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The FoodSaver GameSaver Deluxe Plus is a semi-professional external type of counter top vacuum sealer. This is the sealer for you if you hunt or fish and want to occasionally seal medium amounts of game and fish.

It’s also a good machine if you’re a busy mom or dad who likes to cook up food in large batches and freeze in one go and wants a stylish appliance sitting on the kitchen counter rather than a large bulk sealer.

This particular unit is capable of sealing many more bags without overheating than lots of other FoodSaver models.

Vacuum Sealer Description

As an external vacuum sealer this machine is pretty well-built and designed to go for longer without overheating than many other manufacturers models. Several purchasers of this model said that they had not been able to get the machine to overheat providing they left 20 seconds between seals as per the manufacturers instructions.

This machine has a white plastic wipe clean finish and features a number of clearly labelled buttons for the various functions.

2 Models of the GameSaver Deluxe?

There appear to be 2 models of this sealer currently on sale which can be confusing.

The GameSaver Deluxe, which is the older version no longer on sale from FoodSaver but still available from some retailers can be identified by the absence of a Canister Seal button on the top panel.

The newer version, the GameSaver Deluxe Plus has 7 buttons on the top which include a canister seal button. The older version, the GameSaver Deluxe has 6 buttons with the canister seal button being absent, but it can still seal up canisters.

We suggest that you try to get hold of the later model as this will incorporate any improvements that the manufacturer has made to the efficiency of the controls and mechanism.

The newer model is correctly listed Here on Amazon >>

Uses

As stated in the introduction, this model is designed for heavier than average use and so is ideal for hunters and fishermen who need to seal up and freeze game and fish in moderate amounts. Its also a great machine if you save money by buying food in bulk and then need to repackage it quickly and get it in the freezer for long term storage.

A great added benefit of vacuum sealing foods is that foods last so much longer in the freezer, 3 to 5 times as long as when stored in normal bags. Vacuum sealing foods before placing in your freezer also stops your foods getting spoiled by freezer burn.

As this machine has an accessory port and hose, it can also be used in conjunction with the FoodSaver range of accessories including jar sealing attachments and wide mouth jar sealing attachment for mason jars and the ever popular marinating attachment.

You can also use it to reseal bags of chips and other thin mylar type bags.

Features

Sealing Mechanism

The sealing bar on this model is approximately 11.75 inches wide. The sealing strip that this gives you is a generous ½” wide which is wider than many other models of machine. This extra width provides you with a better quality seal which means that you will have less seal failures over time.

The unit is also fitted with an overheating cut-out so that the machine power goes off if you exceed a certain number of seals without allowing the machine sufficient down time between operations. The manufacturer instructions recommend that you allow 20 seconds between seals for optimum operation.

Some users have found that they can operate the sealer continuously without overheating as long as they let the machine rest for 20 seconds.

Vacuum rating: 22 in. of mercury.

Bag/Roll Cutter

The built-in bag cutter is really useful when trimming bags and the roll ends. Having a sealer with a bag cutter makes it a lot easier to get the ends of the roll cut square. This in turn helps enormously when you have to insert the end of the bag inside the vacuum channel.

Controls

This unit features controls for Fast Speed or Normal Speed, use normal speed for delicate foods and the fast speed setting for everything else. Moist or Dry Food buttons are also present that allow you to opt for a longer seal time when sealing moist foods.

There is also a Auto Vacuum and Seal button for starting the vacuum and a Canister Seal button so that the accessory hose can be used to vacuum out air from jars and canisters.

A Manual Seal button is also present that can be used when you just want to heat seal a bag, like resealing a chip packet where no vacuum is required.

To make a bag from a roll

  1. Open sealer lid
  2. Place end of roll in vacuum channel
  3. Close arm to lock the lid
  4. Press Manual Seal button and red light comes on to indicate sealing is taking place
  5. When red light goes off sealing is finished and the end of the roll has been sealed
  6. Unlock the arm the lid will then open
  7. Use the built in cutter to trim excess plastic from the bag end

To seal items inside your new bag

  1. Put roll into machine and trim the bag to size required using the cutter
  2. Insert food or items into bag
  3. Insert open end of bag in vacuum channel ensuring that bag edge is flat on the sealing gasket
  4. Close and lock the lid
  5. Choose dry or moist setting then press Vacuum and Seal button
  6. Wait till the vacuum has finished unlock the lid and your food is vacuum sealed and ready for long term storage in your freezer.

