FoodSaver Lock & Seal - VS4500

UPDATE: My FoodSaver unit broke after 3 uses. AVOID THIS PRODUCT.I am no stranger to Foodsaver Lock & Seal products as I have owned and used two models (Overseas) prior to purchasing this unit. I bought this unit because of how easy and affordable the Foodsaver products "were"... until I used this unit. I must say the first Foodsaver unit I used was excellent, almost perfect! The second unit was temperamental, it would fail a vacuum every 10~12 bags.This unit VS4500 takes the cake, it FAILS EVERY vacuum.While products are suppose to get better over the years, Foodsaver products are heading the opposite direction.This unit would start vacuuming the bag as usual, then as soon as it encounters a little resistance, it stops and seals. This leaves huge pockets of ... MoreUPDATE: My FoodSaver unit broke after 3 uses. AVOID THIS PRODUCT.I am no stranger to Foodsaver Lock & Seal products as I have owned and used two models (Overseas) prior to purchasing this unit. I bought this unit because of how easy and affordable the Foodsaver products "were"... until I used this unit. I must say the first Foodsaver unit I used was excellent, almost perfect! The second unit was temperamental, it would fail a vacuum every 10~12 bags.This unit VS4500 takes the cake, it FAILS EVERY vacuum.While products are suppose to get better over the years, Foodsaver products are heading the opposite direction.This unit would start vacuuming the bag as usual, then as soon as it encounters a little resistance, it stops and seals. This leaves huge pockets of air which was still left inside the bag!(Please see attached photos)This unit should be considered a "bag sealer" not a "vacuum sealer" as it cannot vacuum at all.It was a complete waste of money and now I will have to find a way to get rid of this useless "sealer".NOT RECOMMENDED unless you are looking to purchase an expensive bag sealer with a fancy "vacuum" name attached to it.Stay away from "Foodsaver" products as it has been in my experience trending worse and worse over the years.

Absolute Gem

I bought sunbeam lock & seal vacuum sealer in the hope to be able to seal fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and cupboard persihables. After reading some of the online reviews I decided to give it a go. I visited my local Harvey Norman Store, bought one, and got to sealing all the food that usually spoils. Especially vegetables in the bottom of the vege draw in the fridge.The unit is really easy to use, and comes with re-usuable sealer bags, pre-cut bags, and a roll of the sealer bag material. I kind of got hooked on using it now and I had vegetables in the bottom of the vege drawer in the fridge for 3 weeks and they were still crisp when I opened the vacuum bag.Saves money on food going stale and off.Very easy to use and highly recommended.

Best thing ever!!

Went to The Good Guys and came upon this beauty. You can vacuum seal everything which will give it an extra 2 weeks of life. No wastage, blanch your veggies and seal. Buy all meat, chicken and fish on special and vacuum pack and they last another 2 weeks at least. We now do everything from pre made meals then heat and serve, pack the dogs meals for when we go away. Also blanch fresh veggies from the market and freeze the bagsjust perfect.

Better than the previous model

I bought the VBS4500 to replace an old model that wasn't vacuuming the bags. Pump was running but no suction. I disassembled it but couldn't find the problem so replaced it with this newer model. I like the locking function of the new model. Overall it seems to have been redesigned slightly. It works well.... so far.

Dont pay full price

We purchased for $99 and definitely not worth a cent more. The main function is adequate however the supposed accessory is the biggest waste- do not waste your money on purchasing the ziplock bags for accessory. The bags for the actual machine are much cheaper elsewhere.. for the standard vacuum its fine

Foodsaver VS4500

I've used it to seal some technician cooler blocks (which get slimy) and it it great. I've also sealed some single portion raw meat and it's worked fine for that as well. The machine was good value at the price. The rolls are a bit over priced. I'll be shopping around for alternatives.

Functional

This is an easy to use vacuum sealer. It looks good. Comes with an accessory port attachment to vacuum seal foodsafe ziplock bags ( 5 supplied with product) and storage containers ( purchased separately)Purchased to replace an older sealer of a different brand.Works well, Although vacuum is slow while vac sealing, and it can be a little tricky to get bag into place. It has a removable tray for cleaning should some produce ooze out.Quickly vacuums the ziplock bags. They are a great addition.

Still not tested.

Set up to package some meat products. Sealed the end of a piece off the roll provided, cut to recommended length and attempted to vacuum out and seal as per operating procedures. Vacuum pump sounded, but failed to extract ait from package. Placed meat into as ready made packet in the kit and attempted to vacuum the bag using the attachment device. Again, noise but no suction.Returned unit o store, staff tested using bags from my previous attempts, and it worked as designed to on both bags.Haven't had the need to try again at home as yet.

VS4500 is a replacement for an old Foodsaver

The VS4500 does an excellent job, and is a replacement for a very old Foodsaver. One advantage of the VS4500 is that it has a very small profile compared to the one being replaced. The only issues are that the bags have to be cut to size with scissors before sealing one end, and the unit does not have a space to store the roll. The previous Foodsaver had the ability to store and cut the roll, which is sadly missed. If I get as much use out of the VS4500 as I did the previous model, I will be very happy.

Well worth it! You won't regret it!

Have only just bought this a week ago, originally to package and freeze my husband's fishing haul so it didn't go to waste. I've used it every day since! The rolls are great for making custom sized pouches, the premade pouches are great for leftovers and I love the resealable bags for pantry items. I also bought the Add on pack with the rolls & premade pouches. Definitely looking to expand in the FoodSaver range with resealable containers. Cooking in big batches and storing for easy meals on the run has never been easier! This has revolutionised my cooking habits!