Foodsaver FM2000 Review: Our Choice for the Best Budget Vacuum Food Sealer
Foodsaver is one of the leading brands of food sealers, and the FM2000 is one of their most popular models. But is it a good fit for your needs?
Learn more about this model in our Foodsaver FM2000 review.
Whether you’re a food prepper, sous vide lover, or gardener wanting to preserve your harvest, a food sealer is an invaluable tool for your kitchen. When used properly, vacuum sealing can keep your foods fresher for longer – up to three years with Foodsaver models.
Our Foodsaver FM2000 Review
The Foodsaver FM2000 vacuum sealer is a versatile and convenient way to preserve your food.
Compact and easy to use, this model is ideal for anyone who is short on time and wants a reliable food sealer. You can even use this sealer for other purposes, like preserving photographs and important documents or storing liquids and creams for travel.
The FM2000’s versatility offers great value for the money.
Whether you want to preserve delicate foods (like herbs) or meats, the FM2000 has you covered. You can stop the sealing midway to avoid crushing your foods. Foodsaver bags are also safe for use with sous vide cooking, so they’re extremely versatile.
Before we dive deeper into this review, here’s a quick rundown of the FM2000’s features and benefits.
Key Features and Benefits of the FM2000
- Extra-wide sealing strip for a thicker, stronger seal.
- The one-touch operation saves you time and frustration, especially if you’re prepping large batches of food.
- Accessory port to give you more versatile sealing options, like canisters and containers.
- Comes with an 11” x 10’ vacuum seal roll, 2 x 1-gallon bags, 3 x 1-quart bags, and an accessory hose. This allows you to start sealing foods right out of the box.
- Removable drip tray for easy cleaning in the dishwasher.
- The accessory hose can be used with Fresh Containers to quickly marinate foods.
The FM2000 is easy to use. Use a pre-cut bag or cut your own bag from the vacuum seal roll. Add your food, insert the open end of the bag into the sealer, and let the FM2000 take care of the rest. It will remove air, create a tight seal and turn off automatically once the seal is complete.
Like other Foodsaver sealers, the FM2000 allows you to preserve foods for longer – up to three years. Because it removes oxygen from the bag, foods taste fresher and won’t develop freezer burn.
The FM2000 is built with new technology, so this unit uses 40% less bag material than other models. Less bag waste means that you spend less money on sealer rolls. Efficiency doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality. The FM2000 still delivers a strong seal to preserve foods and their flavors.
While bags aren’t supposed to be reused, many users do reuse them without issue. They simply clean out the interior of the bag and create a new seal. We wouldn’t recommend doing this with meats because of the risk of contamination. But if you like to preserve fruits, it may be possible to reuse the same bag twice for the same type of fruit.
Overall, the FM2000 offers easy to use, durability, and quality. There’s a lot to love about this machine, but there are some minor drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Pros
- Easy to use with one-touch operation
- Less bag material waste
- Accessory hose allows you to use the sealer in other ways
- Simple cleaning, with a patented drip tray that’s dishwasher safe
- Preserve food for up to three years
- Comes with several bags, so you can get started right away
- You can stop vacuuming midway to avoid crushing delicate foods
Cons
- Does not include roll storage or a bag cutter
- Instructions aren’t as detailed or clear as they should be
The only complaint with this vacuum sealer is that it doesn’t come with roll storage or a bag cutter like some of the other models from Foodsaver. That’s because it’s meant to be a more compact model to save space in your kitchen. The comparable FoodSaver model with roll storage is the FM2435.
You will need to find somewhere to store your bag rolls, and you’ll need to use scissors to cut your own bags. These are only minor inconveniences, but it’s still something to be aware of.
What Customers are Saying about the FM2000
One of the best ways to judge the quality of a product is to check its user reviews. The FM2000 has mostly positive reviews from customers, but there are some minor issues that you should know about. Here’s what users like and dislike about this model:
- Ready for use right out of the box.
- The strong seal keeps foods fresh and freezer-burn-free.
- A removable drip tray is easy to keep clean.
- Liquids from meats and marinades can mess up the seal.
- There is no space to store bag rolls.
- Bags must be cut with scissors.
Overall, customers are happy with the FM2000. Sure, there are some minor issues with this food sealer, but the complaints are common with any vacuum sealer you find on the market. Most of the time, these issues are caused by improper use. But in cases where the product truly is faulty, Foodsaver’s customer service is responsive and will help resolve the issue.
Foodsaver FM2000 vs V2244
At first glance, you may assume that the FM2000 and the V2244 are the same models. They have similar designs and are about the same size. While very similar, the FM2000 is a newer model.
To get a better idea of how these models differ, check out the comparison chart below.
Feature | FM2000 | FM2244 |
---|---|---|
Dimensions | 4″ H x 16.3″ W x 9.2″ D | 4″ H x 16.25″ W x 6.75″ D |
Sealing Capacity | 15-30 repetitive seals | 6-8 repetitive seals |
Version | Newer Release | Older Model |
Bag Waste | 40% Less | |
Accessory Port | Yes | Yes |
Removable Drip Tray | Yes | Yes |
According to FoodSaver’s customer support, the biggest difference between the 2 models is capacity. In the Q&A section of the FoodSaver website, they highlighted this difference.
The only difference between those FoodSaver system is the sealing capacity. The V2244 can do 6-8 repetitive seals and the FM2000 can perform up to 15-30 consecutive functions before a cool down period. Happy shopping!
FoodSaver.com Customer Support
Here are some additional differences between the FM2000 and the V2244:
- The FM2000 has nearly half the bag waste compared to the V2244. This means you get more bags per roll when using the FM2000 saving money on buying bags and rolls over the lifetime of your machine.
- FM2000 is the newer version in the line of v2000 series of Food Saver’s countertop vacuum sealers.
- While similar in size and weight, the FM2000 is a few inches deeper than the older model.
In short, the FM2000 is an improved version of this compact FoodSaver.
Our Verdict
The Foodsaver FM2000 is a food sealer that’s reliable, easy to use, and compact enough to store on any kitchen countertop. You can use this model to preserve a wide range of foods or even cook sous vide style with Foodsaver bags.
The FM2000 gets our vote for the best budget FoodSaver in our comparison of the most popular vacuum food sealers because of its favorable price point and easy usage.