How Big is a Freeze Dryer?

an aqua blue freeze dryer surrounded by freeze dried food in a kitchen

In-home freeze dryers have been called “the microwaves of the future.” So just how big are these fantastic new appliances compared to microwaves – and will they fit in your kitchen?

Freeze dryers are quite compact! Dimensions: are 30” tall x 20” wide x 25” deep. They use a standard 110 volt outlet, so you can place your freeze dryer on any countertop, table or industrial cart. Many people actually keep their freeze dryer in their garage, a utility room, a laundry room, a large pantry, an extra bedroom or we’ve even seen it tucked in a storage area under the stairs. They also weigh under 100 pounds and are easily moved, especially on a cart with wheels. (Don’t you love the new color options to coordinate with whatever room you’re storing it in?)

Our freeze dryers can process 6 to 10 pounds of food at one time, and it doesn’t have to be the same type of food. Dryers come with four trays and you can buy additional trays so you can prep one batch while one processes. Cycles take about 24-40 hours, so you could easily freeze dry hundreds of pounds of food every year.

trays of food in a freeze dryer

Interested in learning more about how it works? Watch our video:

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Ready to get started with your very own freeze dryer? We have exciting news!

freeze dryer with a small caption that says: enter for a chance to win thisFrom now until October 31, 2015 you can ENTER TO WIN a Harvest Right Freeze dryer, a $4300 value (you pick the color!).

Already have a freeze dryer? If you win, we’ll reimburse you for yours!

Comments

This says most batches take about 24 hours. My continued question is why there is not a chart that shows approximation times. Harvest Right just have a test kitchen. I know it all varies but us newbies need to know when something happens is it ok if a problem. We have had issues with each batch so far.

It typically takes between 20 to 40+ hours to complete the process. Food type and quantity will affect the freeze-dry cycle. Things like meat, peas and corn dry quickly, while squash, pineapple, and watermelon take longer. However, because portion size, thickness, water content, quantity, and cellular structure of food are all different, batch times will vary. So there is not one clear-cut chart of batch times. Also, when the freeze dryer is running in a hot environment (hot summer garage, for example) batch times may increase.

We want to store our medium freeze dryer in our small indoor utility room. However, there is not a lot of available space. What are the minimum air clearance requirements for the sides, back and top for the freeze dryer. Your books and videos do not discuss this important requirement. Most freezers I’ve seen require 2 inches in the back and 3 inches on the sides and top. Is that sufficient? Please clarify.

Was this ever answered. I have two side by side. It seems as if the hot exhaust from one is blowing to the intake of the second one. I want to put a barrier between them. What is the recommended space vs the min space required?

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