Using inexpensive smooth (non-ribbed) food storage bags with a vacuum sealer.

[@truongnguyenquang93]

This is my second sous vide cooker kzbin.infoUgkxK2YRU9uBOXzuIEV660Qo3sX7dJDJLg72 and I don’t know why you would cook meat any other way. This model is more compact and quieter than our older version that this one is replacing. We have done creme brûlée, cookie dough and tons of meat. They all come out perfect every time. I recommend this to EVERYONE. The app is great and easy to use. It stays at a consistent temperature. This model is extremely quiet. I just love it. We also have the anovo sous vide cooker 16L box thing and this fits inside that which is great because I can store them together. I just love that I can set this and walk away to deal with the rest of dinner.

[@joee6160]

As an engineer by trade and an economical person (read: cheap) person by nature, I would like to personally commend the author of this video for their ingenuity. In layman's terms they overcame the issue of vacuum sealing in a cheap bag (lack of air flow channels) while recognizing the sealer would not make an effective seal with the added air removal strip (more thermal mass to melt outside the design parameters of the typical sealing unit.) The solution to the secondary problem is so simple and elegant at the same time, a second seal outside the area with greater mass to provide a uniform and complete seal of the package. Hat's off and compliments to the originator of the solution.

[@marmac567]

You should have left vac pulling as you make second seal..... You have left a small amount of bacteria between the two seals,,, And, the seal to the food is , asyou say, imperfect. Also, if you snip the air channel, close to first seal you can decrease the volume of trapped air...

[@HaiYangDance]

Yes great idea but not "foolproof" The outer surface of the vac seal bags (ie the strips) has high melt temperature vs the inner surface so the first seal has poor seal strength. The first seal is at best temporary and you will lose vacuum quite quickly. Do the second seal (above the strip) quickly and you are good to go. Definitely worth adopting.

[@bryanadams256]

Ahhhhhh yeah! I suppose.

[@lanic-w2w]

Bought a vevor sealer; sealer will not seal with food saver bags or any other plastic bags. I’ve tried calling the company to find out where I could buy the bags that came with sealer, no luck, they’re not able to be of any help

[@wakkywabbit5446]

The non-ribbed bags are clamped down too tight by the door. Put the bag into the sealer like normal, lock down the door, start the sealing process THEN slightly lift up on the door while it is attempting to seal. You won't need to insert anything into the bag. I do this all the time and it works great. It does not harm the door nor locking mechanism.

[@sandginkable]

It worked holy cow, I get Mylar electrostatic bags from work by the box and I have been trying to figure out how to seal them for months. You are the Bomb. thanks a million.

[@ruthdoyle3572]

Thank you so much for the tip , I bought a lot of smooth bags from Amazon, some won't vacuum and seal and some do but within a few days or so the air leaks out. I then bought foodsaver bags with shipping costs added, doubled the price. . I am so glad now that I held onto those smooth bags and can use them up using you're technique . 😊

[@WingWong]

Awesome. Finally, a use for those food saver strip scraps!

[@MakinLifeEasier1]

I have been saving the top portion of foodsaver bags that I cut off to open the bag for when I start using this method. Thanks

[@josephfarrugia2350]

Short & sweet, to the point yet has all the necessary details. Well explained, thanks!

[@celynjames1432]

The trick of using a slice of textured part of the bag, still works 8 years on. Saved my a lot of money and frustration, as I have textured pouches, but received poor quality ones. So this little trick work for me. Thanks

[@RayneSaltair]

Wow thank you so much for this. I just got one of these as a gift and was hesitant to use it because of the expense.

[@Wendy-xe4gk]

Holy Cow, this is great! I've been looking to find the secret to this for awhile. This will save me a fortune and improve the quality of my frozen foods. Thanks so much not only for taking the time to figure this out but for sharing!

[@picvan]

Thanks!!! I just order my first vacuum sealer with a 2 pack of 20ft rolls. Once I get them I am going to try this out because if it works I have a ton of the ribbed bag materal to do this.

[@dhunsaker2012]

Thanks guys! I just tried your technique with my last foodsaver bag and a box of ziploc bags. It worked perfectly.

[@yolandafludd3582]

Amazing, I just brought the non-ribbed bags hoping to save money and wasted one bag today. That thing wouldn't seal for nothing. I'm happy I found your video, because I was about to experiment tomorrow. I can't wait to try this trick for now on. Thank you.

[@Xoletta]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing that!! I've steered clear of using these kind of machines for years - only because I couldn't justify the high cost of the bags! But recently, I got married and bought a family sized freezer, so catching this video is perfect timing for me. Thanks!

[@andreaswitten]

I saw this, try it and ..amzing. The plans to throw away the machine were canceled. Thx for this hint.

