Why I Gave Up On FoodSaver Machines
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2021
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I recently bought a brake bleeder for the purpose of vacuum sealing. I love the idea of not using electricity. This video is invaluable!
Hi Heidi, this is such a great video!! So many people are always talking on social media about how their foodsaver failed them. But you have the perfect answer. I shared this on my Community tab because everyone needs to know about this. As always, thank you SO much for all you share!! Love to you and Patrick, Mary
Thank you Mary! Hope you are doing well my friend!
@@RainCountryHomestead Yes, we are doing well here - still warm but looking forward to things cooling off by November - hopefully! LOL!!
@@MarysNest And here we are burning fires to stay warm! haha
@@RainCountryHomestead do you sell just the bleeder pump and attachments separate from the chamber? I have the foodsaver jar attachments and would like to be able to use them as an alternative without electricity
@@thelmaallen6385 We do not sell the brake bleeder pump at all, that can be found on amazon: amzn.to/3BEixc1
Or at an auto parts store
Perfect timing for this to show up in my suggestions! My foodsaver died two days ago. I also LOVE that the brake bleeder is manual, no electricity needed. With things being what they are, being able to not only save energy but have ways of doing the essential things even if power were unavailable is SO important to me. Thank you for this information!
Google probably heard you screaming t your machine and that’s how the vids showed up in your rotation. Lol
I agree
I absolutely love my chamber Patrick made. Top quality and works every time. Patrick is very talented.
My food saver was a headache from day 1. I thought I was just using it wrong.
I had the same issue with food saver machines.
I’m experiencing the “ headaches” now. Was soo excited about getting it, but out of the box, it’s fully vacuuming two out of eight bags. Maddening. May just pack it up and return it. Also don’t like the excessive quantities of plastic involved. Just doesn’t make sense.
I LOVE the chamber that Patrick made and use it every day. My goodness it seals the lids so tight that you would think it was sealed at the manufacturer. Thank Patrick for his brilliant design.
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Thank you ! I see now..👍 Visually seeing the way they are attached helped me a bunch! Love how it seals any recycled jars that I saved as long as it fits in chamber..I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. 🤦♀️
Just got my brake bleeder kit today! Thank you sooo much for this idea! Can’t wait to give this a try! You are such a blessing! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much for all your valuable content! I ordered the vacuum chamber from your store today and also went out and got the brake bleeder. I'm really looking forward to using it with confidence because of your tips!:)
I’m visiting from Mary’s Nest! I love the brake bleeder, and will definitely be picking one up for my jars. I use a Food Saver for freezing large quantities of meat, and I’d be glad to find an alternative. I’m trying to learn how to freeze foods and meals with less waste in general. Now I’ll hope over to your video of how to freeze with glass!
Outstanding shipmate. Press on. USS Kitty Hawk CV-63. Jan 1980 to july 1983.
This channel is a wealth of information. I'm dehydrating apples from our tree for the first time and am looking forward to dehydrating produce from the garden next year.
I'm sooo happy 😊. My breakbleader and foodsaver jar sealers came today!! Thank you for all your knowledge and money saving ideas!!! God bless💖
After your video a while ago about the brake pump, I got one and the foodsaver tops and have so happy. What a great find in finding YOU. Love your tidbits. Helps us all who have been preserving for years. One thing I have come to learn using the brake pump is not to use my hand and wrist squeezing because it is very fatiguing.
I use my body and arm and countertop. Way easier. Thank you again.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. You saved me time and money, as I was considering buying the FS. I ordered your hubby's vacuum thingy on your Etsy store and can't wait to receive it.
I think you did a video about the brake bleeder a while ago - I actually got one and it works great; so glad you're doing another video about how well it works - it's definitely a great manual option if anyone is still using the food saver and electricity goes out....and works great even if the electric is on and you just want to keep things simple!
I love the canister your husband makes. It works so good. Thank you
This is great! I have an air operated brake bleed system. I can make the chamber, use the system and vacuum it down in no time! Great video and design!
