FoodSaver 111 Vacuum Sealer Machine - Compact White Kitchen Appliance for Food Preservation | Perfect for Meal Prep, Sous Vide & Extending Shelf Life

I first bought a Zip lock vacuum system and while I was pleased with it the hand pump often took 30 to 40 pumps to create the vacuum in a gallon bag even when evacuating most of air before sealing. This unit works with both the Zip lock bags and the Food saver bags and containers. And I have the hand pump from Zip lock to use if charge is down on this unit. You should note that instructions provide that you should charge for 24 hours before first use. Also I note some reviews comment about vacuum not holding and I find that I often have to double check the seal to be sure it is holding and occasionally will have to remove air after having been in freezer or refrigerator for a while. So it is not perfect but still far better than using non vacuum bags or containers.I bought both Zip lock and this system and some Food Saver containers for my son and daughter after having used for a while. My daughter was concerned about BPA and I was pleased to note that both Zip lock and Food Saver websites say that all their products are BPA free.A tip: The bags from Ziplock or Foodsaver are far more expensive than regular bags so what I have done is use cheaper zip lock bags that I do not seal. I put those inside the vacuum bags, especially for meat and other items that would require disposal of a bag after use. I turn the unsealed bags with flap facing up (so no dripping from meat). This way I can use the vacuum bags over and over again at a considerable savings. My experience is that this has kept food fresher much longer than in unsealed containers and will likely pay for itself in food saved. I tried with bag of salad from Sams that usually spoiled in less than a week if not used in 5 days or so. Kept it fresh for nearly two weeks.