freelance wrote:I don't like anything made by Rival, all their stuff is very cheaply made and I have owned enough small appliances of this brand to swear them off permanently. The reviews on Amazon for other models are not very favorable either.

PEACE

I suspect that Rival doesn't make most of the items they market because I've seen identical models under other names. Amazon is a great place to discover such things because identical models by other companies would often pop up in the Also Recommended section. Most are cheaply made in China.

For what it's worth, I've had good experiences with Rival. We currently have a small Rival rice cooker that we use daily and it works like a champ, never burning like other models we've used. Amazingly, it was $4.95 at eCost.

If your photo is any indication, vacuum sealers are budget carbonite.

kevin038 wrote:This is a lot cheaper than a foodsaver.

That's probably because Foodsaver makes their own products while Rival places their name on generic Chinese-made models. That's not to say, however, that the Rival model is any worse.

sdc100 wrote:Possibly because it's so small. 6" is not very large for a bag. I believe most Foodsavers are wider.

the way i read it it should be 15"

So will this work well for Sous Vide, or should i get the popular one on Amazon?

hdao6899 wrote:Question: If one were to squeeze the woot monkey, would it still screech its deathly call even though it is vacuum sealed?

Nerdy answer: If the bag was truly vacuum sealed and lacking air molecules, sound would be impossible within the bag, so no, there would be no screech despite the monkey's anguished attempts.

kevin038 wrote:the way i read it it should be 15"

That would make more sense. I was thrown off by the description: "Dimensions: 15”L X 7”W x 4”H." It clearly specifies a 6" width but if one looks at the photo, there is no other side that could be 15" other than the bag's width.

At 15", the heating strip is probably about 13-14" which means that it'll handle normal size food storage bags.

Geez, I guess I have to go back and edit all my posts that allude to the 6" width.

sdc100 wrote:That would make more sense. I was thrown off by the description: "Dimensions: 15”L X 7”W x 4”H." It clearly specifies a 6" width but if one looks at the photo, there is no other side that could be 15" other than the bag's width.

At 15", the heating strip is probably about 13-14" which means that it'll handle normal size food storage bags.

Geez, I guess I have to go back and edit all my posts that allude to the 6" width.

Easy mistake to make.

hdao6899 wrote:Question: If one were to squeeze the woot monkey, would it still screech its deathly call even though it is vacuum sealed?

When a monkey screams in the vacuum of space, do we hear it?

For 24.99 I think I am just going to pull the trigger. Im tired of trying to decide.

This is an awesome price... We have the foodsaver and it cost over $100. We use this a lot to freeze fish and crab. The crab is put in an unsealed zip lock first to prevent shell punctures. The fish and meats we freeze extend the useable life from a couple of months to several months. This is a big help for us since fishing season runs for a couple of months then it is shut down for a few months.

I'm in for one... Will keep it on our boat for long fishing trips...

amnewsboy wrote:Wait, wait, the normal "40 Hefty quart bags in a box for $2.00" should work OK?! That certainly makes me lean towards hitting the gold button.

They would absolutely work. I've even used cheap bags from my local $1 store for short term storage and they generally don't leak. Cheap sandwich bags (75 for $1) are great for storing individual chicken cutlets.

As long as the plastic melts from the heat generated by the strip, it'll seal. In that sense, more expensive thicker bags may actually be worse since they may not melt enough to make a good seal.

BTW, I also use mine to reseal plastic snack bags, i.e. potato chips. Sucking out the air helps preserve the crunch. Just be sure not to suck in any crumbs.

kevin038 wrote:For 24.99 I think I am just going to pull the trigger. Im tired of trying to decide.

Pssst ... Woot staffers are probably gonna hate me for saying this but...

Pulling the trigger is a good idea because it guarantees you a sealer (even though they're unlikely to sell out). If you change your mind, simply email Woot to cancel before they ship. You generally have a 2-3 day grace period. You can then research and make a final decision during that time.

they have one at eBay for the same price shipped. not cheap enough to bite.

Non-vac-pac bags don't work very well with these sealers. Vac-bags have texture molded into them which prevents the bag from prematurely creating a seal. A standard smooth bag, ziplock, etc., won't allow as much air to be sucked out, regardless of thickness.

Cook74 wrote:This is an awesome price... We have the foodsaver and it cost over $100. We use this a lot to freeze fish and crab. The crab is put in an unsealed zip lock first to prevent shell punctures. The fish and meats we freeze extend the useable life from a couple of months to several months. This is a big help for us since fishing season runs for a couple of months then it is shut down for a few months.

