Vacuum bag sealers

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We've just bought a vacuum bag sealer and two 4 litre plastic tubs that you can pump down to almost a true vacuum. Absolutely brilliant bit of kit. Packs of meat, cheese, etc., when opened can be vacuum-sealed and popped into the fridge with no fear of leakage and no need for other containers. We've also vacuumed certain meds that are hygroscopic, flour, and some bandages and first aid stuff that really needs to be kept together and clean until needed. From our limited experience it has already become one of those 'must-have' bits of kit. We will be buying some more 4 litre containers and will be storing most stuff in the fridge in them, as well as bics, dried fruits, etc., outside the fridge.
 
I would be interested in the details of your system. It has been on my shopping list for years, but the success of these is due to the quality of the pump, and most of the cheap and cheerful ones have a very short life. I reckon that it requires a semi commercial job to have any chance of lasting in a marine environment.

However, I also believe that this is a device that should become the "must have accessory"

Amongst other uses, making up several days sandwiches, and them not going like british rail specials.
 
Having just ruined my favourite varnish brush by forgetting to clean it after bringing it home wrapped in a plastic bag and leaving it for a couple of days, I would be interested to know if your gadget might have prevented that.
 
My unit (bought in Spain but made in Italy) is branded Saeco 'Mini'. It is made by http://www.magicvac.com/ where there is a fair bit of general information. My model is at http://webup.flaemnuova.it/pagineDettaglio/DET-ar.inc?WTX_CODICE=V021PK1&FAM=B3 though it is marked "Saeco Mini" it is clearly identical.

The product has a well-engineered feel, it is very heavy and the pump runs with a good quality of sound and low vibration. The pump can evacuate a 4 litre container to 0.8 Bar in fifteen seconds or so. Most of the time is spent scavenging the last bit, as you would expect. My unit comes with a 2 year warranty. As for a 'marine environment', as we live aboard 356/365 less short breaks, the environment is not really 'marine'. All normal domestic equipment lasts fine on board.

I see that the same people do much bigger and professional systems. Other than the large professional product they all seem to use the same vacuum pump (10 litres per minute 0.8 Bar).

As for paint brushes, I don't know. You wouldn't want to get solvents all over your nice food preserving machine. The plastic bags are ribbed to allow the air to get out and some drips of any fluid in a bag can be sucked into a little drain channel in the unit. You could clean it out but shall we say that I wouldn't be sealing my brushes in there. OTOH, if you wish to buy a container for around €30 for that purpose, then you could put one aside for that purpose?
 
But why do you need all this just to sail fromSpain to France & o to Italy?

France & even Italy are today friendly with modern facilities such as "Electricity" "Water"(better drink French wine its pure grape not antifreez)& even portable phones (at a huge price)

Bays in the gulf of Lions silt up and bays change!!Better not stop over unless you really want to see "nature"

The winds,Both are natural & frequent also

I wish you a good and wind reasoable passage,which might be if your quick about it when best
 
[ QUOTE ]
But why do you need all this just to sail fromSpain to France & o to Italy?

[/ QUOTE ]It's the rising cost of food that persuaded me that a one-off capital investment would pay good returns. Fresh veg, fruit, meat, bread, flour, dried foods, etc., all last so much longer if properly stored. With a vacuum sealer you can make up usably-sized packs as well.
 
France has good quality fresh food at very aforgable prices,the expensive foods with very questionable pesticide use comes from Spain

Your welcome in free France where very good wine & fresh food bio is sold widely at fair prices
 
Thanks for the info Lemain, seriously considering one of these for storage and long life, food, not mine!!. However on reading your first post and not having any links have found Vacu-Seal (google it) seems a really good unit. 29.99 US$ but an astonishing 19.99 US$ for a pack of bags. Seems the best way would be to buy the unit from US and the bags from the uk (£4.99+-)
 
That sounds very good!I would like one as well sounds very useful indeed.How will you import it to France??

