Which size freeze dryer do I need?
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The right size comes down to three things: how much food you want to preserve, where the machine will live, and the power you have there. This guide goes through each, then compares every machine we sell side by side.
1. How much food?
Freeze dryers are rated by how much fresh food they take in one batch. A batch usually takes about a day, so the batch size sets how quickly you can work through a harvest, a bulk buy or a freezer full of meals.
- One or two people, garden surplus, snacks and meals: a medium machine (about 4 to 9 kg a batch) is usually plenty.
- A family, regular bulk buys, a big veggie patch: a large machine (about 7 to 13 kg a batch) means fewer batches and less waiting.
- A homestead or a whole season's harvest: an X-Large machine (up to 20 kg a batch) does in one run what a medium does in three.
Freeze drying for a business? Look at the LYVN Commercial models or Cryonaut, and talk to us first.
It's common to start a size too small. Fresh food is mostly water, so a tray of strawberries looks like a lot until it's dried. If you're between two sizes, the larger one usually pays off.
2. Where will it go?
These are big, heavy machines, and the vacuum pump sits beside or under them.
- Weight: from about 50 kg for a medium Harvest Right to 150 kg for the largest LYVN, plus the pump. It needs a solid bench, a sturdy trolley or the floor.
- Room: leave space around the machine for air to move, and space for the pump.
- Temperature: a cool, ventilated room works best. Harvest Right recommends 7 to 24 °C.
- Getting it there: we deliver free to your driveway or front yard, and moving it inside is up to you. Measure your doorways, and line up a helper or a trolley.
3. What power do you have?
This is the one people miss. Check it before you order.
- Harvest Right: a standard 240 V, 10 A power point. No extension cords.
- LYVN: a dedicated 15 A circuit. The X-Large models come with a 15 A plug, so a standard power point won't fit.
- Stay Fresh: a dedicated 15 A circuit. The supplied 16 A cord needs a matching socket.
- Cryonaut: a dedicated circuit. Talk to us about the plug before you order.
If your machine needs a dedicated circuit, get your electrician to look at it before delivery day.
Every machine side by side
| Machine | Trays | Food per batch | Weight | Power | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Right PRO Medium | 5 | 4.5–6.8 kg | 50 kg, pump 14.5 kg | 10 A power point | 1 year |
| Harvest Right PRO Large | 6 | 8–10.5 kg | 65 kg, pump 14.5 kg | 10 A power point | 1 year |
| Harvest Right PRO X-Large | 7 | 15–20 kg | 120 kg, pump 15 kg | 10 A power point | 1 year |
| LYVN Medium (Home or Commercial) | 5 | 4–9 kg | 65 kg | Dedicated 15 A circuit | Home 12 months, Commercial 24 months |
| LYVN Large (Home or Commercial) | 7 | 7–13 kg | 102 kg | Dedicated 15 A circuit | Home 12 months, Commercial 24 months |
| LYVN X-Large, 7 tray | 7 | 8–15 kg | 140 kg | Dedicated 15 A circuit, 15 A plug | Home 12 months, Commercial 24 months |
| LYVN X-Large, 10 tray | 10 | 12–20 kg | 150 kg | Dedicated 15 A circuit, 15 A plug | Home 12 months, Commercial 24 months |
| Stay Fresh | 4 per set, 2 sets included | Up to 8.16 kg | 74.8 kg, pump 25 kg | Dedicated 15 A circuit, 16 A cord | 1 year; refrigeration to 3 years |
| Cryonaut Alpha | 5 | Up to 7 kg | About 80 kg, pump 27 kg | Dedicated circuit | 1 year full; limited to 3 years |
Batch sizes are the makers' figures for fresh food and vary with what you're drying.
How the brands differ
- Harvest Right is the best-known home freeze dryer, and the only range here that runs from an ordinary 10 A power point. Every PRO model comes with the Premier industrial vacuum pump. Medium and Large come in black or stainless steel; X-Large is stainless steel only.
- LYVN machines reach −50 °C and a deep vacuum, have Wi-Fi monitoring and alerts, and are RCM compliant and EESS registered for Australia and New Zealand. Commercial models have a stainless steel chamber built for back-to-back cycles and a 24 month warranty; Home models have 12 months.
- Stay Fresh has a candy mode for sweets, comes with an industrial pump, two sets of trays and 50 mylar bags, and its refrigeration system is covered for three years.
- Cryonaut machines are made to order, with PID-controlled heating up to 65 °C and a DRV10 industrial pump. Expect 12 to 16 weeks from order.
Running costs
Beyond power, the main ongoing costs are pump oil (for oil pumps), oxygen absorbers and storage bags. Filtering and reusing pump oil keeps that cost down: LYVN includes an oil filtration kit, and we sell one for Harvest Right pumps. An oil-free pump is also available for Harvest Right machines if you'd rather skip oil changes altogether.
Still deciding?
Tell us what you want to preserve, how much, and what power you have, and we'll help you pick. Contact us, or read what your first batch looks like.