Inexpensive vacuum sealer not pulling out air
I bought a Seal-a-Meal for sous-vide cooking. It felt like a bargain at the time, it was very inexpensive because it was a close-out model. It seals great, I'm not having any problem with leaking, but it only pulls out the air maybe one out of five times. Other times it doesn't seem to suck any air at all. So the bag wants to float and there is too much air insulating the food from the water bath.
I don't want to spend any more money at this point, I want to make this machine work for me. Is there a trick I'm missing?
Best Answer
One of the things I've found critical with getting a vacuum using a fairly similar style unit is to make sure the air has a way to escape from the bag reliably. The best bags I've found are ones that are smooth on one side and have a cross-hatch ribbing on the other side, I've had limited success with bags that are smooth on both sides that presumably are OK with commercial machines.
Apart from that it seems important to cut the bags fairly straight if not using pre-formed ones and to make sure the end of the bag is in the center of the channel right the way along. I've also found it's worth trying to keep the end of the bag slightly open so don't try and push it down just let it sit there and rely on pressure from the lid to hold it down while operating it. You also seem to get best results with a nice even pressure on the lid, I use my palms rather than fingers to press down and keep them towards but not right on the end of the lid.
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Why is my vacuum sealer not getting all the air out?
Every FoodSaver\xae Brand product is made to be airtight, waterproof, microwave safe and tougher than your average plastic bag. Next time you need some convincing, remember that these items can be vacuum sealed in a snap. Expandable heat seal rolls can package even the biggest dishes perfectly.How do I get my vacuum sealer to work?
The soft rubber gaskets on the top and bottom of the unit can dry out. You can rehydrate them by dipping your finger in water and running it along them. If that doesn't work, carefully pull them out and soak them in water to rehydrate them, and then re-insert them.How to fix a Vacuum Sealer Cheap and Easy
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