Linda from Chicago I am a woman. I do have something to say to both Dennis and the Tinman, the 2 men who complained that the Katzcradul video was too long... I nearly gave my Foodsaver away because it wasn't consistently providing a true vacuum seal... until I saw this video! This was the only video I could find anywhere on the internet that provided the missing information I was desperately looking for. This savvy lady provided the the one and only tip that made all the difference to me. My vacuum sealer now seals properly for the first time. I spent a lot of time searching and viewing RUclips videos ... I watched a very boring, very redundant, and very long infomercial from Foodsaver featuring a MAN- And guess what??? He never bothered to mention that the height of the item to be sealed needs to be raised up to the level of the machine in order to get the best vacuum deal possible! Thank God that a very intelligent woman (without the benefit of a user manual or any instructions!) who was able to figure out a simple scientific principle that can help product users to get a consistent vacuum seal--- Also kudos to her for caring to make a video and taking some time to share the information she figured out with everyone--- including the men who should have pointed it out to the struggling consumers in the first place! Dennis, I guess this great information coming from a woman is just another example of what I would call a "a gal thing". Tinman, I gladly spent "10 minutes" to finally get the answer that I had spent hours looking for! I don't consider "identifying my problem" and "giving me a "fix solution" that I couldn't find anywhere else to be a "failure"! (Also, please check your use of English grammar and sentence construction in those comments you made.) Lastly, Tinman, your use of the word "FAILURE" regarding this video is totally inaccurate. Please look up the meaning of that word in the dictionary. :} Thanks. :}
+Linda Jouzaitis Linda, thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. I can always count on my viewers to come to my defense. The irony is, that I really do try to keep my videos as short as possible. I want you to have good information but I don't want it to be dry, boring, and without personal warmth.
That was a wonderful comment I agree wholeheartedly with what you said.She gave us information that wasn’t answered in the infomercial. Nice video Kay.
Very informative video, but with the newer Foodsavers, it's textured side down, not up... except when you come to the end of the bag and the bag tends to curl up, then you can do it textured side up so that the curled end will go into the channel. Plus, with the newer sealers you don't have worry about the bag being even with the channel. And yes, Golden Flax is more nutritious than either black or red.
I am not sure why Tinman1221 from 4 years ago complained. I found this video extremely helpful. Smooth side down and the book, hey presto!! Thank you for your help katzcradul. You have saved me many frustrating nights.
Thank you so much about what you said about level in which you position the bag for sealing. I tried it and you cured my problem. I know I have thrown two away for this problem. That would of been a simple thing to put in a manual.🤪
Love your videos!! A good while ago, on one of your videos, cant remember what the video was about, but showed us the boxes of vacuum sealer bags you had ordered. The different sizes you got for different foods. You also told us where you ordered your bags from, and I cant find the video. Would you please tell me what video it was, and where you ordered the bags. I need to order some bags. Please and thank you.
system not vacuuming properly is a sign of worn gaskets, go online (google search) and make purchase $3.00 each and same for shipping - a tad over $12.00 for two foam gaskets.
Thank you so much for this video! I could not get my new Food Saver to vacuum at all & your tips helped immensely! There was nothing wrong with my food saver, I just needed to follow how to place the bag in to the vacuum channel. Thanks again!
Call the FoodSaver® Brand Customer Service 1-877-777-8042 and describe Your Model # and issue. It may be a simple cleaning or simple sealing core replacement [ less than $10 bucks probably ]... EZ to replace and Go...!
Oh my! Yes they do! We were checking our period and the baking soda bag was HUGE! Lol! We couldn't figure out what was wrong so resealed it into a jar!
Hi,the problem I'm having with my vacation sealer is the bags sometimes loosen up after a couple days,but when I put them in water there's no leaks. Is this okay? WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREVENT THIS ? Thanks
If your bag loosen, there's a leak. It might be microscopic, and when put in water it might take hours for the moisture to find its way inside the bag, but the vacuum seal has surely been compromised. I need more information. What food were you trying to preserve? Does it have any sharp edges?
Then you sooo much! I tried using my food saver for the first time tonight and you're right... I want too happy... I was vacuuming a bag with cupcakes... Had no idea what I was doing at first... It took me a little while to figure out how to make it suction.... I got it going however it to a long time... Thanks to you now I know the proper way to place the bag.... Also loved the book idea for proper height... I will try these tips as soon as I get home... Thanks again😁
I checked out this movie since I eventually got seriously anxious about the economy and had no idea what to do. Bucks certainly does not mean a single thing any longer. Therefore I made a decision to do a little research and came across Goldiverse. I am so grateful, I can certainly change my personal savings from cash to different currencies, to any precious metal any moment I want. The lawmakers can go and take a jump for all I care. Just Bing it Goldiverse.
If your food saver stops working through the automatic vacuum then sealing process call the phone number on the back of your unit and order replacement rubber gaskets. These should be changed every two years. This fix is under $5 and I am still using a unit that is now ten years old. An easy test is take the gaskets out, gently soak them in soapy water, allow to drain then replace back in the unit, if the unit starts working order the new gaskets.
I wish I'd know that about texture side up & to make the baggie level with the sealer. I couldn't get past the noise of these machines. I'll borrow my daughter's FS for freezing meats. For dry goods, I use canning jars almost exclusively. I use a brake vacuum/sealer pump. I made a video of how I was able to that without getting Popeye arms. lol
ooops. I'll try that again... Katz, is that a Foodsaver brand bag you are using, or one you purchased online in bulk from another source? I did not have good luck with the "off brand" bags at all.
