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

[ambar.livejournal.com]

Steeling takes all of 10 seconds. I honestly think you're building more mountain than warranted, here.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's probably just stuff I'm not used to doing. I've been doing what either you or klwalton suggested (I forget who), and keeping a soapy sponge handy to use on knives right after I've chopped with them. It really doesn't take much time, and it works pretty well except when I've sliced up some salt pork and gotten gunk deep into the corners between the blade and the handle. :-)