Thanks for going over this again. A lot of time I mess parts of videos and have watch it again. This time i got to watch all way thro.
Thanks for the information. I was about to buy a food saver kit, but decided to look up a video, and there you were, again thanks.
Such perfect timing again. Thank you so much!
Very good! I must agree about the Foodsaver machines (my first one lasted many years, but subsequent ones were 2-3 years each). We need someone to figure out common fixes/upgrades for them. Until then, time to go back to basics with the mason jars. Love it!
much appreciated which you and Mary's Nest when you both your knowledge. I tried to freeze liquids and the jar cracked as you said. I don't have a lot of money to spend on machines nor the space in my tiny apartment. All the information I gain is priceless per your experience, which I know does not have to be mine. Way to go!!!
You are an excellent teacher and speaker. TYVM.
Hi thanks for all of your videos. I just returned the large food saver from Costco never worked then 2 days ago I got the small food saver from Costco via mail and it is the best one ever. Also I got the brake pump thing you suggested and what a blessing!!
Thank you Heidi.🙂
I'm probably pretty lucky to still have my original Food Saver. I don't use it that often and had to replace the sealing strip sometime back. I haven't bought the bags for Years! There's a video on this platform on how to vacuum seal regular bags. I do that occasionally for meats.
Love and blessings! 💜
I just opened and used my first Food Saver. I thought I had purchased the correct tubing to vacuum seal but I guess not. I thought of you and immediately went to purchase a brake bleeder. I feel more confident with the brake bleeder because it worked like a gem! Thank you, Heidi! Have a beautiful day! 🌼
🥰
Thanks for sharing this. I use a Welch 1400 vac pump that I got as scrap and rebuilt. I like your brake bleeder idea if you're not a mechanic, great idea. Keep thinking outside the box.
Great info, I ordered a brake bleeder a long time ago from your Amazon link, but have not yet tried it as for now my foodsaver still works good. I may have to source my husband to use it for me because of the arthritis in my hands. Thanks for sharing all the tips, very helpful, blessings
I had the same problems with my regular mouth lids, because of you I got a brake bleeder and it does so much better to seal my jars!! I had never heard of using the brake bleeder until I started watching you!! I get loads of information from you. I rest my bleeder on my hip, like when you put your hands on your hip and pump the bleeder..my husband is trying to figure out an easier way to do that..
I started with the Food Saver brand model but after a couple of those I ended up with Cabela's top of the line model, so far so good. My main complaint was the plastic bags/rolls under the Food Saver brand, they almost always blow out from the side seams. Again I went to Cabela and now use their bags, so far so good. I use it mainly for large quantities of meat, etc. to be frozen. Don't want to use my jars in freezer, keep those for canned food.
Thank you for your answer! I love your channel! And your spirit! God bless you!!
Thank you for the helpful tips. I thought about getting a food saver machine and all that comes with it. It is expensive and when you are on a budget you need a less expensive way to preserve your foods. Great video 😀
Thank you Did not see that I will order one through your link. Many blessings
Hi Heidi it’s been awhile glad I found this information I was wanting to buy a food-saver machine I just got my lids and hose today to vacuum air out .. Have a Bless Week ☮️✌️❤️
We have found that canning lids (but not rings) will fit on some jars (like the nacho cheese jars) for vacuum sealing dry foods. However, I love the idea of a vacuum chamber that will allow you to the tapered jars that the foodsaver adaptor won't work on. Preserving eggs for the winter has always been a problem and jelly jars in the freezer looks ideal. For dry foods that we just want to keep fresh, we will use used canning lids - not big deal if you lose vacuum on a jar of dry pasta.
Absolutely great infor - Thank you so much
My husband had a food saver here before I came along, we have owned it now for over ten years. We are still using it, must have got the good batch of machines. I just got my jar sealer last year, and yes the small mouth sealer gives me trouble. Glad I came across this video. Thank you for sharing. I will be getting the break bleeder, if we are suddenly without electric that sure will be handy.