Yes, probably. I've had some loose bags of dehydrated apples that we've been using up for a few years. They're just fine. I have some loose bags of pasta as well. All fine.
I'm sorry but I thought the video really sucked as far as a troubleshooting video. I think most I was was thinking more along the lines of why does it not seal at the end of the cycle or other things. She basically just did an infomercial on the used and care of a FoodSaver and where to buy your groceries. Oh well I'll try another site for troubleshooting. To all have a wonderful day!
So many people have contacted me personally to say they almost threw away their vacuum sealers until they saw this video. I'm sorry you didn't find it useful. You have a wonderful day too.
We've been using the Weston Pro-2300 Vacuum Sealer (amzn.to/11iYSfa) that fits up to 15" sealer bags. It also has a handy maintenance parts kit (amzn.to/1uDPejd) for replacement of the seals and teflon tape, but we've havent needed to use it yet. We stopped buying premade sealer bags of different sizes and moved on to buying bulk 15" bag rolls as they are much cheaper by the roll. We buy the ribbed rolls of 15" bags by the case of 12 (amzn.to/11d1xY4) and each roll is 50 feet long. That way we get them cheaper and can make any size bag we want. That's makes 600 feet of 15" bags, or about $37 cents per foot for a 15"x12" bag. Most pre-made 12"x15" bags are over a dollar a bag so we have saved a lot of money buying these in bulk. We also boil our bags so we can reuse them a few times to save even more money. The best food preservation purchase we ever made, other than our All American Food Canner (amzn.to/1BIKjCA).
Hi, thanks for making this informative video. I just bought one of these older vaccum sealers and I'm having an issue with the "vaccum and seal" button- it vacuums but it does not seal after the vaccum- any idea what it might be?
I bought new bags on rolls and make my own bags. I could not get them to vacuum until I realized the newer bags no longer have the diamond shapes but rather have squiggly lines running the length of the bag like this ~~~~~~. These must run up the bag towards the vacuum not across the bag. One way to assure this when making a bag is to make sure the foodsaver printing and the labeling square are on the side of the created bag not the bottom. I threw away a good FS sealer thinking it was busted even after replacing the gaskets. Hope this helps someone.
I tried your suggestions and I think I have a lemon. Sending it back. Oh, it's not a Food Saver, it is a Seal-A-Meal. Can't believe how many problems with these sealers
I told her to implement my troubleshooting techinques...and it fixed her problems. If I had a limited budget, I'd look for a FoodSaver on Ebay. If I could purchase any machine I wanted, I go to discoutmylarbags(dot)com and order their Sinbo DZ-280/2SE machine which can seal liquids and powders! It also can seal in smooth bags...channel bags not required.
How long does the food last once you seal it. I will be getting one soon but know nothing about them soanything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for everything you have taught me I enjoy you so much. God bless you and your family.
Thank you for the tips Kat... I have used vacuum sealer for year yet I lately when trying to use it I could not get a good seal on it... I am going to try the book trick... I Think that is my problem ... Thanks for the awesome video's you do. I learn a lot :)
Thank you so very much! I was ready to toss my Kitchen Boss. It vacuumed sealed, twice. Never again. I now know that I should have kept my bag even with, or inside the oval. I also wondered which side of the bag was the top. Couldn't find anyone who knew & the company told me that it didn't matter. Does the Amish Country Store ship?? Thanks once again. Pheesao
The Amish store where I purchase my supplies is in Jamesport, Missouri. Where are you located generally? Did you see the video Perbain did on her trip to an Amish store where she met up with MichiganSnowPony? It looked like a huge store.
Thank you! VERY helpful info. I was going to toss my 8 year old FoodSaver from Costco. Yet, you showed me it was 100% USER/my error! You just saved me a lot of money! Thanks.
Thank you Katz!! I'm thinking about getting a foodsaver vacuum sealer. The straw in the ziplock just doesn't cut it, i'm short winded! LOL Thanks for all your wonderful tips about everything you do!
I noticed a guy complaining about the length of the video relative to the information given. I agree, but I like you am a guy. We get to the meat of the issue fast. It's not "We go to the Amish store to buy this and that because", "It was getting dark so they were lighting kerosene lamps", Yada, Yada. It's a gal thing, and why men tune out their wives, "Uh! did you say something?"
I get it Dennis. Most guys are visual and most women are verbal. It just makes sense that guy would not be interested in a lot of chit chat. I usually try to get to the point.
Don't you love Amish dry goods stores! I am lucky enough to live near many of them. I got a 1# deli container of dried bay leaves from them for less than $1. Better than the name brand jars! I have a newer model where you put the bag in and it starts by itself. I have had issues with it not sucking all the air out. I sometimes have to turn it off and back on or even cut about 1/4" from the top of the bag and try again. Have you tried the jar vacuum sealer? It works great!
Kat, the one bit of information I'm not finding is what items I should NOT use in the FoodSaver. Also, which items work best in jar as opposed to bags. Jars are much more economical. Thanks for the great info. Blessings
Hey Katz....I cant seem to figure out how to do the vacuum on the mason jars. I have it hooked up properly but when I turn on my unit its not sucking anything out of the tubes. Mine is one of the simpler models, new when I got it last year. It does NOT have a canister button but it came with all the canister attachments. It has the cord the wide mouth jar cover the little place to attach it. Any suggestions?
