Eurosealer - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Eurosealer
By: Amy Jacquin

Many of us keep opened bags of food stored by using clips or twist-ties. But the $8 Eurosealer, which we found at Bed,Bath and Beyond, claims to seal in the fresh flavors, textures and nutrients, in the original bag. "It says you'll find the Eurosealer easy to use," Amy Jacquin reads from the directions. "However, it does take practice to get used to the feel of the seal."

Amy's first test is a huge bag of peppermints... Makers of the Eurosealer say you can now take advantage of those bulk bargains, without worrying about keeping the leftovers. "The Eurosealer is a heat sealer, not a pressure sealer," she continues to read. "So press, don't squeeze."

A magnetic back means you can keep it on the fridge... Instructions say to do one-half the bag.... Flip it over, and do the other half... And make sure to go in the direction of the seam. Allow three seconds for it to preheat, and then move slowly across the bag. Wires running through the white pad heat-up, and the heat seals the bag. "One little hole here, but maybe I didn't go slowly enough over that spot," Amy slid the Eurosealer over that spot, and it DID seal.

Next she grabs a bag of peas. "This is straight from the freezer, the bag is cold. I don't know if that'll... Oh, no! Look at what I did! See that? I melted a hole, because I held it in one spot too long." Amy barely uses any pressure... But the plastic is so soft, it sticks to the Eurosealer. "I'm not happy with the seal," says Amy.

A pretzel bag is made of harder plastic and the Eurosealer works much better. "This is a lunch meat bag," Amy explains. "It tends to be softer. I'm curious to see if it re-seals, or if it just melts the bag." Once again, the Eurosealer works well. The package shows it re-sealing a bag of water... So that's our next test. Because this is very soft plastic, Amy tries to move quickly. But the Eurosealer catches, snags and melts the baggie... leaking water everywhere. "If I do it too quickly, it doesn't seal," Amy says. "If I don't do it quickly enough, it melts a hole in it. I think the soft plastic is very hard to do with the Eurosealer."

For instance, a sturdy plastic bag of trail mix re-seals pretty easily. As directions say, it will take a little time to get a "feel for the seal." But I think the $8 Eurosealer does work on thicker plastics. I'm not sure it's any easier than clips or ties... And YOU'LL have to decide if food stays fresher longer. After her test, Amy gives the Eurosealer a B-.