Vacuum Sealer Advice

Smoker4

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I'm looking for some advice on either a better process or a better vacuum sealer. I have a Foodsaver V3440 that is about 5 years old. Was a pretty decent model when I purchased. Still works well, with a few exceptions.
1) Biggest issue is with wet food, the moisture sucks up into the sealing area and I get voids in the seal. It has a "moist" setting that appears to do nothing that I can tell. I just pulled 20lbs of pork butt and sealed up a bunch of packages before putting my feet up for the evening. The last thing I want to do is throw it in the freezer and leave a bunch of work for tomorrow having to seal it up after the liquid freezes which seems to be the going method that I have found online. Anyone got a good sealer that can do this? Also an issue with fish, clean it, wash it, pat dry with paper towels, but there's still a lot of moisture left on them when you go to seal.

2) The second issue is when I have alot of sealing (hunting season) I need one that won't overheat and can do more seals in a row. This is for sure an upgrade.

Anyone got a good sealer for the #1 issue above? Or am I going to be stuck, bagging, freezing and then sealing the next day?

Thanks!
 
For the moisture problem we put our veggies in the bags and partially freeze them then seal. Works good for us. Don't know of any other way around it. For our sliced carrots after blanching them we put an equal amount in two old pillow cases, set them them in the top load washer opposite each other and run them thru a spin cycle. Excess water is all gone.
 
Before I saw the light, for lightly wet product such as the fish example, I'd put a folded paper towel or two around the product to absorb the water before it got to the sealing area. Worked most of the time.

But if vacuum sealing is a frequently used method the best answer is a chamber vac unit with oil style pump. Solves the overheating problem as well as wet product issues. The bags are way cheaper than the Food Saver ones so there is a gradual payback as well. Yeah, the up front cost is comparatively higher, but the results are commensurately better/less annoying. You're fortunate your FS has lasted as long as it had. My first one lasted near 10 years, then we went through a series of 3 or 4 that began underperforming after 2 to 3 years use. I lost faith in their quality, and just stepped up to a better solution.
 
@Greg Jones I purchased the Vacpak-it VMC100p , Webstaurant had it on special when I was shopping for a VacMaster of similar feature/design. Since these are bulky/heavy there are extra considerations. I also purchased a small, stainless steel wheeled table to set it on. We have a second pantry adjacent to our laundry room so I store it there. If I'm doing a significant packaging job, e.g. breaking down large cuts of meat or multiple fish fillets, I'll wheel it into the kitchen. If I'm only doing one or two bags I'll take the product into the pantry and do it there........less effort. It's not a solution for everyone, but for those committed to serious packaging it's really a gem. We don't just do meat/fish product. I'll buy larger quantity packaging of dry product, e.g. rice, and break it down into smaller units preserving freshness and saving money again. If someone wanted to max out the usage in similar fashion, the payback calculations could be very favorable.
 
I'm in the commercial food equipment biz and have owned 2 Food Saver machines for home use. Both are now in the landfill due to sealing issues.

Chamber machines are the way to go. VacMaster makes a decent unit for home use. But for those looking for the best, the new Minipack MV22, while pricey, changes the game. It marinates and vac packs. Expect to pay $1900- $2200.
 

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i fold up a paper towel like mentioned above. it usually traps the moisture before getting to the sealing area. fold it and lay it across the top of your food dont get it in the sealing area tho.
 
Thanks for all the feedback folks! I'll take a look at the chamber sealers. But for $2000, it may be cheaper to throw away my leftovers. 😳
 
i fold up a paper towel like mentioned above. it usually traps the moisture before getting to the sealing area. fold it and lay it across the top of your food dont get it in the sealing area tho.

How tough is it to separate the paper towel from the food when preparing it to cook? We remove the food from the bag and put it in a bowl to microwave it. I think our chard could wind up with some extra "roughage" in it.
 
I have a couple sealers. One is the VacMaster PRO380. I am not a hunter but during my routine use over the past couple years I've never experienced overheating thus far. Yes, juices migrating to and beyond the seal region can occur. I can sometimes reduce that likelihood by cutting a larger bag. I have also read of folding a paper towel between the food and seal but I have no personal experience with either option. What I appreciate most about this unit is its capability for 15" wide rolls; I love that ability. This currently shows unavailable from Amazon but Weston offers a PRO-2300 for about 15% more than my VM and it appears to be similar in terms of capability.

I also have a VacMaster VP215 chamber sealer, though I don't understand what has occurred that pricing is significantly higher now compared to a couple years ago. It certainly resolves the issue of liquids escaping. Last week we made 15 quarts of veg soup and used it to seal multiple portions for leftovers. I also use it to seal Mason jars (we don't can, I store other items in the jars occasionally). The downside--in my opinion--is the 10" bag width limitation; I often cannot seal many roasts, whole chickens, etc. There may be other, more preferred models within a similar price range now.
 
How tough is it to separate the paper towel from the food when preparing it to cook? We remove the food from the bag and put it in a bowl to microwave it. I think our chard could wind up with some extra "roughage" in it.
Just put the paper towel about 2" above the food and 1" lower than seal area. Have to make sure touching sides or liquid will find its way around. Kind of a pain in the a** in my mind and doesn't look pleasing. Would rather freeze slightly.
 
@Smoker4 for slightly wet foods I generally leave my bag long (knowing the first seal might not set) then dry the bag move an inch and add a second seal. Works good so far and I rarely get open bags
 

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