I asked the customs if i could import small items for personal use.The chief of the admin said no!And no allowance.If DHL or fed ex get it when it arrives in France they charge a handling fee & taxes.

I asked a uniformed customs agent if i could import he said i could & have a 45 euro allowence value above that is taxed & VATed??

I cook my jams & tomato sauce in glass jars with rubber seals,i dont keep them more than a few weeks & havent had a problem yet??
 
Today i saw a "how to vacuume seal for free" in "gazoline" just goto a"press" shop with your camera turn topage 69 and copy

I read it at a cafè & copy interesting points as i used to do with the herald tribune the cafè dosent subscribe now!ù
 
I bought one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310045643973 a couple of months ago with a shed load of bags and containers. I got mine from Amazon Germany for about £60 including bags etc.
I have been using it at home to get to grips with it before shipping it to Cape Town for the trip back in a couple of months. Uses I have found so far are; -
Fresh fruit. Keeps citrus fruits fresh for around twice as long.
Hard vegtables. Again works well. Don't try soft veg such as broccoli as it crushes them and bruises when vacuumed.
Cheese. Great on hard cheeses I've had one piece in the fridge for 10 weeks now.
Engine spares. A light spray with WD40 and vacuum seal will keep them rust free for years.
Grab bag gear. A lot of it might be waterproof but sealing them makes sure.
First aid gear. Dressings that are only wrapped in paper becomes soggy so seal to avoid. Also tablets and drugs that aren't blister packed.
Leftovers. If you cut the bags slightly longer and drape them over the table top whilst you seal you can do soups, curry, chilli etc.
Bulk buying. Buy in large qty's and then divide and vacuum.
Reduce packaging. You can get rid of all the shop packaging before you leave dock by sealing. Less problem with rubbish on long trips.
Freezing. Stops freezer burn and frost build up.
Marinating. Seal meat, fish etc together with your marinate and chuck in the fridge for 24 hours.

After typing that I wish I had come up with the idea myself.
I will be able to tell you if it survives 6 weeks at sea in November.
Adaero
 
Excellent post, thanks for the input. Your Ebay link could be a good source of the plastic. My unit came with quite a few bags but the rolls are much more practical.

One point to note is that the bags are re-usable if clean enough.

I packed some left-over baked beans (half a can) in a very small strip and it was easy to do; the juice did not go into the drip-tray. Should keep pretty well in the fridge, I imagine. These bags are rated for 'boil-in-bag' which could be very useful at times, especially when you are short of cooking rings, and you have an electric kettle.

<span style="color:red"> One important issue.... </span> In the Saeco manual they give a warning not to eat food that has been 'boiled-in-bag' and allowed to cool to room temperature due to 'certain bacteria' and they mention botulin.

<span style="color:blue">Bacteria can multiply
with or without air, depending on their type.
Clostridium Botulinum is a very dangerous type of bacteria
which can develop in environments which do not contain
acids, are without oxygen and are exposed to temperatures
in excess of 4°C for long periods of time.
Foodstuffs vulnerable to attack by Clostridium Botulinum
are those with low acidity (like red meat, poultry, fish,
seafood, olives in brine, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables)
and medium acidity foods like virtually all vegetables
and many fruits (ripe tomatoes, onions, red pepper,
figs and cucumbers). To prevent contamination by this
bacterium, it is essential to observe the basic rules of
hygiene and, to prevent its harmful proliferation in preserved
foods, they must be refrigerated for short periods
and/or frozen for long-life preservation. However, such
foods must be eaten immediately after heating.
Important: you must consume immediately any food
which has been heated while still sealed in MAGIC
VAC® bags. Leaving the food to cool slowly at room temperature
in the sealed vacuum bag may cause several
harmful micro-organisms to multiply, in just a few hours,
to values that are health-threatening.
Several enzymes found in foods cause] </span>
 
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