As wine stoppers (the gray rubber cork element), these things are rather clever and seem to do their job rather well. (THe $10 wine-cap package Amazon sells is worth the price!)But for long term food storage? I'm not so sure on the efficacy of this device. I had tested the vacuum ability by using marshmallows (okay, I actually used those gaudily colored Peeps). They would expand to twice their normal size. But upon leaving the marshmallowey Peep in a vacuum state for 2 hours, the Peep would slowly return to normal size. :-( Of course, when removing the seal, there was a great hiss of air (any air that might have escaped was minimal at best) the Peep shrunk in on itself - it's a cool effect that proves the seals on those canisters do work. But for how long?
I suppose the only way to tell if these canisters work long term is to vacuum up some vittles and let them sit for 3 months and do a taste test. Unfortunately, impatience is a virtue of mine so I'll just find another use for these canisters. :-)
I did one other test that's actually related to real food for once: Meat marinating. It is true that, in a vacuum, the pores of the animal tissues expand, allowing liquids to enter. The same can be said of Peeps, if you care for marinated peeps... Surprisingly, many people don't care for marinated peeps... They're kinda squishy though it's amusing how they retain their shape... Anyway, this thing does a doozy for marinating meet. I threw in some chicken breasts and yummy lemon pepper marinade sauce, pumped the air out, and let them sit for an hour. You can definitely tell the product works for marinating meats.
It's a keeper (marinating means more to me than food storage anyway) and I'm going to say 4 stars. Whether or not the product is of high enough quality to last for years is something only time will tell. :-)
