Seal-A-Meal VS230 Vacuum Food Sealer, White

by Rival

Product Features

• Easy-to-use vacuum food sealer locks in freshness and flavor
• One touch vacuum and seal buttons with indicator lights
• Accessory port; integrated bag-roll holder and cutter; starter bag kit included
• Dishwasher-safe drip tray
• Microban antimicrobial protection

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 12.6 x 18.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000KL5IKG
• Item model number: VS230
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,344 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)
  • #59 in Kitchen & Dining > Small Appliances > Specialty Appliances > Vacuum Sealers

Product Description

With Seal-a-Meal® Vacuum Food Sealer you can: Keep leftovers as fresh and delicious as the day they were prepared. Prepare make-ahead meals over the weekend, then store them for easy weeknight reheating. Buy food in bulk then freeze for later--use in meal or serving-size portions. Marinate meats in minutes instead of hours. Store delicate or moist foods with convenient canisters (not included). Seal and store meals in serving-sized portions for simple and effective portion control. Features an accessory port, removable drip tray, one-touch vacuum and seal buttons with indicator lights, Microban® antimicrobial product protection.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Food Saver, October 11, 2007

By 

N. Brabec "Dispensing Unappreciated Advice Daily" (7522 Feet Above Sea Level) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Seal-A-Meal VS230 Vacuum Food Sealer, White (Kitchen)

I originally was going to purchase a FoodSaver model with similar features (FoodSaver V2440 Advanced Design), but found this Rival model for about 40% less.

Even though this one is less expensive, I recommend others buy the FoodSaver for three reasons: 1.) The Rival model does not have an "instant seal" option. In other words, if you go to store anything soft (baked goods, etc.) with the Rival, it will crush / flatten the contents of the bag before sealing is complete. The Food Saver allows you to suck out the air and seal the bag before the contents get squished. 2.) If you go to Kmart or Target and check out both models in person, you will quickly see that the Rival looks and feels cheaply made in comparison to the FoodSaver. The FoodSaver costs more because it is a higher quality product. 3.) Our first Rival Seal-A-Meal failed within the first year. Rival's customer service is a farce. Two emails and one phone call have yet to be returned. I ended up having Amazon replace the product. I wish I would have taken the opportunity to upgrade to the FoodSaver (FoodSaver V2440 Advanced Design). When this one goes on the fritz, and I know it will, I will treat myself by not buying a Rival model again.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A low-cost, must have product for large and small families., March 6, 2008

By 

Steven Hedge "Movie Fan" (Somewhere "East of Eden") - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seal-A-Meal VS230 Vacuum Food Sealer, White (Kitchen)

This product is worth its weight in gold for its easiness to use, clean design, and overall usefulness.

Why I love this product:

(1) This product will vacuum seal bags that can be cut to any useful length from rolls that are sold cheaply in 8" or 11" widths. Rolls can also be bought at specific lengths just like ziplocks if you like that kind of thing. Regardless of which bag type you purchase, they are far cheaper than traditional ziplock bags.

(2) It has two settings, one for dry foods and one for moist foods. However, it is important to note that since this is a VACUUM sealer it will compact food as it sucks the air out of the bag no matter the setting; it will just do it less on one setting over another.

(3) If you don't want your food to get reduced in size during storage (like cake for example which doesn't look pretty once compacted), but still want to either freeze or preserve it, then I suggest that you purchase in addition to the various roll packages that Rival and other companies produce, the Rival VSA3 Seal-a-Meal Accessory Canisters. The Rival machine comes with a small hose that plugs into a port on top of the machine and has an adapter on the opposite end that plugs into the lids on its canister set (with various sizes). This is a great feature.

(3) I love the convenience of this thing. As a teacher I am home first with the kids and my wife comes home later, often much later than myself, so I'm typically in charge of dinner (and being the sure that the kids get their homework and chores done --lol). This product has made my life so much easier. "Seal-a-Meal" is the perfect term for it because I can put a whole meal in one bag, vacuum seal it, and defrost in the microwave or boil the contents (in the bag) easily later. It's nice to be able to put 4 whole chicken legs which is a meal for my family, cleaned and seasoned in advanced, and labeled in a bag cut to size to be used later. I don't have to dig into bags that are too deep and have more chicken in them than I need and I don't have to fight to pull out the frozen parts I want. I can set up portions that I know my family eats.

(4) I appreciate that this product allows me to store more food in my freezer as vacuum sealed bags take up much less space than traditional ziplock bags do. This saves me time shopping at the store by making less trips.

(5) I love that I can buy in bulk, which often saves money as well as time, and store food for longer periods of time. In a ziplock bag, air eventually gets in and spoils the flavor of the food with "freezer burn" and bacteria (when not in the freezer). This doesn't happen in vacuum sealed bags. Ziplock bag items will last, on average 1-3 months in your freezer, but food vacuumed sealed can last 1-3 YEARS!!! No, that isn't a typo; you read that correctly. This allows one to buy in bulk, thus, saving time and money.

***This is truly an outstanding product and although there are other more expensive models out there with some clever features not available on this one, this is a great value. Those other brands typically cost 2 or 3 times more than this brand. Perhaps they are worth it for more features, stainless steel design, and longevity (I have mine for about a month, so I don't know how long this kind of machine lasts), but for about $50.00 this is an inexpensive and very helpful appliance that is a welcome addition to any kitchen.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rival seal-a-meal VS230, December 25, 2007

By 

I. Strynar - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seal-A-Meal VS230 Vacuum Food Sealer, White (Kitchen)

I purcahsed this vacuum sealer last week for $49.99 at Walmart. Significantly cheaper than the other brands so I gave it a shot. Works great and is very easy to use. You can make your own bags or use precut bags. Used to process my own venison from a deer I got last week. Packaged about 20 1 lb packages of venison. I added marinade in advance to make easier when I decide to thaw/cook some. I will be using it to store other items such as fish I catch and items my wife buys in bulk for our family. Not sure why other reviewer had a problem sealing 3 bags in 4 hours. I ran out of bags in 30 minutes and have to quit then.