I'm in for one... Will keep it on our boat for long fishing trips...

This makes me feel better about my purchase.

sdc100 wrote:Pssst ... Woot staffers are probably gonna hate me for saying this but...

Pulling the trigger is a good idea because it guarantees you a sealer (even though they're unlikely to sell out). If you change your mind, simply email Woot to cancel before they ship. You generally have a 2-3 day grace period. You can then research and make a final decision during that time.

Very cool thanks. After reading these last posts it looks like a keeper.

apctek1998 wrote:they have one at eBay for the same price shipped. not cheap enough to bite.

Didnt see one on ebay with free shipping. Saw one same price at buy it price but 16.99 shipping.

Personally I think they should sell the Hermetically Sealed Woot Monkey instead. He's much more entertaining ^_^

mjbleck wrote:These types of vac-sealers don’t work well with wet ingredients. You can’t bag soups, sauces, wet marinated meats, or other liquid items very well with them. The technology for that costs more that $24.99.

There are two ways to successfully seal soups and sauces with this sealer:

1) Simply fill the bag about half full. Elevate the sealer on a box or lower the bag. The soup won't spill as long as you hold the opening up vertically before you seal. The key is that there is no need to use the vacuum function since freezer burn is not an issue with very wet foods. And the bag will get smaller because the volume of a gas (the air in the bag) is proportional to its temperature (Charles Law ... or as any guy can tell you, there is shrinkage when it gets cold).

2) Freeze the soup/sauce in a shallow bowl and then store the frozen mass in one of these vacuum bags.

scottjkus wrote:Concerned about Nightghost. OK,old chap?

Just fine - thanks for asking.

For those of us old enough to remember:

berniestafford wrote:But this only includes 3 bags??? Where do you get more and how much are they??

My Bag of Coal Of bags from Cost Co cost me a little over 40.00 with tax.

right after I bought them - my food saver broke.
wife took it back and they put it on a card rather than just replace it. MISTAKE!!! she just went on a little shopping spree. LOL

so This might be the answer to my use for all this expensive plastic.

thinking on it. cost co wont take teh bags back.

NightGhost wrote:Just fine - thanks for asking.

For those of us old enough to remember:

Wow. guess this is not a new idea.

wayneadam wrote:This thing blows.

Actually, a vacuum sucks, not blow.

No wonder yours didn't work!

How would this work for sous vide? Anyone try it? Would the bags be safe to cook in?

sdc100 wrote:I suspect that Rival doesn't make most of the items they market because I've seen identical models under other names. Amazon is a great place to discover such things because identical models by other companies would often pop up in the Also Recommended section. Most are cheaply made in China.

For what it's worth, I've had good experiences with Rival. We currently have a small Rival rice cooker that we use daily and it works like a champ, never burning like other models we've used. Amazingly, it was $4.95 at eCost.

I have a rival Meat slicer that is over 30 years old! they used to be cool.

I thought I'd get me a new slicer a few years back since this one has sentimental value to me I kept it and got my new fancy slicer.
two days later I got my rival back out and took the new fancey one back. I did not ever realize how awesome it really was till I did that.
Simple is better. my rival is WAY easier to use - cleans up super fast - no hassels, always does what it is supposed to do and you can still buy one just like mine on a auction site for about 25 dollars! No Kidding!

but sadley the days of chinese plastics are
amoungst us.
my rival slicer may have been made over seas, not really sure.. But whoever built it and sold it to My Grandma really did a good job.

Please woot, if you ever woot off slicers - Leave the monkey out!!!!

NightGhost wrote:Just fine - thanks for asking.

For those of us old enough to remember:

No vacuum tho' until the late 70's...

Cook74 wrote:This is an awesome price... We have the foodsaver and it cost over $100. We use this a lot to freeze fish and crab. The crab is put in an unsealed zip lock first to prevent shell punctures. The fish and meats we freeze extend the useable life from a couple of months to several months. This is a big help for us since fishing season runs for a couple of months then it is shut down for a few months.

I'm in for one... Will keep it on our boat for long fishing trips...

In a Pinch you can use duct tape on that crab. I mean If ya ever run outta unsealed zip locks. It's reusable too!

Signed: Red Neck Crabber.

Looks like Jarden is the owner of both the FoodSaver and Seal-A-Meal brands (as well as Rival and many more).

http://www.jardencs.com/Brands.aspx

You need to talk to your monkey about the choking game before something horrible happens.


and I promise to not make judgments about people and Eat Pray Love and the Bay...

