Harvest Right Freeze Dryer - Old Model (2015)

Purchased the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer last May 2019. Used the unit less than 12 times. Changed the oil in the vacuum pump after each use and last night the vacuum pump seized. So I called the manufacturer and they said I had to buy their new upgraded vacuum pump. I read the reviews about the vacuum pump seizing up. The vacuum pump is a modified air conditioning pump and is not designed to go to a vacuum of 50 in hg only 30 in hg. Therefor the pump works too hard and overheats and seizes up.Dansha Farms

I have not not stopped using my Harvest Right Freeze Dryer since the day it arrived. I made a lot of snacks for Christmas gifts and I have moved on to meals and having great success. I thought about this purchase for years before I pulled the trigger and I’m so glad I finally got one!

1st- I purchased the oil less pump because their description stated it was quiet. This statement is false... it is extremely loud, especially during the drying process. 2nd- While in, use water puddles, I mean lots of water flows out from the front of the freeze dryer. When I called customer support, I was instructed to slightly lift the front to allow the water to drain to the back 3rd- You have to have small hands and arms to be able to grab and lift the tray holder out of the drum, otherwise you scrap the inside of the drum. My husband cannot fit his hands and arms in. 4th- There are no rails to place the tray holder on thus you scrap the inside of the drum, and you also cannot tell if you placed your trays level into the drum. 5th- This dryer and pump runs hot and where I live humidity is high. Even though I have my doors and windows open I still get a message stating warm temperature, drying time may be longer, thus I turned on my air conditioner so I wouldn't have to run the freezer dyer any longer than necessary...Expense, Expense, Expense!

I love the machine, it puts out great quality food, and I'm glad I bought it. I love that I can make Masman Curry, Alfredo, soup, etc. and freeze dry it for an easy meal when my wife is out of town and I don't feel like cooking. I also make great snacks for my kids, freeze dried strawberries, bananas, and mangos are awesome. It's great to add to your food storage. Cooked rice surprisingly reconstitutes really well without having to cook it again. One point to consider is that Vacuum Pump oil uses additives and detergents (all of these have birth defects/cancer warnings for the State of California). I think California can be ridiculous in many ways, but my wife is pregnant, and I like to play it safe. I use 100% food grade mineral oil instead of vacuum pump oil. I have seen a Youtube video of the older-model pump where oil crept back into the chamber with the food (although the food is elevated on trays)...Since there is a vacuum that gets pulled, then released, It's safe to assume that air swishes around inside the machine at least once or twice during the process, and if there was oil that accidentally crept back into the machine, I wouldn't want it touching the food... So i do use mineral oil instead--it's the same stuff people apply to their cutting boards and wood countertops. When using this oil, you will notice gunk build up on the little circular window to gauge the level of oil in the pump. If you actually take the pump apart and look inside (like I did) you will notice that the inside of the machine isn't that bad (especially if you change the oil each batch like they recommend). I used a nylon brush and was able to get some of the gunk off of the window and some of the other pieces of the inside of the vacuum pump. For me, it's still worth having the machine. I wish their oil-free near-zero maintenance vacuum pump wasn't so expensive, or I'd buy that and never look back.

The product is only as good as its support and that's why it gets one star. Harvest right is the inventor and manufacturer of these freeze dryers. The units are well-constructed but if one has any technical issues the quality of support is a far cry from the quality of the presale follow through. My experience has been they promised to call you back they never do employees change all the time and you have to start from scratch and you got technicians who basically treat you as if you should feel special that you're even talking to them. If you Google harvest Right complaints you'll see the better business bureau has about 25 complaints that all read about the same. Customer service is not follow through they made promises and then don't do it. Ultimately once consumer affairs get involved it seems like the company does what they should have done to start with. With me the technician hung up on me told me he shouldn't even be speaking to me without paying $95, and told me if I wanted the software upgrade to fix my problem, which logs showed existed from day one I would have to pay more as well. After he hung up on me and told me that the owner would not return my phone calls. I received the software update in an email. Really great piss off the customer and then give them what you could have done start with

We have had our mid size unit for 8 months. just like any other tool there was a time of learning. Harvest Right, has always answered questions and given help within 24 hours. You tube has many customers giving videos on food prep.Our only draw back was the oil. For under a hundred dollars on Amazon I bought the parts and built an automatic filtering system. I lose less oil and clean the oil better.We now find our food bill going down due to the fact we do not throw away much food. If there is leftovers, they go into the freezer until I have enough for a batch to freeze dry.We do a garden every year. I can hardly wait for this years crop. the food tastes better than canning and in my case feels like less work. Having case sales of vegies at the store, you probably can't eat them all before they go bad. Open the cans and freeze dry them. Shredded real parmesan cheese and our first raw eggs this week. Turned out great.Apples with cinnamon and sugar, even marshmallows.I think it is a wonderful tool to own.