A description of the product, including details such as build quality, materials used and reasons to purchase.

Reattached hose and ran another full system test (results, 750 mTorr lowest steady reading - looking through the oil level window, some bubbling seen in oil even after an hour of pumpdown - some "air" noises from pump)

I thought an easier way to see what was happening would be to make a time lapse video of an entire freeze drying cycle. As I was about to prepare some apples for freeze drying yesterday, I thought it would be a good time to do that -- so out came the GoPro.

That also goes for dense foods like mashed potatoes. Liquids or soft foods can be put in silicone molds and frozen. Then pop them out of the molds, put them on the freeze dry trays, and put them in the machine when it’s ready.

I removed the side covers and found the water dripping from the chamber insulation. I called up HarvestRight to ask for ideas on how to avoid this in the future.

I want my son to have great meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, just as the rest of us do. And it’s not feasible for me to cook the entire meal for a huge crowd.

The longevity of freeze dried food depends on the what the food is and how it is stored. When stored in a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber, many foods can last up to 25 years. If stored in a glass mason jar with an oxygen absorber and a vacuum sealed lid, food can last about 5 years.

The pros and cons are easy to understand. In fact, there really is only one pro and it’s a huge one. YOU control the food you’re storing away for yourself and your family. Those who are willing to spend the time and money to freeze dry their own food should do so as long as they’re going to be committed.

The evaporator coils that touch the surface of the stainless steel vacuum chamber reach about -42 F. With food in the chamber and because the location of the thermister is on the middle shelf of the four shelves, the temperature it records is going to range from -25 to -30 F in the 9 hour default freeze time. This temperature is very adequate for freeze drying the food.

Preydrive.ca Bought this freeze dryer for my wife for her pet food business! She is loving it! Trimleaf is also very helpful!

Unlike other conventional methods of drying, the original structure of the food is preserved with freeze-drying which ensures better quality for the consumers.  

Hey there, fellow self-reliant folks! If you're all about get more info preparedness and want to take your food preservation game to the next level, you've probably considered getting yourself a freeze dryer. But let's be honest – freeze dryers aren't exactly known for being wallet-friendly.

Back from our trip I turned the unit on and to my dismay found that the display was missing the middle two lines.

The system records and maintains a log of the pressure and temperature during all parts of the freeze-dry cycle.