Cryovac What do you use

[Ricey]

We are looking at Buying a cryovac machine for trips and home use.
What do other people use and have they had any issues with them and what are the costs of the bags etc.

[GGV8Cruza]

We got one around 12 months ago and the first one went bang the first time i had it out. It was replaced straight away with a bonus heap of bags. Works well, just have to watch you do not get any moisture being drawn into the vac tube. We have sealed up all types of food, we prepare meals and then throw them in boiling water to reheat, then use the water to wash up in. The best part is no blood in the bottom of the Engel.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-MODEL-FOOD-SAVER-VACUUM-SEALER-WARRANTY-50-bags_W0QQitemZ220540958422QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Home_Appliances?hash=item335943f6d6

Garrick

[Marie_R]

I've had a Sunbeam one, which was great for about 2 1/2 years, then the heating strip packed it in.

Sunbeam say they don't have spare parts and can offer no customer service as it's out of warranty; now I can only use it for sucking the air out of the canisters which is a bit useless for going camping.  So definitely won't be going back to Sunbeam again (for any kitchen appliances - it's all Chinese rubbish).

Trying to decide what to buy as a replacement but reluctant to buy anything else 'made in China' as most things are.  I've seen a couple made in Italy which are about $300 (saw one in Clive Peters the other day for $200).  Although I miss having it I'm not rushing into buying another one at this stage until I can get some more positive feedback.

From experience all the different brands of bags work out at about the same price in the long run.  They're not cheap but worth it for the convenience and preservation of food (which saves money in the long term).

Have heard varying good and bad reports about cheap machines bought on e-bay so I guess it's just your luck with them - one person said theirs didn't suck out all the air properly but don't know what brand or any other details.

[Ricey]

Marie r Sorry to hear about the heater element and yes we have had less than happy experiences with Sunbeam.

While growing up everything in the Kitchen was Sunbeam so we went that way for a while but we now choose other brands above Sunbeam.

With the heater element if you go to Helios Heating they should be able to make one up for you.

 

[Pipeliner]

We bought ours from Aldi (their own brand) and it works just fine.  Don't know how long it will last, but at $99 - who cares?  It's just great for sealing food for camping, and we use it for all the meat that we put in the freezer at home.

Only problem with Aldi is that they put a load of items like this into their stores, then when they are sold out you may not see that item again for months.

[D4D]

We have a Sunbeam, so far so good

[seqfisho]

We have a Freshsheild "Elite" looks a bit like the Sunbeam, but dont they all. It takes all types of bags and even reseals the foil chip bags. Got it from the Brisbane Caravan and Camping show 18 months ago and all good so far, have been vac sealing stuff at home ever since and it works a treat.

[stevo]

We've had a Sunbeam for a couple of years now and have not had a problem yet, but Marie's comment is a bummer. We get bags/rolls at Big w or K-mart usually but camping shows and the like usually have them pretty cheap too.
BTW, most butchers will cryovac for you for just a few bucks. If you give them an order before they chop up the meat, they will seal it immediately and it is fresher that way.

[Marie_R]

rodeo2002 - I phoned Helios here at Seven Hills and the guy said to bring the machine out and he'd see what he could do. He wasn't sure what sort of thing I'm talking about so I will do that in the next day or so.  Seven Hills is quite close to home.  Thanks for the tip, hope he can help.

The advantage of having your own over getting the meat done at the butcher is that you can do much more than just raw meat.  I cook casseroles, curries, etc, freeze meal size portions (Chinese take-away tubs are a good size) and then cryovac the frozen blocks.  I can keep them stored in the home freezer for weeks or months ahead and just grab a few when we're packing up to go away.  These can be 'boiled in the bag' or cut open and dropped in a saucepan to re-heat for a quick meal when travelling.  As we don't run a freezer when camping, the meals have thawed out by the time we want to use them and they will keep unfrozen in the fridge for 3 or 4 weeks on average.

[Chris-Vi]

We have a Dome cryovac machine we got from Myers on special for $79 about 18 months ago. Works well and when it goes we will have had our moneys worth from it. 

[speewa158]

swaggers
             apart  from food stuffs that are vac baged there are lots of other things that can be baged .
fuel , oil  & air filters plus per grease packed bearrings etc  . if you want it clean cryovac it then pack it
think out side the square
equpiment travel better if its looked after
                                                       

[Ben...]

looking at the sunbeam, they seem to be alot more cost wise compared to that ebay one.... whats the going price for these things in the shops?

[dlowen]

Hi All, I had a Hillmark Ezyvac (Italian-made) for a couple of years which worked well unless I wanted to vac pac anything moist - fluid sucked up the bag & it didn't seal well.  I've now got a Sunbeam, and with the different bag configuration and a wider heating strip, it seems to be much better. Having read all the other posts re sunbeams, I might hang on to the ezyvac as a standby! It's great for vac packing ground coffee in small 250gm bags. means we've always got fresh coffee for our plungers....

[Marie_R]

Ben:  I saw the Hillmark Ezyvac on special for $200 the other day in Clive Peters, the Sunbeam like mine (older model)  was just under $200, the new model a bit over $200.  The other main ones I know of are usually at the camping shows for about $300 which includes a supply of plastic bags, so probably makes them a similar price to the others available in electrical retail outlets.  Sunbeam also made a smaller one that used to be about $150 from memory, not sure if they still have that one but it restricts the size of things you can do.  The 28-30cm ones can do a whole leg of lamb, etc.

