LJ Brain Trust: Vacuum sealer?

[cjsmith]

If I did get more freezer space, and maybe even if I can't, I wonder whether I should have a vacuum sealer.

I am short on counter space, but I can work that out.

I probably don't want one if it doesn't save money in the long run. I can squeeze a lot of air out of Ziploc bags and store them in odd-shaped spots in the freezer, so this will hinge on how much waste I'm likely to have, from freezer burn or the like, after the squeezy treatment. Ziploc cost + freezer burn cost - vacuum sealer bag cost - amortized cost of the unit: if it's not a positive number in under a decade I'm not going there. But it's OK if it takes a while to go positive, because I also hate waste.

I also don't want it if it's inconvenient to use. (It's very telling that I don't have "good" knives. They're more work than bad ones.)

I do want it if it will significantly save money, food, and/or freezer and fridge space. For example, if the bags are sturdy enough that I can pour from the skillet right into the bag, then I don't need so much Tupperware-style stuff. That would be a serious win in terms of space.

[LJ-CUT TEXT="Poll time!"]

[Poll #1217861]

Comments

[erisian-fields.livejournal.com]

The $300+ we spent on knives (sharpener, block, large chefs knife, paring knife, bread knife, and boning knife) almost 5 years ago is a purchase I have never once regretted. We got Wusthof (http://www.wusthof.com/en/classic-knife-collections.asp) brand knives. They're not hard to care for (they can go in the dishwasher) (http://www.wusthof.com/en/cleaning-and-storage.asp) and when they need sharpened, a few swipes across the sharpener gets them ready to go cleanly through the softest tomato. I love these things.

[brooksmoses]

Huh, okay. I bet if those are dishwasher-safe, then the Tramontina ones I recommended (and have) also are. There's nothing obvious on them that would be hurt by the dishwasher, but I'd always heard "it will dull them" for good knives.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've started to convert to hand-washing knives immediately after use, but for cases where one really wants a deeper cleaning, I'll put one in its own little section of the dishwasher silverware unit. I have no idea whether this really helps. Maybe my knives can't get a whole lot duller. ;-)