It is likely the original model, like with most things, the first ones are usually made best then quality goes down hill after that, which is really a shame
Wow! Ty Heidi! Alot of good info.
I bought the brake bleeder after watching one of your videos !!!! Works great :) Thanks :)
I made a holder for the brake bleeder. The moveable handle is on the top so all I need do is push down on the handle.
Well when does production begin??
Thank you Heidi! Great food saver tips!
We've been through two Food Saver machines, ourselves. We gave up on them a lot more quickly than you did. I like the brake bleeder idea, though. Thanks for the idea and the link.
I had an old food saver and it isn't working as well so I bought a new one and I couldn't get the hose in it so contacted the company and their support stinks. I finally found that the hole in the machine that the hose plugged in hadn't opened up. I scraped out the excess plastic and it does work now. I bought a different brand from Amazon and it works great!
I agree, years ago I was totally on board with Foodsaver. Bought alot of their containers but the would develop cracks or loss the seal. Probably bought 6 units over the years and get what your saying, but for freezer sealing meat, seafood or produce the bags can't be beat. I also started using a Sous vide and I trust the seal in the foodsaver vs gallon ziploc bags.
Thank you for all of your information. I enjoy watching your videos and learn so much for them. God bless 🙏❣️🙏
I agree about the Food Saver Machines. Using the brake bleeder to vacuum seal with the food saver jar kits is brilliant.
Great info! Thank you!
Thank you Heidi. I appreciate this video. Blessings.
I had the experience of putting that little blue silicone ring on upside down and could not figure out why I wasn't getting a seal! Finally figured it out. There is a right way to replace that little ring, so be careful!
Thank You! I saw Your video before when you were using the brake Bleeder too !! So I just bought the FS Vac Seal Jar Lids & Brake Bleeder tool! going to Recheck my jars I used the Oxygen obsorbers Now!!
Boy do I feel blessed. I bought the cheapest vacuum sealer back in 2015. It still works great. I did have to replace the hose and the wide mouth jar sealer. It broke off in the lid of the jar sealer. But, that is the only problem I've had. You do have to buy the whole set though if just one thing brakes.
Great video! I do have the brake bleader though. When the machine finally breaks I guess I'll probably will try out the chamber.
I was looking at the mylar bags too, instead.... Goal is extending store time mostly for " baking flours/grains/herbs"
Heidi like you I am done with food saver as well! I have the food saver tops I have had to replace them as well and they still don't work. I just love my Patrick's Chamber and it seals everything.
Another great way to remove more plastics from your life. we love your super versatile vacuum chamber. works so easy and no electric needed with our (walmart) brake bleeder.
I took the first one apart. Inside there is a rubber bladder that only is as good as the rubber used.
Great video. I can no longer use the hand pump. Bad hands. I took the piece out of the Food Saver suction part and it works really good. There is a video on here how to remove that part to get it to work.
I no longer use the bags for anything, costs to much.
I love my brake bleeder. I use one & bought a spare. I pump the brake bleeder to point to seal & pass that
. Then I release pressure. Next I apply pressure again. Generally I hear the lid seal pop again. The brake bleeder can have a release button on it. Sometimes it needs to be adjusted in order for brake bleeder to work. I have 2 sets of vaccum seal lids I purchased before the price gouging. I love my chamber. It will pay for its self in price of jars when one can recycle jars. Especially since canning jars are hard to come by & costs have gone so high. I picked up vaccum sealers @ thrift stores. Most of them did not work properly. Take care & God bless.
