Customer Reviews

Foodsaver V2860 FoodSaver Advanced Design V2860

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Actually, it's better than a pro model. The fact that it folds up to conserve counter space is the one thing that makes it so much better.
The features on this model are incredible. The one I like the most is the canister mode, which lets me seal a canister without activating the sealer; this was something I really disliked about earlier models.
Perhaps you've read some of my reviews of previous models; I want you to know that I love this thing more than all the rest.

I'm still single and love to cook, but find it inconvenient to cook meals that I find in cookbooks that are very tasty, but I need to save them for later. Foodsaver is the best tool I've ever had for storing large quantities of just about anything. Have you ever made a big batch of stock or broth? Put it into a bunch of ice cube trays and freeze them. take them out of the trays and put them into a Foodsaver bag (they really are economical because they're washable and reusable), seal it up and you'll have broth or stock that will last FOREVER in your freezer.
Make a big lasagna and cut it up, freeze it and put the pieces in microwavable bowls; then put them in bags, seal them and you have the perfect dinner for reheating at work.

You know almost all of the chips you buy at the supermarket come in mylar bags. This baby has a cool little feature that lets you seal the bag without sucking all the air out of it. Great for those bags of chips that you forgot about in your pantry.

One last thing I should mention about this model. I used to make bags from rolls using a large paper cutter. Don't have to do that now. This model has a storage area inside and a slide cutter that allows me to make whatever size bag I want and then seal one end of it without having to go through the whole suction routine, kinda like how I do the mylar chip bags. It even comes with a marker clipped inside so you can easily identify what you have in your bags (sometimes I forget if it's beef stock, beef broth, chicken stock, etc.).

The 2860 has only a couple extra features than the 2840, but they are well worth the additional cost.

This model is a big improvement over the older Foodsaver models. The moist and crush free features, and the installed bag cutter are what I have been waiting for. The moist feature allows you to vacuum seal meat without having to prefreeze it, though prefreezing is still recommended in the use and care guide.

The directions guide you to place a paper towel above the meat to absorb excess moisture from juicy meat to prevent the juice from going into the vaccum channel. So far, I haven't done this for meats like chicken or porkchops. Wiping away excess moisture has been sufficient. Fish and ground meat will require the paper towel or prefreezing. I vacuum seal packaged meats like steak in the package.

The moist feature is a benefit for me because I would previously put the meat in the freezer and forget about it for a few days which defeats the purpose. Now I can bag the meat and seal it in one step and be done with it.

The crush free feature allows you to vacuum seal delicate items without ruining them. You can stop the process before it crushes the item. This feature is great if you like to mail your homemade baked goods like cookies and brownies to friends and loved ones. Just let them cool completely before vacuum sealing. Otherwise they may mold.

This design allows you to fold the console in so the unit can be stored upright on your counter. This will come in handy if you want to leave the Foodsaver on the counter but don't have a lot of space. Not having to drag the unit out each time you want to seal up your frequently used items is an added bonus.

I have been using the Foodsaver for a number of years and decided to replace my older version, with this one to take advantage of the advanced features. I recommend this one because it's a timesaver, has better features than previous models, and is obviously designed based on customer recommendations and feedback.

We've used a foodsaver device for several years. This is our 2nd device, and I am very pleased with the improvements. The flexibility of adjusting motor speed, internal roll storage and cutter, and the "flip up" design to minimze counter space while making the device always available are great. This device was well priced on Amazon, and delivery was prompt.

How you use this may impact how well it fits your needs, but having owned a chrome Rival Seal-a-Meal and used it for a year or so before replacing it I feel this is much easier to use because of it's superior design.

