# Best Vacum sealer for storing fish



## ashcreek (Oct 4, 2007)

Of course I have a sink full of good eatin fish and my vacum sealer quit after the first bag was finished. Anyone have a favorite vacum sealer that actually lasts more than one season?


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

I have used the Food Saver brand for many, many years. One lasted 6+ years and the only reason I replaced it was to get a nicer model. The more expensive Game Saver version of the food saver brand is supposed to be set up for fast multiple repeated uses which is usually the case when doing fish and other game. But I have not had a problem with the regular food saver models. My current one will throw an error if I start to work it too hard. I just have to give it a 1 minute break and go at it again to give it time to cool off.


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## Kevin B (Dec 3, 2012)

I have had 4 different Models of the Food Saver IMHO they were all junk, might be OK for lite use, but that is it.
I finally broke down and bought the Cabela's Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer, it is Awesome, pricey, but worth every penny, I wish that I would have bought it to begin with, it would have saved me a lot of money in the long run.
I use it for Deer, Elk ,Fish and a lot of things from my Garden, almost any meat we buy, gets vacuum sealed if it is going in the freezer.
I have had this unit for about 7 years now, and it still works just like new.

Kevin


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## BuckWild (Oct 2, 2007)

*Food Saver Sucks*

In my experience. This is what I replaced the FS with and after researching and using a few others, it is the best you're going to get without stepping up to a chamber style vac. I intended on buying a chamber vac, but didn't want to spend $1200. This one has been more than plenty and it is user servicable and parts are available. FS, not so much.

http://www.westonsupply.com/Weston-Vacuum-Sealers-p/pro vacuum sealers.htm


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## Kevin B (Dec 3, 2012)

*The Same*



BuckWild said:


> In my experience. This is what I replaced the FS with and after researching and using a few others, it is the best you're going to get without stepping up to a chamber style vac. I intended on buying a chamber vac, but didn't want to spend $1200. This one has been more than plenty and it is user servicable and parts are available. FS, not so much.
> 
> http://www.westonsupply.com/Weston-Vacuum-Sealers-p/pro vacuum sealers.htm


 
That looks about the same as the Cabela's Commercial Grade Vacuum sealer.

Kevin


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## cheshirekev (Nov 3, 2010)

Chamber units are all we use at my restaurant now. You can get brands like vacmaster for about 800 sometimes if you are dillegent in sale shopping. You will use a chamber machine for so much stuff. They are great for saving bait. the bags used are far cheaper with a commercial chamber machine. Vac times are quicker, seal is better, just a better product all around. We have a big box of dead Foodsavers including a couple Gamesavers. If I had all the money back from all of the dead units I could buy 2 more chamber machines. Granted, our use is commercial, but the technology of chamber machines so much better than "sucking" the air out of the costly bag that must be used. If you do go with a quality suction type like the one cabelas sells you will be out about four hundo with a supply of bags. I would consider the chamber type machines if you have the means. If not sucking the air out of the corner of a ziplock freezer bag works about as well as a Foodsaver.


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## GWally (May 16, 2009)

I had a vacuum sealer for a while but, remembered the success I'd had with water and went back. Not long ago we had some bay shrimp we bought fresh in Panama City from a roadside guy, the date was 2006, they tasted like they just came out of the water (we lived on fresh bayou shrimp in Louisiana so are familiar with "fresh taste"). I have one pack of Redfish filets left from 2008 (when you can keep 5 fish and your next door neighbor is a Cajun who can "sniff out" Reds, you build up a good stock). 
These fish are firm and fresh. I like the water because I know that there is no air reaching what I have frozen (just opened my last pint of frozen oysters dated May 2011, tasty). Last year we bought 50+ pounds of Mobile Bay shrimp (once you have had those sweet bay or bayou shrimp, it is hard to go back). We dehead them, put them in small ziplocks, add water, squeeze out the air while sealing them and freeze them basically in solid blocks of ice. Yes, the water takes up some room but, it works. Years ago I did it with Dove, Quail and Squirrel. It may not be for everyone but, for long term storage, it works. 
Just for grins, take something you want to preserve, put it in a ziplock, fill with water, squeeze the air out the top while closing it, label it with a date, put it aside a couple of years and try it. You may be surprised. I've done this off and on for 30 years or so and have been happy with the results.


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## FISHBOXFULL (May 9, 2008)

GWally said:


> I had a vacuum sealer for a while but, remembered the success I'd had with water and went back. Not long ago we had some bay shrimp we bought fresh in Panama City from a roadside guy, the date was 2006, they tasted like they just came out of the water (we lived on fresh bayou shrimp in Louisiana so are familiar with "fresh taste"). I have one pack of Redfish filets left from 2008 (when you can keep 5 fish and your next door neighbor is a Cajun who can "sniff out" Reds, you build up a good stock).
> These fish are firm and fresh. I like the water because I know that there is no air reaching what I have frozen (just opened my last pint of frozen oysters dated May 2011, tasty). Last year we bought 50+ pounds of Mobile Bay shrimp (once you have had those sweet bay or bayou shrimp, it is hard to go back). We dehead them, put them in small ziplocks, add water, squeeze out the air while sealing them and freeze them basically in solid blocks of ice. Yes, the water takes up some room but, it works. Years ago I did it with Dove, Quail and Squirrel. It may not be for everyone but, for long term storage, it works.
> Just for grins, take something you want to preserve, put it in a ziplock, fill with water, squeeze the air out the top while closing it, label it with a date, put it aside a couple of years and try it. You may be surprised. I've done this off and on for 30 years or so and have been happy with the results.


:thumbsup: growing up I had a friends grandfather take us fishing, we got back from the trip and he put us in the boat with a bucket cleanig and he started on the fish, we finished the boat and watched him finish up with the fish by his stainless table and sink... underneath he had small buckets stacked up and color coded with different tapes.... 
color code was the type of fish... he put the fish in the buckets and would cover the fish with water. we carried them to a chest freezer that was slap full of half filled buckets stacked on top of eachother...... Ive been squeezing water out of ziplocks ever since.. just like your calling it


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