I've bought a commercial grade FoodSaver from Costco 35 years ago for $300, still going strong. Maybe I'm lucky. Last year I got big box full of rolls of vacuum bags very cheaply from someone who's machine had died. I have made my own vacuum chambers using 6" schedule 80 plastic pipe and fittings. They work. Many years ago I also scored a hospital grade vacuum pump for expressing mothers milk from a medical supply house. It works very well for vacuum packing jars. Breast milk bags....there's an idea! I also have the break bleeders, but they're out in my shop with all the rest of my tools 😊 good informative presentation. Thanks.
I picked up a couple of the little hand held pumps made by food saver at a local store a while back that was discontinuing them at their store. 12 bucks each, I bought 2 of them.
It works great with the jar attachments. I can't say why, I haven't really cared enough to look into it, but the regular mouth attachment works perfectly fine with the hand held pump. To be so small the battery seems to hold up very well also.
It even works well with the food saver containers. The largest takes a bit and the volume of the pump is better for that on the food saver machine I have. That's about all I use my machine for anymore also. I've came to the about the same conclusions you have about moving to jars. I do use my containers a lot for temp storage of food in the fridge though. That is very handy and I like the containers even if I'm using them without a vacuum applied.
I know someone who has that and is using it on our vacuum chamber. That really surprised me
I thought I had a jenky regular vacuum pump lid because the ring always comes off when lifting it off the jar! Glad to know it’s not just mine.
Gosh, Heidi! I had ALL those problems too! You're telling my story! No more Foodsaver machines for me. I ONLY use your brake bleeder method anymore. Since using the brake bleeder and dehydrating most of our foods I almost never can foods anymore. I dehydrate and store in jars. I don't have the time for the pressure canner or the water bath method. It's RARE.
Great video! Thank you! I bought the food saver hand held tool (instead of brake bleeder due to arthritis) for about $20 and love it. It works wonderful with the jar tops but the regular mouth still gets stuck every once in awhile. I will have to retry the brake bleeder with your technique. 😊😂❤️
Do you remember what its called?
@@shervin6711 food saver handheld vacuum. It’s black and comes with charger. It’s needs to be charged 24 hours before first use. I looked it up and it looks like it’s now around $25. I have had great luck with mine. Had it for a year so far and use about twice a week.
@@eightacrehomestead thank you!
i have terrible luck with anything electrical i never wanted to seal my food in plastic but i loved the idea of sealing jars i have carpal tunnel and i brought mr rains vacuum chamber and a brake bleeder and spent a weekend sealing every jar in my house with it i was still intrigued with the jar sealers to use with the 10 plus organic true teas i have out on my kitchen counter that cost me lots of money so i invested £30 in a secondhand hand rechargeable cordless foodsaver which takes up the space of my fist and fell in love with it i gave the plastic bags and box that came with it to a chum as i dont store food in plastic well after a year the little connection part )made of plastic broke off inside a jar sealer but the unit still worked with the plastic box and bags i gave my friend so i gave them the broken foodsaver and brought myself a new replacement again giving my chum the plastic box and bags so we are all happy i blame myself as i can be very heavyhanded i grab the cordless one more often as its closer to hand but i loved pulling out my chamber when the first one broke that the joy of having an off grid sealer i love them both and was soooo glad you sold me one 100% recommend AND my little cordless foodsaver fits into the brake bleeder pipe so i can use it with the vacuum chamber too oh that was a wonderful discovery
Just stumbled across your vid and its great info. We have been challenged with the FS machines too… new sub.
I got so fed up with their crappy machines!! One after the other!! Which is why I finally decided to try the chamber format, & I've never been happier!!!!
Thank you, loved the video!
With two years of a lid shortage, I am SO HAPPY that I have my pump-n-seal.
Hi Heidi I don't have any of those machines as of yet but things about getting one I may try the dehydrator first and then the other food savers because I would do more dehydrating first then try the others things thanks for sharing this video.
Thumbs up from the Dooleys of Michigan Enjoyed The Video
I learned about the jar resealer with brake bleeder on Cedar Creek Homestead. Can reuse grocery store jars or seal canning jars with saver lids.
