Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Reviews

Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
( 1,584 reviews )

The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer is an in home kitchen appliance which promises users the convenience of commercial quality freeze drying in their own home.

How Does It Work?

According to their website, Harvest Right is the only company which has built an In Home Freeze Dryer that is truly small enough in size to comfortably fit in your home while still being powerful enough to freeze dry all the foods you may want it to. 

Their products are very simple to use as well. Customers can place fresh or cooked foods into the dryer where they will be frozen to -40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

After the food is frozen, the freeze dryer creates a powerful vacuum around the food, and as the food slightly warms up, the ice will turn into vapor and evaporate. 

Customers can then store their foods in Mylar bags, mason jars, or cans along with an oxygen absorber to ensure freshness until you decide to open it.

Their website says that their foods and meals can be rehydrated in just a few minutes, and fully restored to their original textures and tastes. Their website provides a full guide for rehydration of Meats, Vegetables, and even Fully Meals.

Cost & Price Plans

As a large scale kitchen appliance, freeze dryers are not necessarily inexpensive. In fact, their website shows prices which currently range from around $2,600 to around $4,100, though prices may vary.

In addition, there will be shipping charges assessed for this product, and as it is complicated and these products are very heavy, these charges are often expensive as well.

Refund Policy

Their website says that in home freeze dryers can be returned within the first 90 days as long as they have not been used, though the website is unclear whether this 90 day period begins on the date of purchase or on the date of delivery. 

Regardless, the website says that customers will not be charged any restocking fees for returning their products, however they will be completely responsible for all shipping fees, both the original fees and the return shipping fees.

Harvest Right will issue your refund after the freeze dryer has been accepted and inspected. 

Customer Service Contact Info

Customers who would like to contact Customer Service with any questions, concerns, or complaints can do so by phone at 800-865-5584 or by submitting them directly to their website through their Contact Us link.  

Reputation

It is not surprising that there are not many reviews for this product at this time, as there likely isn’t an incredibly huge market for in home freeze dryers at all times.

However, as far as the few reviews which are available are concerned, they all seem generally very positive about the quality of service this appliance provides.  

Competitors and Alternatives?

As mentioned above, Harvest Right claims to be the only company at this time that provides commercial quality freeze dryer in an in home appliance.

If you have any experience with the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer, please leave your reviews below.

Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Customer Reviews

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Amazing Product
May 31, 2023
Just finished running my first batch with my freeze dryer! I misplaced my manual and had an issues, and customer service was extremely helpful. Dryer runs perfectly, and instructions were so easy to follow. I opted for the large machine so I don’t have to upgrade so soon. Very glad I did so, holds so much food for each cycle! Surprised at how minimal the noise is. You can definitely hear it running, but I live in a one bedroom apartment and with the fan in the next room, I can’t hear it!

Breaks down too much
May 31, 2023
Love the product, when it works.

Service
May 31, 2023
We purchased a large freeze dryer. A few hiccups in the beginning but the folks at Harvest Right were quick to correct any issues. I have successfully FD various foods at this point and although I am in the early stages, I’m very happy with the product. They have a great group to join on Facebook that has been invaluable!

Unfortunate pump issues.
May 31, 2023

If I were writing this review 3 months ago, it would have been 5 stars. This is no longer the case.

For the first several months, the freeze dryer worked exactly as advertised. I chose to upgrade to the oil-free pump due to the lack of maintenance required (no oil changes), understanding that the pump would still likely need to be rebuilt in 3 or 4 years.

Fast forward a couple of months after the 1 year warranty had expired, and the oil-free pump would no longer produce the vacuum required to function properly. I contacted Harvest Right customer service to ask about repairing the pump. I was informed that they no longer sold that style of oil-free pump, had ended their relationship with the company that produced them, and could provide no assistance of any kind in terms of getting it repaired.

I was also told that one of the reasons these style pumps were no longer sold was because at the beginning of the COVID pandemic they were no longer able to get parts. I purchased my machine and pump in late 2021, well into COVID.

At this point, the company presumably knew they were having trouble getting parts and that there may be issues repairing the pump as well, and chose not to disclose any of this information. If I had been aware of the situation, I would have certainly purchased one of the far less expensive pumps instead of taking the risk on the oil-free pump. To me, the fact that these pumps were sold without any disclosure of the parts issue is frustrating, and borders on dishonesty in my opinion.