[@peggyscott125]

well cool beans! I wondered why my seal a meal would not let me seal up other bags. Pretty smart of you to figure that out! Thank you !

[@rotor1851e]

Wow, great idea, I was searching and thinking how to use generic bags for these machines, now I know thanks a lot!

[@paulabrown8116]

WOW you guys a great, thank you. This has solved my problem brought smooths bags as new use of vacuum sealers not realising they wouldn't work. Thanks to you they will now.

[@prettyinpunk666]

I bought a secondhand foodsaver and couldn't get it to suck, and you've saved me from throwing it out :D THANK YOU so much.

[@tiedyekris]

Great tip! I have been trying to figure out a way to save money with the Foodsaver bags for awhile! I will have to try this for sure!

[@thunderhorse49mmc62]

You guys are awesome to do this vid 4 us - I purchased a foodsaver machine from QVC last year & it went to the dumpster by mistake ... brand new, never used - I was heart-sick - I was going to purchase this Ziplock machine today but after hearing that ea bag is .50, now I don't know what to do ... you guys are wonderful for this tip to us - monica / aka thunderhorse mmc ;) ;) ;)

[@NancyW96CatLady]

It would have taken me ages to figure this out! I have been wondering how to make cheaper bags work. Thanks a lot!

[@sabahbubbler]

Omg this works!!!!!! Mine is not a good saver but still a suction vacuum seal. OMG THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! I'll say this seals even tighter than the ribbed bags

[@linebrunelle9705]

You are the only ones that make sense and save money. Thanks

[@eric052370]

Thank you for sharing this. I tried this technique with my Mylar bags and it works perfectly. Thank you so much for this video as I was having trouble figuring out how to seal my Mylar bags. The mylar bags I bought also have no channels to draw out the air, so this worked perfectly. Thanks again.

[@Fish-Stick]

i don't have such a machine but i believe there's a much better way. I saw a friend of me do it like that with normal bags. You should fold the 2 sides inwards and then just seal it ( so without a loose piece of plastic in it), so the folded sides they kinda look like an M turned 90°, that way the fold acts like a channel. Don't know if you should double seal but you can easily test it. If you make the folds equally about half an inch on each side i think it looks a lot cleaner than having a loose piece of plastic in there.

[@Mollymollyboy]

can you elaborate more on that folding technique? ?

[@Fish-Stick]

+Mollymollyboy i found a picture of it www.aliexpress.com/item/Table-Smart-Food-Vacuum-Sealer-Multifunctional-Heat-Bag-Sealer-Household-Food-Vacuum-Sealer-VS1000/32362824561.html If you go down (over halfway the page), you'll see 'Bag Requierments'. the middle of the 3, with the folds, that is what i mean. It's their solution for using non-textured bags

[@Mollymollyboy]

+Jany Declercq thanks soo much. you just saved me a couple grand! haha

[@322doug]

+Jany Declercq Thank You very much, excellent solution!

[@MrKen-wy5dk]

Thank you! I just used your method on a quart ZipLock freezer bag. It worked perfectly. I cut the zip resealable tab off first to make a smooth finish on the top. Then put in a jalapeno for testing, bent in the bag sides as far as they would go towards the center and slipped the bag into my Food Saver. Presto! It sucked out all the air and sealed it tight.

[@randybird9979]

the top strips from a zip lock bag stuck down inside will work wonders. cut the ribbed strips then cut the zip lock strip off and have at it, crude but works

[@thomasrpoulsen]

Newer seen such fine Machinery before. Thank you

[@KennyFishbone]

Brilliant! Was struggling with this....thanks for sharing!

[@lmeier1962]

It works! I have $200 of VacMaster bags I can now use with my Foodsaver and $300 of Foodsaver bags I don't have to buy! I wish I could buy you a beer.

[@sisterafiaskitchen478]

Thanks for sharing, it's my first time watching.

[@mandrews1245]

Thank you Thank you. I've been trying to find out the problem and have a 300 bags I wanted to use.

[@The_Oracle_of_time]

Thank you for taking the time to show us this.

[@dc2010ist]

Whoever discovered this method is a genius.

[@silaslongshot941]

The FoodSaver brand bags are expensive, but they and all the other 'off brand' vac bags that mimic that texture can be re-used, especially for dry goods like your soup mix, beans, rice, flour, etc.

[@helenfitch3440]

My little sealer seals like a beauty.

[@gregorsidler3962]

That was great! Thank you for the legwork!

[@patriot4life386]

I buy the textured bags from ebay. They are non branded but work just like food saver bags. I bought 100 quart size bags for $11.00 including shipping.