Not all store jars will work with foodsaver tops because of the odd sizes, this is why I like the chamber is I can seal any jar that the foodsaver tops will not
You can get a single stage vacuum pump for around $50... that would work. I use a brake bleeder, which is also better in a grid down or off grid scenario.
I love the bags because they take up much less space. I buy the generic ones and they work awesomely. Also, if you push down on the canning attachment firmly while it's sucking it usually works out great. Mine stopped working once that and I replaced the foam seal and it was as good as new. I've had mine for over 10 years!
We have to do what is best for us, a big part of it, as noted in the video, is about trying to get away from the plastic as well as the expense of the bags. I use reusable silicone bags or jars now and for meats we choose to freeze I have gone back to the tried and true butcher paper and I am pleased. No more bag failures
Judy Taya - I got mine back in the '80's and had the first model. It was a work horse. Used it all the time to pack fish and lobster tails the ex brought home from fishing in Cuba. I did have to cut off all the tips of the spines, but the machine held up for many years. I use it mostly for things that won't fit in jars. I freeze dry mostly now. I did get a break bleeder earlier this year, just in case it's needed in the future.
I had exactly the same experience with the Foodsaver machine. I am on my 3rd one in about 10 years.
I made a vacuum chamber from a pressure pot and using a vacuum pump made for a air conditioner repair .
works great.
do you have a link for this pump? Do you think they last longer than the foodsavers?
I have one of the early ones from Tilla in 1987. Still works! That one used a gray foam neoprene to make the seal. Had to be very careful that the machine was stored with no pressure on the foam. My biggest gripe was the bags getting brittle and failing in the freezer. I don't use it for food anymore, but do use it to package prep supplies with or without vacuum. Have scrapped a few others for parts. They run the same pump I have seen in some aquarium pumps. Most of the problems seem to be with the plumbing and not the pumps. An old pump could be used to replace one of those brake bleeders, and be battery operated, as I think they were 12VDC motors. (been awhile since I played with them)
Yep, like with most things, the original models were once made with quality and built to last.
I have dehydrating to do. Thank you.
Thank you!
Have had a Food Saver for about 15 years. The first one I got was from an infomercial and it only lasted 3.5-4 years. My second one is 11 years old, and still suckin' and sealin'. It is the "big game" model and I love it. It's the bags I don't like. They are very expensive and sometimes "let go" and let oxygen into the bag. :( Have never heard about the brake sealer before. What a great idea, especially when the power goes out. Ordering one next week. Thank you for the info!
Good morning Gods blessings for you and all your family
I use jars for all my dry foods as well. We have a 106 year old basement that gets damp and has mice on occasion but is the darkest coolest storage area we have. Everything that goes down there has to be repackaged. Yes, double lids to seal the regular mouth jars, then pop off the extra.
It's worth getting a dehumidifier. There's mould, mites, insects and microorganisms which rots wood too. Neither healthy to be living over, nor good for the house. And it gets on your jars which you handle and bring into the kitchen and onto the counter. Although the damp earth absorbs heat from the air, the moist environment also cools your basement ceiling upstairs floor. Moisture is a sign of building envelope failure. You can get dehumidifier used for $40 from a yard sale and it will give you years of service. You'll be shocked how much water you pull out of thin air. They don't use much electricity, and you can out them in your car once in a while to keep the windows from steaming up on cold mornings, or use it in the RV once in a while to make sure you don't grow mould in the unventilated walls.
Great video, I’m a new sub and love your channel. I was finally able to score a set of these and hoping they’ll work with my AMAZING Weston vac sealer that has been going strong since 2013! If it’s not compatible I’ll look into your brake bleeder method :) also great idea about freezing eggs in glass I’ll look that video up.
I just would like to add that for those who question if they can pump that handle due to arthritis or other reasons. You can buy a electric vacuum pump on ebay or other places online for fairly cheap (I found one today for $45usd). This can be setup to do multiple jars at once aswell with a few bucks worth of hardware.
