Tilia FoodSaver Professional II Vacuum Sealing Kit | List Price: $299.99
Discount Price: $200.00
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Brand: FoodSaver
Binding: Kitchen
Features: - Vacuum system keeps food fresh longer, prevents freezer burn
- Reusable, resealable, dishwasher-safe bags conveniently go into microwave or boiling water
- Includes three quart size bags, two gallon bags, covering many needs
- Works also with bottles, jars, and canisters; 1-1/2-quart canister and bottle stopper included
- To help get you started, it comes with a how-to video; also has a 5-inch replacement lid for jars and cans
Recurrent Problem [Posted on 2005-01-13]
I'm amazed so many people find no problem with this product -- for me it has been nothing but trouble. When it works, it works well; unfortunately, it mostly doesn't work. The common failing is that after producing a vacuum, the heat sealer fails to activate. I have sent the product back on two occasions because of this and received back a repaired product on the first occasion and what I presume was a new replacement the second time. On each occasion the device worked for a period of time and then re-developed the same problem. I think I'll try an alternative brand this time around.
Saves and Seals like a Champ [Posted on 2005-05-16]
The Foodsaver II does a number of things well, and it does something I didn't even know about when I purchased it.
It can be used with the vacuum containers to draw moisture/etc from cannisters holding beans, coffee, etc.
It can be used with the pre-formed bags (not a cost-effective way to go as you can make your own custom bags cheaper out of the sheets of material).
You can buy rolls of bagging material to create bags of almost any size. The machine is very simple to operate - even when creating "custom-sized" bags. The device has it's own safety cutting device, so you don't have to get scissors or a razor.
It has one-button ease of use - once you've got your bag of goodies ready to be sealed a single push-button first draws a strong vacuum onto the bag, then seals the bag tight. Food stays fresh a long, LONG time stored in the vacuum bags - and it doesn't get freezer burn.
The thing I didn't know about was this: The sealer part of the device can be used to seal just about ANY plastic bag/container. Potato chip bags, opened sausage rolls, frozen veggie pouches can ALL be re-sealed shut (note - this resealing does NOT let you "vacuum-pack" the contents, still it is at least as effective as putting them in a zip-lock bag.)
My wife and I agree that we'd be glad to have the thing JUST for resealing plastic bags. The vacuum-packing is an added bonus!
Not an absolute must for the kitchen, but we can't imagine NOT having it. We've had ours a year and a half, use it almost every day, and it's still going strong.
love mine [Posted on 2005-11-20]
I have owned 2 of these, the only problem is that sometimes bags don't seal..I now double seal things..
The difference in the quality of meat stored under vacuum and simply frozen is amazing..You usually cannot tell that the meat has been frozen..
I like to buy an entire tenderloin at the big box store, cut it up into steaks and freeze them in family sized portions.
The nice thing is that you can just stick the bag in the sink under warm water and because the bag is in intimate contact, the meat thaws out quickly.
This is really a convenience item, and for us an indespensible one...
These things are expensive but then so is freezer spoiled meat...
You can also vacuum bag "bad" food, throw it out int the trash, no odor, no dogs in the trash, they cannot smell it..
This is the one appliance I could never live without [Posted on 2006-03-22]
This is my second Foodsaver Professional II. The first one was a model where you had to press down to do the sealing, so I decided to splurge and go for this newer one. I had the first one about five or six years, I've had this one since 1998. Thus I have quite a history with Tilia/Foodsaver. This is my favorite appliance, bar none, one that I cannot do without in my house.
I can't comment on the Rival sealer, but from what I've seen and read, this sealer is THE best, even though it's comparitively expensive. In the long run you will save hundreds of dollars in possibly spoiled food items. I believe it's worth the money. If you can buy the Rival bags or rolls and use them with this appliance, go for it. I always get the FoodSaver rolls by the carton and you get a discount that way.
