More Kitchen Toys!!

[caseydog]

Ok, after much futzing around, following some of the advice here and elsewhere, I've finally found the knack to getting this thing to seal.

Whether these are all completely necessary or not, I don't know, but now that it's working, I'm not messing with success:

1. Manual says three-inch headway on the bags, I'm using four.

2. Set the bag on a book to lift it up to be more even with the opening of the machine, which lessens the likelihood of bending/crimping the bag.

3. Make sure the bag is placed textured side up and smooth side down.

4. Get it positioned exactly, and I mean exactly, on the top edge of the gasket that goes round the drip tray. A hair's width off up or down, and it ain't working.

5. Raise your left foot, cover your eye with your left hand, turn around once, and say, "I command thee, seal my meal!"

Well, it shouldn't be that hard. It certainly isn't for me. The book thing is a little weird. If I understand "headway," I don't think you need that much -- every time. If the food is very wet, you may need that. In that case, do what Late Nite suggests, and freeze your food before vacuum sealing it. I do that with peppers from my garden, so they will be hard before I vacuum seal them. That keeps them from being squashed under vacuum.

I still think your Foodsaver ain't quite right. I know mine works much more reliably than what you have experienced. It really shouldn't be that difficult. Mine sure isn't.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

Well, it shouldn't be that hard. It certainly isn't for me. The book thing is a little weird. If I understand "headway," I don't think you need that much -- every time. If the food is very wet, you may need that. In that case, do what Late Nite suggests, and freeze your food before vacuum sealing it. I do that with peppers from my garden, so they will be hard before I vacuum seal them. That keeps them from being squashed under vacuum.

I still think your Foodsaver ain't quite right. I know mine works much more reliably than what you have experienced. It really shouldn't be that difficult. Mine sure isn't.

CD

I think it comes down to the top of the bag needing to be in a near-perfect position. The book raises the whole thing up so that the bag goes in straight - otherwise, as soon as I'd place it, the weight and angle of the bag would force the top of the bag up and away. Having the longer bit of bag helps that as well.

The manual said to specifically freeze meat, cookies, bread, liquids, so I was already doing that (though it does have a Moist button). Today, I've successfully vacuumed two bags of soup, a batch of my meatballs and sauce, and two spoons (haha, that's the "spoon test" that FS told me to try - didn't work yesterday, but it works now), some fresh herbs, and two bags of bread.

I don't think it's just mine, as I found multiple people online with the same issue, and my brother was helpful as well. He's used these for over a decade and confirmed that everything I was describing wasn't unusual. He's psychotic about researching things, and he was the one who forwarded me some of the online stuff, leftover from his own research.

I think I'm good now. I had six or seven successful vac/seals in a row, and I'm about to try a few more.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[caseydog]

I think it comes down to the top of the bag needing to be in a near-perfect position. The book raises the whole thing up so that the bag goes in straight - otherwise, as soon as I'd place it, the weight and angle of the bag would force the top of the bag up and away. Having the longer bit of bag helps that as well.

The manual said to specifically freeze meat, cookies, bread, liquids, so I was already doing that (though it does have a Moist button). Today, I've successfully vacuumed two bags of soup, a batch of my meatballs and sauce, and two spoons (haha, that's the "spoon test" that FS told me to try - didn't work yesterday, but it works now), some fresh herbs, and two bags of bread.

I don't think it's just mine, as I found multiple people online with the same issue, and my brother was helpful as well. He's used these for over a decade and confirmed that everything I was describing wasn't unusual. He's psychotic about researching things, and he was the one who forwarded me some of the online stuff, leftover from his own research.

I think I'm good now. I had six or seven successful vac/seals in a row, and I'm about to try a few more.

Thanks, everyone!

Good to hear you are getting good results, now. I was worried you would give up and swear off vacuum sealing. I've had a Foodsaver for the last 25 years. Well, three of them. I've worn two of them out. My only gripe is that they don't last forever. But, they last longer than a computer, and cost a fraction of a computer.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

Good to hear you are getting good results, now. I was worried you would give up and swear off vacuum sealing. I've had a Foodsaver for the last 25 years. Well, three of them. I've worn two of them out. My only gripe is that they don't last forever. But, they last longer than a computer, and cost a fraction of a computer.

CD

Yep, I just divided up a pack of hot dogs, and a pack of sausage links, and a pound of bulk sausage.

I also tried the Moist feature on a few slices of room temp bread, just to see how sensitive it is.

It's not. Flat as a playing card!

 

[caseydog]

Yep, I just divided up a pack of hot dogs, and a pack of sausage links, and a pound of bulk sausage.

I also tried the Moist feature on a few slices of room temp bread, just to see how sensitive it is.

It's not. Flat as a playing card!

Mine has a "gentle" button. It basically slows down the vacuum process so you can avoid squashing delicate things. You start it on the gentle setting, and stop it when it is where you want it to be. I use that for burger meat. I don't want them to be "smash burgers" until I decide to make them smash burgers on my cast-iron.

CD

 

[Burt Blank]

Everything in our new kitchen is Bosch, so when our old Kenwood food processor exploded with cabbage syndrome we bought a Bosch pictured below. Like the other equipment it is superb.

 

[caseydog]

In the US, Kenwood is known for cheap car stereos. I've seen Kenwood kitchen appliances on YouTube shows, but we don't get them here. Not sure I'd want them, based on my experience with the brand.