I LOVE my brake bleeder... Yes I got that idea from you Mrs Heidi. I'm hoping to be able to get one of Mr Patrick's chambers here relatively soon 🤗🙏. Everyone stay safe and God Bless you and your family from middle GA 🙏 Kendra
Their chamber is great & it will pay for itself using recycled jars. God bless.
@@elizabethcope1502 Yes ma'am... That's why I want one, I've been saving the jars. I'm just waiting for my SSI to start. Thank you and God Bless you and your family from middle GA 🙏 Kendra
Totally agree with you. After having owned 3 fs machines never again. For me it was the heat strip that broke on all 3. Tiny little spots that stopped sealing.
Yep, that stopped working on a couple of mine as well so I had both the issue with the pump AND the sealer. GRRR
@@RainCountryHomestead when the process worked it was great. $300 plus lesson so yeah Food Saver Company stink eye !
You can order just the vacuum pump motors off of ebay for like 25.00. Sold as Mini vacuum pump suction pumps. They run off of 12 volt current so a 110v to 12v adapter and some tubing and you can do the same.
I own two by Rain Country. They are excellent.👍
ive had the same problems you have had and gone thru too many of the cheap machines. I finally bought a stainless commercial product named "weston pro" ive had it three years so far and no issues. Warning it aint cheap but momma always said you get what you pay for. The weston i have doesnt have a hook up for the jar sealer but like you i use the brake bleeder and no issues. I just use the weston pro for bag sealing. and I also seal mylar bags with oxygen absorbers in them with my weston pro.
In 25 years, I just purchased a second one. The old one still works, just not like it used to. Maybe I wil replace the foam gaskets. I love my food saver. My first one was a Kenmore.
I just love your channel, Heidi--you guys do so well--be blessed! :) Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
Thank you Dawn!
All good info :). I too practice this with my canning jars. But I don't have a pump.....I directly suck on the hole of the food saver cap with my mouth. Don't judge me...it often works :)
That made me chuckle! As long as it works!
I’ve been there done that with the machines I’m using the brake bleeder now
Good tips , thanks for your , God bless !
Oh no I've returned mine to Costco after 3 years because mine stopped working but the one I got 5 years ago it worked amazing.
I never bought a food saver not only because of the price, but more importantly the price of the bags/rolls. I also saw what was inside of one and it clearly wasn't worth the price nor would it last long term. Instead I went with Ziploc freezer bags which are far less expensive and the "water displacement technique". It removes ALL of the air and is silent vs the loud FS. One of the things I stock up on is Land o Lakes butter when it goes on sale, freezing 3lbs/bag and when I'm done the bottom corners of the bag form perfect triangles because the air is completely gone and while it's not a vacuum, there's a little of the vacuum effect. You don't need to pull a vacuum for things to freeze well, just remove the air. The beef, pork and chicken that I freeze are perfect for a very long time. I also went with the brake bleeder and FS jar adapters which also work very well for our dry goods.
Thanks for sharing
Spend a little more for a brake bleeder hand pump if you can. Get one that is rebuildable. There are O rings in the pump that will wear out causing loss of suction resulting in longer pumping times or not being able to reach a high enough vacuum for what you are trying to do. O rings are cheap, you have to be able to get to them to replace them. There is also a one way valve in them that will wear over time.
Ty
Greetings from East Texas! Good info!
Hey East Texas! :D
You are right. Ive had 3 food savers, Mine kept failing also , I purchased a up grade one, their super one suppose to be for hunter that did a lot meat. When it failed and I called the company they said I used it to much at one time I was trying to pack away 100 chickens we had raised. I also cant get the regular lid to vacuum either . Gave up on it .
No need to give up on that regular lid, just try using either the brake bleeder pump if you have one OR try the double lid method as many have done, just be sure to invert the top lid so it does not seal to the bottom lid
I use a Bonsen good value, good attachments and it just keeps going.