out with a "Game Saver" model that does more consecutive seals without having to rest the machine. The base model FM2000 is like $80. The base model Game Saver GM2050 is $76 right now.
Neither has the thingie to cut a bag from a roll or store the roll which wouldn't matter if you don't use it a lot. Just cut with scissors. I sprung the extra and got the GM710-000-GameSaver.

I have used other brands and they were ok. My "seal a meal" was good but not wasn't durable enough for me and the off brand I had was inconsistent at sealing.

I have used all different brands of bags and not noticed a difference so I get whatever 11x50 inch rolls are a good price. Right now I have these.

I keep mine in pint-size canning jars with the air sucked out. Then they live in the freezer. One pound of pellets splits between two pint jars pretty cleanly. A canning jar vacuum adapter is pretty inexpensive and I use a Harbor Freight hand-operated brake bleeder pump to evacuate them.

I've got few ounces left of some 2014-crop hops that were still making good beer as of a few weeks ago. Probably a little less potent than fresh, but still good.

I have this one, and I got it for like $20 on a meh.com deal, and I've seen them on sale there a few times. It works perfectly fine for all my purposes (hops and sous vide steaks).

I use a foodsaver with the mason jar attachment. Works well. Stores my hops in glass, not plastic. Reusable and "resealable". I keep them in a freezer.

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H

When I need hops I can open, measure, and vacuum again right away. Less waste and measuring.

​

I also use this thing for storing dry goods like DME, dextrose, and things that tend to clump when left stored for a long time.

Also great for quick pickles, marinades, and whatever else.

If you really want to vacuum seal them, try going with something more standardized.

Food Saver makes a battery powered hand pump that works with mason jar lid attachments. Using a food saver vac will allow you to use standard mason jars instead of those clasp jars with a specialization.

Regardless of how you package them, be sure to add desiccant in an airtight container and keep them in a cold dark place.

I store hops in mason jars sealed up using one of these. I just use a cheap hand pump that I already had for vacuum sealing space saver type bags. Pretty straight forward process.

I did it myself. I used this one: NutriChef Vacuum Sealer | Automatic Vacuum Air Sealing System For Food Preservation w/Starter Kit | Compact Design | Lab Tested | Dry & Moist Food Modes | Led Indicator Lights (Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2HE2HD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zIJSCbAKR0DQ9

I like it well enough. Like many it doesn't deal with any moisture well.

I use a Foodsaver vacuseal system. I highly recommend them. They're great for a number of things.

Edit: Formatting

Had this for over a year. I use it a lot for sous vide but also vacuum seal all kinds of other things as well as a lot of things sealed in mason jars. Still going strong.

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FM2000-FFP-Vacuum-Sealing-Starter/dp/B01D5TMBE0/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1511794725&sr=1-4&keywords=foodsaver

This is the vacuum accessory mentioned. If I don't have a foodsaver but this vacuum tool works great.

Depends on how much vacuum you want. You can suck a significant amount of air out of a bottle with your mouth by sealing your lips over the mouth.

With a small handheld vacuum pump you can create even more.

With a home food sealing machine, you can create about the best vacuum you're going to get without a much more expensive pump. Interestingly enough, the "vacuum" these machines produce is very near the atmospheric pressure on Mars.

Vacuum is dangerous if you put anything living into it, or if you try to draw a vacuum on some container that doesn't have the structural integrity to hold it, it will implode.

Sous vide ribs are amazing, especially beef. I use an electronic temperature controller, an electric roaster oven, a circulating pump, and foodsaver bags.

For beef, divide the ribs so that they fit in gallon bags. Slap a heavy dry rub on them. Vacuum seal them. Put them in the water at 140F for the first 4 hours. This is to ensure nothing nasty grows (I've cooked at lower temps to start, because rare and medium rare are my favorite, but occasionally a bag goes bad and blows up like a balloon) Lower the temp to 130F and cook for an additional 44-68 hours.