You have to use a 'channel' bag, with texture like I showed, with a FoodSaver. It will not seal mylar effectively. To vacuum seal a mylar bag, I throw in an oxygen absorber in the bag, and push as much air out, as I possibly can, before ironing it closed. I always get a good seal this way.
The other day I purchased a vacuum food sealer at Goodwill for $4.50. I plugged it in at the store and it sealed, so I thought all was good. I purchased food sealing bags and tried to seal some cooked chicken cubes to freeze. For some reason it would not seal properly and let air in. I thought it was junk and was ready to throw it in the trash. Then I googled trouble shooting vacuum sealer problems and found your video. It seems as though I did not have the bags with the rough side up. I tried it again, and it works great! Thanks for your video! Now I have a perfectly good vacuum food sealer for $4.50!
+sandra becker And this is why I make videos! You comment made me so happy. Thanks for telling me about how my video was a help...and thanks for watching.
I saw on RUclips a tip for storing sharp food items. Line the bag with thin cardboard to protect the bag from the food. I think he used a cereal box? I would try cardstock or double up copy paper. I will be trying all of your tips because my machine won't vacuum. Hurricane season is right around the corner. This is a great way to keep things dry.
cardboard and copy paper do contain glues and bleaches that will leach into the food stored. you could try unbleached coffee filters. i just seal them in jars
Doesn't closing the top of the food saver cause a dip in the bag? It does. Your title is misleading....this is not a troubleshoot for a vacuum sealer...this is a how to use a vacuum sealer. My vacuum sealer doesn't seal after taking the air out of the bags....what's wrong with my vacuum sealer?
Hey that was great, thanks, I'm going to get one of those soon and I am getting a small chest freezer too. So here is a question. If I buy meat or anything I want to vacume seal and then freeze, how long do those items last in the freezer, especially meat, chicken or fish?
Have you had troubles with wet items not sealing properly? I have been doing beans but as much as I may dry them in the colander, they still are somewhat wet and the sealer won't seal them. I haven't even tried tomatoes yet, can't imagine what a nightmare that would be . . any tips? I used the moist food setting on the sealer.
For the sharp stuff I always use brown paper lunch bags. They cushion the sharp edges and keep them from poking though the bags. Works every time. I just use an over sized needle to poke holes in the paper bags.
Right now Costco has a flat model Foodsaver on sale for $49.99 after an instant $25 rebate. I called the company and someone there told me the only difference between that flat model (2400 series) and the upright model ($149 - 3800 series) is the design. The motor is the same. That's a great price! There is a limit of 3 and I can't remember if the sale ends Jan. 14th or 24th, 2013.
I've had meats last in the chest freezer for 3+ years after vac-sealing them. Sometimes stuff migrates to the bottom of the chest, and gets forgotten...LOL But, if the seal has held, the meat is just as good as fresh bought.
Bless you, bless you. I was almost ready to throw my Foodsaver in the trash because it would not vacuum properly no matter what I tried. But your tips on where to place the bag and using a book beneath the bag solved all of my problems. Thank you!
I am curious to know what you advised your friend you would like in a vacuum sealer. I had to get rid of my vacuum sealer. It did not get all the air out of produces like it did at first. I have already gotten rid of it but I have not gotten another yet. Thanks for the video, I know this is old but I am so thankful you are doing well. God Bless.
Great tip on leveling the bag.. my problem is that it looks and feels like a great vacuum and seal, I put it in the freezer and within a day or so the vacuum is gone... seal still looks intact but I am going to try the book trick AND the double seal and see if that ends my trouble (I didnt have anything pointy when I did this so that wasnt it) Thanx for the great vids... keep em comin!
Hi Katz, Glad to see you are healing well after your surgery. If you have time could you please let me know if you have ever had any success in sealing bagels? Mine keep squishing flat. I tried the "gentle" and "pulse vac" features on my machine, and also tried freezing them first. All seems go well, they look OK at first, and then....in the time it takes to carry them back downstairs...the bagels go flat again. My son is visiting from Anchorage, and I wanted to send some home with him. Thx
Happy Birthday Prepper A from Mammaw Thimble and Kimono311 (my baby girl). Question Katzcradul---have you ever tried sealing mylar bags in your food saver? If so, what results have you had?
I'll grab this one. Fresh meat can have juices try to race up to edge as it vacuums. Frozen can have sharp points. If you have the time to partially freeze, the juices will stay in the meat and no sharp points have formed yet. Either will work fine, so experiment and see which works best for you.
I tried putting a 1" thick object under the bag i was sealing and i also put the end i wanted to seal down in the reservoir/channel instead of just being inside the black seal....It worked like a charm! Here in ky its blackberry season and i been picking a gallon of blackberries everyday this week so when i started sealing the other night things wasnt going to well....I was just about ready to go buy another machine since i had this machine believe it or not 30 yrs....Its the old Tilia Foodsaver Compact ll....I have used it all these yrs and i always wondered why it would have its ups & downs...Im an outdoorsman so i have sealed everything from wild game to Trout, crappie, Catfish, Ky small mouth Bass, Redeye Bass etc...Goes on & on....But from all these yrs you would think i would be a pro, guess not!...hahaha I would like to ask a question if i may, when sealing deer meat or beef, how can you get the bag to seal???? In the past i had no problem getting the air out of the bag but the seal would only seal some of the bag and not a complete seal from one side to the other...And of course i had to cut the end of the bag and try again. Its how i know to cut the bag alittle longer....hahaha Some people have said its the moisture sucking out of the bag & thats whats causing the seal strip not to have a perfect seal all the way across. If its the case i still dont know how to go about fixing the issue....When you have a big deer you have alot of meat on the kitchen table and the quicker you can process the meat the better off you are!....Plz let me know......Thank you!!