I have a Bosch dishwasher. I also have Bosch power tools in my garage. But, my food processor is Cuisinart, the model all the TV chefs use, and my other small appliances are KitchenAid, which is top shelf in the US.

CD

 

[XstarX]

Everything in our new kitchen is Bosch, so when our old Kenwood food processor exploded with cabbage syndrome we bought a Bosch pictured below. Like the other equipment it is superb.View attachment 44917

I have this one to, its brilliant. I love how quick it cuts up veg.
The bucket is massive.
I love the nut grinder for my granulated sugar to make caster & icing sugar or flours.
I use the blender daily,
I brought it to replace my old one which broke after years of use it was a magimix, I was given it by a old friend who said she paid well over £500 for it & she wanted someone to get some use out of it.
I got so use to having a really good food processor that when it broke I had to buy another. So I got Bosch one after reviewing them all.
The only thing I don't use it for is cakes as I have a Russell hob stand mixer

 

[Burt Blank]

I've seen Kenwood kitchen appliances on YouTube shows,

This is the chef I left behind in the UK. It had not missed a beat in 40 years it was service by Kenwood twice. That's why I bought the food processor 10 yrs ago. For me they both gave value for the money. The fridge, dishwasher,oven,

hob and vent are all Bosch.

 

[Burt Blank]

I use the blender daily,

Mrs Blank uses the blender daily for my shake, she puts in a solid frozen lump of ricotta in with soya milk and fruit. It sounds terrible but blends the lot in seconds.

 

[XstarX]

Mrs Blank uses the blender daily for my shake, she puts in a solid frozen lump of ricotta in with soya milk and fruit. It sounds terrible but blends the lot in seconds.

I do oats with water & protein powder for hubby every day, I sometime have frozen fruit With water & its lovely, I couldn't be without my food processor

 

[TastyReuben]

My washer and tumble dryer were Bosch, the washer died, but the dryer is still going strong after 14 years, as is my Bosch dishwasher.

Food processor...I had a Cuisinart, a good 25 years old, that would work through anything with no issue. I loved it. Simple to operate. I finally had to give it up when the bowl cracked beyond repair. Cuisinart no longer makes that bowl, and none of the third-party replacement places had any, so I had to get a new one. To Cuisinart's credit, they offered me something like a $40 voucher against a new one.

Anyway, I did a bunch of research and bought a Kitchen Aid. I have their stand mixer, over 25 years old now and still going strong, and it's great, so I felt ok going with that.

Straight up piece of garbage. Couldn't handle dough at all, and that was one of the main things I wanted it for. I swear, on low speed, I think I could have put my hand in there with no ill effect.

I called, talked to KA (Ohio company, BTW), and he confirmed that there were "some issues" with that model, so they sent me a different one and I sent that one back.

Same issues. Junk. Junk, junk, junk.

Now I use it just to slice things like cucumbers, it can just about handle that without choking, and it's my dedicated hummus machine. Judging from the quality of it, I expect it to die in the next couple of years, and when that happens, I'll go back to Cuisinart. Or maybe that Bosch.

 

[CraigC]

Things like our older food processor, vacuum sealer and pressure cooker were inherited.

 

[LissaC]

My new toy. It's basically a thermal bag made of fabric and cork. Made by a portuguese company with a material that's very typically portuguese, cork. It's main use is incubating yogurt but it can be used to let dough rise and to finish cooking food. It doesn't need electricity to work which is a major plus, here in Portugal electricity is very expensive considering our salaries and the market is basically a monopoly owned by a very corrupt company, I hate paying my electrical bill.

 

[caseydog]

My washer and tumble dryer were Bosch, the washer died, but the dryer is still going strong after 14 years, as is my Bosch dishwasher.

Food processor...I had a Cuisinart, a good 25 years old, that would work through anything with no issue. I loved it. Simple to operate. I finally had to give it up when the bowl cracked beyond repair. Cuisinart no longer makes that bowl, and none of the third-party replacement places had any, so I had to get a new one. To Cuisinart's credit, they offered me something like a $40 voucher against a new one.

Anyway, I did a bunch of research and bought a Kitchen Aid. I have their stand mixer, over 25 years old now and still going strong, and it's great, so I felt ok going with that.

Straight up piece of garbage. Couldn't handle dough at all, and that was one of the main things I wanted it for. I swear, on low speed, I think I could have put my hand in there with no ill effect.

I called, talked to KA (Ohio company, BTW), and he confirmed that there were "some issues" with that model, so they sent me a different one and I sent that one back.

Same issues. Junk. Junk, junk, junk.

Now I use it just to slice things like cucumbers, it can just about handle that without choking, and it's my dedicated hummus machine. Judging from the quality of it, I expect it to die in the next couple of years, and when that happens, I'll go back to Cuisinart. Or maybe that Bosch.

My builder worked with SEARS (20 years ago), and I went to a special showroom to pick out my kitchen appliances. I went basic Kenmore for my cooktop and oven (hob and cooker), and microwave. Kenmore was once a premium brand. The fridge I just replaced was a Kenmore -- and 26 years old! I went with Bosch dishwasher, because they are so quiet. I have to stand in the kitchen to hear anything at all, and it's not much. With an open plan house, quiet is crucial.

My new fridge/freezer is GE (General Electric). They got Consumer Reports "Best Buy" rating. Very high scores in every category. I need to post a new kitchen picture, once I get the kitchen back to normal clean and tidy levels.

CD