ZeroPak HandyVac Vacuum Sealer product reviews

Every now and then I need to unplug from the digital world for a few days and go commune with nature to flush out the system and recharge my 'spoons'. That is often done in a secluded site down on the shore of Lake Taupo where it is not uncommon to find me still up and about, staring at the stars reflecting on the lake, from about 5m into the water at 3am. Because of the remote location, it's always easiest for me to stop off in the Taupo township as I pass through, and grab supplies for 3-4 days. The ability to vac-pack food on the go is always important, but until now it has been very low-tech - ziplock bags, a straw, my lungs and a lot of practice.

Testing this out was going to be interesting, so I thought I would give a few things a go. The usual benchmarks - testing for watertightness by vac-sealing some tissue paper inside then dropping it into a bucket of water for 10 minutes, then checking for dampness on the tissues proved to be effective. I repeated the test using clean sawdust and dry beans as well, to allow for the texture of the contents to be a factor too. All three tests proved that if you were to drop this in a puddle, the sink or pool, as long as you didn't try to force water in, it's good for longer than it should take you to fish it out again.

I also attempted to cook some scotch fillet steak sous vide, but I misjudged the temperature a bit and it got quite overcooked. However, the bags performed flawlessly, as I made sure to keep the zip-strip and vacuum port above the waterline at all times, thanks to a wooden spoon resting across the top of the pot that I was able to peg the bag to.

Washing and reusing the bag was simple, they are sturdy and easy to clean. The vacuum port worked just as well the second time, and as you can see, it was still holding a solid seal a week later, and there was no sign of oxidation on the avocado. This impressed me almost as much as how simple this unit was to use. Put whatever you want in the bag, seal the zip-strip - using the handy sealing tool supplied if you so desire - thenposition the bag in such a way as to have the vac-port flat against a solid surface. Grab the sealer, hit the button with your thumb and push it gently but evenly against the port. Within a few seconds you'll see the bag tightening up as the air is rapidly removed from the inside. Opening it again is no different, or more difficult, than opening any other zip-lock bag.

Overall, this is going to make my 'mental reset' trips far more practical, especially as I have a great solar-enabled powerbank that will also be a regular companion on future trips. An upcoming trip may also be a perfect time to test how well this works at altitude. An excellent investment for anyone who wants to have food preservation anywhere they go, without the need for bulky units or a reliance on mains-equivalent power.