StayFresh Vacuum Food Storage Bags – Pack of 25

I needed some more of these bags. I have found them to be really good quality. They can be used quite a number of times if washed well & dried. I have read that some people have a problem with the air getting in after sealing. I have not had a problem because there is a way to stop that. When sealing has finished & sealer is removed, just slide your finger tip over the centre of the blue sealing button & make sure the centre is flat, because when the sealer is removed the centre of the blue sealing button can sometimes be up like a bubble & that allows the air to slowly re-enter.

Once the ‘valve’ has been figured out, these are very easy to use and perfect for keeping things fresh Others mentioned using an additional vacuum pump to ‘prime’ the valve. useful at first but I found a more accessible way that works too. By heating the valve area against a mug of hot water for 15-30 seconds to loosen the adhesive before using the bag and the vacuum works as expected. May need a couple of heatings but needs nothing more than a mug and kettle

I really liked the idea of these bags, as I sometimes want to keep something but not in a box or other container, e.g cheese or cooked meats. I was totally flummoxed about getting the pump to extract the air, then I found the reviews that other people had left. I used the hot mug method and hey presto it worked. The bags are robust and reusable and the pump is very compact. I also like the fact that it is rechargeable. Well done Lakeland, but please put some instructions in the box!!!

This product is brilliant. I use these bags all the time and dont have any problems getting the air out like some people have mentioned. I put the sealed bag on the work surface, place the air extractor over the valve and switch it on. You need to press very firmly otherwise it won’t work. I’m hoping that Lakeland will bring out a larger bag (equivalent to one of the Sainsbury’s LARGE zipper bags) so that I can use them in the freezer. The current bags are ok for leftovers but not big enough for some freezer items (like a homemade loaf).

These work well once you figure out you can't just chuck in food and suck the air out!. I found a video online showing you that you need to 'prime' them by laying them flat and putting the vacuum over the seal and sucking air out until you get small air pockets around the vacuum seal. Only when you have that can you add food, but you still need to lay it on a hard flat surface so your get a good seal around the air hole so the air can be sucked out. This should be explained on the packaging. Much prefer the containers.