Drawbacks of regular ziplock bags

In tutorials around the web (and if I'm remembering correctly, a couple of vids in the ChefSteps course?) I sometimes see people using regular old ziplock freezer bags (not the vacuum kind) in lieu of vacuum sealed bags.

aside from not storing as well (not a priority for me), what are the drawbacks of using these bags? will they hold up during a 72-hour bath? are they more susceptible to pathogens creeping in?

I bought an inexpensive FoodSaver vacuum sealer last night thinking it was necessary, but now I'm wondering if it's more of a luxury. I can think of other kitchen gadgets I'd rather have for $150

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Brendan_Lee_56950

I do my short cook time things in the blue ziplock freezer bags. I can get like 90 of them for $8 at my local BJs. I've never had a problem with them and I think that they have been rated safe for most every temperature you'd be using for proteins. I believe there's a thread in the forum regarding plastics and sous vide that will answer some of those questions about safety as well. As long as you buy the good bags with a good seal you should be alright.

I had a foodsaver for many moons and while it was handy, I think i've used my chamber vac more in the month that i've owned it than the life of my 2 food savers combined.

Chris_Young_80640

@Josh For most purposes that don't involve prolonged storage, heavy-duty ziplock-style bags work great. That's one reason you'll see them used frequently in our course.

Josh_33330

awesome, thank you Brendan and Chris. I'm looking forward to following along as the course develops. I'm already impressed by the quality of the videos and website.

Lee_Warren_288

I noticed for the spare ribs, which take 72 hours sous vide, that ziplock bags are not recommended. Is there a number of hours cooking sous vide that's a turning point / cut-off point for how long ziplock bags will hold up?

Chris_Young_80640

@Lee_Warren The ziplock-style bags would work for the 72 hours short-ribs, but if you're going to store them in the refrigerator for more than a few days, we recommend using a true vacuum packaging bag. Ziplock-style bags actually do allow gases to exchange over time between the inside and outside of the bag.

Patrick_Ancillotti_6135

@Lee_Warren: One day when I end up with a chamber sealer my choice may change, but right now I use it for anything liquid heavy because the foodsaver just doesn't cut it. The slide zip ones have been a little quirky (a little harder to get all the air out), but have worked just fine.

ParkerCook_66639

@Chris Would the vacuum-style ziplock bags that use the hand pump to vacuum the air out of the bag work for long-time storage?

Chris_Young_80640

The biggest issue with these bags for long-term storage is that the plastic is thin enough that gases will move through the bag over time. If you're storing for a couple of days, they'll be fine. If you want to store for longer, the permeability of the bag becomes an issue.