Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer Ergonomic Product Review

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer by Reynolds is an affordable and convenient way vacuum seal your food to keep it fresher longer. A vacuum food sealing system (as opposed to regular food storage) can extend the shelf or freezer life of raw or cooked food. The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer is an ergonomic device that does 90% of what other systems do for 1/4 the price.

Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer differs from other vacuum food sealing system in three main ways. First, it is a hand-held vacuum pump. Second. it uses an easy seal zipper type bag for storage. Third it costs under $25.

The typical vacuum food sealer appliance is a counter top device that pulls a vacuum and applies a heat seal to the bag. The Handi-Vac is a comfortable handheld device. It improves the ergonomics of the system by:

• Not taking up valuable counter space
• Increasing flexibility - you can vacuum seal anywhere
• Providing an intuitive interface – my 3-year old did it after watching me do it once

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer also uses an easy seal plastic zipper bag. The bags are freezer rated and operate just like any other press and seal zip top bag. Other systems use a bag or roll that needs a heat seal to secure them. The main drawback to these bags are that they are not heat tolerant so you can not boil the contents straight from the freezer, but maybe Reynolds will read this and remedy that.

The best thing about the Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer is that it is relatively cheap. You can pick one up in the grocery store for about $25. Counter top vacuum food sealers easily top $100.

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealers easily delivers all it promises. And what it promises is about 90% of what you can do with those counter top models. The Handi-Vac does what most people want a vacuum sealer to do -- conveniently seal food for better storage. And I argue that it is more convenient than one of those counter top models as well.

As for that other 10%, well that is another benefit of the Handi-Vac. The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer is cheap enough for you to experiment with vacuum sealing. Play with it for awhile and then you can decide if boil-in-a-bag meals or canister vacuum sealing will benefit your life style. Then you can buy the more expensive model.

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer benefits anyone who stores food. Others who can benefit from this ergonomic vacuum food sealer are:

• The family meal planner
• Bulk-buy discount shoppers – save now, eat later
• Hunters – vacuum seal your wild game
• Gardeners – carry that freshness into next season
• Slackers – gather the energy to cook once a month then just freeze it all

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer is a good vacuum sealer that can extend the shelf life of your food and prevent freezer burn. It has a comfortable form factor and intuitive operations. My 3-year old used it correctly after seeing me do it just once.

The bags are clearly marked so you not only know that you are using the right bag, but that you are using it the right way. They are not tough enough to withstand boiling, but they will stand up to the harshness of the freezer.

The overall vacuum sealing system is one of the most convenient food vacuum sealing systems I have seen. It takes up very little space and can be used anywhere with a square inch of flat surface.

The Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer does have a few problems.

• There are no Handi-Vac compatible canisters available
• The bags are not tough enough for boil-in-the-bag meals
• The Handi-Vac runs on batteries

Still, you cannot beat the price and the bang-for-the-buck the Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer offers. The convenience and ease of use are at the top of its class.