Customer Reviews

FoodSaver 3-Quart Open Stock Canister

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This product is invaluable for keeping chips fresh. I am sure you can use it for many things; but, I ordered it especially for my chips.

I took the advise of a (brilliant) fellow who shared a tip here about how he uses a canister to seal jars and I purchased this canister solely for that purpose.

You can buy the jar-sealer gizmos that Foodsaver makes (which I did) and which are frustrating to use because of their hit or miss success rate.

I also purchasd the universal lids and have had some of the liners fall out (and refuse to stay in) after just a few uses.

Per the instructions of the brilliant fellow-rater previously mentioned, you place a jar into the canister with lid on and the band loosly tightened. After hooking the hose up and sucking the air out, remove the hose and push the button on the canister lid. Voila, you can see the lid sink downward as it seals. I have yet to find a jar that won't seal this way.

You can even seal the jars that have one-piece lids. You know, the jars that spaghetti sauce, fruit salads, etc., come in that have a one-piece lid that is lined with rubber. It's frustrating that many of these jars look like normal canning jars but the lid size is smaller and you can't purchase lids for them. If you tighten the lid on the jar and use the canister-method to seal it, it seals perfectly.

I use the canister method to seal jars all the time now. The jar sealers and universal lids that I purchased were nothing more than a waste of money. Per Foodsaver's recommendation, I only seal dry food products into jars to extend the shelf-life and protect them bugs or mice. I would be afraid to try to "can" foods that might spoil unless you're going to refrigerate them and use them pretty quickly.

I also have a smaller, wider canister that I use for smaller jars that are more "squat." Great for sealing your spices into 4 ounce jars.

The folks at Foodsaver aren't going to share this tip with you because they want you to purchase all of their accessory-junk and expensive bags, rather than one accessory, for less than $20., that will do it all (and work better, too!)

I have not had problems with one yet...but i have had 3 of the 2 quart go bad...bottom cracks

I've been using Foodsaver round canisters for about 5 years. As others have noted, they sometimes crack on the bottom--but by my experience, primarily with a certain usage pattern. The canisters that I seldom open and reseal are doing just fine, but the ones I frequently open and reseal (3-8 times a week) are the ones that crack.

Since all the cracks stem from the injection molding point on the bottom, this leads me to believe that this is a manufacturing defect in their canisters. Specifically, the frequent resealing causes stresses on the canister bottom that reveal a structural weakness at the injection molding point. After enough reseal cycles, this results in a crack.

What you can do that might help mitigate this problem:

* Don't refrigerate your canisters, if at all possible (thermal variation may exacerbate the cracking problem). If you're marinating overnight, oh well.

* Never, ever freeze a canister or heat one in a microwave.

* Hand wash your canisters (again, the thermal factor--dishwasher water can get quite hot).

Ultimately, though, if you're going to use your canisters for things you'll frequently access, consider using the "light vacuum" setting on your Foodsaver (if your model has one)--this may lengthen the service life of those canisters. Otherwise, be ready to contact Foodsaver customer service for replacements when (not if) your canister cracks. FYI, I've had some success getting replacements on out-of-warranty canisters via email contact (but never via phone call).

For canisters that are seldom accessed (and where long-term freshness of the contents is a bigger issue), you should be OK using the normal vacuum setting. The ones I use this way have been in service (contents under vacuum) for 2-5 years with no problems.

As for the reviewer who had the lids "fall apart": I've had this happen, too, where I accidentally brushed the rubber cap on the top of the lid and had it pop off. Unlike the other reviewer, I had no problems reassembling the lid afterwards, and no issues with that lid holding a vacuum later.

I have about three dozen of these canister in all sized. I really like them a lot! I have not had any problems with my canister that are this size, however, I have had problems with ALL my 2.5qt canisters cracking on the bottom form the extreme pressure. I hope they can improve on this design.

I've owned several of this size cannister and I like it. It's especially good for storing whole bean coffee in the frig. And yes, I've had two crack at the bottom, right at the injection mold sight, as another person noted. This is obviously a design flaw and Tilia should own up to it. However, they won't, so that's that. It's worth noting, I suppose, that the most recently departed cannister lasted nearly three years of pretty constant use - almost alway refrigerated. I still clean all my Food Saver cannisters in the dishwasher. However, I don't subject them to the dry cycle. I take them out and let them air dry. Just one less chance for disaster.

I believe these cannisters are being phased out now. I notice them become more hard to find. In fact, they aren't available on the Food Saver website at all. I also understand that the new generation of sealers, the upright models, have a lower psi of vacuum (if that's the right way to put it) than prior models, thereby, I suppose, subjecting the cannisters to less pressure. Whether or not this is still adequate for the job of food preservation, I don't know.

Tilia is now owned by Sunbeam, a company that, in recent years, has not exactly been at the fore front of high quality manufacturing. I fear we may see a cheapening of the Tilia product in the not-to-distant future. Time will tell.

Basically, the FOODSAVER system is sound and well designed EXCEPT for the canisters which often crack. Many of us have urged Tilia to upgrade the plastic canisters, and so far they have refused. I do not put the canisters in the dishwasher, or even use harsh chemicals. One canister cracked, pressurized, on the shelf after a few weeks without being moved. When you call Tilia they will let you know that there is NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND on their canisters, which tells volumes about how they view their own product.

Tilia blames their customers for the cracks. I am honestly sorry I did not heed the warnings I read by Amazon consumers before I purchased. I usually depend on Amazon customer recommendations for all my purchases. I have spent much money on Tilia accessories, and am now considering looking for another brand. Hope this helps, Ron

Should get 0 stars.Bought a set of these canisters 5 years ago when the color was a dark smokey brown, and they were fabulous. Since then foodsaver has either changed the type of plastic or the wall thickness as the new clearer color ones all develop pressure cracking on the bottom!!! Returned for another set that did the same thing. Lousy customer service charges shipping that is half the price of the product! Why won't they fix this issue? Look at all the bad reviews with cracking. Just reinforce the bottom with molded ribs or find a new plastic! Actually, for the price they should be Lexan. In the garbage now! Don't waste your money!!!

The item does what it says it does, but the dimensions are pretty much for spaghetti or tall licorice. Most items that we would use the item for fit in the container...and waste a good deal of space at the top. One of the wider-shorter containers is much more useful for 95% of what you would put in it.

Definitely a one-time purchase for a container with these dimensions.

I live in Hawaii where we have food's two worst enemies...humidity AND bugs. Even with pest control service we would get microscopic ants in food - even sealed food. Chips and crackers went stale still in code in the sealed bag. I raged against it - perhaps complained once too often -so my son bought me a freshvac sealing unit. I love it. This canister needs the sealing unit to function. It is an accessory item. It is the perfect size for spaghetti. I love these canisters.