Put your meat in the bags and then in the freezer (unsealed). You might have to put then in a deep pan to keep them from tipping over. When the meat is frozen, then seal it. It will work like a charm.
wow great idea! Thank you very much! I always put the back legs in the freezer for several hrs so i can slice the steaks alot better but i never thought about putting the meat in the bag & into the freezer to seal better!...hahaha And here i freeze a tray of blackberries, bag them and then seal them and neverrrrrrr thought about processing the meat that way....I will give it a try this year, Thank you again!!!....Jeff
Great tips katacradul, Thank you. But regarding which side goes down--it depends on your bag roll. I put whichever side down that naturally curls the plastic down into the vacuum tray. With FoodSaver bags that is the smooth side as you said, but some other bags don't have a textured side. I use the FoodSaver bags almost exclusively--though I'll check out sorbent systems. I also use their rolls and make my own bags. I have the GaveSaver Silver model and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Oh my goodness. Thanks. This is so helpful. I have given a vacuum sealer away because I thought it didn't work, bought an industrial size one and then bought another Foodsaver vacuum sealer for my jars. What a darn waste. You are wealth of information. I feel more comfortable with these tips. I have a vacuum sealer like the one dehydrate2store has and spent ALOT. It has worked fine, but I bet it will work even better now. Bev
that was some outstanding prices on shelf items great video, thanks for posting you said not to vacuum seal things with sharp edges, is it possible to use a napkin(s) to ensure the bag doesn't get a hole in it?
I have never seen the information about the level before, Thank you so much. I bet that's going to make a world of difference. Weird, I would usually figure something out like that too! I'm the queen of improvising, according to my husband and kids. Great video Katz, loved it.
The two pointy edged items she referenced in the video can be sealed in the Ball jars she had them in, which she probably did after the video. I use Ball jars for almost all dry ingredients as well as freezing soups, chili, canned sauces and canned tomatoes. Plus when you use Ball jars, it saves a lot of expense with bags.
You bet I'm still reading comments. Thank you so much for watching. I haven't bugged out completely! Check out some of my recent videos posted in the last few months. I think you'll like them.
Katz-you are making me miss the mid-west ( I moved out west a few years back), and the Amish/Mennonite bulk food stores. I took them for granted before, but I am longing for one now. Thanks for the great foodsaver tips.
Linda from Chicago
I am a woman. I do have something to say to both Dennis and the Tinman, the 2 men who complained that the Katzcradul video was too long...
I nearly gave my Foodsaver away because it wasn't consistently providing a true vacuum seal... until I saw this video!
This was the only video I could find anywhere on the internet that provided the missing information I was desperately looking for. This savvy lady provided the the one and only tip that made all the difference to me. My vacuum sealer now seals properly for the first time.
I spent a lot of time searching and viewing RUclips videos ...
I watched a very boring, very redundant, and very long infomercial from Foodsaver featuring a MAN- And guess what???
He never bothered to mention that the height of the item to be sealed needs to be raised up to the level of the machine in order to get the best vacuum deal possible!
Thank God that a very intelligent woman (without the benefit of a user manual or any instructions!) who was able to figure out a simple scientific principle that can help product users to get a consistent vacuum seal---
Also kudos to her for caring to make a video and taking some time to share the information she figured out with everyone--- including the men who should have pointed it out to the struggling consumers in the first place!
Dennis, I guess this great information coming from a woman is just another example of what I would call a "a gal thing".
Tinman, I gladly spent "10 minutes" to finally get the answer that I had spent hours looking for!
I don't consider "identifying my problem" and "giving me a "fix solution" that I couldn't find anywhere else to be a "failure"! (Also, please check your use of English grammar and sentence construction in those comments you made.)
Lastly, Tinman, your use of the word "FAILURE" regarding this video is totally inaccurate. Please look up the meaning of that word in the dictionary. :}
Thanks. :}
+Linda Jouzaitis Linda, thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. I can always count on my viewers to come to my defense. The irony is, that I really do try to keep my videos as short as possible. I want you to have good information but I don't want it to be dry, boring, and without personal warmth.
That was a wonderful comment I agree wholeheartedly with what you said.She gave us information that wasn’t answered in the infomercial. Nice video Kay.
Very informative video, but with the newer Foodsavers, it's textured side down, not up... except when you come to the end of the bag and the bag tends to curl up, then you can do it textured side up so that the curled end will go into the channel. Plus, with the newer sealers you don't have worry about the bag being even with the channel.
And yes, Golden Flax is more nutritious than either black or red.
Never knew that the smooth side is supposed to be on the bottom, I always had it on top. Dang! Thanks bunches:)
I am not sure why Tinman1221 from 4 years ago complained. I found this video extremely helpful. Smooth side down and the book, hey presto!! Thank you for your help katzcradul. You have saved me many frustrating nights.
Thank you, Scott. Glad the video helped. I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment.