Main points of difference:
* Putting a bag in position to seal- there's a wide trough that you have to put the open end of the bag over. The Rival had a inflexible flat nozzle that you had to get inside the bag, which normally meant partly removing the nozzle, getting it in the bag, then replacing it.
* Closing the lid to seal- having one latch that locks down makes it super easy to fully close, plus there's a warning light if you forget to close it (like when using the accessory hose). The Rival required putting most of my weight on both sides of the lid, and would try to vacuum when partly closed.
* Much easier to clean- for me most of the time cleaning either model wasn't an issue because no food comes in contact with the sealer, but when it does it's normally something that you really want to clean like meat 'juice' or fish oil. With this model you just pull out the drip tray (which is open) and wash it by hand or in the dishwasher. The Rival you removed the combined nozzle / overflow thing and tried to flush soapy water through it. I never felt the Rival overflow area was very clean; it's maze-like and not even a pipe cleaner could get into it.
* Storing of the unit and accessories- Including a place to store the included pen and optionally the accessory hose is great. The flip up storage is ok, but I don't use it much- the unit seems a bit unstable and it's not as good looking on the bottom. I store it down and just flip it up when I need temporary counter space.

Minor points:
* More quiet & quick- this is far from silent but it's a big improvement over the Rival. Think electric knife vs chainsaw. The slightly reduced time to seal helps.
* Better cutting tool- Makes it easier to get straight cuts, which makes good seals easier.
* Accessory hose- easier to attach and remove to things than the Rival; until we realized the hose wasn't connecting well with the Rival we had a lot of problems. See below for how I use this with Rival accessories.

Negatives/disappointments:
* Size (minor negative)- it's noticeably bigger than the Rival.
* Flip up (minor disappointment)- this would have offset the size, but I don't use it; a combination of the unstable feel, aesthetics, and added steps make it too annoying to do.
* Cost- Well, regardless of brand the savings in food more than offsets the cost for me. I've probably spent the same on bags and accessories as on the sealer (again this applies to any sealer). I feel the advantages above more than offset the extra expense.

Accessory compatibility between brands:
I've used bags from each brand on the other without issue. I had invested in accessories for the Rival, including about 10 containers and some wine stoppers. Out of the box they use different connectors. Most Rival accessories come with a Rival hose; if you cut the Rival hose it fits on the end of the Seal-A-Meal hose making them compatible and very usable.

Things that work equally well on both, and how I do (an don't) use sealers:
* Wine- Varies by wine, but can be drinkable for maybe a week (using Rival wine stoppers)
* Cooked meat (frozen)- I BBQ 10+ pounds of pulled pork or beef brisket at a time, which is way too much for just my wife and I. We freeze it in usable sizes and heat it up by placing the whole bag into boiling water. It's indistinguishable from fresh months later!
* Leftovers & liquids- (refrigerated in containers)- works great!
* Fresh meat (refrigerated or frozen)- works great!
* Firm cheeses (refrigerated)- works great!
* Soft cheeses- Tried storing brie in a container once. It worked ok, but it flowed out slightly and I think the mold rind started growing onto the exposed surfaces. I just use plastic wrap for brie, goat, and most blues.

* Variable/'soft' sealing- Rarely use it on either model, so no opinion. I knew that but chose this model over one with fewer options because I feel it was worth the minor price difference to have it when I do need it (my wife's semi-annual bulk tea purchase).

This is my 2nd model. I love the pulse feature which is great for so many things like cookies, breads, cakes, as a few examples that are soft or breakable. You push the pulse button and it sucks out the air and when you let go of the pulse button,it stops the vacuum but the air remains sucked out and you keep pushing the pulse button until just BEFORE the vacuum is about to crush the food and then you seal. Great feature as the older model that I had, if you vacuum the cookies, they ended up getting broken into pieces or your cake/breads would be one ball of dough. The canister mode is so easy as well. One push of the canister button and it shuts off when all the air is out. I used the wide mouth jar sealer and use Ball mason wide mouth jars to store all kinds of food like brown sugar, coffee, chocolate chips, peanuts, etc. The possiblities is unlimited. When I first saw this, the first thing that I didn't like was the size of this because i didn't want it taking up counter space. I was surprise to see that you can flip it up so that it is standing up and it really does save alot of counter space. The down fall is that the roll of bags are very pricey but make the bag a little bigger so you can reuse it again and again. I mostly use the wide mouth mason jars and canisters. This model is a little more expensive than the others but the extra features are very well worth it and highly recommend it so that you will get the most out of the foodsaver.

