Sunbeam FoodSaver Lock & Seal VS4500 User manual

Home Vacuum Packaging System
Lock & Seal
User Guide
VS4500

Contents
Important Safeguards 1
Vacuum Packaging Tips 2
VS4500 FoodSaver®Lock & Seal 3
Using your FoodSaver®5
Make a bag with FoodSaver®rolls
Vacuum seal with FoodSaver® bags
Vacuum seal with FoodSaver®
accessories
Food Preparation & Safety Tips 9
Care and Cleaning Instructions 10
Guidelines for Vacuum Packaging 11
Preservation Guidelines 14
Troubleshooting 16

Important Safeguards
Read the Instructions Carefully.
For Your Own Safety, Always Follow These Basic Precautions When Using the FoodSaver®Appliance:
1
Sunbeam is very safety conscious when
designing and manufacturing consumer
products, but it is essential that the product user
also exercise care when using an electrical
appliance. Listed below are precautions which
are essential for the safe use of an electrical
appliance:
• Read carefully and save all the instructions
provided with an appliance.
• Always turn the power off at the power outlet
before you insert or remove a plug. Remove
by grasping the plug - do not pull on the cord.
• Turn the power off and remove the plug
when the appliance is not in use and before
cleaning.
• Do not use your appliance with an extension
cord unless this cord has been checked and
tested by a qualified technician or service
person.
• Always use your appliance from a power
outlet of the voltage (A.C. only) marked
on the appliance.
• This appliance is not intended for use by
persons (including children) with reduced
physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or
lack of experience and knowledge, unless they
have been given supervision or instruction
concerning use of the appliance by a person
responsible for their safety.
• Children should be supervised to ensure that
they do not play with the appliance.
• The temperature of accessible surfaces may
be high when the appliance is operating.
• Never leave an appliance unattended while
in use.
• Do not use an appliance for any purpose
other than its intended use.
• Do not place an appliance on or near a hot gas
flame, electric element or on a heated oven.
• Do not place on top of any other appliance.
• Do not let the power cord of an appliance
hang over the edge of a table or bench top or
touch any hot surface.
• Do not operate any electrical appliance with
a damaged cord or after the appliance has
been damaged in any manner. If damage is
suspected, return the appliance to the nearest
Sunbeam Appointed Service Centre
for examination, repair or adjustment.
• For additional protection, Sunbeam
recommend the use of a residual current
device (RCD) with a tripping current not
exceeding 30mA in the electrical circuit
supplying power to your appliances.
• Do not immerse the appliance in water
or any other liquid unless recommended.
• Appliances are not intended to be operated
by means of an external timer or separate
remote control system.
• This appliance is intended to be used in
household and similar applications such
as: staff kitchen areas in shops, offices and
other working environments; farm houses; by
clients in hotels, motels and other residential
type environments; bed and breakfast type
environments.
If you have any concerns regarding the performance and use of your appliance,
please visit www.sunbeam.com.au or contact the Sunbeam Consumer Service Line.
Ensure the above safety precautions are understood.

When Vacuum Packaging:
1. Vacuum packaging is NOT a substitute for
refrigeration.
2. Use only FoodSaver®bags, rolls and
containers.
3. During the vacuum packaging process,
small amounts of liquids, crumbs or food
particles can be inadvertently pulled into
the Vacuum Channel. Empty the Drip Tray
after each use.
4. You can prevent liquids from being
drawn into the appliance by placing a
folded paper towel at the top of the bag,
but below the seal area, before vacuum
packaging.
5. Do not attempt to create your own side
seals for a FoodSaver®Bag. These bags
are manufactured with special side seams
which are sealed all the way to the outer
edge. Creating your own side seams can
actually leave air channels exposed which
will cause leakage and prevent a vacuum
from being formed.
6. Always make sure you leave at least
2.5 cm of extra bag material for each
time you plan to reuse the bag. To avoid
possible illness, do not reuse bags after
storing meats, fish or greasy foods.
7. If you are not sure whether you have
achieved a complete seal, simply seal the
bag again about 1cm above the first seal.
8. Bulky items sometimes make it difficult
to achieve a smooth sealing surface.
Gently stretch the bag flat along the
Sealing Strip before closing the lid.
9. When packaging products with sharp
edges (dry spaghetti, silverware, etc.),
protect the bag from punctures by
wrapping the products in a cushioning
material, such as paper towels, styrofoam,
tissue, etc. Products can also be vacuum
packaged in containers to avoid any
possibility of puncturing a bag.
10. Avoid drawing powdery or fine-grained
products such as, flour, sugar and coffee
grinds into the appliance. This will inhibit
the vacuuming and sealing process and
may clog the unit, preventing it from
drawing a good vacuum. To prevent this
from occurring, avoid overfilling the bags
or alternatively use containers.
11. If using the FoodSaver®appliance to
re-seal packets, ensure that these have
been previously commercially heat sealed.
Vacuum Packaging tips
2