Thank you so much about what you said about level in which you position the bag for sealing. I tried it and you cured my problem. I know I have thrown two away for this problem. That would of been a simple thing to put in a manual.🤪
So many others have said the same thing. It's such a simple fix but it took me way to long to figure it out. Glad It helped you.
thank you so much! i couldn’t get my food saver to work and I was so upset. You saved me!
You're so welcome. I hope you find more useful information on my channel.
I'm so glad my video helped.
Love your videos!!
A good while ago, on one of your videos, cant remember what the video was about, but showed us the boxes of vacuum sealer bags you had ordered. The different sizes you got for different foods.
You also told us where you ordered your bags from, and I cant find the video. Would you please tell me what video it was, and where you ordered the bags. I need to order some bags. Please and thank you.
system not vacuuming properly is a sign of worn gaskets, go online (google search) and make purchase $3.00 each and same for shipping - a tad over $12.00 for two foam gaskets.
Thank you so much for this video! I could not get my new Food Saver to vacuum at all & your tips helped immensely! There was nothing wrong with my food saver, I just needed to follow how to place the bag in to the vacuum channel. Thanks again!
Your comment made my day! This is my hope, that my videos will help. Thanks for letting me know. K ~
Omg!!! I thought there was something wrong with my machine. Thank you!!
For vacuum sealing foods that can pierce the bag i just put the food in two vacuum sealing bags with the interior one shorter and then seal. It works.
I place objects that are sharp or powdery in food grade lunch bags, fold them over and the vacuum seal them.
good idea
Why would up?
Manufacturer has the bag so they feed textured down for a reason
TY for this very informative demo. I just purchased a Food Saver! 💕🌸💕
I have a Food Saver. Must be different. You did not show how to seal the open end prior to adding food. I cannot get mine to seal this end.
Call the FoodSaver® Brand Customer Service 1-877-777-8042 and describe Your Model # and issue. It may be a simple cleaning or simple sealing core replacement [ less than $10 bucks probably ]... EZ to replace and Go...!
Don't put baking soda in the seal a meal bag. Then tend to swell up like a balloon...lol
Oh my! Yes they do! We were checking our period and the baking soda bag was HUGE! Lol! We couldn't figure out what was wrong so resealed it into a jar!
Hi,the problem I'm having with my vacation sealer is the bags sometimes loosen up after a couple days,but when I put them in water there's no leaks. Is this okay? WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREVENT THIS ? Thanks
If your bag loosen, there's a leak. It might be microscopic, and when put in water it might take hours for the moisture to find its way inside the bag, but the vacuum seal has surely been compromised. I need more information. What food were you trying to preserve? Does it have any sharp edges?
Great tips. Thanks for sharing Katz.
Also holding the edges of the bag and pulling slightly tight while it's sucking air out helps too.
Then you sooo much! I tried using my food saver for the first time tonight and you're right... I want too happy... I was vacuuming a bag with cupcakes... Had no idea what I was doing at first... It took me a little while to figure out how to make it suction.... I got it going however it to a long time... Thanks to you now I know the proper way to place the bag.... Also loved the book idea for proper height... I will try these tips as soon as I get home... Thanks again😁
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching.
Thank you, I had no idea. Just did my first bags.
I checked out this movie since I eventually got seriously anxious about the economy and had no idea what to do. Bucks certainly does not mean a single thing any longer. Therefore I made a decision to do a little research and came across Goldiverse. I am so grateful, I can certainly change my personal savings from cash to different currencies, to any precious metal any moment I want. The lawmakers can go and take a jump for all I care. Just Bing it Goldiverse.
If your food saver stops working through the automatic vacuum then sealing process call the phone number on the back of your unit and order replacement rubber gaskets. These should be changed every two years. This fix is under $5 and I am still using a unit that is now ten years old. An easy test is take the gaskets out, gently soak them in soapy water, allow to drain then replace back in the unit, if the unit starts working order the new gaskets.
With pointed items, I line the bag with a paper towel and then place the items like chopped nuts between the paper towels.
I wish I'd know that about texture side up & to make the baggie level with the sealer. I couldn't get past the noise of these machines. I'll borrow my daughter's FS for freezing meats. For dry goods, I use canning jars almost exclusively. I use a brake vacuum/sealer pump. I made a video of how I was able to that without getting Popeye arms. lol
ooops. I'll try that again... Katz, is that a Foodsaver brand bag you are using, or one you purchased online in bulk from another source? I did not have good luck with the "off brand" bags at all.
Thanks just what I needed.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching.
Hi, can you tell me if the bag loosenes after while will the food stay safe for say 3 ,4 months ? Thanks for your reply.
Yes, probably. I've had some loose bags of dehydrated apples that we've been using up for a few years. They're just fine. I have some loose bags of pasta as well. All fine.
I'm sorry but I thought the video really sucked as far as a troubleshooting video. I think most I was was thinking more along the lines of why does it not seal at the end of the cycle or other things. She basically just did an infomercial on the used and care of a FoodSaver and where to buy your groceries. Oh well I'll try another site for troubleshooting. To all have a wonderful day!
So many people have contacted me personally to say they almost threw away their vacuum sealers until they saw this video. I'm sorry you didn't find it useful. You have a wonderful day too.
I loved your video and tips. Haters gonna Hate. 💌💌💌💌
I can found the food saver v845 anywhere I don't think they make them any more.
