Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Cost
Every Harvest Right Freeze Dryer™, according to the company’s official website, has been engineered and hand assembled with care at its manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company spent nearly four years designing and engineering a product to help your family prepare in the case of any disaster.
Its patented technology will preserve the taste, nutrition and texture of nearly any food, making it a perfect option for meats, meals, desserts, fruits, vegetables and so much more.
Noted as the world’s best and most affordable freeze dryer, the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer™ allows your food to last up to 25 years, making it perfect for home storage.
How much does a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer™ cost?
The cost of a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer™ will depend on a few factors, including the size, where you purchase it and the condition. With a few options available, we broke down the specs and the pricing in the table below for the residential units as found on the company’s official store:
| Size: | Small | Medium | Large |
| Measurements: | - Height: 25" - Width: 16.5" - Depth: 18.5" | - Height: 30" - Width: 20" - Depth: 25" | - Height: 32.5" - Width: 22.5" - Depth: 25.5" |
| Fresh food per batch: | 1-1.5 gallons (4-7 pounds) | 1.5-2.5 gallons (7-10 pounds) | 3.5 gallons (12-16 pounds) |
| Annual yield: | 195 gallons (840 pounds) | 312 gallons (1,450 pounds) | 546 gallons (2,500 pounds) |
| Price: | - $1,995 new via official site (either white or blue) | - $2,195 new via official site (either white or blue) - $2,395 new via official site (either stainless steel or black) | - $2,995 new via official site (either white or black) - $3,495 new via official site (stainless steel) |
If you do decide to purchase from the official website, depending on the time of the promotion, it appears they will offer a few free items, including an impulse sealer, oxygen absorbers and some mylar bags to help get you started with the process; however, this can vary as it could have been a promotional period at the time of researching the costs. A promotional code could also be available at the time of the purchase as well so be sure to search for one to see if you can save even more.
The extra costs to consider
Mylar bags work best in this type of freezer and can cost about $0.50 to $1 each, often sold in 20 packs or more, but the price will depend on the size, quantity purchased and where you purchase the bag. Commonly used for long-term storage of dried and dehydrated foods, the metalized barrier will help protect the food on the inside from the moisture, light and oxygen and are known for its good puncture resistant, low costs and oxygen barrier. Aside from mylar bags, you can also choose cans as a storage choice, which will require the cans itself, the metal/plastic lids and a machine to seal the lid to the can.
Oxygen absorbers, often the same cost of the mylar bags, sometimes even less, will be used when storing foods to help absorb oxygen and carbon dioxide to help prevent mold, microbial growth, discoloration and against insects. It can also help preserve the taste, flavor and nutrition of the foods being preserved.
Stainless steel freeze dryer trays, which are recommended for use while using, can cost up to $80 to $125+ for a set of three, depending on the size via the official retailer, but it can be found for as little as $15 each on Amazon.com.
An impulse heat sealer machine, designed to seal the bags closed before freezing can cost anywhere from $20 to more than $75+, all depending upon the brand, size and where you purchase from.
According to the company, it will cost about $1 to $3 per day to run the machine, depending on your electricity rates and where you live.
While it’s not really noted on the official website, Simply Family Preparedness notes that you should be prepared to change the oil every five to six cycles, with a power flush recommended after the 12th cycle. After 30 to 36 cycles, you then need to consider completely removing the cover and cleaning the pump. All in all, this can all cost an average of $1 per cycle.
How does it work?
The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer™ has a very simple four-step process, as per the official “how it works” page.
The first step involves placing either your fresh or cooked foods into the dryer, where they are then frozen to -40 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler.
Once frozen, the freeze dryer then creates a powerful vacuum around the food, slightly warming it thereafter, allowing the ice to transition into a vapor to eventually evaporate.
Next, the freeze-dried food is then sealed into a moisture and oxygen-proof packing, along with the oxygen absorber, to ensure the food stays fresh until opened.
As the last step, when you’re ready to consume the freeze dried food, all you need to do is add water and the food regains its original fresh flavor and appearance.
What people loved about it
Almost all of the nutrients can be preserved while being freeze-dried, making it a great choice in comparison to canning and dehydration due to the lower temperatures involved.
In comparison to canning and dehydrating, the food, as long a freeze-dried properly, can last more than 20+ years, making it a great way to store your food for the future.
Many of the reviewers online gloated about how great the food tasted after using in the future.
The company seems to be very professional and willing to help customers with almost any question they have.
No sugar, salt or other related preservatives do not need to be added in order to freeze dry, making it a much healthier alternative to canning, etc.
What people didn’t like about it
Some of the bloggers we found online didn’t like the size as the typical weight can be a pinch over 100 pounds, meaning you cannot simply place it on your kitchen counters; rather, you will need a separate room or designated area to store it.
Many claimed its quite noisy, often louder than a dishwasher but much quieter than a power tool. The loudest part, often being the drying cycle and when the vacuum pump is running, can be weeded out, however, if you were to store it away from your active rooms within the home.
It can take up to 40 hours to freeze dry a batch, but on the plus size, you do not have to sit there and watch your foods 100 percent of the time.
For some, it can take a while to learn the machine, especially when taking it out of the box as it can be intimidating with both the freeze-drying process and maintenance required in the future. However, as with anything in life, you can find the sweet spot with the machine as you use it over time and follow the documentations both online and via the guide.
The costs could be a turn off for some as many feel it could take years of freeze-drying to break even on the investment.
Some did not like the short warranty in comparison to other appliance companies.
Tips to know
All units mentioned above, with the exception of the larger size, will use a 110-volt power source, but Common Sense Home states you should put it on its own circuit if at all possible. The larger size will use a NEMA 5-20 110-volt power source, with a picture of it seen here.
All units will come with a one-year limited warranty.
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