There is a smaller one around (Breville I think) that has a kind of zip lock bag you seal up, then it punches a hole in the side of the bag and sucks the air out, and seals up around the hole it made, I think they're about $100 but you'd only be able to use their bags.  The bags are supposed to be re-usable up to about 5 times (5 spots where you make the hole and seal) but I'd be a bit worried about getting them properly clean with all the round sealed areas and the little unsealed bits between them.

So anywhere around $200 - $300 is the going price for the normal ones, and has been for quite a few years.

Rodeo2002: Went out to Helios this morning and they can supply the heat strip ribbon (probably about $20) if I can get someone to do the work.  My husband is a bit handy with electronics so we're hoping he can make up the required part - haven't pulled it apart to look inside yet.

[Matto]

Hi Marie,

Now this is timely! We saw an ad on the TV last night for the Sunbeam machine, and J mentioned that we might need to get one. Sorry to hear about your experience, but it seems that a lot of others have had success with them, which is encouraging.

I do like your trick of pre-cooking the meals at home then cryovacing them in individual portions - might have to steal that trick.

When we went away at Christmas time we simply asked the butcher to cryovac our meat for us - cost $1/bag. But they were happy to break the servings up into as many bags as we wanted, and it worked out really well and super-easy. I had figured we'd just keep doing that, since it's not really expensive, in the grand scheme of things. But we'll have a look at this sunbeam machine on the weekend, and see what it's like - I might be able to be tempted!

Thanks!
Matto

[Ben...]

I said to my wife last night what did she think about one of these things, and i get home from work tonight and there is a new one on the bench. Its a Sunbeam... i got the tag "they had 15% off so i just had to get it" who am i to argue right?

[HEM19X]

We have had a Sumbeam for 12 months or so.. no probs so far.

Hem

[Ricey]

I found an Italian one on the net last night http://foodquip.com.au/vacuum-sealers-domestic-use/view-all-products.html
It has a powerful motor so it will vac quick and well but I am wondering if it will suck any fluid into the sealing area.
I saw these little ones that suck from the side on TV as well and they may be OK for while camping but not at home.

I will just do more surfing and keep an eye out on the catledogs.
 

[Marie_R]

I think you'll find they all suck up fluid to some extent, my Sunbeam one did, that's why I used to freeze anything watery before sealing it up.

Another tip - if you've got a lot of vegies make up vegetable soup, freeze in the small rectangular Chinese take-away tubs, when frozen pack in the cryovac, then you can take them over the border if you're travelling interstate or use in remote areas when fresh ones won't keep long.  Sometimes we just have a bowl of soup before dinner to save cooking vegies, other times I heat it up and stir instant mash potato through for a quick 'bubble & squeak' side dish.  Just adds to the variety instead of tinned and dried vegetables every night.

[speewa158]

when you are looking for a unit try to get 1 that can be run from an inverter  just check how watts it requires , so if you want to bag fish or meat on the track , bingo buy in big town , bag  & drag it away with  you

[prlamb]

To stop water/fluid being sucked into the vacuum machine, I get a bit of paper towl and fold it up and put it between the food and the proposed seal area the full width of the bag, and it seems to stop the machine sucking the fluid in .I do spagetti bolognaise like this and it works a treat.

Usually we try and have our first nights meal a vacuumed packed one so after you do your set up you dont have to bother cooking.

The vacuum machine i have is 305mm wide,i cant remember the name (i thingk it is an italian one?) but you can get 150mm 300mm and 305mm wide machines and bags to suite each type, iI got the widest one so I can use any bags available.

also I got a roll of the bag material and with the 300mm wide stuff I cut off a piece 300mm long and seal one end then seal along the middle from top to bottom twice 5mm apart that way I can cut it between these two seals and have 2 bags 150 mm wide and 300 mm long as the 300 mm bags are good for roasts and big things but seem too big for most foods I vacuum pack.

A guy at work has a roll dispenser that I think is a sumbeam item and he swears by it as it makes cutting the roll up easy as and produces nice clean square cuts. I have been meaning to buy one but just use a pair of scissors.

[darren]

G'Day
 I have a sunbeam one and the only thing i have found is its better to push down on the middle of the sealing bar as its going and dont just rely on the clips. I found it flexes a little and dosnt always seal properly otherwise
Works good though
Darren

[Pauly]

We have one like the one on the ebay link, had it for about 3 years now. The suction isnt as good as it used to be but at $100 its been really good value. There is 2 different was vacs work. The sunbeam ones (that I have seen) use a perforated bag and suck the air out along the seal, the one I have has a little flat tube that prodrudes into the bag and sucks through that. I prefer this type because I can use any bag I want.

Cryovaccing is heaps easy especially if you use an esky.

[Ricey]

Well I purchased the Italian one looks good it will get a good work out in a couple of weeks as we are freezing a couple of Lambs. MMMMM

 

[prlamb]

if you are goig to cryovac a couple of roast lambs, add some seasoning (i like garlic and rosemary) prior to cryovacing, it seems to aid in the uptake of the flavours. yummmmm