After reading a review or two about the Reynolds Handi Vac, I decided I really wanted to get one. I already have a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer that was fairly expensive. The thought of replacing that with something that does essentially the same thing seemed frivolous and silly. We were out of bags for FoodSaver, which takes special bags, so we needed to purchase bags.
The week of Thanksgiving, thanks to the Coupon Mom, I learned the Reynolds Handi Vac was on sale at Wal-Mart and I had a coupon for $3 off. The total price was $6 and batteries were included. Since I needed bags for the FoodSaver anyway and the Handi Vac was on sale, I decided to go for it. I purchased the Handi Vac and I also purchased 2 boxes of quart size bags and 2 boxes of gallon size bags.
Here are the differences I have found in the two:
- The Reynolds Handi Vac is small and compact. It fits easily in a drawer in my kitchen. The FoodSaver is very large and takes up quite a bit of space in storage and to use.
- The Reynolds Handi Vac runs on batteries. Eventually, the batteries will need to be replaced. The FoodSaver runs off electricity by plugging it into the wall. I really like the convenience of the the batteries.
- The FoodSaver is more powerful than the Handi Vac. The Handi Vac does do a good job of sucking the air out of the bags, it just takes longer to do than the FoodSaver.
- The Handi Vac does not work well with liquids. When we make a batch of chili, spaghetti, chicken pot pie, or soup, we will still use the FoodSaver because it can handle liquids better.
- Both units require special bags designed special for the particular unit. My FAVORITE thing about the Handi Vac, is that I can reuse the same bag over and over easily! You just unzip, pull out what you need, and re-vacuum seal. With the FoodSaver, you generally need to have scissors to open it and it is not easy to re-seal. You can do it but it will be with a smaller bag.
Overall, both have their advantages and certainly both are better to use than a regular zip top bag or tupperware type containers to freeze food. If you can only afford a small vacuum sealer, purchase the Reynolds Handi Vac. I do not think you will be disappointed. If you do lots of batch cooking, especially with liquids, you may want to go ahead an take splurge on the FoodSaver. If you already have a FoodSaver, the convenience of using the Handi Vac is certainly worth the price if you can get it on sale.
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16 responses so far ↓
1 Laurie // Dec 10, 2007 at 6:52 pm
That looks like a cool product. I hope you get it!
2 Sandy // Dec 18, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Have you tried putting liquidy foods in a larger bag and then using the Vac with the bag in a vertical position?
3 jenuinejen // Dec 19, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Sandy,
We have tried leaning a bag against a wall to do suction the air out and that did not work, at least not for us. That is Mr. Right’s only drawback with this device. He says other than that, it is much “handier” than the foodsaver.
4 bruce // Jan 8, 2008 at 11:58 pm
The reynolds Handi vac seems to be ok for short term storage,like a couple of days.After that the bags will lose their initial vacuum and youll want to revac,I think the problem with the bags loseing their ability to maintain a vacuum makes this product just another useless product,unless youll be opening and revacuuming 0n a regular bais.
5 Joseph // Feb 23, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I owned a FoodSaver and after a while it still form ice inside.
6 Jerry // Feb 25, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I bought one of these a couple of months ago, and I think it works pretty well for small jobs. It’s not something I would recommend for vacuum sealing a couple of bushels of produce from your garden. I’ve got some stuff in the freezer that’s been vacuum sealed without opening for about 6 weeks now, and there’s no sign of air leakage. I sealed the contents about a week earlier, and opened, closed, and resealed the bag 4 or 5 times with no problems. I do wish that they made bags larger than 1 gallon, say 2 or 2.5 gallons.
7 Shari K // Feb 26, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I personally prefer the Handi Vac and mostly just because of the size. A vacuum sealer is something that you use quite often, but it’s not a product you want sitting out on the counter for all to see. The Food Saver is more powerful, but it’s too bulky and expensive if you don’t use it every day.
8 Beverly Rodriguez // Mar 2, 2008 at 12:22 am
Try freezing liquid then seal the ice cube. Does that work?
9 Christy // Mar 19, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hi, I’m Christy, and I have some great news to share from the Reynolds Consumer Products Company: The Reynolds® Handi-Vac® Vacuum Sealing System is now only $6.98 at Wal-Mart®! That’s a savings of $2.50 (over 25%!) on the easy-to-use powerful pump that removes air, virtually eliminating freezer burn. This price drop ends on April 7th, so go to your local Wal-Mart store now for the Reynolds Handi-Vac and see how easy it is to store leftovers, prevent freezer burn and help preserve the taste of your food. Learn more about this exciting, innovative product at Handi-Vac.com.
© 2008 Reynolds Consumer Products Company
© 2008 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
10 Ironcook // Mar 26, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I’ve been using the Handi Vac for a month now…and it has NEVER lost it’s seal, or let air back in. I cook a lot, and always make enough for leftovers, both solids and liquids. I have sealed liquids without any problems, just need to be a little careful. It isn’t rocket science. I’ve had a Foodsaver in the past, and this is much more easier to use, and more cost effective.
11 Ed // Apr 8, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I’m a member of the FoodSaver group on Yahoo but nobody has been able to answer a question of mine - I have a Handi-Vac and it does draw a good solid vacuum on the bags. Has anyone tried using it to suck the air out of one of the FoodSaver canisters? It looks like the suction tip on the HV would fit over the port on the FS lid, but would it pull a vacuum? Does anyone have a canister and a HV that could try it?
Ed
12 Suzie // May 13, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Any feedback about the plastic used in the bags? Do we know of any health hazard?
I would like to use one, but I am concerned about health.
Suzie
13 Jeremy // Oct 24, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Ed,
I just used it on my FoodSaver canister with good results. You just have to press a little harder to make sure you get a good seal.
Goodbye FoodSaver!
14 betty mutter // Mar 29, 2009 at 10:15 am
I have the handvac and I have been having trouble with it. It will not vacum..what couldbe wrong? not batteries becasue I have changed them.
thank you
15 Patrick // Oct 28, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Thanks for sizing the two up against each other side-by-side and giving us a seemingly unbiased review. Both seem great. Will probably start out with the Handi Vac
16 priscilla // Nov 1, 2009 at 1:09 pm
i love the reynolds handi vac , it does a wonderful job .i swear by them .i just cant find the bags in stores by me . i want my bags!!!
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