FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit

FoodSaver 2-in1 vacuum sealer

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit

The success of sous vide cooking relies on immersing air tight plastic (or silicone) food pouches in a water bath at a low temperature over a longer than usual period of time. The most reliable way to vacuum seal your food pouches is with a vacuum sealer. FoodSaver vacuum sealers are a very popular choice with many people who enjoy sous vide cooking.

Combining both a handheld and standard vacuum sealer, this 2-in-1 FoodSaver appliance is vacuum sealing versatility at its best. Automatic bag detection and vacuum sealing means just two quick and easy steps to seal and save. When sealing zipper bags, containers and canisters, the convenient handheld retractable sealer eliminates the need for additional attachments. One unit does it all.

It is important to note that it is NOT essential to own a vacuum sealer for sous vide cooking. Whilst it does an amazing job of vacuuming air out of your sous vide food bags, there are other options on the market for you to consider. Check out our “ziplock vs vacuum sealer bags for sous vide cooking” article here.

Key Features of the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer:

  • Starter kit includes: (1) 11″x10′ Roll, (3) Qt Heat-Seal Bags, (2) Gal Heat-Seal Bags, (3) Qt Zipper Bags, (2) Gal Zipper Bags
  • Built-in retractable handheld sealer seals zipper bags, canisters, containers and marinates food in minutes
  • Moist/Dry food settings for optimal sealing
  • Convenient roll storage and bag cutter
  • Pull-out drip tray drawer with patented, removable, dishwasher-safe drip tray

FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing Systems are engineered to work best with FoodSaver bags and rolls.

Specifications

20 inches x 11 inches x 12 inches

Weight: 10 pounds

QUICK REVIEW

At Sous Vide Hub, we know that many of you are time poor. That’s why we provide a short product overview just below in all of our product reviews. Don’t get us wrong, we would love you to read our extended review. But if long reviews are not your thing, then feel free to just read the next paragraph and the summary of pros and cons after it.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW COMMENTS

FoodSaver is a company that is very well regarded for it’s vacuum sealers. They offer a range of vacuum sealers and this model is one of their more expensive options. Interestingly, many purchase this vacuum sealer when prior models have broken. Unfortunately some are a little disappointed in this model based on their previous FoodSaver vacuum sealers experiences. Prior models have lasted longer and performed better in the eyes of some reviewers.

Product Image

Here is what the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit looks like:

 

In a nut shell here are the key pros and cons of the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit.

PROS

  • The majority of reviewers say that it seals bags really well
  • The system is intuitive to use. Pressing the “seal’ button early allows to seal semi-liquid content
  • The integrated roll holder and cutter makes it quick and easy to create new bags (~25s per bag)
  • Bench candy – looks great on your bench!

CONS

  • Some reviewers find the suction to be too weak when vacuuming the air out of the bag they have placed their food in
  • Some reviewers find the sealing to be incomplete at times. They say it is prone to leak and to let in air (and can also lead to freezer burn if you plan to freeze your food)
  • If your bag has any moisture where you are sealing, it does not always seal properly
  • The vacuum hose doesn’t wind up nicely for some reviewers
  • Sealer can only be used once every 20 seconds. This can become annoying when you are creating multiple bags in a row
  • Some report that the sealer wastes a lot of bag material (roughly 3cm at each end) as the sealer only triggers when the bag is fully inserted into the sealer. For vacuuming this might be necessary due to the construction of the FoodSaver, but for creating the first seal on a new bag this is pretty wasteful
  • It doesn’t always seal all the way across
  • The power cord needs to be about 12″ longer for this model. Not everyone has modern numbers of outlets in their kitchen area
  • The bags recommended to use with this FoodSaver vacuum sealer are a little expensive
  • The feed sensors are seen by some reviewers to be a little touchy for a product designed to work with food
  • Around 10% of verified users have found that it doesn’t seal properly (in saying that nearly 85% of reviewers report being extremely happy or very happy)

More info

What does a sous vide immersion circulator do?
A thermal immersion circulator is an electronically powered device that circulates and heats water. The water is kept at an accurate and stable temperature (thanks Wikipedia).

An immersion circulator clips onto a vessel of water, giving home cooks the ability to cook in the sous vide style at home, which is awesome! Sous Vide immersion circulators take up very little space in your kitchen and they are an affordable and easy to use sous vide option. If you are new to sous vide cooking feel free to check out our FAQ to learn more.

You can also check out our list of over 200 curated sous vide recipes here. 

What can I cook with a sous vide immersion circulator?
What can’t you cook with an immersion circulator? Just kidding. There are some foods it won’t cook. An immersion circulator assists you to cook a range of foods including proteins (red meat, pork, chicken, duck, fish etc), vegetables and even desserts. It locks in freshness and “juicyness” and allows you to cook restaurant quality meals.

Comparison of Popular FoodSaver Vacuum Sealers

DETAILED SOUS VIDE HUB REVIEW – FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit

PERFORMANCE

When the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System works, it really works although we would have to say that some reviewers have cited issues when using the vacuum sealer where there has been any moisture in their sous vide food bags.

