Maybe we have different models? The quality of it has never impressed me, in fact one of the hooks on the top that press down on the bags to make sure it steady when it seals the bag broke off very quickly. Now I just use pressure from my hand to press it down when I'm vacuuming and sealing. As far as I know, the Genesis bags work the best with that machine, though they are quite expensive. To be honest, they seem quite strong and I'm concerned about food safety, especially when it comes to very long cooking times. And iirc, they're rated as being safe to cook at the temps we cook sous vide, so I'm okay with the price.
Is sous vide worth it? I dunno... Each person will have their own opinions and experiences with it. I will say that I've made some mind-blowingly tasty dishes with it, and even the act of having one made me attempt things I didn't before I had it. The uses for it are myriad, I've used it for veg, eggs, steaks, chicken, fish, beef, custard for creme brulee, infusions... Not to mention the signature dishes, things like short-rib (when you can get a decent cut in SA) and pork belly.
It can be frustrating at times. I've read countless posts on cooking forums about someone bursting a bag, or a power failure in the middle of a long cook, or the fact that it can be damned difficult to get a good crust on something cooked sous vide. I've been lucky in that I've never made myself or anyone else sick, or had to throw away a batch of expensive meat. I've been lucky, even my failures were tasty. But it could happen to you, and maybe on that day, you'll think "This isn't worth it".
C'est la vie.C'est sous vide.