When they're done, let them rest a bit, so that you don't overcook them when searing, then take the juices from the bag and use it to make BBQ sauce.

Turn your grill up to max, and give the ribs a quick sear. If you want, brush with sauce, and sear a bit more. You'll end up with some amazingly tender ribs. Other methods can also produce fall off the bone ribs, but IMO, those methods overcook the meat and sacrifice flavor. Here the meat is still medium and pink, so it tastes like a juicy steak.

Pork ribs are similar, except I cook them at 145F for 18-24 hours.

Make and model? How long have you had it/actively used it? The vacuum pumps do eventually seem to go out.

This is the first vac sealer I had gotten. Lasted 2 and a 1/2 years with very moderate use: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HMWC4A

Last year I bought this FoodSaver vac sealer which I've been more happy with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XDA3S

Part of my problem was that I was attempting to vac seal brines on my first one. Now I would probably just settle for having a little bit of air in there so that I could guarantee a good seal

I bought this one and it works great. I just leave the hops in the bag they came in (opened) put them in one of the resealable bags that come with this vac and seal it up. Easy to open, grab the amount i need and reseal the same bag.

Go vote, kid
So, voting results get sealed right? Like the Oscars have envelopes, the elections have election results in special folders...This ReSealer can remelt the ends of chips bags and voting bags too! Because chips and votes should stay fresh.

Straight up liquid? Not sure it's made for that, but I've never tried, so I don't know. I've sealed plenty of things with liquid in them without a problem, like a dish with a sauce, for instance. They do make containers and [jars like this] (http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398218675&sr=8-2&keywords=seal-a-meal+container) that you can vacuum seal with a tube attachment.

I'll be honest. I just trusted Amazon and bought the number 1 seller in vacuum sealers haha. This one to be exact along with these bags.

Aside from the one I bought I have zero experience with vacuum sealers, but I can say I don't have any issues with the one I bought either. It works and works well. They say the bags can store some foods up to 6 months, but I as I said in my original comment I found the chicken and rice portion of my last meal to be kinda starting to show slight signs of burn...although I suppose it could have been user error or just in my head.

YES!!! Make sure to get the 62% packs and not 72% which is used for cigars. I use cheap refrigerator magnets to hold the packet to the bottom of the lid.

For added freshness, vacuum seal the jars if you have a foodsaver. https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FCARWJAH-000-Wide-Mouth-Regular-Accessory/dp/B016OL1AB6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511884230&sr=8-3&keywords=mason+jar+vacuum+sealer

Sounds like the Waring Pro Pistol Vac is in your wheelhouse if you're already familiar with zip bags.

Works great for me and many others in this sub.

You can use a FoodSaver with an attachment to vacuum seal the mason jars. It definitely helps keep salads fresher for longer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016OL1AB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Gxl4Ab0HYFWQC

I use this one and have had really good luck with it.

Vacuum Sealer By NutriChef | Automatic Vacuum Air Sealing System For Food Preservation w/ Starter Kit | Compact Design | Lab Tested | Dry & Moist Food Modes | Led Indicator Lights (Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2HE2HD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pQbSAb4NVV3JY

I like to make about 2x as many ribs as we'll eat. I take the left overs and seal them up with a vacuum sealer, then toss them in the freezer. When it's time to reheat a slab I just put the sealed bag in a large pot of simmering water. In 10 minutes or so they're ready and almost as good the one fresh off the grill.

i like these bags

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009O9VMCI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they are very high quality, and hold a vacuum during freezing and heating. you could just use the water displacement method like with zip lock bags, or you get a small battery powered pump

this one works ok on that waring seal port http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XY8PDW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and the official pump http://www.amazon.com/Waring-PVS1000-Pistol-Professional-Vacuum/dp/B008LW73UY/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1418096775&sr=1-5&keywords=waring+pro

This scale

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002SVLB8E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1422644813&sr=8-2&dpPl=1&dpID=31A-9YxUeuL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

This vacuum sealer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008HMWC4A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1422644913&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=31r34tHcj1L&ref=plSrch

I think they are both a good value. I had one bag that the seal didn't hold but other than that I would recommend them.