VS4500 FoodSaver® Lock & Seal
3
C. Power On/Off
D. Easy Lock Latch:
B. Vac/Seal Button
A. Seal Button
H. Easy-clean
Drip Tray
G. Vacuum Channel
F. Upper Foam Gasket
I. Lower Foam Gasket
J. Extra-wide Sealing Strip
K. Handheld Sealer
Use with zipper bags and con-
tainers, ideal for fresh food and
snacks.
E. Accessory Port
Operate
Adjust Back
to Operate
Store
Adjust Center
to Store
Open
Adjust Forward
to Open

4
1Seal Indicator Light
This light has two uses:
1. Constant light indicates Sealing process is engaged.
2. Flashes to indicate error.
2Vacuum Indicator Light
Shows Vacuum and Seal process is engaged. Shuts off when the full process is
finished.
3Power Light
Illuminates when the unit is in the OPERATE position. Shuts off automatically when
latch is not in OPERATE position.
4Seal Button
This button has three uses:
1. Press to create a seal when making bags from a FoodSaver®Roll.
2. Press to immediately stop the vacuum process and begin sealing the bag. This
prevents crushing delicate items such as bread, cookies and pastries.
3. Press to create a seal on multilayer film bags (such as a potato chip bag) to keep
food sealed airtight.
5Vacuum & Seal Button
This button has two uses:
1. Press to vacuum seal and seal food airtight. Appliance shuts off automatically.
2. Press to pause vacuum process at any point.
Vacuum
Indicator Light
2
Vacuum & Seal
Button
5
Seal Indicator
Light
1
Seal
Button
4
Power
Light
3

5
Using your FoodSaver®
Lock & Seal
How to make a Bag from a FoodSaver®Roll
1. Using scissors, cut enough bag material from
roll to hold item, plus 7.5cm. Be sure to cut
straight.
2. Move Easy Lock Latch to the open position.
Open appliance lid. Insert one end of bag
material across Sealing Strip.
3. Close lid and turn Easy Lock Latch to
OPERATE position.
4. Press Seal button.
5. When Seal Indicator Light turns off, sealing is
complete. Turn latch to OPEN position, lift lid
and remove bag.
Now you are ready to vacuum seal with your
new bag (see page 6).
OP
OP
EN
E
E
ND
SE
SE
ALED END
SE
S
ALED
SE
Place Bag on Sealing Strip
Close and turn Easy Lock Latch to OPERATE position
Press Seal Button

How to Vacuum Seal FoodSaver®Bags
6
1. Place item(s) in bag, allowing at least
7.5cm of space between bag contents and
top of bag.
2. Open appliance lid and place open end of
bag into Vacuum Channel.
3. Close lid and turn Easy Lock Latch to
OPERATE position.
4. Press Vacuum & Seal Button to begin
vacuum and sealing process. Motor will
continue to run until bag is fully vacuumed,
then will automatically seal.
5. When Seal Indicator Light turns off, turn
Latch to OPEN position, lift lid and remove
bag. Refrigerate or freeze if needed. (See
FoodSaver®Storage Guide, page 14, for safe
food storage tips.)
NOTE: Let appliance cool down for 20 seconds
after each use. Always store appliance with the
Easy Lock Latch in the center STORE position.
Place Bag in Vacuum Channel
Close and Latch Lid
Press Vacuum & Seal Button
OP
OP
EN
E
E
ND
SE
SE
ALED END
SE
S
AL
ED
SE
Important Tips:
To minimize bag waste do not insert too
much. Only insert bag over the edge of the
removable drip tray.
Operate
Store
Open
Using your FoodSaver®Lock & Seal continued

