Best Commercial Freeze Dryers Reviews 2021 Buyer’s Guide

​Freeze dryers are a welcome addition to any seasoned prepper’s arsenal. But although there aren’t many options for home use out there, the commercial ones are just as good as long as you know the desired output and your family’s food storage needs.

We have rounded up this list of the best-rated freeze dryers for sale, with handy info on each product’s specs, retail price, and buying tips for you to pick the best freeze dryer for you.

Unlike food dehydrators, which are inexpensive, freeze dryers are pricier but they manage to better preserve food, are more compact and more energy efficient.

Also, the freeze dryers currently for sale in the U.S. make it easy to preserve an enormous variety of healthy and nutritionally dense foods for up to a whopping 25 years. (Here’s how to make a 25-year emergency food supply.)

Note that both dehydrators and Freeze Dryers for sale pull out moisture from food in order to leave the bacteria and fungi that cause food spoilage without a welcoming environment to thrive and reproduce.

HOW FREEZE DRYERS WORK

Before we discuss how freezing drying works, let’s talk about how it doesn’t work!

You see, many people get the process of freeze-drying confused with dehydration.

Why? Because freeze drying and dehydration are two standard food preservation methods. And both methods remove water from food products. That’s why a lot of people mistakenly use the two terms interchangeably.

But there are major differences between dehydrated and freeze-dried food storage. First, let’s briefly discuss dehydration.

The Process Of Freeze Drying

On the other hand, freeze drying is a more complex process. One that involves 3 main steps:

1. Freezing


2. Lowering pressure


3. Removing the moisture through sublimation

Best recommends for you

ECO Farm Refrigeration Low Temperature Freeze Dryer

Pros

• Facilitates in buying food in bulk at low cost and preserve it for a long time


• Helpful in creating healthy and hygienic freeze dried sauces, meals, snacks and desserts


• No need to use any preservatives


• Can keep freeze dried food fresh and nutritious for several years safely


• Can preserve 1-1.5 gallons of food in a single batch


• Three years limited warranty


• Available in medium and large sizes also

Cons

• Takes as long as 9 hours for a final dry cycle, which seems quite long as compared to other appliances available in the market


• Requires oil changes and replacement at regular periods of time, which seems to be a burden to some consumers

Harvest Right Medium Commercial Scientific Premium Freeze Dryer

Pros

• Built-in-intelligence


• Automatic management of the freeze drying procedure


• Optimum vacuum pressure inside the machine


• Preserves the potency and freshness of every item processed inside the machine


• Empowered with a patented technology


• Keeps the processed items fresh without any chance of microbial or mold growth


• Robust and durable body due to stainless steel construction


• Total of seven trays


• 6.5 square feet of tray space


• Optimum utilization per cycle


• Maximum efficiency


• 3 years limited warranty

Cons

• Oil pump needs maintenance at a regular intervals of time


• A bit costlier than other similar products

Harvest Right Small Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer

Pros

• User-friendly


• Auto sensors that stop the process of free-drying when the food is ready


• Alerts the user with a beep


• Oil pump included


• Available in four different colors

Cons

• Running time may go as long as 24 hours, depending on the food you are freeze drying


• Heavy weight makes it difficult to move


• Vacuum pump is a separate unit that requires extra space to be placed


• Certain foods with thick skin and excess moisture, like cherry tomatoes, blueberries and grapes, cannot be freeze dried by this appliance

What are Some Considerations When Buying a Freeze Dryer?

If you are thinking of purchasing a freeze dryer there are a number of things you will want to consider. A freeze dryer is a long term investment after all, just like a washing machine or any other large appliance. Here are a few things to think about before spending your hard-earned money.

How much food you will be freeze drying – If you plan on freeze drying small amounts of food for your future personal use, then a small freeze dryer should serve you well. If, however, you are planning to create a viable long term emergency food bank for your entire family you will likely need a larger freeze dryer. Each freeze dryer will indicate how much food it can process at any one time.

Whether your electrical wiring is up to the job – The larger freeze dryers consume quite a bit of electricity and require a 220 volt plug. If you have an older house or live in an old apartment building it may not have one. Also, freeze dryers can draw as much as 16 or 17 amps at their peak consumption. So, if you do not have a 20 amp plug in your home that you can use for the dryer you will need to install one. Otherwise your circuit breakers will be tripping all the time (11). If you cannot change the system you will need a small freeze dryer. They will work with a 110 volt, 15 amp system.

How much space you have for the dryer and food storage – As we discussed briefly above, you may have to get creative when it comes to where you put your freeze dryer. They are not small. So you cannot expect to just put it on the kitchen counter and forget about it. A lot of people put them on mobile carts and move them around as needed. But whatever the case, make sure your home can accommodate the freeze dryer you have in mind.

The weight of the freeze dryer – If you have ever lifted a microwave oven you know they are heavier than they look. The same is true for the freeze dryer, except they are much bigger than a microwave. The large home freeze dryers can weigh more than 160 pounds. That is a lot of weight to move around. Which is another reason many people keep them on carts, even if they have lots of room in their homes.

Maintenance – Freeze dryers are not high-maintenance appliances. But they are not maintenance-free either. You will need to make sure you keep the dryer clean at all times and that you inspect critical aspects of it, such as the door seal, from time to time. In most cases, the freeze dryer vacuum pump needs to have its oil changed occasionally too (12). It is not a complicated process, but it does need to be done.

The Bottom Line

A freeze dryer can help you save money, prevent waste, store what your garden produces, ensure that your particular dietary needs are always provided for, and, of course, enable you and your loved ones to rest a little easier in the event of a crisis.

While they are not exactly cheap they are a one-time expense that could well turn out to be the most valuable insurance policy you have ever had. If recent events have caused you to re-evaluate your level of preparedness, a freeze dryer may be exactly what you need.

The freeze dryers profiled above represent the state of the art as far as home freeze drying technology is concerned. Use the information in this guide to help you make an informed choice about which one is right for your particular needs.