We've been using the Weston Pro-2300 Vacuum Sealer (amzn.to/11iYSfa) that fits up to 15" sealer bags. It also has a
handy maintenance parts kit (amzn.to/1uDPejd) for replacement of the seals and teflon tape, but we've havent needed
to use it yet. We stopped buying premade sealer bags of different sizes and moved on to buying bulk 15" bag rolls as they
are much cheaper by the roll. We buy the ribbed rolls of 15" bags by the case of 12 (amzn.to/11d1xY4) and each roll
is 50 feet long. That way we get them cheaper and can make any size bag we want. That's makes 600 feet of 15" bags, or
about $37 cents per foot for a 15"x12" bag. Most pre-made 12"x15" bags are over a dollar a bag so we have saved a lot of
money buying these in bulk. We also boil our bags so we can reuse them a few times to save even more money. The best food
preservation purchase we ever made, other than our All American Food Canner (amzn.to/1BIKjCA).
Thank you so much for these tips I was thinking I was doing some off with my food saver and I think these tips will do the trick :) thank you
Mines not sucking air at all. What do I do?
Hi, thanks for making this informative video. I just bought one of these older vaccum sealers and I'm having an issue with the "vaccum and seal" button- it vacuums but it does not seal after the vaccum- any idea what it might be?
Hi Thank you for the tips I can't wait to get my FoodSaver Vacum Sealer. I am so excited to get it.
I have a V835 that works perfectly with the exception of the "welding bar". I was dearly hoping your video would show the replacement process.
mine is a FoodSaver stand up model and it sounds like it is drawing air out but it draws no air out at all.
Follow my recommendations. See if they make a difference.
I bought new bags on rolls and make my own bags. I could not get them to vacuum until I realized the newer bags no longer have the diamond shapes but rather have squiggly lines running the length of the bag like this ~~~~~~. These must run up the bag towards the vacuum not across the bag. One way to assure this when making a bag is to make sure the foodsaver printing and the labeling square are on the side of the created bag not the bottom. I threw away a good FS sealer thinking it was busted even after replacing the gaskets. Hope this helps someone.
I tried your suggestions and I think I have a lemon. Sending it back. Oh, it's not a Food Saver, it is a Seal-A-Meal. Can't believe how many problems with these sealers
Thank you so much for the info. This is a very good video. Not too long at all. I learn some good stuff from you.
Thank you Rhonda. I think this video has helped a lot of people. It can be very frustrating when your sealer doesn't cooperate with you.
I told her to implement my troubleshooting techinques...and it fixed her problems. If I had a limited budget, I'd look for a FoodSaver on Ebay. If I could purchase any machine I wanted, I go to discoutmylarbags(dot)com and order their Sinbo DZ-280/2SE machine which can seal liquids and powders! It also can seal in smooth bags...channel bags not required.
Sharp pointed foods.. try 2 bags or clean paper BEFORE sealing. I can do whole crabs this way..it may take 3 bags.
How long does the food last once you seal it. I will be getting one soon but know nothing about them soanything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for everything you have taught me I enjoy you so much. God bless you and your family.
Thank you for the tips Kat... I have used vacuum sealer for year yet I lately when trying to use it I could not get a good seal on it... I am going to try the book trick... I Think that is my problem ... Thanks for the awesome video's you do. I learn a lot :)
+dougpassat thank you I am going to order some new ones.
Thank you so very much! I was ready to toss my Kitchen Boss. It vacuumed sealed, twice. Never again. I now know that I should have kept my bag even with, or inside the oval. I also wondered which side of the bag was the top. Couldn't find anyone who knew & the company told me that it didn't matter.
Does the Amish Country Store ship??
Thanks once again. Pheesao
The Amish store where I purchase my supplies is in Jamesport, Missouri. Where are you located generally? Did you see the video Perbain did on her trip to an Amish store where she met up with MichiganSnowPony? It looked like a huge store.
WOW, sorry to hear you had cancer. Looks great after the healing process. Hope all is well with you.
Thank you! VERY helpful info. I was going to toss my 8 year old FoodSaver from Costco. Yet, you showed me it was 100% USER/my error! You just saved me a lot of money! Thanks.
Sure...it may be a while before I'm buying any fresh meat, but I'll put it on my list of videos to make.
These are bags I purchased from a company called Sorbent Systems. I think I bought a case of 500. They are great bags. Never had a problem with them.
Thanks for your helpful hints! The web sight didnt say that you did and I successfully sealed my food!
Thank you Katz!! I'm thinking about getting a foodsaver vacuum sealer. The straw in the ziplock just doesn't cut it, i'm short winded! LOL Thanks for all your wonderful tips about everything you do!
Skip to 3:49 to get to the tips.
Thanks, these r great tips
I noticed a guy complaining about the length of the video relative to the information given. I agree, but I like you am a guy. We get to the meat of the issue fast. It's not "We go to the Amish store to buy this and that because", "It was getting dark so they were lighting kerosene lamps", Yada, Yada. It's a gal thing, and why men tune out their wives, "Uh! did you say something?"
I get it Dennis. Most guys are visual and most women are verbal. It just makes sense that guy would not be interested in a lot of chit chat. I usually try to get to the point.
Don't you love Amish dry goods stores! I am lucky enough to live near many of them. I got a 1# deli container of dried bay leaves from them for less than $1. Better than the name brand jars! I have a newer model where you put the bag in and it starts by itself. I have had issues with it not sucking all the air out. I sometimes have to turn it off and back on or even cut about 1/4" from the top of the bag and try again. Have you tried the jar vacuum sealer? It works great!