[@poolahpot]

Robert Susag Awesome savings! please provide a link!

[@sam111880]

I have also seen people using plastic straws inserted in regular bags to allow for this. I like your tape method as well. And using regular bags would be like a 10 to 1 bag savings however I am curious if they preserve for as long and don't leak... Has anybody tried submerging the bag in water after sealing to see if it leaks over time ? And does this very small amount of air left in bag affect the rate of expiration of the food in any significant rate is the other question?

[@WSLewis]

Thanks for a great upload! Saved me a lot of time and experimentation.

[@newnoot]

After various attempts, I discovered that rubbing some rice flour between the sealing edges of my clear plain plastic bag helps to get the bag vacuumed. This was hack I attempted two days ago.

[@rhondajoyner7083]

Thanks for your awesome video! Going to try this NOW!

[@loveofbean3598]

I have had rice and oatmeal seal very nicly in foodsaver bags I do use the heavy 5 mil bags but I also can use any bags with my food saver. when using the regular bags not the heavy duty 5 mil bags I do have to reseal them sometimes but not always.

[@kizziecat]

I use a straw. Once the air is out I pinch the straw as close to the machine as I can, then cut the top of the straw off and do another seal. I stop the machine from sealing so long so the bag does not melt. :)

[@erverickson3212]

Love it!!! Thank you so much, I am sharing this with everyone :)!

[@ericf7063]

Did this myself a few years ago and thought "This is great". However, The standard plastic "baggie" is not very durable at all (easily torn) and a lot of times not air tight to begin with. So there's kind of trade off. Quality vs quantity thrown out. (bags I mean primarily). Like most things, use your best judgement. But by and large I use the El cheapo bags for most things

[@CheapGeek]

That was awesome! Great tip! Thanks for showing!

[@kelleyjerred8032]

very smart and easiest way of fixing the problem

[@joyulareign-himbert5218]

Awesome from Ecuador. Thank you

[@katzcradul]

I'm surprised you're able to seal rice in these bags. I'd check them a month or so after you seal them to be sure they stay sealed. I've had rice puncture bags so many time. I just store it in mylar lined buckets now. Great idea for how to make non-channel bags usable.

[@madelinehall8944]

I cook rice 1 cup at a time so, I store it that way. I put 1 cup of rice in a paper sandwich bag, cut the bag on the crease (just above the rice). I fold the bag down and add a strip of tape to just close. I put 3 of these in a quart size sealing bag. Then I fold the bottom of the other part of the bag 2 times and put a piece of tape on it to make another bag. I haven't gotten any leaks or damage.

[@katzcradul]

@@madelinehall8944 Very good! Thanks for sharing that!

[@2dxtreme1]

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY A LIFE SAVER ,, .... THANK YOU , THANK , YOU , THANK YOU .

[@vinjameson3944]

Thank you for sharing this trick!

[@branned]

Excellent Job.

[@oregonwoman1290]

Great video!

[@terkal8572]

Really love your idea and will most definitely use it. Thank you 🌹🌹👍🌹🌹

[@spokeman]

Not sure what these nickel bags are you talk about but I was unsuccessful with this technique using regular freezer bags.

[@kizziecat]

You get the freezer bags from any supermarket or dollar store.

[@Elainelovejoy]

I want to be able to use the cheaper freezer zip bags instead of the food saver expensive ones. But my sealer melted the bag in two! It did suck the air out tho, but then when it sealed it, it melted it in two. Any suggestions? I may not be able to use the zip bags, my heat strip just may get to hot to use them. That stinks, lol.

[@susanbass1148]

Same problem!

[@falcon207]

Where do you get your vacuum bags from?

[@NineSmiths]

Thanks for the video! How did you make your chicken rice meal?

[@loves2spin2]

This is very helpful! Thank you!

[@WorldOfWonder66]

Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing this video.

[@FergusGallagher]

Good tip. Even easier is to use a plastic drinking straw which does pretty much the same thing.

[@coolstamper]

This makes sense. What is the name of these bags, and where can I purchase them? Also, are these bags food safe BPA free?

[@1gsilver]

If time is money, sealing the bag twice is a waste of time. The other thing is use too cheap of bags the end just melts off. Spend the money and save your time use the ribbed bags.

[@ioanamladin]

Thank you! This really worked for me!

[@tomatojuice12]

Thank you so much - does the Foodsaver machine have to be a manual one in order for this to work?

[@leslieslass]

If you were to freeze anything in those bags, would they be susceptible to the naturally icy condition of the freezer ?. Also would anything sharp be able to burst it ?

[@sharonchrisco3221]

could you please tell me where to get those bags :)

[@imisslola321]

Which vacuum sealer model is this ?