Ooooh is it mac compatible?

sdc100 wrote:There are two ways to successfully seal soups and sauces with this sealer:

1) Simply fill the bag about half full. Elevate the sealer on a box or lower the bag. The soup won't spill as long as you hold the opening up vertically before you seal. The key is that there is no need to use the vacuum function since freezer burn is not an issue with very wet foods. And the bag will get smaller because the volume of a gas (the air in the bag) is proportional to its temperature (Charles Law ... or as any guy can tell you, there is shrinkage when it gets cold).

2) Freeze the soup/sauce in a shallow bowl and then store the frozen mass in one of these vacuum bags.

soup does not freezer burn - why waste a good sealer bag on that?
Fill the zip lock with the soup - hold it upright and getteh zipper in your fingers, slowley lay the bag back till there is no air left in the bag and zip it up - Done - find a flat space in your freezer and lay that bag on there so it freezes evenly and you can stack'em up for portions you desire, I cook soup down to concentrate it and do this with gallon bags, also spaghetti suace and other suaces like this. I can whip up a fast dinner for 5 within 10 minutes on any given day this way.
Chili
Beans
Large Bulk cans of Green chopped green chili's
all sorts of stuff.

I only use the sealer on Meat and Fish and things like that. The sealer is FANTASTIC if you make your own Salami , Sausage, Hamburger, and really any Cured meat!

sdc100 wrote:Nerdy answer: If the bag was truly vacuum sealed and lacking air molecules, sound would be impossible within the bag, so no, there would be no screech despite the monkey's anguished attempts.

Even nerdier reply: If vacuum-sealed-Mortimer were touching the sides of the bag ( which, from the looks of the picture, he definitely is ) then the vibrations from his "vocal cords" would transmit to the bag surface, and then vibrate the air on the outside.

Unlike human vocal cords, Mortimer doesn't need air in order to vibrate his "vocal cords."

So "yes" he can make a sound, and we could hear and feel his anguished death scream... though I guess it would be quite muffled.


Woot should auction off vacuum-sealed-Mortimer, or make him a one-of for the next Wootoff.

@LastApeMan

look backwards 2 of your posts...

I have beef in butcher paper in my freezer. Would it be a good idea to leave the paper on and use this to seal up the beef or should I remove the paper first?

Is Woot! at CES this year? I could a vacuum-sealed monkey...

fischerlees wrote:bags are hard to wash, and expensive. tupperware is easier

game, set, match

Vacuum sealers remove most of the oxygen allowing a much longer shelf life of foods. Tupperware is not going to extend the shelf life 3-5 fold like a good vacuum sealer does.

swootness wrote:Looks like Jarden is the owner of both the FoodSaver and Seal-A-Meal brands (as well as Rival and many more).

http://www.jardencs.com/Brands.aspx

In the world of capitalism this is what we call 'manufactured competition'. A company buys out the competition, but then continues to sell its products (or brand name) alongside its own, as if there is really still a competing product. I've seen the same thing many times before, but the one that really stuck in my craw was ScanSoft buying out Caere and another competitor and then continuing to sell ALL THREE OCR products at the same time.

mjbleck wrote:
There are cheaper bags and more expensive bags. Cheaper bags are thinner, more expensive bags are thicker. It all depends on what you are going to do with them.

mjbleck wrote:
They work really well for sous vide. Go on ebay and buy an immersion circulating heater and a 5 gallon bucket and go to town. 48 hour short ribs, whole beef tenders at 127 degrees, etc. You’ll also need a blow torch – go with MAP gas.

There's a Lifehacker article about turning a crock pot into a sous vide immersion. My husband is itching to try it and my crock pot is old enough that I want a new one that has a digital timer.

http://lifehacker.com/5679360/hack-a-slow-cooker-into-a-temperature+controlled-sous-vide-rig

Do you recommend the thicker or thinner bags for sous vide cooking?

LastApeMan wrote:soup does not freezer burn - why waste a good sealer bag on that?

I use "Gladware" containers (actually the Ziploc version) for freezing soup in individual servings. I can then re-heat in the microwave in about 5 - 6 minutes and eat directly out of the container. I also canned my chicken stock this year. That was an adventure since it's low acid and required the pressure cooker (and my pressure cooker isn't large)

I hemmed and hawed about this one and then pulled the trigger. In for one.