Holiday Gift Guide - FoodSaver® 4800 Series Vacuum Sealer Review & #Giveaway

Holiday baking season is upon us and, with the right tools, home bakers of all ages will be able to whip up goodies throughout the season and beyond!  Though not typically associated with baking, the FoodSaver® brand offers a few must-have gadgets designed to make home baking a real pleasure amidst the hustle and bustle of the season.

Ø  Preserve Cookie Dough for Quick & Easy Baking on Your Schedule with the new FoodSaver® 4800 Series Vacuum Sealer, the first ever 2-in-1 system for preserving foods long & short term.

Ø  Seal & Ship Home-baked Goods to Loved Ones Across the Miles using FoodSaver® FreshSaver® Vacuum Zipper Bags.

Preserve Cookie Dough for Quick & Easy Baking on Your Schedule!

FoodSaver® 4800 Series Vacuum Sealer, the 2-in-1 Food Preservation System (MSRP: $169.99 - $199.99)

The FoodSaver® 4800 Series Vacuum Sealer is the first-ever 2-in-1 Food Preservation System!  Combining the best of both worlds, this system is the most versatile yet, giving consumers the ability to preserve foods in both the long and short term with ease.  Providing the functionality and convenience of two vacuum sealing appliances in one, this system works with FoodSaver® heat seal bags and rolls for long-term freezer storage, and, with its retractable accessory adapter, consumers can use FoodSaver® FreshSaver® Vacuum Zipper Bags, canisters and containers for short-term food preservation.  In addition, a handy marinate mode infuses food with flavor in minutes instead of hours.  Compact, upscale, and fully automatic, this appliance features an easy-open drawer with patented removable drip tray for easy clean up.  As always, the FoodSaver® system keeps food fresh up to five times longer, helps prevent freezer burn, and saves families up to $2,700 a year*. More ways to seal, more ways to save. 

My Thoughts

My husband wanted one of these for a while but I avoided it. I thought it would be one of those things that we'd use once and then it would sit and gather dust. I thought it would be complicated and annoying. Boy, was I wrong! Now that I have a FoodSaver, I have no idea how I ever ran my household without one! Not only does it save me money and keep my food fresh, I am able to accomplish the task with ease.

First off, the FoodSaver comes fully assembled. All you have to do is load up the roll of bags and its ready to go. Accomplishing this is no problem. It's no harder than putting a roll of papers towels on a dispenser.  When you're ready to to use your FoodSaver, you measure out enough material for whatever you plan to vacuum seal, plus a little extra just to be safe. You seal up one end before adding the food. You'll know when it's finished as soon as the red light flashes. The easy to follow instruction manual will walk you through all the steps to actually sealing the food. It's fast, easy, and really cool to watch the air get sucked out of the wrapping. There are all different settings for all different types of food, but all of them are really simple. It doesn't take hours to vacuum seal your food, and it's definitely worth the small amount of effort it takes. Now I can buy in bulk without fear of the food spoiling. Seriously, some items will last as long as two years in the freezer! 

The machine itself is as sleek as it is functional. The chrome face is easy to keep clean. Its lightweight and really not as big as I expected so it doesn't take up much space. I always thought FoodSaver was only for frozen foods, but you can really use it for just about anything. Its great to store leftovers, for transporting fresh baked goods, and even for jams and preserves. There is actually a retractable handheld sealer you can use for jarred goods, though this part I have not tried out for myself yet. The features I have tried, I really love! FoodSaver provides preservation at its best.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a  FoodSaver® 4800 Series Vacuum Sealer, the 2-in-1 Food Preservation System. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  12/16/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to FoodSaver for offering this fantastic prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way.  Please note that I  am not responsible for the delivery of this prize and can not be held accountable if, for any reason, is it not received. Furthermore, I am in no way liable for any injuries that may result from the use or misuse of this product. ***