[@lancelantz1724]

Absolutely Brilliant!!!

[@asd67lkj]

Thank you. This explained so much...

[@pureblood3127]

I just bought 2 - 50 foot rolls of vented vacuum seal bags on EBAY for $ 18.00 that's 5.6 cents a foot or only 2.5 cents for a 6 inch bag I don't know where you where buying them for 50 cents each but yeah that was a rip .

[@psmith4980]

First, this video is almost 7 years old, so 50 cent might have been the average price. 2nd, 100" at $18 is 18 cent a foot ,NOT 5.6 cent.

[@CragScrambler]

Thanks a lot from the uk

[@johnetattoo]

You can use this exact same method on regular old cheap zipper bags too. Just cut off the zipper part first.

[@jsarahina]

Thank you for this./ You saved me from looking for "special" textured vacuum bags because it's hard to find here in Philippines. But i still hope there are some tips on using smooth bags without the help of using textured bags.

[@ushiellis3088]

Use strips of 100 percent Nylon Tulle. This is what I use. shop.hobbylobby.com/products/6-emerald-matte-tulle-318121/

[@ginamaymair7697]

Did you try this and did it work?

[@goldwingnut1954]

Gina May Mair Yes! It works great! I'm trying to decide whether to wash the tulle (to make foodsafe) or just puy a piece of butcher paper over the end of the food where the tulle contacts it. But in any case, both the Snorkle Vac Sealer and better Weston I use like the tulle just fine and seal right over it. It does slow down the vacuuming process, since it is SOOOO thin. The air travels through it, but slowly. My wife is insisting on throwing the tulle in the wash machine. And that may well be enough to insure food safety.

[@johnbodden4702]

Use the ziplock strip from the top of a ziplock bag and put 1/2 of the strip in the bag. I have used this method before and it works.

[@1307scooter]

You can also use a straw.

[@Texasoutback]

I wonder what would happen if you used a plastic straw down inside the bag.

[@L3gion3r]

DailySelfReliance that's what I was wondering as well

[@Texasoutback]

+L3gion3r the straw made it not deal well but I didn't try the second seal at the top

[@beingsneaky]

There are people on youtube who have used a straw.

[@moshedayan9049]

Great video ! I'm going to save some money!! Thanks

[@animaldarezntalkz]

Thank You for Showing this

[@SusanSmith-hl3iv]

I wish you would tell us where you got your bags for five cents each. I couldn’t find anything down below where you gave a link or even the source. That would be very helpful. Thank you.

[@nicolekramer5685]

Also, how long would that last in those bags? Would mylar bags sealed or Food Saver brand bags make food last longer then these bags or no difference?

[@nicolekramer5685]

Would you please share the model # and size of 4ml bags you used from this site bc there are hundreds of different 4ml bags there. Also, how long do you put sealed bag in boiling water until its done? Thank you and great tip!

[@donnabryson7145]

Thank you for sharing!

[@derekwatson8568]

Thank you this will save me money!

[@TRUEiMPROrecords]

Genius! Thank you very much.

[@kenbarker6478]

Very Clever!...Thanks for sharing :-)

[@thamesuser]

Great tip. Too fiddly for me though

[@angeldupree419]

Where do you get the bags for the nickel a bag?

[@danpendergrass7762]

I just ran across this and am amazed. I am thinking about getting a food saver (or similar) to freeze suff out of my garden and for meat that I will be processing this fall. Will this hold up to frozen food and not allow freezer burn?

[@poolahpot]

Dan Pendergrass I would make sure the bags are freezer grade. (maybe ziplock freezer bags or generic version) Cut the ziplock off the top and use 1 piece of that strip to create the suction.

[@arlovalen]

I bought a +- 90 bucks vacuum sealer recently. The description says any vacuum plastic bags are compatible. Apparently not. Only the ribbed one does. I was very upset, I thought I've added more gray to my head of hair. Anxiety meter went up. Luckily, DuckDuckGo brought me to this video. I tried your hack and it worked. Anxiety meter went down. I went back to serenity once again. Whoever you guys are, wherever you are, thank you for sharing your ingenious hack!

[@seventyfive1]

Just start at 1:36

[@martagomez4911]

What website did you buy the 5 cent bags from?

[@jillo60]

OMGOSH... It works!! Thanks for posting the vid!

[@jackiefuller3459]

Best one yet.......thank you for saving g me money. ;)

[@lisaringler679]

Still great. THANKS

[@MrAlivallo]

have you tried putting a straw in the bag?

[@RosaButton]

Which foodsaver machine do you have. The one I have is large because it has space to put rolls of plastic in it. I would like the one you have. TU

[@JDJD-hg9hu]

Genius! Thank you