Kat, the one bit of information I'm not finding is what items I should NOT use in the FoodSaver. Also, which items work best in jar as opposed to bags. Jars are much more economical. Thanks for the great info. Blessings
The only items I say don't do in the FoodSaver are sharp ones. You need to experiment to find out what you like best.
Hey Katz....I cant seem to figure out how to do the vacuum on the mason jars. I have it hooked up properly but when I turn on my unit its not sucking anything out of the tubes. Mine is one of the simpler models, new when I got it last year. It does NOT have a canister button but it came with all the canister attachments. It has the cord the wide mouth jar cover the little place to attach it. Any suggestions?
+Gina Phelps
Hi Gina. use two lids on mason jars when vacuuming and they will seal.
You have to use a 'channel' bag, with texture like I showed, with a FoodSaver. It will not seal mylar effectively. To vacuum seal a mylar bag, I throw in an oxygen absorber in the bag, and push as much air out, as I possibly can, before ironing it closed. I always get a good seal this way.
The other day I purchased a vacuum food sealer at Goodwill for $4.50. I plugged it in at the store and it sealed, so I thought all was good. I purchased food sealing bags and tried to seal some cooked chicken cubes to freeze. For some reason it would not seal properly and let air in. I thought it was junk and was ready to throw it in the trash. Then I googled trouble shooting vacuum sealer problems and found your video. It seems as though I did not have the bags with the rough side up. I tried it again, and it works great! Thanks for your video! Now I have a perfectly good vacuum food sealer for $4.50!
+sandra becker And this is why I make videos! You comment made me so happy. Thanks for telling me about how my video was a help...and thanks for watching.
I saw on RUclips a tip for storing sharp food items. Line the bag with thin cardboard to protect the bag from the food. I think he used a cereal box? I would try cardstock or double up copy paper. I will be trying all of your tips because my machine won't vacuum. Hurricane season is right around the corner. This is a great way to keep things dry.
cardboard and copy paper do contain glues and bleaches that will leach into the food stored. you could try unbleached coffee filters. i just seal them in jars
Your video is very details and save us a lot of trouble. Thank you for sharing.
Doesn't closing the top of the food saver cause a dip in the bag? It does. Your title is misleading....this is not a troubleshoot for a vacuum sealer...this is a how to use a vacuum sealer. My vacuum sealer doesn't seal after taking the air out of the bags....what's wrong with my vacuum sealer?
Thank You, Katzcradul. I'm having trouble with my sealer and will try this.
Hey that was great, thanks, I'm going to get one of those soon and I am getting a small chest freezer too. So here is a question. If I buy meat or anything I want to vacume seal and then freeze, how long do those items last in the freezer, especially meat, chicken or fish?
Have you had troubles with wet items not sealing properly? I have been doing beans but as much as I may dry them in the colander, they still are somewhat wet and the sealer won't seal them. I haven't even tried tomatoes yet, can't imagine what a nightmare that would be . . any tips? I used the moist food setting on the sealer.
Place your food into your sealer bags. Place a tray of these filled bags into your freezer until the are almost frozen. Remove and seal. Voila!
Can you seal bread
For the sharp stuff I always use brown paper lunch bags. They cushion the sharp edges and keep them from poking though the bags. Works every time. I just use an over sized needle to poke holes in the paper bags.
Right now Costco has a flat model Foodsaver on sale for $49.99 after an instant $25 rebate. I called the company and someone there told me the only difference between that flat model (2400 series) and the upright model ($149 - 3800 series) is the design. The motor is the same. That's a great price! There is a limit of 3 and I can't remember if the sale ends Jan. 14th or 24th, 2013.
I've had meats last in the chest freezer for 3+ years after vac-sealing them. Sometimes stuff migrates to the bottom of the chest, and gets forgotten...LOL But, if the seal has held, the meat is just as good as fresh bought.
Great tips. Every now and again I will get one that doesn't seal and I think this will help. I love my FoodSaver.
Bless you, bless you. I was almost ready to throw my Foodsaver in the trash because it would not vacuum properly no matter what I tried. But your tips on where to place the bag and using a book beneath the bag solved all of my problems. Thank you!
+Mae Lee This is exactly why I make video...to help people. Thank you so much for letting me know that I succeeded with this video. I appreciate you!
I am curious to know what you advised your friend you would like in a vacuum sealer. I had to get rid of my vacuum sealer. It did not get all the air out of produces like it did at first. I have already gotten rid of it but I have not gotten another yet. Thanks for the video, I know this is old but I am so thankful you are doing well. God Bless.
Good Video, Basic helpful info.. Perfect.
To be honest, I've never tried to seal a bagel. Sounds to me like you tried all the right things. Not sure what else to advise.
Great tip on leveling the bag.. my problem is that it looks and feels like a great vacuum and seal, I put it in the freezer and within a day or so the vacuum is gone... seal still looks intact but I am going to try the book trick AND the double seal and see if that ends my trouble (I didnt have anything pointy when I did this so that wasnt it) Thanx for the great vids... keep em comin!
Hi Katz, Glad to see you are healing well after your surgery.