Drip Tray

The drip tray can be removed for cleaning. In fact, unlike many other manufacturers models it can be cleaned thoroughly using your dishwasher ensuring that it keeps free of germs and food smells.

Storage Compartment

There is a storage compartment inside the machine where you can store a roll and a number of bags if so desired. This is pretty useful as otherwise the bags tend to get all over the place in the kitchen. As far as I’m concerned anything that helps you to keep things organised and stored within the appliance is a good thing.

Be aware though that the commonly available 11 x 50 ft rolls are too large in diameter to fit inside the the storage area. The simple solution is to spool off around 20 foot of the roll which you store somewhere else.

Note that there is also place to store the accessory hose on the rear of the machine as well.

Bags and Rolls


The unit is designed primarily to use bags and rolls that can be purchased from the FoodSaver range. Also note that FoodSaver bags can be recycled and are BPA free unlike some other manufacturers.

Rolls and bags included?
This machine comes complete with a number of different sized rolls and bags so you can start sealing as soon as the unit arrives. These are listed below.

  • 10ft roll of 11 inch wide roll for making bags
  • 5 x quart sized bags
  • 5 x gallon bags

Different brands of bags and rolls can also be used but look first to see if they are marked as compatible with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer ranges. This unit is also reported to work well with Weston brand rolls.

Note that whatever bags or rolls that you buy the maximum width bag you should be trying to seal with the GameSaver is 11 inches.

Several users have said that they have sealed thin Mylar bags with the unit but be aware that the vacuum will not work properly with smooth Mylar bags.

Accessories

An accessory hose for use with jar and canister sealers is also supplied. The GameSaver can be used in conjunction with most FoodSaver accessories to greatly expand the usefulness of the sealer.

Table of extra attachments

Power/Voltage

The unit needs a 120Volt 60Hz supply to run. It draws 1A of current and uses 120 Watts of power. This is around average for a unit of this size.

The electrical cord is around 30” long and comes fitted with a 3 pin plug. The cord is not made too long due to the hazard of training cords hanging off the kitchen counter being pulled on by young children. Most FoodSaver models have cords made with safety paramount.

Place of Manufacture

This unit is manufactured in China.

Warranty

FoodSaver give an extraordinary 10 year limited warranty on this machine. This is one of the longest warranties currently offered on ANY vacuum sealer and should give you great peace of mind if anything goes wrong with the unit.

Dimensions

The measurements of the unit are 16.5 length x 9.5 inches width x 4.5 inches high

Pros

  • Simple to set up
  • Very easy to use
  • Uses less bag material than the FoodSaver stand-up model
  • Heavier duty motor than many other models
  • Much more suction than most other FoodSaver models
  • Does not overheat in normal use
  • Easy to keep clean
  • You get a huge 10 year warranty on the unit
  • Customer service is based in the USA

Cons

  • The roll storage compartment is not big enough to take a 50ft bulk roll. If you want to use these large bulk-buy rolls you will have to unroll some of the material to fit into the storage compartment. This is just a minor inconvenience compared to the cost savings that you can make using the longer roll size.

Consumer Ratings

This model of sealer had consistently high ratings of 4.5/5 given on many sites due to its very good performance particularly when performing multiple seals consistently without overheating.

Price

The unit is for sale via the manufacturer for $139.99 at the time of writing. Amazon though periodically offers large discounts on these machines so check here for Todays Best Price

Review Summary

The GameSaver Deluxe Plus is the right machine for you if at times you want to get on with doing a lot of sealing all at once, say when you return from making a bulk food purchase, or a successful hunting or fishing trip.

While not a true commercial machine, this model can stand up to some heavy use without overheating so we recommend it.