3 mil, 4 mil, or retherm?

Hi members,

I just ordered a VacMaster VP215 in anticipation of the May Joule release (now later than May Joule release) and am trying to figure out the best type of bag to order. I want to maximize versatility, so I plan on ordering long bags and cutting them down with an impulse sealer we already had. We plan to use the VP215 for sous vide meats, veggies, etc (we ordered 2 Joules to facilitate this). I keep seeing contradictory information saying first, "Get 3 mils for everything and you will be fine." Then "If you don't use 4 mils then the bags will die in the heat/freezer/being looked at" Others said "4 mils are better to wash and reuse" Then we would read "4 mils cost more and are just a waste of money...get 3 mils"

And on and on and on.

To add to the confusion...then there are the 3 mil RE-THERM bags. But according to VacMaster, they only extend boiling time from the standard 20 mins to 30 mins. (Times recommended by ARY Vacmaster).

I plan on having a stock of 8" and 10" widths, but am also not sure about 6"...wondering if it is too small.

Lastly, the bags come in units of 1000, so it would stink to get the wrong type and have them...forever!

Please help. Everybody's 2 cents are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Rich

Find more posts tagged with

What About Tools?

Comments

Brandon_Byrd_40557

3 mil bags are the industry standard for SV and they are plenty robust. 4 mils are just heavier and cost more. If you plan to seal up tons and tons of bones or other items with sharp edges, maybe the 4 mils are worth it. (I say "Maybe" because I've never had a problem with bones puncturing the 3 mil bags, and if I did, I'd be more inclined to buy some "bone guards" than switch over to 4 mil bags entirely.) But I wouldn't buy them as general purpose bags. You also don't want retherm bags. Those are designed to be boiled for extended periods, not for sous vide. As to whether or not certain bags are easier to wash or reuse, that sounds like an insane prospect to me both because the bags are cheap and because it would be difficult to accomplish in way that satisfies me from a food safety perspective. I also find that there is usually something better to do with my time than spend it trying to wash and dry the inside of a plastic bag.

I'd also advise against buying that many bags in one go for precisely the reason you mention. If you're not happy with a particular size, you'll be stuck with it forever. Vacuum Sealers Unlimited (dotcom) will sell you a bundle containing 100 each of 6, 8, and 10 inch bags so you can try them out and see what sizes you like before committing to a thousand bags.

tshewman

See @Brandon Byrd response. He's spot on with the recommendations. For long cooks, I would also recommend doubling up the bags. One easy rule of thumb is you can always cut a bag to make it smaller, you can't add material to one to make it bigger.

AngelArs_240456

If you're buying bags in bulk then the 4 mil is probably a "safer" bet, BUT the majority of the time the 3 mil should be fine. Do a lot of research and shopping. If you can find a 4 mil bag at low cost then it's a no brainer to just get those as they would be the best of both worlds. I know a lot of people that have switched to the 4 mil style and won't buy 3 mil again, but it's a personal preference thing. I prefer to buy bag rolls, verses pre-cut, as you tend to save more that way, plus for me they’re much easier to store. If you’re not using a vacuum sealer then the thinner bags might be easier to use. Again, it's a personal preference thing. Whatever bags you decide on, to protect your health make sure they are BPA free. While it may be tempting to re-use a bag, I would strongly warn against it. Studies have found that you can leach chemicals with EA (estrogenic activity) even without the added stress of reusing the bag in a hot water bath. Simply using a bag once and discarding it is the safer practice.

Also if you are relatively new to buying bags then I would NOT buy them in large quantity. Shop around, try different styles and brands until you find one that you really like, then buy those in larger quantity. Nothing worse then being stuck with bags that you really don’t like. Everyone looks for something different in a bag, value, dependability, textured VS. non-textured, rolls VS. pre-cut, I don’t think there is any one right answer here, it all depends on what works best for you, and you'll know that over time. BTW there are also 3.5 mil bags if you can't decide

fisher23

I have some of three: 3 mil, 4 mil and re-therm. I tend to use the 3 mil the most, I think because they are thinner they are just easier to handle and they conform to the shape of the item being vacuumed better. I don't use the re-therm bags much, mainly for leftovers that I send home with other people who don't have sous vide. I did get some bone guard sheets too, I only used them when I vacuusealed some whole crabs, but then I learned a trick of putting the crab between two heavyweight paper plates in the bag, worked even better. I also have a few zipper bags, which I like for when I am vacuusealing things I buy in bulk and don't use it all for one meal, i.e. ground meat, rice etc.

AngelArs_240456

Like the paper plate tip

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Me too!

fisher23

Got that from the captain of a salmon fishing charter boat. The weather wasn't conducive for salmon fishing one day so we went crabbing instead. He showed us how he prepped then vacuusealed them for freezing so we could take them home. Stayed fresh for six months.

Richard_Rupp_336589

Thanks to everybody for the useful comments. I have rules out re-therm bags and will try the sample bags that come with the VP215 to see if 3 mil seems heavy enough before I order more of those or 4 mil bags. Thanks again.

p.s. The paper plate in lieu of bone guards idea seemed economical and genius.