I sent Harvest Right a note with a picture and they immediately shipped me a new display. Great Service again from the support team there! I think water had dripped down the front and the back of the unit and onto the display card shorting it out.
We preserve our favorite foods, which means I know my family will eat them when it’s time to break them out, whether that’s for a camp out, family vacation, or the apocalypse.
We’ve bought six so far with two more on the way. But families and individuals considering getting their own can and should as long as they go in with their eyes open.
One of the reasons I like the small freeze dryer is the size. At the same time, my large freeze dryer takes up space equivalent to a clothes dryer—the small one doesn't.
A dehydrator dries food by using heat only, while a freeze dryer uses both cold and heat. Dehydrated food still has moisture in it and works for short term storage only.
It takes slightly extended to dry than our other picks, and it lacks a speed-dry option, but it surely gets the job accomplished and fees various hundred dollars under very similar dryers.
They can last for decades, with regular maintenance of course. It’s like any other major appliance, it has running parts and will need to be maintained or repaired as needed.
Once we got into the groove of freeze-drying food, we have been extremely pleased with the purchase. But know this going in if you’re thinking this is an “easy button.” It’s not. In fact, in many ways it has changed our lifestyle. For example, we now often cook for a family of 8 even though it’s just us and the two kids.
14 Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) On 7/31/2015 at 11:12 PM, TonyC said: Somehow this post got posted twice so I'll edit the second one with some more useful information. I remember reading somewhere in this thread where somebody was asking how long you run the freeze cycle with pre-frozen food. I have my chest freezer set to -12F, and I usually let the freeze dryer cool more info for an hour before I put the frozen food in. After I load the food in I wait another half hour to start the drying process. I've had a lot of cycles that the Completa time between pulling one batch out and starting the drying cycle on the next is around 2 hours. I'm running mine in a cold garage, so it cools down pretty quickly. If you have yours in a warm room it would probably take a little longer.
We have two freezers in the garage as well. All of these machines generate heat and humidity. Our FDer front regularly sweats up an storm and water drips off the door and from around the entire chamber perimeter down the front of the unit. It got so bad that I taped a plastic shield above the display to route the water around it. You can see the water on the door and on the stainless steel front past the 4 screws on the unit.
Other key factors also include energy conservation. Energy efficient freeze dryers use power saving features to meet the required energy performance standards. Helping the business not to compromise on quality, An investment in an energy efficient Shop Now system helps businesses reduce operating expenses.
This is why so many people are buying their own freeze dryers to use at home. The market is essentially cornered by Harvest Right, which isn’t a bad thing since their quality and customer service are both superb.
Regular maintenance includes cleaning the vacuum pump and ensuring proper drainage after each use; refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for specific maintenance tips.
How often should I change the oil? You can filter the oil using the included oil filter to remove impurities, but it’s best to change the oil every 20-25 batches or when it appears cloudy.