I've used the FoodSaver 4440 for a couple years now (bought it from Costco since it was cheaper than even Amazon was offering)

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00DI342B4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_tAAyybAFQ39BM

What I like most is that you can very quickly custom make your own bags depending on how big the products are and it is also very easy to clean

(Edited for wrong model)

I've got one of these and I've been pretty happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Weston-65-0201-Pro-2300-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B001GP81R2

It's sealed around 1000 bags and I've had to replace the heating element once. You can do 25 in a row before having to let it cool down for a while. If you don't, you'll be replacing the element (which isn't very expensive). My only complaint is the vacuum sensor that tells the machine it's 'done' has died and I have to press the 'manual seal' when I think it's done.

This thing's 15" wide so you can do 2 quart or pint bags at once which is nice, and the seal is 2 or 3x as wide as the foodsaver seals. I think that's the big difference. I think mine's about 10 years old.

Awkwardsoul has good comments here, but I'll add that there are bags that are not branded Foodsaver, so they are very cheap, and just as good quality....these are all that I use.

8" wide

11" wide

FoodSaver Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_WIx-yb44GTHDE



 Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_iLx-yb422N6MD

You want to get the wide mouth jar sealer so you can get the greens out of the jar. I think I got  vacuum pump thing at Walmart and it was just the pump bc I didn't spend that much on it, but it's still one of the cheaper ones on Amazon and it's rly good quality.

True but it also says there is a newer model which is only $10 more than the woot sale on this older model.

http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V2244-Vacuum-Sealing-System/dp/B0044XDA3S/

I have a Foodsaver and it has always worked perfectly fine for me.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DI342IW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_6hX3wb5QZFD4R

I use mine nearly every night, enjoy! I recommend this too: food sealer

I picked this model up for about $50 http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V2244-Vacuum-Sealing-System/dp/B0044XDA3S

Its cheap and easy to use. It does have problems with liquids, but that means you have to manually tell it to seal or it will get the internals wet. I made a mistake and got my machine wet with a beat balsamic and it broke the machine. Luckily the machine is dead simple and I was able to take it apart and repair the faulty shut off switch. Don't let it scare you though. When I make chicken stock I put it in the vacuum sealer bags which I make from a roll and thrown them in the freezer.

If you freeze foods you will appreciate the food saver. I was on the fence about it, but love how easy everything stores in my freezer with no/minimal freezer burn. Cooking sous vide, I can now do the longer cooks without worrying about my ziploc bag opening up.

just cook up batches of your favorite foods and vaccu-seal individual meals. freeze them and they'll act like ice in your cooler. toss one in your backpack before leaving camp in the morning and you'll have a thawed out lunch later on. leave it on the dash of your car to reheat with no effort. or boil the bag in water. re-use the same boiling water all week. eat it straight from the pouch and you'll never have to do dishes.

here's one on amazon for $62

http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V2244-Vacuum-Sealing-System/dp/B0044XDA3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406920355&sr=8-1&keywords=vaccum+sealer

I have a FoodSaver V2244 and love it. I also got it on the rare occasion when Amazon had it for $29.99.

I use something similar to this called the fresh saver. It works fantastic. You have to buy special bags but, they are resealable so you can use them over and over. At the time it was only 6 bucks on Amazon now it's 22.


http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0051-FreshSaver-Handheld-Sealing/dp/B002FWIVCA

OK that answers that question. Thanks.

...but, http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H

Here you go, its a high quality knock off of the most popular model of Sous vide machine. Have this and highly recommend it

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=27385

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Strata-Home-Immersion-Cooker/dp/B06XWVXNWQ

all you need is a big pot/container and some freezer ziploc bags (you will be cooking everything between 120-160 degress)

/r/sousvide

I use a this gun. It works great. Takes up far less space than most sealers and I can reuse the bags a few times before they're no longer good.

