When I place my 25 pound bag of sugarless angelfood cake mix in FS containers, I used 2 gallon zipper bags to hold about 10 pounds in each canister, and I leave the bags partially open. I used the big 1.5 gallon huge size canisters. I do make sure that the rubber seals are very clean and have no bits of stuff or foreign materials in the seal areas. The domed canisters are easy to pull a decent vacuum on. I use a seperate vacuum pump however as it gives me a much stronger vacuum that can hold a cover on for many months. Thats how my cake mix is stored, and is still under vacuum, as is the grated cheese in the fridge. If there is even a single nick on the plastic edge where the seal is made to the rubber ring, it will usually leak. I have moistened the lip with a little water and placed the lid on and its pumped down quite well. Another way to get that seal to hold better is to use a very light coating of non stick spray, applied on a paper towel. Its applied VERY THIN and would be lighly applied to the plastic rim of the canister. This will help to ensure a good seal, but the best I get is when I use my external vacuum pump. For the big bucket shaped containers with flat and concave lids with the knob, I have has to fix a few small cracks that show up around the knob. I use crazy glue to pull the glue into the cracks under vacuum and its hardened off with an activator that turns it solid in one second. The cracks that form are because I use a very powerful vacuum pump. Right now, I have a batch of vinegar salt brine waiting for the next wave of pepperoncini peppers to get canned, and its under vacuum. Basically, a stronger vacuum pump may be needed. It also may be that the pump you have inside the FS is either dirty or worn out so its not pulling a vacuum very well. The pumps in the FS are quite small, and most have a built in sensor that shuts them off once they reach a specific pressure which is obviously lower than 30 inches of mercury (read on a vacuum gauge). The square or rectangular containers will crack down the sides every time. I went through 3 of them and found that even though they are thick plastic, its not designe dwell enough to hold a good vacuum. All my square ones cracked in the corners.

So much for promising I would post an evaluation after I used my new sealer. I totally forgot to do so. I splurged on the Ary VacmasterPro 305, buying it from their website. It was by far the best price I could find at the time. I preferred it to the 350 because I store it in a vertical position on my countertop where it takes up only 3 or 4" of space horizontally. I do have to store it carefully because the lift-up sealing section falls upon when it is stood upright on the back. Not a problem--that side goes to the wall which holds it together. I do not think they still sell this model. The 350 is significantly thicker and would require as much as 7 or so inches of horizontal storage when stood on end. The 305 is not available on Amazon either so it may no longer be available. I have used mine with the old FoodSaver and Sous Vide Supreme bags, with some bags I bought on line, and with the provided bags from Ary. No problems with any of them--although I did have to shorten the sealing (not vacuuming) time because it was melting all the way through the bags. I cut bags from a roll to the length I want (or select a pre-used one) and seal one end, then vacuum and seal the second end. I waste far less this way than if I was using a machine with stored roll dispenser. I can seal the first end with about 1/2 of waste. (I leave less waste than the 305 video on the VacMaster website shows.) Then I cut the bag 6 or so inches longer than I need and use Dcarch's system of wrapping the food in an unused produce bag from the grocery produce department before inserting it into the vacuum bag. Finally I vacuum seal the second end of the bag, again losing about 1/2" of bag, wrap the excess bag over the food, and stick it in the freezer. Because this vacuum sealer seals a double line instead of a single one, I usually do not bother to seal twice, as I used to with the FoodSaver and SousVide sealers. No problems with losing vacuum while frozen. Hasn't happened yet, anyway. And no problems with re-using the bags when the current food is removed. A quick wash and dry and I store the used bags until needed. I often get three or four uses from a single length, each time losing an inch or so to the sealing process. Makes my stingy heart happy. These suckers are expensive. Occasionally the inner bag leaks when I sous vide meat. Doesn't affect the vacuum at all, of course. These used bags are usually pitched unless the leakage was very slight because it is hard to be certain all of the gunk is washed out. Overall I am very pleased with the sealer and would buy the same again. Hope this info is useful, although I think it has all been said by others before.

I have the Tilia Foodsaver but an inexpensive model. I do have to hold down the tab until it is sealed but it is not a problem. Perhaps the more expensive models have a feature so you don't have to hold it down. I did get the canisters thru Tilia and they are well worth the money. I have kept salad greens fresh for over two weeks. I also have the wide mouth sealer for canning jars and like that feature, too. I had another Tilia Foodsaver that I had for many years and it eventually lost its ability to vacuum seal and then I broke the tip off the tubing I used on the canisters so I got rid of it. Then found out I really missed the convenience so bought another one. I keep my Foodsaver on the counter and I use it several times a day. It is great when you find bargains at the market and have a freezer. I have also sealed my sterling silverware in the bags to prevent tarnish....does a great job.

FoodSaver is a very good brand at a good price point. My FoodSaver is probably a dozen years old or so, and it's still working (with a little coaxing now and then!). I prefer my type: over the newer model I see in Costco: It seems like the lower profile model is easier to store. Costco often has deals on the FoodSaver and bags. I highly recommend getting one. My frozen foods/meats are protected and I can defrost easily.