I do wish to explain about the wide mouth jar sealer. Unless you follow Foodsaver's instructions you will probably not seal the jars properly. They are very specific about how to use Mason jars and tops. You must start with new, fresh jar tops, boil or soak in hot water for about five minutes to soften the rubber gasket, and let them dry. After many reuses, if the jar doesn't hold its vacuum, throw away the jar top and replace it with a new one. You can buy boxes of just the canning jar "dome lids" in any store's canning section, for very little money, like about $1.29 for a box of 12. I have literally dozens of varying sizes of wide mouth canning jars in my pantry, sealed using my Foodsaver Pro II, and if I follow their instructions the seals last forever. You can also buy these canning jars in sizes that range from one cup to two quarts. This is the best, money saving part about the Foodsaver -- reusing canning jars and lids over and over! Contrary to what has been written, they are easy to open -- take a spoon, pry under the edge, and you break the vacuum seal. I don't see what's so tough about that. If you've destroyed the canning lid in the process, you're not following the instructions. You need to go back and read.
Unless you need to save time and don't care about the cost, I don't believe the pre-cut bags are much of a bargain, since you can cut and seal your own sizes easily. The pre-cut bags are nice but a luxury for me. Here's something else I found out the hard way. I had some plastic rolls that were several years old and were losing their vacuum, which I couldn't figure out. When I called Foodsaver's help line, they said the rolls do deteriorate after that many years and will no longer be useful. So don't buy more than you can use within about two years. I also double seal the top edge of my bag, just as a precaution, easy to do because there's a "heat only" setting for the plastic bag sealing.
I don't care for their very expensive plastic cannisters -- neither the standard nor the decorator's version, and because I have a collection of both I'm experienced with their use. They tend to lose their seal, which is an unpleasant surprise when you go to your cupboard and check your flour, cereal, corn meal, etc. It's been an ongoing frustration -- you need to periodically soak the tops in very hot water, to keep the inside plastic ring somewhat softer and pliable. Too much trouble! I suggest you stick with either the plastic rolls to make any size bag you want (yes, you can put liquids, sauces, stews, and gravies in them), or best of all, use the different sized wide-mouth canning jars. They are cheap, they last forever, and the tops are much easier to deal with. I have never had one break on me -- remember, these are canning jars that were produced to sit in a boiling bath for 20-30 minutes.
I can't tell you how much money my Foodsavers have saved me over the years, by keeping foods from spoiling, especially items like flour, sugar, grains, cereals, and refrigerated foods. Right now I have a quart of homemade Thousand Island dressing in a sealed wide mouth jar -- I made it three months ago. It's still fresh and tasty.
You can seal soft items like breads, rolls, tortillas, pitas, etc., by watching the sealing bag and pressing the "ON/OFF" button before the item gets squished, although that would still leave air in it where the item could possibly get moldy. Alternately, you can freeze soft items first and then seal them.
You can also seal household items -- although I don't use it for that, I've tried sealing things like socks, sterling silver, toothbrushes, just for giggles. I guess if you're a camper this would come in quite handy. You can find more household item sealing hints like these on the Foodsaver website.
No matter where you purchase your Foodsaver Professional II, the Foodsaver website is excellent and has great tips as well as troubleshooting help, plus they are always offering bargains, closeouts, and other money saving offers. I have also called their toll free customer support several times in the past and they have without exception been patient, helpful, and have always answered my questions. That says a lot, since I only call when there's something wrong that I can't figure out myself.
Now here's the best part as far as durability. You can call Foodsaver and tell them you want a "tuneup" for your Foodsaver. After a few years the various gaskets, sealing mechanism, and vacuumer will just not work like they used to. Don't worry -- it takes years of heavy use to get to that point. Anyway, it cost me $50 (I used this service once on my previous model and once a couple of months ago on this model) but it is well worth it. Your Foodsaver will come back just like brand new, ready for many more years of faithful service. An added bonus is they include several money saving coupons (for bags, cannisters, other accessories) with the unit when they return it, so in theory you could save the $50 by using the coupons. Now what could be better than that?
This machine is a workhorse... [Posted on 2007-01-23]
I am a personal chef and utilize this machine both at home and for clients. The Pro II is a workhorse, plain and simple. Not only do I love that it stores a roll of bags, but it seals time after time perfectly!
In a day of work, I can easily make and seal 40 bags...that is 80 seals. I have been using my Pro II since 2003 with NO PROBLEMS. On average, that is 160 seals, week after week.
Any time I have an issue, Tilia has solved it immediately. There are other makes out there, but Tilia is my sealer of choice. I have purchased them for clients also. Love this machine! I cannot imagine my business without it.
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