I was coming here to say exactly this. A small vacuum sealer isn't expensive and the bags are resealable (around $20USD for the hand sealer). That's the route I'd recommend and sealing quantities you can use over the course of a few days once they're pulled from the freezer.

I am using this. It's pretty easy to use, but relatively expensive. I found that ziploc bags does the job most of the time by using archimedes principle (it's showing liquid contents, but it work just as well on solids).

My sealer has an accessory attachment that vacuums air from small seal on the front of resealable bags. That’s what I use. FoodSaver V4440 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealing System with Bonus Built-in Retractable Handheld Sealer & Starter Kit, Black Finish https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DI342B4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hsycBb1THHNQD

Yes, they're that cheap! :-)
This is the one I got, and these are the bags I use.

I have one of these which my wife uses for storing food in the freezer, and a smaller unit she had before, and a hand held version that came with the new unit, but it requires special bags with a fitting for the smaller unit. the bags are heavier gauge than what you typically see in "freezer" bags and the seal is great.... I never use them of course.

http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0051-FreshSaver-Handheld-Sealing/dp/B002FWIVCA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1412548887&sr=8-4&keywords=mason+jar+sealer

and

http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412548887&sr=8-1&keywords=mason+jar+sealer

You use the regular lids. Seals them pretty good, but the important part is getting all the air out.

This is the one I'm saving up for.

Weston 65-0201 Pro-2300 Vacuum Sealer $365 Here's is a video demonstration.

I've read good things about this Cabela's Commerical Sealer at $425 as well.

Thank you, we'll try this.

Maybe foodsaver vacuum sealer will be better?
https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0051-FreshSaver-Handheld-Sealing/dp/B002FWIVCA/

Here ya go: Seal-a-Meal Manual Vacuum Sealer with compact design, hands-free, seal indicator lights, FSSMSL0160-000 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HMWC4A/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_mWbZxbSPSREMC

Currently $31.44 and works great!

I prefer regular iodized salt, whatever goes on sale (occasionally) usually the Morton's I think? Has a girl in a raincoat on it. I don't store my salt in buckets. I decided compromising that quantity for usage was a no go for me. I use 1/2 gallon mason jars and I vacuum seal them and it has worked awesome. I initially tried bags but that makes the salt into bricks IF you can get a good seal. 5 gallons of salt gets exposed all at once and starts picking up humidity. 10 half gallon jars is the same amount but doesn't.

I feel like one can't have enough bags. These work well sealed or not sealed. $20 on Amazon.

Weston 8-by-12-Inch Vacuum-Sealer Food Bags, 100 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GP81OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_AbitybD1ZTN4T

It is super simple. Anova even has an app so you can monitor your cooker while you are in another room. They are on sale right now which is why I pulled the trigger.

anova precision $155 w the code SPRING25

12 qt container $24.95

container lid $11.08

apparently you can also just float ping pong balls on the top as well - having a lid insulates and slows the water evaporation

cheap adjustable rack to keep the meat in place $13.21

vacuum sealer $69.99

but for this you can just use freezer bags and water displacement to get a similar outcome

I got this one a couple of years ago, it was 50 bucks back then. Works well. One thing to keep it working well is to store it with the cover unlocked, this helps keep the seals working well. Nesco Vacuum Sealer

I love these guys: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063HZVBC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this one, and it works perfectly. I've sealed maybe 7 lbs of hops in 1-2 oz increments without a hitch.

Air tight mason jars work great. I've had bud last just over a year in a mason jar with air removed (http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H) that was stored in a box in my closet.

NutriChef is what I have. works great.

https://www.amazon.com/NutriChef-Automatic-Sealing-Preservation-Indicator/dp/B01N2HE2HD

Wide-Mouth Jar Adapter

I have a brake-bleeder hand pump, works just fine.