If you have time could you please let me know if you have ever had any success in sealing bagels? Mine keep squishing flat. I tried the "gentle" and "pulse vac" features on my machine, and also tried freezing them first. All seems go well, they look OK at first, and then....in the time it takes to carry them back downstairs...the bagels go flat again. My son is visiting from Anchorage, and I wanted to send some home with him. Thx
I'm from Michigan, but I have a friend who lives in Missouri I would love to visit, I think i could get my husband to include a trip to an Amish shop.
hay Kat, where is this? I'm looking for a spring or summer trip somewhere with hubby and this sounds like a great place to build my trip around.
Happy Birthday Prepper A from Mammaw Thimble and Kimono311 (my baby girl). Question Katzcradul---have you ever tried sealing mylar bags in your food saver? If so, what results have you had?
I'll grab this one. Fresh meat can have juices try to race up to edge as it vacuums. Frozen can have sharp points. If you have the time to partially freeze, the juices will stay in the meat and no sharp points have formed yet. Either will work fine, so experiment and see which works best for you.
I tried putting a 1" thick object under the bag i was sealing and i also put the end i wanted to seal down in the reservoir/channel instead of just being inside the black seal....It worked like a charm! Here in ky its blackberry season and i been picking a gallon of blackberries everyday this week so when i started sealing the other night things wasnt going to well....I was just about ready to go buy another machine since i had this machine believe it or not 30 yrs....Its the old Tilia Foodsaver Compact ll....I have used it all these yrs and i always wondered why it would have its ups & downs...Im an outdoorsman so i have sealed everything from wild game to Trout, crappie, Catfish, Ky small mouth Bass, Redeye Bass etc...Goes on & on....But from all these yrs you would think i would be a pro, guess not!...hahaha I would like to ask a question if i may, when sealing deer meat or beef, how can you get the bag to seal???? In the past i had no problem getting the air out of the bag but the seal would only seal some of the bag and not a complete seal from one side to the other...And of course i had to cut the end of the bag and try again. Its how i know to cut the bag alittle longer....hahaha Some people have said its the moisture sucking out of the bag & thats whats causing the seal strip not to have a perfect seal all the way across. If its the case i still dont know how to go about fixing the issue....When you have a big deer you have alot of meat on the kitchen table and the quicker you can process the meat the better off you are!....Plz let me know......Thank you!!
Put your meat in the bags and then in the freezer (unsealed). You might have to put then in a deep pan to keep them from tipping over. When the meat is frozen, then seal it. It will work like a charm.
wow great idea! Thank you very much! I always put the back legs in the freezer for several hrs so i can slice the steaks alot better but i never thought about putting the meat in the bag & into the freezer to seal better!...hahaha And here i freeze a tray of blackberries, bag them and then seal them and neverrrrrrr thought about processing the meat that way....I will give it a try this year, Thank you again!!!....Jeff
blessings ❤️
where do you get your bags. love ours but the bags are $$$$ . you would think you could get good buys on line someplace.
+Bill Dex I get my bags from Sorbent Systems.
Great tips katacradul, Thank you. But regarding which side goes down--it depends on your bag roll. I put whichever side down that naturally curls the plastic down into the vacuum tray. With FoodSaver bags that is the smooth side as you said, but some other bags don't have a textured side. I use the FoodSaver bags almost exclusively--though I'll check out sorbent systems. I also use their rolls and make my own bags.
I have the GaveSaver Silver model and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Oh my goodness. Thanks. This is so helpful. I have given a vacuum sealer away because I thought it didn't work, bought an industrial size one and then bought another Foodsaver vacuum sealer for my jars. What a darn waste. You are wealth of information. I feel more comfortable with these tips. I have a vacuum sealer like the one dehydrate2store has and spent ALOT. It has worked fine, but I bet it will work even better now. Bev
too keep the food from getting out of the bag is to place the bag in front of the vac and donot place a book under it
I'm having trouble with the same unit not wanting to seal
that was some outstanding prices on shelf items
great video, thanks for posting
you said not to vacuum seal things with sharp edges, is it possible to use a napkin(s) to ensure the bag doesn't get a hole in it?
Katz,
Can't you vacuum seal potato dices and other sharp pointy items in jars using the jar lid attachment?
I've never had a problem with my food 'getting out of the bag'. The book works beautifully when the bag is heavy.
I have never seen the information about the level before, Thank you so much. I bet that's going to make a world of difference. Weird, I would usually figure something out like that too! I'm the queen of improvising, according to my husband and kids.
Great video Katz, loved it.
You can vacuum seal things with sharp edges, just not in the bags.
The two pointy edged items she referenced in the video can be sealed in the Ball jars she had them in, which she probably did after the video. I use Ball jars for almost all dry ingredients as well as freezing soups, chili, canned sauces and canned tomatoes. Plus when you use Ball jars, it saves a lot of expense with bags.
What a perfect video. Just opened my FoodSaver I got for Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thanks for sharing your wisdom so freely.
DH got me one for mothers day and this has so much information than the booklet did thank you for posting. It will help a lot.
Katz...d
As always, more great tips and a wonderful video. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family. God Bless!
Thanks for this, I just got a FoodSaver after Thanksgiving. Do you freeze your meat before sealing?
Hope you are still reading comments. Miss seeing you on RUclips!!!!
You bet I'm still reading comments. Thank you so much for watching. I haven't bugged out completely! Check out some of my recent videos posted in the last few months. I think you'll like them.
Katz-you are making me miss the mid-west ( I moved out west a few years back), and the
Amish/Mennonite bulk food stores. I took them for granted before, but I am longing for one now. Thanks for the great foodsaver tips.
Thanks for your info. Just ordered one and looking forward to trying it out