Customer Reviews

Packmate 95000 Vacu-Seal Starter Kit with Handheld Vacuum Sealer and Bags

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The Vacuseal has been one of my best purchases. I initially was going to buy the reynolds unit because it was cheaper, but after reading that it was hard to seal the bags properly, I decided against it. This unit is really easy to seal. The valve sticks out of the side of the zip lock bags, so you just attach the nozzle and it pulls all the air out. Another plus for the item is that the bags that come with it are very heavy duty and they're dishwasher safe. Overall this was a very good buy and I highly recommend it.

I bought this after my disastrous experience with the Frisper which I purchased from Sharper Image (and which they graciously accepted as a return).

I wasn't expecting anything for this unit for the price. But I was wrong. Wow! It worked really well and produced a really good vacuum to get all the air out. It is inexpensive, effective, and easy to use - you can see everything that's going on so there are no mysteries. Another plus is that you can stand it up as you seal, so if you have any liquids in there, they won't spill out all over the place.

I had a couple of bags that didn't seal. I think one of them was defective or I wasn't able to get a complete seal on the bag. Another one contained cubes of demera sugar and didn't hold the vacuum. I think maybe that's because, between the strong vacuum and the thinness of the bag, the sugar crystals actually punctured the bag.

Which brings me to the one criticism I have (thus 4 stars instead of 5). The bags are designed to be reusable because they are kind of expensive after all. (But that's good for the environment too.) I wish they could be made a little thicker so as to be more durable. I'm always worried about breaking them. The one good thing I can say about the Frisper is that its bags are really thick industrial strength things. In fact., when I returned it, I kept the extra bags I purchased.

All in all this unit is a great value and I highly recommend it.

I wouldn't recommend this item. Sucks the air out of the bag, then later air is back in the bag. The problem is either with the handheld vacuum or bags. Either way, can this item be return?

Bought this and it worked great at first. When I tried re-using the bags the air would get back in the bags. I then bought some replacement bags 3 of which so far keep letting air back in. The vacuum machine will suck the air out and then a few hours later the vacuum seal is gone and air has gotten into the bag. This product is a big disappointment.

I previously used the Reynolds® Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer - Vacuum Sealing System Starter Kit with Handy Vac Freezer Bags and Batteriesand was so disappointed that I threw it in the garbage and gave it a one star review.
I have since purchased this product and I'm somewhat more pleased. The product itself is great but the bags do not live up to their promise.
The problem with the Handi-Vac was that it was too hard to line up the suction head with the hole in the bag. It was a struggle to get them lined up and working properly meanwhile wasting battery power. Their bags were advertised as re-usable but I could never get them to vaccum the 2nd time around.
The Packmate suction system is easy to line up and use and works perfectly. The unit is powerful enough to get the air out quickly thus saving battery power and it really pulls all the air out.
I can't give this product 5 stars because I found that first, the bags are really expensive and even though they are re-usable, they are a pain to wash and dry. I'm also concerned about food safety so I'm going to try and wash them in the dishwasher to sanitize them better. Secondly, I only gave 3 stars because I found that some of the bags are not holding the vacuum. I get into my freezer every few days and re-vacuum the air out of all the bags. I'm not sure if they just weren't sealed properly to begin with, if the cold air somehow changes the properties of the bag so that it pops open or if there are tiny punctures that have a slow leak. Whatever the case, they all start out properly vacuumed, the bag sucked in and tightly wrapped around the food, the entire bag as solid as a brick, then slowly re-inflate when stored.
I've only seen this in the freezer. I haven't tested it outside yet. I will update the review when I do.

I bought starter kit of Vacu Seal. Found that the bags came with the package just can not hold vaccum over hour or two.
Compleat waste bags (and waste of my money).

Pros: When it works and the bags hold their seal, it does a great job.
Cons: the above happens very infrequently. The seal seems fine, the wants suctions out all of the air and then a day later there is air in the bag. I need something that will consistently seal and am likely going to have to invest in an expensive countertop foodsaver.

If you can somehow get the bags to stay sealed and want to use them, you don't even need the wand, just suck the air out of the bag with your mouth over the valve. I've been doing that lately to quickly remove the air from bags each day or two for things that I really want to keep fresh.

When I first bought the product I was really happy with it, but the more I've used it the more difficult it has become for the bags to actually catch and seal. I sealed some meat last night and it tookabout 15 minutes to seal 4 bags. Along with that problem is the power problem. They should have either made it rechargable or added a cord option...Especially when it takes so long to catch and start vacuuming. Finally I too found some bags lose their seal. It's a damn shame these problems came up because this was really handy when I first got it

I received this as a gift several months ago. I was told that the item was on sale given the fact that it was no longer going to be stocked. I like the fact that it is small in size, portable and seals food without any issues. The problem is that I cannot find any replacement bags. It's like buying a car without a gas tank. I've repeatedly searched the web and the only thing I find is retailers selling the starter kit. It would be interesting to know if there are any other manufacturers (Reynolds, Ziploc, etc)who make bags that would compatible. Any feedback would be appreciated!

As stated this is a great product. I've never had problems and kit comes with 3 quart bags. I didn't have a problem throwing them away with certain foods. Then I tried to find a replacement box. What a joke! Web showed Target had some but were on backorder. After three months Target said they couldn't get them. The tool will not work with any other bags. It seems the marketing on these items is to get you to buy the tool; discontinue, and then you will have to buy a different brand. Noticed this for Reynolds Handi-Vac too. You get what you pay for. Three bags only and a tool. That should be its name!