I stand by this guy. http://www.amazon.com/Waring-PVS1000-Pistol-Professional-Vacuum/dp/B008LW73UY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453203719&sr=8-1&keywords=waring+pistol

Bags are dishwasher safe as well.

I own the Seal a Meal and am totally happy with it. I use Ziploc vacuum bags of various size.

Some foodsavers are close to $200. For example http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DI342IW/ is $190USD.

Personally I prefer the V2244 (type) because the automated sealing uses up more bag length. While I haven't used it, I also don't know how it is for double sealing. Before I bought my chamber I used a http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M1801Y/ which I was quite happy with since it also has the removable drip tray.

I got the V2244 off Amazon. It comes with a few sizes of bags, as well as a roll for making your own bags. I also bought a roll of the Ziploc vacuum bags, which are cheaper than the FoodSaver brand and work just as well.

I use Farmhouse 9 times out of 10. The caveat is that its harvest time related so the longer you wait beyond harvest the slimmer the pickings become, and that's across the board for all suppliers. Harvest is in late summer/fall, so right now you are still dealing with 2015's crop (last fall's harvest).

I just looked and there are a fair number of good hops still available, though you may be limited to either 1lb in some cases. In such a case, you may want to invest in a vacuum sealer deal. I have one of these and it's more than paid for itself (about $75).

I got this one end of November for about 50 bucks and it was the best sous vide accessory I've purchased. I can't imagine not having one now. I've started buying meat in bulk, portioning it out and freezing it so I can make it whenever. Plus I've found other uses for storing things. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XDA3S

your correct, but I think kungfujohn1 has a point in the way amazon likes to carry the history of how you got to the product in the URL makes it easy to mistake if you copy that entire URL. IE a non affiliation link without any ref string at all: https://smile.amazon.com/Manual-Vacuum-Sealer-System-Starter/dp/B008HMWC4A would have been more obvious, but in the end no different.

you can use something like this as well

This is about $50 and generally has positive reviews.

Sure, I'll try my best. My dehydrator is the Excalibur Deluxe.

And it's been a few years so I'm not sure if this is the exact model, but this looks like my FoodSaver.

This is the mason jar attachment for the FoodSaver.

I think that's it, besides for a regular 'ol stock pot.

Somebody pointed out a cheap/nice solution to me that seems to keep my hops fresh.

1. Ziploc Vacuum Pump
   
2. Ball 8oz. canning jar
   
3. Jar Sealer
   
   Put hops 4oz. of hops in jar, put inner canning lid on, suck out all the air with the pump, then put the outer lid on and store in freezer.
   
   You could always get a vacuum sealer instead, but I like the low tech approach. If any one piece breaks I am out $10 at the most. Nothing has broken in 2 years of use.

Neat!

Perhaps a food sealer would be an affordable option? Something like this but higher quality: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N5YBKC/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

(I'm on mobile so just grabbed the first example I found)

EDIT: to address your actual question, I've never heard of someone DIYing an inflatable at all, much less with an iron. The question did remind me of a bag resealer my mom had a while back though. Seems reasonable.

The foodsaver he was was using is currently on sale with amazon for 5$:

http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0051-FreshSaver-Handheld-Sealing/dp/B002FWIVCA

I have already bought mine, just to try out to see if it works. I will update if people are interested

You can use mason jars that are freezer safe and use the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Wide-Mouth Jar Kit found on Amazon do that you minimize plastic and also for certain foods you don’t crush it.

Hmm that’s along my idea.
A large vacuum sealer machine to keep it all fresh, future generations will be marveled at how well preserved some of these plastic mummies are.

I have this food saver :

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-Machine-Starter-Certified/dp/B0044XDA3S

I vacuum pack liquid stuff all the time. Specifically I make chicken thighs with lawrys jerk sauce in the bag. Turns out great. But you don't need to freeze first and then vacuum seal the bags. If you have a food saver like mine just clamp the bag exactly like normal. Now before you hit the vac button move the whole thing so the bag is hanging vertically off the counter held by the sealer. Hit the vac button and JUST before the liquid gets to the top hit the seal button. Mine stops dead and seals the bag right away and since you're pulling liquid up to the top of the bag it gets all of the air out every time.

