[Marilyn]

It does vacuum seal canning jars also. Not sealed to keep food like canning does. They are very specific about that, but it will suck the air out of the jar for freezing for just keeping items fresher. I haven't used that feature very much.

I haven't had the problem with the bags getting holes in them in the freezer. With things like the pumpkin though, I put 1-1/4 cup in each bag (enough for a pie) and put the smaller bags in a large ziplock in the freezer, so they are pretty well protected.

I have two large pullout baskets in the bottom of my upright freezer and that is were I keep most of the bagged frozen meats. I even bag the smaller portions that come packaged from the grocery, like 1 lb packages of ground meat. I just put the whole package in a vacuum bag to keep the meat from being dried out. The thin plastic from the grocery is not enough to protect it.

I keep my machine in a drawer where it is easy to lift out for use. My kitchen is done in black and stainless steel and to save money, since I did not know if I would like it when I bought it, my FoodSaver is white. Wouldn't look very good on the counter.