7
Using your FoodSaver®Lock & Seal continued
Tips on sealing & vacuuming a bag
Make sure you've securely locked the
FoodSaver®appliance lid. When making a
bag from a roll, place bag material on the
sealing strip, close and lock the lid.
Prevent moisture or liquid from being pulled
into the Vacuum Channel or trapped in the
seal. For very moist or wet foods either
use Seal only, or pre-freeze for 1-2 hours
before vacuum packaging. Alternatively
place a folded paper towel between food
and end of bag to absorb excess liquids.
Just be sure to leave at least 7.5cm
between food and end of bag so that bag
seals properly with paper towel inside.
Make sure you give FoodSaver®appliance
time to cool down. Under heavy usage,
appliance will not operate to prevent
overheating. If it does, wait 10 - 20
minutes to allow appliance to cool off.
Vacuum packaging in bulk
To package a large number of bags at one
time, it is recommended to:
- create bag
- place foods in bag
- vacuum & seal
- repeat
Following this process will prevent the
appliance from overheating.
Make sure you've securely locked the
FoodSaver®appliance lid. 'When vacuuming
and sealing a bag or container ensure the
lid has been fully closed and lid has locked
into place.
Check for wrinkles in the bag along the
Sealing Strip. Wrinkles in seal may cause
leakage and allow air to come back into
bag. Check for wrinkles in bag along
Sealing Strip before closing lid and
vacuum packaging. If you find wrinkles
after sealing bag, simply cut bag open and
vacuum seal again.
If the motor runs for more than 2 minutes
without stopping, consider the following:
- adjust the bag and try again.
- if you are making an initial seal on a
piece of bag material with two open
ends, make sure the bag is placed on the
sealing strip.
- if you are vacuum packaging with a bag,
make sure the open end is placed down
inside the vacuum channel.
- ensure the accessory hose is not
attached.

Vacuum Sealing Accessories
8
Connect Accessory Hose to both accessory
port on appliance and port on accessory
Press Vacuum & Seal Button
Vacuum sealing zipper bags
For Containers
1. Prepare container according to FoodSaver®
Accessory Guidelines (see manual that comes
with your Accessory Kit).
2. Insert one end of Accessory Hose into Accessory
Port on appliance. Press the Handheld Sealer
over the accessory.
NOTE: For Containers and Bottle stoppers without
green oval buttons on lid, remove the clear
bottom portion of Handheld Sealer from top
handle. Insert the green tip into the hole on top of
the container lid or into the bottle stopper. Twist
the green tip of the hose while inserting to ensure
a tight fit.
3. Close lid, rotate Latch to OPERATE position,
press Vacuum & Seal Button.
4. When motor and Indicator Light turn off, vacuum
process is complete. Note that the appliance
will still go through sealing cycle even when
vacuuming an accessory. You will hear Motor shut
off and then the sealing cycle will begin.
5. Gently twist and remove Handheld Sealer from
accessory and appliance.
6. To test vacuum, simply tug on accessory lid.
It should not move.
NOTE: For important tips on using accessories with
different foods, please refer to the FoodSaver®
Storage Guide on page 14.
For Zipper bags
1. To use Handheld sealer with Vacuum Zipper
Bags, lay bag flat with grey circle facing upwards.
Squeeze air out of the bag and seal closed
completely.
2. Place Handheld Sealer over grey circle on bag and
press Vacuum & Seal button.
Green tip to insert into the
port on containers/
bottle stoppers