Vacuum sealer is Amazon territory. They'll probably have this model on sale for the same price it is today but higher MSRP. Just be sure you check Honey or camelcamelcamel that it is a real deal.

The FoodSaver FSFRSH0051 works with bags that aren't ideal for sous vide because there's hole for the air to come out. I'm pretty sure there was extra water in the bags I used. I got my FoodSaver from woot. It was refurbished but at $39 it was half price. Amazon

I think the better question to ask is, why doesn't this video play in Safari?

I do have Flash installed.

This is the link to that page. BTW: http://www.amazon.com/iTouchless-BR001U-Bag-Re-Sealer-2-Packs/dp/B000N5YBKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452359981&sr=8-1&keywords=itouchless+bag+re-sealer

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Sous-Vide-Immersion-Cooker/dp/B06XWVXNWQ/ref=sr_1_3_acs_osp_osp18-3919b64b-e1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1540856137&sr=1-3-acs&keywords=sous+vide&tag=thewire06oa-20&ascsubtag=3919b64b-e13b-4fee-93dc-354a790d9c21&linkCode=oas&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.3919b64b-e13b-4fee-93dc-354a790d9c21&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_w=jMS7v&pf_rd_r=6BDP0P9R86V2VRE7SNMG&pf_rd_i=sous+vide&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-inline&pd_rd_r=20004ef3-6eb6-437e-b58a-9c0075b3cdcf&pd_rd_wg=Yf7At&pf_rd_p=53b688eb-671a-4acd-886f-dc89fa36d3d2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&creativeASIN=B06XWVXNWQ&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-inline&pf_rd_p=53b688eb-671a-4acd-886f-dc89fa36d3d2&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=sous+vide&pd_rd_i=B06XWVXNWQ&pd_rd_w=jMS7v&pf_rd_r=6BDP0P9R86V2VRE7SNMG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pd_rd_wg=Yf7At&pd_rd_r=20004ef3-6eb6-437e-b58a-9c0075b3cdcf is the one im looking at, but I don't need fancy stuff like bluetooth

FYI you can get the bags cheaper on Amazon, I just got 50 feet of 11" for $18 here.

Thank you for the detailed response. For my first sealer I don’t mind going with an affordable machine. I’m looking at a Geryon product which is an amazon choice. Any thoughts on it?

GERYON Vacuum Sealer Machine, Automatic Food Sealer for Food Savers w/Starter Kit|Led Indicator Lights|Easy to Clean|Dry & Moist Food Modes| Compact Design (Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4W5PMB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JLXjDbHQAH4R0

Nice, so something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FM2000-Machine-Starter-Certified/dp/B01D5TMBE0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=foodsaver&qid=1571978140&sr=8-3

I use this and am very satisfied with it. $80.

Foodsaver V2244

Like /u/DblBaggerDonkeyPunch says, the glass would have to be exceptionally fragile to break from being vacuum sealed.

Also, /u/CosmoVerde is correct in that the vacuum seal won't be terribly beneficial in preventing oxidization. There is still air in the bottle.

If you want to preserve your nicotine base with a vacuum sealer, seal it into mason jars using a vacuum jar sealer and store it in the freezer.

It works very well; I use

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FSFRSH0051-FreshSaver-Handheld-Sealing/dp/B002FWIVCA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509830584&sr=8-3&keywords=foodsaver+freshsaver

and

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1509830683&sr=1-4&keywords=foodsaver+wide+mouth+canning+jar+sealers&dpID=51b0i952XTL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FAX12-000-Accessory-Hose-Clear/dp/B00T699C14/ref=pd_sim_79_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00T699C14&pd_rd_r=G1EK7WAZPVPAM4CBX621&pd_rd_w=LlqaD&pd_rd_wg=GDCFk&psc=1&refRID=G1EK7WAZPVPAM4CBX621

When I read your post, I recalled that they made adapters for food sealers that fit onto mason jars. But, I think what this guy on youtube did is more what you're looking for. The guy effectively sealed a bag of cigarette rolling tobacco with his food sealer for six months for a test in the sale package.

