Vacuum sealers

[jansman]

I am looking at buying a domestic vacuum sealer,as I want to have a play with some homemade MRE’s for my get home/hotel bags. I am used to using big industrial vac packers ,so these little kitchen- counter machines are a bit of a mystery to me. Does anybody have recommended brands or models they could point me towards please? Thanks in advance

[jennyjj01]

I am looking at buying a domestic vacuum sealer,as I want to have a play with some homemade MRE’s for my get home/hotel bags. I am used to using big industrial vac packers ,so these little kitchen- counter machines are a bit of a mystery to me. Does anybody have recommended brands or models they could point me towards please? Thanks in advance

It's a money pit, so brace yourself. But immensely satisfying to gather together dehydrator, vac sealers, mason jars and all the paraphenalia of storing. Some get stove addiction, some get torch addiction. I got food shrinking addiction
I got mine from either Aldi or Lidl for about £25 (perfectly serviceable), but in the absence of any special buy days, you'll probably end up at ebay or amazon. Look for one that has a port for a vacc pipe. Maybe it'll say 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 in the listing. The weakest link on these is probably the non-replaceable gasket ( because you'll never find a source), so if you can get one with a spare, so much the better.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184086880593
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=vacuum+sea ... Caps%2C180
Many come with a vacuum hose for use with mason jar adapters,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294139118238?
But those actual jar adapters are stupidly expensive and are seldom if ever included. It seems the only mason jar adapter you can get is actual foodsaver brand from ebay.com US site or drop-shipped from amazon through ebay. The foodsaver branded hose did fit my cheap vacc sealer's port.

You can vacc seal any old sauce or pickle jar WITHOUT a hose or adapter

I'm a proper mason jar addict now and seldom vacc bag.

Avoid hand held electric vacc pumps as used with ready made bags with fitted valves, as they are extremely slow and disappointing and the bags are insanely expensive.

When buying extra bag rolls, buy the longest, because wrinkles make for a lot of waste towards the end of the roll.... Assuming you can't get them through work?

Oh. and always double seal both ends of the bag.

[jansman]

I am looking at buying a domestic vacuum sealer,as I want to have a play with some homemade MRE’s for my get home/hotel bags. I am used to using big industrial vac packers ,so these little kitchen- counter machines are a bit of a mystery to me. Does anybody have recommended brands or models they could point me towards please? Thanks in advance

It's a money pit, so brace yourself. But immensely satisfying to gather together dehydrator, vac sealers, mason jars and all the paraphenalia of storing. Some get stove addiction, some get torch addiction. I got food shrinking addiction
I got mine from either Aldi or Lidl for about £25 (perfectly serviceable), but in the absence of any special buy days, you'll probably end up at ebay or amazon. Look for one that has a port for a vacc pipe. Maybe it'll say 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 in the listing. The weakest link on these is probably the non-replaceable gasket ( because you'll never find a source), so if you can get one with a spare, so much the better.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184086880593
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=vacuum+sea ... Caps%2C180
Many come with a vacuum hose for use with mason jar adapters,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294139118238?
But those actual jar adapters are stupidly expensive and are seldom if ever included. It seems the only mason jar adapter you can get is actual foodsaver brand from ebay.com US site or drop-shipped from amazon through ebay. The foodsaver branded hose did fit my cheap vacc sealer's port.

You can vacc seal any old sauce or pickle jar WITHOUT a hose or adapter

I'm a proper mason jar addict now and seldom vacc bag.

Avoid hand held electric vacc pumps as used with ready made bags with fitted valves, as they are extremely slow and disappointing and the bags are insanely expensive.

When buying extra bag rolls, buy the longest, because wrinkles make for a lot of waste towards the end of the roll.... Assuming you can't get them through work?

Oh. and always double seal both ends of the bag.

That is excellent, thanks very much! Bags won’t be a problem. We buy them by the pallet at work, and I can take what I want within reason. Looks like some internet trawling this afternoon then.