Vacuum sealer machine

[TerraNostra]

I've just seen one in offer at Lakeland. Do I need one? They say that food lasts longer if stored in a vacuum bag? Also that it is good for marinading etc. I thought it could help free up space in the freezer.

They are also used to seal things for sous vide but we don't have a sous vide cooker.

Anyone have one?

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/26785/foodsaver-electric-premium-vacuum-sealer-black-vs3190?src=emails221202LLNewsFoodsaversolusprizedraw_1&spMailingID=72389090&spUserID=NTA2MTUyNDUzNDA0S0&spJobID=2261632691&spReportId=MjI2MTYzMjY5MQS2

@TerraNostra I have a Amazon basics one and I love it but I only paid £30 or £40 for it. You can't get that one anymore but there are plenty out there. I am a big fan of Lakeland but I think that is a ridiculous price to pay for one, especially as a first timer.

We shop at Costco so when I buy minced steak it comes in a 2.5kg pack. I would divide this into 5 one gallon zip lock bags and rolling pin them flat so they defrost really quick. When I started using the vacuum sealer I noticed that the mince stayed completely pink due to no air ingress.

Chicken breasts from Costco also come in a pack of 11 or 12 and I usually buy 2 packs at once. I marinade the chicken and vacuum seal it. I make my own bags from the rolls as I make particular sizes ie 12 inches for the mince. I also use those sized bags for the marinade as you don't want any liquid being sucked into the machine trough. If you do you can clean it out but I would wait until it cools down first.

If you want to vacuum pack a sauce/soup/stock all you do is freeze it first, so in some container then the next day put the frozen block into the vaccum seal bag and seal it. Same with things like meatballs, I make, freeze then seal in a bag.

Sorry if that wasn't clear, I meant, remove frozen soup from the container and freeze the block on its own.

Thanks. I knew there would be someone knowledgeable about this I n Mumsnet! I was just curious about the concept and hadn't compared prices yet, so had no idea they could be cheaper. That's good news