Customer Reviews

Seal-A-Meal VS230 Vacuum Food Sealer, White

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I love my new Seal-A-Meal. I like the fact that the roll of bags is in the machine and so easy to cut and seal. Thanks so much.

Also, the price was better than o.k.

Opted to spend less money to replace a Food Saver, and have regretted it ever since. Not one item that I have attempted to seal has had the air successfully removed. If I didn't have so many bags, I wouldn't use it to seal one more thing, but would use a retail "freezer" storage bag, instead.

I have the older model, but the same "hard to close" lid design. My cover is cracking on the corners from closing even though the manual states: "Do not be afraid to apply pressure to the Lid, you will not damage the sealer." (What a JOKE!)

I wote to Rival and they don't care or stand behind their products. They only guarantee it to hold together for one year, make sure you keep your receipt or your on your own. I would recommend finding another brand.

An important but almost always forgotten consideration when buying a product is customer support. Products should not only be made and operate well, but have the customer and factory support to go along with it.

The main reason that I gave this item a single star was due to the customer support I received when I tried to get a replacement part for my VS230. My heat sealing element broke while sealing a bag. Since I consider myself fairly skilled with a screw driver I took the unit apart and discovered that it should be a fairly easy repair if I could procure a simple part such as the heat sealing element.

There is no real parts support through their website www.rivalproducts.com and there is no e-mail support to speak of. I was able to find a phone number for rival/seal-a-meal (8005574825) which I called. It took three attempts to reach them due to busy signals and dead ends but when I finally did reach an operator, I was very disappointed. When I told them of my dilemma, the best they said they could do was give me a 25% discount on a new machine. They said they did not carry, nor did they know where I could get a part to repair my machine. They actually suggested that I do a search on the Internet to find one of their parts. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was denied. I never got angry and never got an answer as to why a company that makes a product can not tell me why a customer support section of said company doesn't have the ability of providing information about parts for their machines. I was about 80% satisfied with the machine but have used a food-saver unit and will purchasing a food saver.

This is a piece of GARBAGE! Poorly designed, flimsy plastic top that you have to hold down until the sealing begins....problem is the sealing NEVER begins. Run, don't walk, from this lemon. Amazon should be ashamed of themselves for selling such trash.

This unit is hard to operate. It takes 2 hands to push down full force to get it to start and another 2 hands to hold the bag smooth. I must have wasted 5 bags with them not sealing and the air leaking back in within minutes. If you can afford it, I would recommend a better unit. You basically have to pre-freeze anything from ground beef and thinner or it is virtually impossible to seal.

Avoid, a piece of junk. Does not work! Requires two persons to hold lid down. Bought a large amount of steaks, the product did not remove air to a vacuum state, avoid.........Jack