FoodSaver® GameSaver® Silver Review

The FoodSaver Gamesaver Silver Vacuum Sealing system is without the question the best vacuum sealer that I have owned up to this point.  The GameSaver Silver was created for hunters, fishermen and outdoors folks featuring great looks, rugged design, a built in handle and extra 12 volt cables so you can use this either at home or on the road.  This unit also has a duty cycle of 25 repetitive seals before shutting down to cool allowing outdoor DIY butchers to process large game in a faster more efficient way.

This is not my first FoodSaver and while the last 3 were exceptional at handling smaller easy tasks on a day to basis, this unit is a true workhorse built for the outdoorsman.  Jarden gave me the GameSaver Silver Edition unit to test out along with a full complement of bags and I was pretty excited. This unit has a series of product features that provide more functionality for the outdoorsman.

Product Features

• 15’ 12 volt adapter power cord
• New rugged design with integrated carrying handle
• Easy lock & latch operation with oversized, rubberized buttons
• New intelligent, repetitive sealing
• Built-in storage compartment for accessory hose storage
• Extra large drip tray

Now most of you know that air in any container is the enemy of fresh food and leads to freezer burn and dehydration especially in meat and fish.  Vacuum sealing with the GameSaver Silver allows you to remove trapped air in the package and provide for longterm storage of food.  FoodSaver has long been the industry leader in vacuum sealing technology and this unit is by far the most efficient model to date and rugged enough to take the kind of abuse that outdoorsman can dish out and with the 12 volt 15 foot cable it is easy to lay this unit on the tailgate and process game quickly for easy storage.  This year the kids and I took 4 deer combined and after processing, we had a combined total of close to 200lbs of meat after sausage, jerky and ground venison to last us through the winter.  Now a family cannot last on 100% venison so we supplement our meat intake with small amounts of beef, pork, chicken, fish and other wild game throughout the year.

This year, we have a working on a plan to catch 100lbs of catfish filets for use throughout the year and for a fall fish fry with family along with some panfish. If all works out we are planning a summer trip into the high country to add some trout to our freezer as well.  If we get lucky we will have some wild turkey this Spring, as well as pheasant, duck, geese and venison in the Fall.

What I also really like about the FoodSaver GameSaver brand is the bags and this year FoodSaver came out with several new bags to aid in processing food for the freezer.  FoodSaver Heat-Seal bags are multi-ply material and ensure that air is not allowed to leak out over time.  FoodSaver Bags are also BPA Free so they can be used for boiling, cooking and longterm storage.  Venison can last up to two – three years although that will never happen in my freezer with all of these hungry kids in my house but it is good to know that it could happen.  The FoodSaver Heat-Seal bags are a little more expensive but when you compare the variety and the quality of these bags to some of the off brand bags the price is more then negligible and when you compute the cost of your food, the pennies saved on off brand bags are not worth the savings.  Order FoodSaver Bags directly from www.foodsaver.com or you can order them from Amazon.com.  I like these bags the best for big game processing FoodSaver FSFSBF0226 8-Inch by 11-Inch 1-Quart Pre-Cut Food Storage Bags, 44 Bags

This year FoodSaver came has Rolls, Pre-Cut Bags, Heavy-Duty Bags(my personal favorite for steaks), Portion Control Bags, and Expandable bags for large items like roasts and large birds.  On my last couple of shopping trips, I had the opportunity to try each of the different bags over two shopping trips and each of them worked pretty well with the exception of the portion control bags which on three different attempts would not pull the air out of the bags equally.  Once I separated the bags into individual bags, they vacuumed and sealed quickly.  With a family of three, I have little use for these bags but I could see the value of these bags for the right person.  I liked the Heavy Duty bags the best for steaks and the dam bags for marinated meats and such.  I generally will use the pre-cut bags for bulk processing of venison with the heavy duty bags for backstrap and large packages of steak for summer grilling.

The FoodSaver and GameSaver brands have been around a long time and they understand quality and have built a product for the outdoorsman.  The GameSaver Silver is built for the rigors of the field, works on 12 volt as well as standard power and has all of the functionality that you need as an outdoorsman.  My only complaint is that the unit does not come standard with the carrying case, although they do have one that can be purchased as an option.  The cost of this unit is a bit more then household models but well worth the extra cost when you realize the functionality of the unit and the long duty cycle of 25 seals which really matters when processing a large animal.

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