Poly Nylon Vacuum Bags

Can you use any bags in a vacuum sealer?

No you cannot. For a bag to be able to both have the air removed from it as well as have a material appropriate too keeping air out of it once sealed you must match the type of sealer you have with the appropriate bag for it. Most bags will not work to either remove the air or hold the vacuum.

Are vacuum sealer bags universal?

They are not universal. There are two types of vacuum bags: channeled and non channeled. The channeled bags are more expensive and work with sealers which are more affordable such as seal-a-meal and foodsaver type sealers which are generally meant for home use. The non channeled bags are less expensive and work with more industrial sealers such as chamber sealers or nozzle sealers. These are meant for commercial use. 

Are vacuum sealer bags recyclable?

Vacuum sealers are made from a laminate of polyethylene and polyamide. Since these have different recycling requirements this makes the bags non recyclable. 

Are vacuum sealer bags reusable?

Vacuum bags can be re-used for the same product which is in it. For instance for a food application such as cheese you could cut a piece of cheese off the block and re-vacuum and seal the bag. You cannot re-use a vacuum bag for a different food item as this could potentially present cross contamination issues. 

Can vacuum sealer bags be boiled?

Vacuum bags can be boiled for short periods of time. Typically up to 10-15 minutes. Prolonged exposure to boiling temperatures may compromise the bag.

What vacuum sealer bags work with a foodsaver?

Foodsaver vacuum sealers are made to be compatible with channeled vacuum bags. They will not work with the more affordable non channeled bags.

Why are vacuum sealer bags textured?

Only channeled vacuum sealer bags are textured and this is because the texture itself is channels which allows the sealer such as Foodsaver to pull oxygen out of the bag. Without these channels the bag would be just a regular poly nylon bag that would be compatible with nozzle or chamber sealers. 

Can vacuum seal bags go in the oven?

Vacuum seal bags cannot go in the oven. The radiative heat that these give off is above the melting point for the bags and as such would be compromised fairly quickly.

Which vacuum seal bags are best?

It depends entirely on your application. For home use we recommend channeled bags paired with a more affordable sealer such as seal-a-meal or Foodsaver. For commercial applications we recommend investing in a more expensive machine such as a chamber or nozzle sealer as over time the amount you will save on the bags will pay for the machine many times over.