This Reviewer Went To Extreme Lengths To Find Out If Electric Bag Sealers Actually Work

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Keeping a bag of chips fresh is a simple undertaking that involves little more than a strong fold and a chip clip. Basic as it may seem, bag-sealing gadgets promise to perform this mundane task better and more conveniently than what your hands allow. Do they really, though? Not according to Extreme Reviews, which tested three Amazon heat sealers in increasingly unhinged ways. Along with evaluating the bag sealers' everyday uses (such as their ability to secure a bag of tortilla chips), the Extreme Reviews host put the sealed bags through a veritable gauntlet of physical trials. First, the facts: these gadgets use heat to gently melt plastic and create a tight seal. They're not the same as vacuum sealers, which remove air from packages in addition to sealing them. 

Two of the gadgets, the Comtar and HSLGOVE brands, failed initial tests and were out of the running early. Amazon's generic sealer proved to be the most effective and was the only device to make it beyond the Lightning Round. In the true essence of "don't try this at home," sealed bags were dropped from windows, obliterated by a car tire, and pierced by a katana. The verdict? Humble chip clips are the way to go. The superior generic bag sealer (also referred to as the "Bezos Special") was described as "frustratingly inconsistent," and the reviewer ultimately determined, "This may seem convenient, but in actuality, I think it's more of a problem."

According to Extreme Reviews' rigorous tests, all three of Amazon's electric bag sealers exhibited similar problems. While (sometimes) capable of creating a tight seal, food packages were frequently found to lack the airtightness crucial to keeping items fresh. Air exposure is a huge problem for chips in particular. Starchy chips take in moisture from the air, which ruins their texture and leads to a stale flavor. Another issue electric bag sealers presented was melting plastic, a side effect observed with all three devices (though the reviewer admitted user error could be to blame). Based on what we've seen, heat-sealing gadgets are not worth your hard-earned bucks, so how should you store chips and other items to preserve their maximum freshness and flavor? 

If you find yourself without a handy chip clip, there's a potato chip bag-sealing hack that makes brilliant use of a few well-intentioned folds — no accessories required. Still, securing food packages is only part of the challenge of keeping household foods fresh. Where you store food in your kitchen also affects its freshness. Olive oil, cheese, and certain produce require a cool environment that protects against moisture. Simply freezing perishable foods in secure containers is one of several food storage hacks that work for seasonal fruits and veggies, fresh herbs, and other kitchen staples. Remember: modern conveniences aim to make our lives easier, but as this experiment shows, that's not always the case. 

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Extreme Reviews.