Reynolds Handi-Vac Handheld Vacuum Sealer Review

Overall 4.02 of 5 view all 41 reviews

shadaram
Bethany, OK

Good for small, once in a while tasks

looking for durability, bargain shopper, practical, First-time mom, into trying new things

Pros

Bags can be washed and reused, it's smaller than the other vaccumes, Bags can be opened and resealed!!, Easier and convenient to store!

Cons

Sometimes hard to use, would like large boxes of bags, Do not press sealer too hard., uses special bags

MAY

2008

With the cost of everything going up, I have been wanting to buy more things like meat, shredded cheese, and that sort of stuff in larger packages to save money. I have been looking into a food-saver so I could freeze this stuff, but it is pretty high. Then I ran across Reynolds Handi-vac sealer, and for the price, decided it was worth trying. It isn't a bad product, but needs some improvement.

About this item:
The handi-vac comes in a starter kit that contains the sealer and 3 quart size freezer bags. The bags are specially made to go with this handheld sealer. You can purchase extra bags in either a 9 count box of the gallon size, or 14 count box of the quart size. The kit runs somewhere around $10, and I even found a coupon online to save $2.50 for it. I can't say for sure how much the bags cost because it has been a while since I bought this, but when I initially looked at them, I think they were around $3.50 or so. The bags have a blue circle in the corner, and a fill line. The circle is where you place the handi-vac to suck out the air. This product is supposed to maintain the look of the food, as well as the texture, by eliminating freezer burn. Once bags are opened, you can take out what you need, and then the bag can be re-sealed. Reynolds says that bags should seal between 6 and 13 seconds. It is not recommended for liquid items and soups, etc. Since the handi-vac is a handheld item, it is pretty small and fits inside drawers or cabinets with ease. It requires 6 AA batteries.

My view:
This is not a bad gadget. It is great to have on hand for once in a while use. I find it a little frustrating because sometimes it works first try, and other times I find myself moving the vac around on this little blue circle over and over waiting an eternity for it to start sucking out the air. So, for the 6 - 13 second seal, it works if you get everything positioned just right the first time, if not, then add a minute or five to that number. I have read that this problem is from pressing too hard, but no matter how little or how hard I pressed, I still had this problem.
I like the vac for leftovers, and once in a while use, but this isn't going to work full time when I purchase things in large quantity. For example: I bought a 12 cup bag of shredded cheese from our local warehouse club and tried bagging the cheese in 2 cup increments, and it took me over 2 hours to get the whole bag separated and vacuum sealed with the handi-vac. I have done this before at my in-laws house with their food saver in less than 45 minutes. I don't have that kind of time to devote to this. Plus, I went through 1 whole box of bags when I did that, so I wish they made larger quantity size boxes. I do like the size of the actual sealer, and that I can easily store it away, and not lose counter space. I do suggest this if you don't freeze extremely often, or lots of stuff at once. For bigger projects, you will most likely be looking elsewhere!