These bags are inexpensive and get good reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GP81OK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=384DXTWIBRKSY&coliid=I2N9GAPY9WUPDL&psc=1

Weston Pro-2300

Built like a tank, and like you, I wanted one I didn't have to replace. I already had two foodsavers that I had to replace. They're junk compared to this thing. Be warned, though, it takes up a lot of counter space.

I got one of these Vacuum sealers recently. Real easy to use, bags are very heavy duty so they will likely last a while, and it only takes about 10 seconds to seal.

http://www.amazon.com/Waring-PVS1000-Pistol-Professional-Vacuum/dp/B008LW73UY/

> vacuum jar adapter

like this? https://www.amazon.ca/FoodSaver-Regular-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B0000CFFS6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482264440&sr=8-1&keywords=food+saver+mason+jar+sealer

Does anyone have experience with handheld vacuum sealers for hop storage?

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002FWIVCA/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1473524106&sr=1-11&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=vacuum+sealer

If you want to vacuum seal you can use the food saver wide mouth mason jar sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eJBTDbX17YWBA with a cheap vacuum sealer like a ziploc handheld pump.

This is similar to what I do. I generally do two separate seals and I put each seal through the sealer (the element that actually melts the plastic together) on the "liquid" setting three times.

In general, I use the cheapest bags and rolls from Amazon and I've never had one fail.

These are the bags that I have purchased most recently:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GP81OK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDY8SOK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just bought this and this.

They're for storage at home to help manage the odor. The thing is... Because you're drawing all the air up through the vacuum sealer; it smells of weed after the first use.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HMWC4A/ref=psdc_1090768_t1_B008R9I4WW

bought this over a year ago, went through a 100 pack of bags, and about half way through my second and it still works good.

Doesn't do liquids, but IF I want to add liquid to something I just freeze it and and it as ice. but that is rare anyway.

This seems like a good deal but I couldn't find it in the Amazon.ca site.Foodsaver Gamesaver

At least in the past the Gamesaver models had a more durable motor than the standard foodsavers.

I buy meat in bulk and use this ffodsaver for everything. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044XDA3S/?tag=calwar-20
I have tuna steaks from over a year ago that still taste fresh!

Make it daily.
And you can indeed vacuum seal jars- my Foodsaver works with vacuum jar lids that fit standard mason jars.

I like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Weston-65-0201-Pro-2300-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B001GP81R2/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1395110696&sr=1-1&keywords=weston+vacuum+sealer

This has been my go-to when people ask me for a recommendation on a sealer. Independent vac/seal and seal buttons, clam shell design, and ease of use all are up there for me in what I was looking for.

We are talking about changing the inner atmosphere though...

Devices like this are used.

Getting a Food Saver or equivalent will literally pay for itself 10Xs over. Saving hops, meat, freezing fruit/vegetables etc it’ll save you money.

What do you think of the idea of using canning jars and a vacuum jar sealer attachment for hops?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H

You can reseal and it doesn't crush the contents.

I use this handheld vacuum sealer to degas and it works amazingly well.

Sure is, check this shit out.

I just have a cheap 30$ vacuum sealer off amazon. I will probably upgrade to a better one, but it gets the job done.

http://www.amazon.com/Seal-a-Meal-FSSMSL0160-000-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B008HMWC4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415822569&sr=1-1&keywords=vacuum+sealer

This was cooked with a reverse sear, 50 mins @ 250 degrees, then pan seared 45-60 seconds per side.

I defrost them in the fridge for 2-3 days in the vacuum sealed bag.