With the hope that I will soon have the opportunity to freeze some of the ocean's bounty, I checked my inventory of Foodsaver bags the other day. I was almost out so I went to the Internet searching for some reasonablly priced vacuum storage bags. There are quite a few sources out there.
There are two ways to go with this type of product. You can get bags that range in size from one pint to a gallon. Rolls of the bag material are also available in different widths. The rolls cost a little less than the bags but in my view the bags are more convenient.
Most of the suppliers that I ran across offer samples that range in price from free to a couple of bucks. I ordered several samples and discovered that they are all about the same in terms of quality. Most are made of 3 mil plastic, which is a little thinner than the branded bags and rolls from FoodSaver. I tested these bags and found that they actually work better for me because the thinner plastic sucks in tighter to whatever you are trying to package and the melted seal is more reliable.
Many of the companies that sell this stuff offer their products on eBay as well as from their own web sites. You can order just about any quantity and mixture of bag or roll sizes. Prices range from about 14 to 35 cents a bag, depending on the size and manufacturer.
I ended up ordering a 100 piece mixture of pint and quart size bags from a company called FilmTech, (
www.filmtechcorp.com) for less than $22, delivered. Another place called the Vak Shack, (
www.thevakshack.com) offers similar products at a slightly higher price, however they often have coupons for free shipping or other discounts available on their web site.
Bob