I was quite pleased with all the functions of this Food Saver. I had an older model and this upgraded system is well worth the added money. The function that pulls the bag into the sealer and automatically seals it is a great feature! I was always trying to use the correct amount to create a seal and this model automatically does it for you! Love that feature. I am impressed with the PulseVac function. I had complete control of how much air was removed from the bag. I can see so many uses for this function to include pie, fresh berries, pancakes, biscuits or anything that has a delicate texture that you don't want to crush before you freeze. The retractible hand sealer with the jar attachment is another great edition to this FoodSaver. If you have canning jars looking to be used this is an awesome way to put them to work with out having to go through the entire canning process. But know that this function should only be used for foods that are already shelf stable. This is NOT a substitute for hot process canning for foods such as jams, jellies, sauces, fruits and vegetables. Foods that are optimal for this function would be coffee, rice, marshmallows, lentils or dry mixes. Items that would benefit from having air removed from them while resting on the shelf. If I were looking to give a FoodSaver for a gift I would be giving this model. It has so many functions, uses and will pay for itself in no time.

howipinchapenny

USA

No more freezer burn! No more throwing food out because the air has gotten to it! This is a cordless, rechargeable, handheld vacuum sealer, that removes the air and moisture which contribute to foods spoiling both in the refrigerator and freezer. I use it for cheese, sliced meat from the deli department, fruits, vegetables, leftovers, and just about everything that I wish to freeze. I can now take advantage of sales or buy groceries in bulk without fearing that they will rot, spoil, or take on that 'funny' taste from the freezer that foods get when air has gotten to them. And, once the air is removed from the bags that hold the food, they take up less space in the freezer and refrigerator so that you can fit more in! It is small enough (maybe 3 inches by 4 inches by 9 inches) that I just keep it and its charger in a kitchen drawer. Very easy to use...just put the food in the Food Saver bag...press out as much of the air as you can...seal the bag by running your finger across the top seal...place the Foodsaver over the circle on the bag and press down. You can see the air being removed. The only downside of the product is that you have to use the specially-designed bags and containers.

eriellamamama

Erie, PA

I got the handheld system free in a coupon deal. If it wasn't free or super cheap I might be disappointed, but for the price it does help preserve food decently. The first thing I had to do was charge it, and for a week or so I could plug it in to charge it, then leave it unplugged. But now I've only had it maybe 2 months, and it won't hold a charge. I don't even mean it won't hold it for a few weeks - I mean even after a day of being unplugged, it doesn't hold enough of a charge to work on a single quart sized bag. So that's disappointing because I feel like it's wasting a little electricity to keep it plugged in, but if I don't, it's never ready when I want to use it. On the plus side, it's easy to use. And the bags that work with it can be washed and reused, unlike the bigger countertop sealers. Just be careful washing the bags because there is a little square of plastic over the vacuum hole, and if you scrub too hard that will come off and ruin the seal.

Jakejake2

Sterling Heights, MI

During the year or so that I've had this little handheld food sealing system, I've used it a handful of times. The device itself is extremely easy to use and, being so small, it is able to fit neatly in a drawer with other packaging items. While the sealer itself is useful, I found the FoodSaver bags to be hit or miss. Some worked perfectly and the items were nicely sealed and preserved. Others had little holes/tears somewhere and allowed air to seep into the bag.

bearilicious1

Pacifica, CA

I purchased this handheld vacuum sealer after having the full size model for about 7 years now. I thought it would be great for small sealing jobs instead of pulling out my full size model. It works good for short term storage of lunch meats/cheeses but does not hold a vacuum for long term storage. It does not work for freezing. It is very small and convenient. Bags are expensive but can be used a few times before discarding.

celticcad

Boynton Beach, FL

I use the FoodSaver FreshSaver almost daily to keep my raw or cooked food fresh longer in the refrigerator. It is not intended for long term storage. The device is very small and compact and can store anywhere. It is rechargeable so that makes it very convenient to use. It is not restricted to be close to an electrical outlet. You do have to buy the special bags, though, but you can re-use them a couple of times if it's not too hard to wash. After putting food in the special bag, you place the device over the vacuum hole on the bag and let the machine vacuum the air out of the bag. When stored in the bag without air, the food stays fresh for at least twice as long without it. With less food spoilage, you can save enough money to buy the special bags.

someaveragejoe

Fremont, CA

I have a Foodsaver and absolutely love it. So when FoodSaver came out with their FoodSaver FreshSaver, I said why not. This would save me some time for smaller items and I wouldn't have to pull out the large FoodSaver and the price was comparable with others on the market. Well, all I can say is that this is a waste of money if you plan on using it to store any type of food in the freezer or refrigerator for any length of time. When ever I pull something from the freezer that I used the FoodSaver FreshSaver on, air had seeped in and the food has ice all over it. It didn't matter how well I sealed the bag, for some reason the seal releases on it own and ice forms on the food. Add to that, this little machine must be kept plugged into a wall socket so that it is ready whenever you want to use it. Other brands run on batteries, so you are wasting electricity for a product that doesn't perform well. If you have to have one of these things, stick to a battery operated one and don't leave the food in the freezer for any length of time.

Chardonnae

Willingboro, NJ

I purchased this handy little vacuum around December when it was on sale. I have used it and the bags that you need with it for about four months now. Overall, I find the strength of the vacuum impressive for such a small unit. The charge time isn't that great, but that is only an issue if you have a lot of things that you want to vacuum seal. The bags on the other hand, are a bit of a problem. First, they are not cheap. Second, sometimes they just don't hold a seal. And forget about reusing them. Reusing the bags lowers the chance that they will actually get a good seal by 50%. I decided because of this that I will probably try out a regular food saver system. The ones that have heat sealed bags. I feel like these will probably work out better in the long run. So in conclusion, if you occasionally need to seal food for freezer storage and have the extra money to continuously by these bags since you can't really reuse them, go for it. The vacuum, if I could give just the vacuum are rating it would get five stars. It does a good job. But over all as a system, not great.

BrainByte

West Babylon, NY

I purchased a Food Saver a few years ago, but it was too much for my small household. I recently saw a demonstration of this product, and after looking it over, I knew it was the one for me! I use this Food Saver every day. It allows me to buy larger quanities of lunch meat and cheese, and I don't have to worry about the food going bad. It also have a special little catch in case any liquid comes out. I love that becasue it doesn't go into the machine. The "catch" stops it and protects the motor. While I am not able to use the larger Food Saver products, I love this little one. You charge it once over night, and then it's able to work for many, many days before it needs to be recharged again. While some may find the replacement bags costly, here's a tip. The Zip Loc vaccum bags work too! Very easy to use. Take up very little counter space. Saves food from going bad.

Couponclipper45678

Greenwood, IN

The FoodSaver Freshsaver was bought on a promotion sale from the website. I bought the FoodSaver handheld vacuum which came with two quart sized vacuum seal zip bags. I am currently using them for cheese slices and they are holding up pretty well. The vacuum does hold and there doesn't seem to be any air escaping the bag. On the other hand, I tried vacuum sealing a bag and placing it in the freezer. I checked on it the next day and the vacuum was gone. It seems these bags don't hold their vacuum in the freezer so you may want to check out the bigger FoodSaver with the thermally sealed vacuum. All in all, my purchase was a good one. The bags also seem to hold in the odor of whatever you're sealing, so that's a plus. The Ziploc brand vacuum bags will work with this FoodSaver system so if you want more bags, try to buy those since they come cheaper. Final note, the package says to charge the Foodsaver for at least 24 hours.

simno

Elmhurst, NY