NFT: Anyone own a FoodSaver?

They last a lot longer

I got mine for hops (I'm a home brewer) but use it for homegrown veggies, leftovers, stocking up on sale items, especially steaks, in season fruit.

Get yourself a Sous Vide device and make the most perfect steaks you've ever had

Great for freezing product without the worry of freezer burn, marinating meats and Sous vide cooking as well.
Mine also has an attachment for vacuum sealing containers but have not used it nor do I have any need to so I can’t speak for that option.

I generally shop in bulk at the grocery store so this thing works great for me only takes advance planning with meals. I buy bulk chicken and pork products break them down to meal size marinate and freeze them. Then on Sundays pull out what I plan on making that week. The only item I refuse to freeze is steak but marinating them it’s great.

In comment 13797689 Gary from The East End said:

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Get yourself a Sous Vide device and make the most perfect steaks you've ever had

Just googled this. I’m definitely gonna get one. Couple different devices out there at different price points. Any recommendations? Is WiFi enabled devices a must?

I find the containers a lot easier to use actually. Put cold cuts in there. Cheeselast much longer marinate. Leftovers. I bought a handheld vacuum sealer too, for quick uses I thought the FoodSaver would be a waste of space, but really love it.

Marinade chicken breasts with it. There is an attachment that you use . I do for 3 cycles and then grill them....

Locks in the aroma and keeps the flower fresh

They get super super loud like a shop vaccume after a couple hundred times using it

Not sure why you might need WiFi or Bluetooth for it. I just set the temp with the wheel and push the button to start it.

In comment 13797705 LawrenceTaylor56 said:

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Just googled this. I’m definitely gonna get one. Couple different devices out there at different price points. Any recommendations? Is WiFi enabled devices a must?

Anova is the most widely recommended brand.
Anova - ( New Window )

In comment 13797752 Gary from The East End said:

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Not sure why you might need WiFi or Bluetooth for it. I just set the temp with the wheel and push the button to start it.

same advice here. I have a couple Bluetooth anovas but hardly ever use the app. I just set it manually and time it myself. Times are just so forgiving that I hardly bother with a timer anymore either. I did look at a WiFi version but mainly for the extra power. In the end that didn’t seem like it would make any difference either. The WiFi might be useful to time dinners from work but then you have to set up an ice bath in the morning and worry that it won’t melt too quickly and put your food in the danger zone before the cook starts.

I just got done vacuum sealing a bunch f chicken and some pork chops. Some just to freeze, some to marinate and drop in the sous vide tomorrow and reheat with the sous vide at various points this week, and then just to brine and SV the pork. I use the food saver all the time. Bags aren’t cheap but you can buy Weston bags in bulk on Amazon and then it’s not too bad. I use precut bags and not rolls so much (although my food saver has a roll and cutter). I also have the attachment for containers (and also a nozzle for bags with the vacuum holes) but have never used it. Containers seem really pricey to me.

Is that my model s not a clamp per se. You have a slot for inserting bags and sometimes it takes a while to “catch” and start the vacuum. Not a big deal really except that I got these Umai Dry bags for dry aging and also for make braseola or capicola or salami, etc and those bags require a real clamp sealer and won’t work with my food saver.

And I use it all the time. I make my own bacon, have a large garden, buy whole fish, etc. The one thing I would emphasize about the Foodsaver or other vacuum sealers is that the food keeps better and tastes better when using the vac sealer for freezing or storage. The improvement in both texture and flavor quality was the most important factor to me.

I have a question and it's only because I'm ignorant on the issue. I've seen the wand units.

I understand that the meat will be vacuum sealed and then placed into a pot with water and a stick. Doesn't this just effectively boil the meat? How do you get it to resemble anything close to a steak and not boiled meat?

Again not taking a position on the whole thing I just don't get it??

I also use it as a "blister packer" to bundle hardware for storage and when I sharpen or edge blades for my tools, planer, jointer etc, I will vac seal the blades with a light coating of tool oil to inhibit rusting. I have also used it to group work items when I travel internationally as I have had things go missing during customs inspections.

In comment 13797914 ThatLimerickGuy said:

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I have a question and it's only because I'm ignorant on the issue. I've seen the wand units. I understand that the meat will be vacuum sealed and then placed into a pot with water and a stick. Doesn't this just effectively boil the meat? How do you get it to resemble anything close to a steak and not boiled meat?

It's not boiled meat because the water doesn't boil.

The whole point of Sous Vide cooking is precise temperature control. For example, when I sous vide a London Broil I set the temperature to 129 degrees F. The Anova keeps the water at that exact temperature throughout the cook. So the meat eventually reaches that temperature all the way through.

After the meat is cooked, I usually crank the grill up as hot as it will go and give it a quick sear. Some people do the finish in a cast iron pan or with a cooking torch.

you are cooking at low temperature and keeping all of the juices/marinade with the meat. One of the hard things to do when cooking at low heat is to keep the food bacteriologically stable. Vac sealing removes the majority of atmospherically borne bacteria as well as removing air/oxygen for any further growth. In that way, you can cook things for longer period of times at low temp without risking food spoilage. Plus, the low temps don't cause the muscle fibers to get tough and also release the collagens which makes the meat seem more tender and richer.

In comment 13797705 LawrenceTaylor56 said:

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In comment 13797689 Gary from The East End said: Quote: Get yourself a Sous Vide device and make the most perfect steaks you've ever had Just googled this. I’m definitely gonna get one. Couple different devices out there at different price points. Any recommendations? Is WiFi enabled devices a must?

I've had one for two years and Gary is 100% correct.

You don't need a wifi unit, I have an Anova and I never use the WiFi feature. You can find tons of great recipes on the link below and also on Food Labs website. I do the Spinach-Cheese stuffed Chicken Breats all the time and it comes out so tender and moist you don't even need a knife to cut them. I did Food Labs Sous-Vide Brisket and it was easily one of the best briskets I ever ate. I would recommend you get two food storage containers, one smaller one for cooking 4 bags and a larger 4.75 G one for doing bigger cuts of meat, also get an Ikea Pot Lid Organizer to hold your food bags while they cook
Link - ( New Window )

Anova. I don't do recipes that require more than a few hours, so I'm always in the house while it's cooking. If you want to go out and still monitor things, then I guess you might want a wifi unit. I just use zip lock bags- I've had several vacuum sealing units and they've all broken before very long.

In comment 13797929 Gary from The East End said:

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In comment 13797914 ThatLimerickGuy said: Quote: I have a question and it's only because I'm ignorant on the issue. I've seen the wand units. I understand that the meat will be vacuum sealed and then placed into a pot with water and a stick. Doesn't this just effectively boil the meat? How do you get it to resemble anything close to a steak and not boiled meat? It's not boiled meat because the water doesn't boil. The whole point of Sous Vide cooking is precise temperature control. For example, when I sous vide a London Broil I set the temperature to 129 degrees F. The Anova keeps the water at that exact temperature throughout the cook. So the meat eventually reaches that temperature all the way through. After the meat is cooked, I usually crank the grill up as hot as it will go and give it a quick sear. Some people do the finish in a cast iron pan or with a cooking torch.

Ah ok I think I got it. Makes sense. At first it seems counterproductive to involve 2 cooking methods for a steak but a consistent perfect juicy inside it would be worth it