Interestingly some reviewers suggest they prefer earlier FoodSaver vacuum sealers that didn’t have as many “bells and whistles”.  For example, the FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit is one of the most popular FoodSaver vacuum sealers at less than half the price.

EASE OF USE

The automatic grab and seal design of this FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer takes the control out of your hands. This is a great feature when the product works. A few reviewers of this vacuum sealer feel that the feed sensors are way too touchy for a product designed to work with food. It seems to be a problem if the vacuum sealers get lightly wet or greasy. If you are a neat freak in the kitchen, this may not be a problem for you.

CONVENIENCE

The FoodSaver 2-in-1 is not super convenient to move around. It has no handles so it can be quite heavy to move if you want it off your counter top between uses. Of course, if you have plenty of counter space, you may be happy to leave it in once place. Reviewers have also commented that the cord for this vacuum sealer is a little short. This will be a problem for you if you don’t have clear counter top space near a power cord in your kitchen.

DESIGN

This vacuum sealer by FoodSaver is aesthetically pleasing. That’s always a bonus. There are just a couple of niggles to reference here in relation to this vacuum sealer design. The hose included is a great idea but quite a few reviewers note that it does not retract for them after use. Some find themselves pushing it back manually into place which is not ideal. This is obviously not a showstopper.

WARRANTY AND SUPPORT

Here at Sous Vide Hub we always encourage you to inspect your sous vide products as soon as you get them. Life is busy. And it’s tempting to put products aside until you are ready to use them. However it is important to check any sous vide products you buy to make sure that it has survived “transit” and that the unit itself is not faulty. If you don’t check your vacuum sealer straight away you may miss the warranty period and not be able to return it.

ACCESSORIES INCLUDED

This FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer comes with the following accessories:

  • (1) 11″x10′ Roll
  • (3) Qt Heat-Seal Bags
  • (2) Gal Heat-Seal Bags
  • (3) Qt Zipper Bags
  • (2) Gal Zipper Bags

FoodSaver has a range of vacuum sealers on the market. Many in the range look very similar to one another. So be sure to check the model type and functionality carefully before you make your purchase.

Helpful links:

Here are some additional items you might like to consider using with the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit:

Vacuum sealer

Vacuum sealer bags

Sous Vide water balls

SousVide Supreme Zip Cooking Pouches (can be sealed without a vacuum sealer)

PROS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)

  • The majority of reviewers say that it seals bags really well
  • The system is intuitive to use. Pressing the “seal’ button early allows to seal semi-liquid content
  • The integrated roll holder and cutter makes it quick and easy to create new bags (~25s per bag)
  • Bench candy – looks great on your bench!

CONS (RECAP FROM EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE)

  • Some reviewers find the suction to be too weak when vacuuming the air out of the bag they have placed their food in
  • Some reviewers find the sealing to be incomplete at times. They say it is prone to leak and to let in air (and can also lead to freezer burn if you plan to freeze your food)
  • If your bag has any moisture where you are sealing, it does not always seal properly
  • The vacuum hose doesn’t wind up nicely for some reviewers
  • Sealer can only be used once every 20 seconds. This can become annoying when you are creating multiple bags in a row
  • Some report that the sealer wastes a lot of bag material (roughly 3cm at each end) as the sealer only triggers when the bag is fully inserted into the sealer. For vacuuming this might be necessary due to the construction of the FoodSaver, but for creating the first seal on a new bag this is pretty wasteful
  • It doesn’t always seal all the way across
  • The power cord needs to be about 12″ longer for this model. Not everyone has modern numbers of outlets in their kitchen area
  • The bags recommended to use with this FoodSaver vacuum sealer are a little expensive
  • The feed sensors are seen by some reviewers to be a little touchy for a product designed to work with food
  • Around 10% of verified users have found that it doesn’t seal properly (in saying that nearly 85% of reviewers report being extremely happy or very happy)

HINTS AND TIPS FROM REAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED THE FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit

Here are some first hand hints and tips from people who have used the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer:

Tip #1

Consider buying additional Food-Saver bags and heat seal rolls in various sizes. That way you won’t waste larger rolls when you are cooking smaller quantities of food. And given these are not cheap bags, you can easily re-use them numerous times.

Tip #2

When you have a sous vide food bag that contains liquid, put the food bag in your freezer for around 30 minutes. Then vacuum seal. That way the liquid won’t play havoc with the vacuum sealer. Another workaround here is to start the sealing process and just as soon as the fluid begins getting sucked into the tray, you press the Seal button. This will stop the vacuum and start sealing the bag.

Tip #3

You can use other bags with this vacuum sealer. The FoodSaver bags are great, but a little expensive so some people use the FoodVac bags instead.

 

Click here to view the current price of the FoodSaver 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit on Amazon.

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For a wide range of delicious sous vide recipes click here.

To learn more about sous vide cooking head to our FAQ page by clicking here.

 

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