junkot's Full Review: Reynolds® Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer - Vacuum Se...
I saw that other people have left positive opinion about this product, so I am afraid to tell my negative opinion about this product, but some people may want to know, so I am going to write here.
I've seen a food vaccumm (sealer) machine on TV shopping or kitchenware store catalog or online store, but as many of you might know, it's expensive, (over $100, isn't it? ) plus if we own the machine, we need to bags (refill) as long as we use the machine, so parmanently have to pay for using the machine- I'm not sure that kind of investment can be economical, so I had never considered owning the food vaccuum(sealer) machine, but when I heard about this Reynolds Handi Vac, I was interested because price of this product was approx $10(at the time this product was out as new product in store, it was $9.99 as introduction price or something). the machine is small (fits your one hand), easy to store, doesn't take much space as well, so I wanted one, and bought one at $6.99(with $3 off coupon when it was on sale at $9.99). I bought several packages of the bags(available in 2 sizes, quart or gallon) as well.
It is okey, but from the beginning, I was in trouble in using it correctly. how to use is easy that place food you want to seal in the special bag, there is a circle printed on the bag where you press the saction cup of the Handi vac on, and when you press the suction cup on the bag, you can turn on the switch of the Handi Vac, it starts vaccumming, sucking the air from the bag to seal the food tightly.... supposed to do, but very often It does not happen easily. I have to try several times then I see it starts vaccumming, very rarely sometimes I see it works in the first try.
Today I found a package of Bacon at 50% off price in store because the plastic bag of the bacon has got air, and looked not air tightly sealed as Bacon product packages, but still it is 50%off price ($1.29/1 pound) and more than a month from its "sell (or Used) by" date. I decided to buy because I have a Handi Vac at home, so I can put this Bacon Handi vac freezer bag and seal it to freeze and keep. But my Handi vac did not work very well. I saw it sucked some air from the bag but did not finish with sucking the air well. (I tried several times, but did not seal well, and yet the noise of the Handi-Vac (kind of noisy) woke up my child!). somebody said that battery run out fast, and maybe it is my Handi-Vac problem, but I remember that this does not suck the air immediately very often, and until I tried over and over. honestly frustrating. (I gave up sucking the air out of my bacon package today, I placed it in the freezer after Handi Vac sucked the air 1/4 or so, that was the best my Handi Vac did today, when I sucked the air from other food last week, it worked and sealed tightly, so I don't think battery is really a problem).
Like the expensive TV shopping version of food vaccum/sealer, this Handi Vac too need refill of the bag, and you have to pay for it as long as you are going to use this. refill is not so cheap. ($2.99 -$3.49 on sale 10 or less bags in per package) I don't believe products that need refill. such products can discontinued any time, and machine can be useless anytime. (for the same reason, I do not trust vaccuum cleaner which need a paper bag to hold dust and need to change when it gets full). even if machine is still fine, suddenly refill bag may be discontinued. it'll be wasting money.
The best thing(if possible) is , using Zip Loc bag (for frezer etc) to keep food and eat up those food while Zip Loc can hold the food fresh. that's what I think. I probably will not use this Handi Vac as soon as all my refill bag run out. (still have 3-4 boxes).
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