NewsChannel5 viewer puts freshvac containers, Vacu-Seal system and Keepeez lids to the test

CLEVELAND - There are lots of products on the market that claim to save you money by keeping your food fresh longer. But do they really do that?

We asked Tim Wenham to try three that cost less than $20: the freshvac containers, the Vacu-Seal system and the Keepeez lids.

We loaded up bread and strawberries in the three products and in a normal plastic zipper bag to see if you're really getting more life out of your food.

The Keepeez lids look a bit odd, but they fit on any size container. You do have to press down on the middle in certain way to get the leads to seal tight.

You have to be careful what you put in the Vacu-Seal bags, because when you use the vacuum to take the air out, it can smash what’s inside, depending on what you’re trying to keep.

With the freshvac containers, you know you have a seal because a bubble in the middle inverts.

We left the three items for two weeks, and then checked back with Wenham.

“I was surprised the Vacu-Seal let go, which I thought would hold better. [Keepeez] held a lot better than I thought it would," Wenham said.

The seals didn't hold on the Vacu-Seal bags. But even with a broken seal, the bread didn't get moldy like the traditional plastic zipper bag that acted as our control. But it was smashed from the vacuum sealing.

Keepeez may have held its seal, but it didn't hold the freshness of the bread. It hardened, but didn't turn moldy.

The strawberries stayed fresh in all three products, so it was really the bread that made the difference in our test.

Overall, Wenham liked the freshvac containers the best because we didn't have any problems with the sealing and they're versatile.

Wenham also worried about the cost with the Vacu-Seal.

While the directions say these bags are re-usable except with meat, fish, and eggs, Wenham wasn't sure about re-using them even though they say dishwasher safe.