I have been using vacuum sealers for 30 years. I've never been a confident canner so I have always used it for freezing vegetables from the garden (stewed tomatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, etc.). Also, when cooking on the weekend, I always make large batches and vacuum seal and freeze extra portions for easy midweek meals. So I am using it at least a couple times a week. My old Food Saver finally gave out. I'm pretty sure it was at least 10 years old. Since the last one lasted so long, I was not bargain shopping for the cheapest model I could find. I was looking for the latest, greatest machine with all the options possible. That's what you get with this model and it wasn't that much more. My favorite features are:
** The inner compartment that holds a roll of bag material and the convenient cutter.
** The removable vacuum channel for easy cleaning. Tip: although dishwasher safe, I have found that with my dishwasher it doesn't get very clean because of the narrow open. Still easy to rinse and clean myself.
** When making my own bags, I like that it seals only without vacuuming. I don't have to worry about getting the bag exactly on the sealing strip so it won't try to vacuum too.
** The handle latch on the side works soooo much better - and easier -- than the old locks on both sides of the unit.
** The Moist and Dry vacuum settings are the best!! I do stewed tomatoes in the Fall. I make big batches of chili. I like to save the chicken broth when I boil chicken. It was always a problem sealing juicy foods. The Moist setting works GREAT! I don't know if it starts sealing sooner or longer or what. I do know it works!
Very satisfied with this unit!

I bought this machine in February and it worked for only 2 months. When I called the company they had us run the machine so they could listen on the phone. We followed the instructions and when it still didn't work they said they would send new seals. We checked recently and were told they were out of stock and didn't know when they would have them. We asked to send the machine in and they refused to repair it until we put in new seals that we cannot get. And the rep was very disrespectful... I would not recommend this company at all.

This is the most MAGNIFICENT machine in my kitchen, well, almost! I bought this one as a replacement for one that no longer worked well. What I like to do is save the black food trays from frozen dinners and make my own microwave dinners. I put left-overs in the trays and place them in bags that I cut from the rolls to fit. Many people use zip lock type bags for this, but let me tell you-the FoodSaver bags keep your food in fresh, first-cooked quality whereas the zip lock bags don't. Lasts much longer in the freezer too-you don't have to worry about freezer burn. I definitely recommend this product!

This is my second vac. I had an 800, but it died after a year of hard use packing venison. This unit is hands free, just put your steaks in the bag...bag in the channel and lock down the handle. Press vac and seal and it does everything for you. I do find however; it does not suck the air out (and semi-crush the contents) the bag as much as the 800 did (which I liked). Even and high power, it still only pulls out 90'ish percent of the air.

The foodsaver is a quality product and for general discussion of it's features and uses, I recommend considering other reviews of 'foodsaver' products. Here are a couple of other considerations specific to this model.


First and foremost, there is the flip-up storage feature. It's briefly discussed in the QuickStart guide but this 'may' be a reason to buy this particular model. The whole front section of the unit (All that you see covered in stainless steel) pivots 90 degrees over the back. This helps save space of this rather large unit and should be featured graphically on the box. Even the picture in the QuickStart guide doesn't do the feature justice.

Second, you can interrupt the vacuum stage by pressing a seperate seal button. This allows you to short-step the evacuation process and with a little practice you will be able to seal wet product. Probably the most discouraging aspect of foodsavers is that you are advised to either vacuum dry products or wet products that have been frozen. I really didn't like the prospect of freezing everything when prepping for a sous vide dish. Being able to be in control of the vacuum and sealing process to some degree made me feel as though I had an acceptable work-around.

I have had variable results with the canisters. I made an initial investment in a 3 canister starter set but probably won't extend my collection.

So here is a solid FoodSaver product that has some additional features. Amazon has great prices on replacement rolls.