The only option the representative was able to provide, short of purchasing a brand new pump at full price (now that I have a $1,500 boat anchor of an oil-free pump that is barely over 1 year old) was the option to purchase a refurbished pump within 30 days of contacting Harvest Right, otherwise I would no longer have this option either. Talk about a let down. Sure, you can argue that it is outside of the 1 year warranty, and you would be correct. However, the lack of transparency on the parts situation as well as having no flexibility on facilitating any type of repair for the pump is going to make it hard for me to take a chance on any Harvest Right product in the future outside of the one I already own.

Back to the product itself- when it functions properly, it's great. As there is really no alternative in the market, if you want a freeze dryer, you have no choice. I hope you have better luck with your pump than I have.

Trouble shooting a new freeze dryer vacuum issue.
May 30, 2023
Customer service was great in walker threw a air leak. Found issue in door gasket sent one out will recommend

I’d recommend this to preppers
May 30, 2023
Bought a home unit -medium and have ran the first 8 batches successfully! It’s super easy to run with the menu options. And maintenance is low except energy. We average 3 bucks a day running it 24/7 and are monitoring with a kill a watt outlet and power company app. Steaks, potatoes, and omelets, skittles and plenty of hype on [email protected] for tips and tricks.

Great purchase
May 30, 2023

I recently acquired the HarvestRight Medium freeze dryer, and I'm incredibly impressed. This compact machine is a game-changer for home cooks and self-sufficiency enthusiasts like me.

The HarvestRight Medium is user-friendly, with intuitive controls and a sleek design. It produces high-quality freeze-dried food, preserving flavors and textures flawlessly. Its efficiency and quiet operation, thanks to a powerful vacuum pump, make the process a breeze. With a generous capacity of 7-10 pounds per batch, it offers versatility for different food items and quantities.

The exceptional customer support provided by HarvestRight adds even more value to this product. From purchase to troubleshooting, their team is responsive and helpful, with a wealth of resources available.

In summary, the HarvestRight Medium freeze dryer is a game-changer in home food preservation. Its ease of use, outstanding results, efficiency, versatility, and great customer support make it an essential investment for anyone interested in preserving food at home. I highly recommend it.

Easy to Use
May 29, 2023
The Harvest Right Freeze Dyer has really been helpful for food storage- and saves freezer space. Many items taking up space in the freezer can be freeze dried and made shelf stable. Very useful when the quail hens are laying more eggs than we can eat – saving them for winter, when the birds have a break from laying. The unit is very easy to set up and use.

HarvestRight produce a good strong and reliable machine
May 29, 2023

HarvestRight produce a good reliable machine that should last years if properly treated.

I bought one in 2018 and have produced over 500 batches so far (by May 2023).

In 5 years there have only been 2 faults: The heater relay on the main PCB failed - This was easily fixed by asking a local electronics shop to swap the relay with an unused one. That cost $30. The other fault was the wires at the power supply started to get hot. I replaced those myself with some bits of heavy duty wire I already had. That's it, not another single fault. One thing I would recommend is that new owners should become very familiar with how freeze drying works. Firstly it is an interesting science. But more importantly it will help diagnose the problem when an error occurs. It will also enable you to make freeze-dried food better and more reliably.

I would encourage users to take the back off the machine and see how it works and build confidence. Plus you need to clean the radiator for the cooling system every now and then.

Over time I have saved enough food to last 1 year for our whole family. Sometimes we've dried food that was leftovers from meals. Other times we saved the glut that nature provides. Last year we dried 6KG of wild garlic. Then we powdered it and we know it will be good for years to come.

I'm glad I made the purchase. It was a hit at the time but I am well past the payback point now. Freeze drying may be foreboding for some. It shouldn't as it's the most sophisticated form of food preservation and can keep spare food good for dozens of years - HarvestRight has made, what was once, an industry only process, available in our kitchens.

Durability and sustainability!
May 29, 2023

I love my freeze dryer - it has been amazing - I suggest if buying to take time to read your manuals from front to back - so you are prepared when you get it .. the book has a lot of valuable info it - don't skip a step and your machine will do what it is supposed to - enjoy !

Customer service is great.
May 28, 2023
Customer service is great, but you need them to often. The machine still has a lot of problems. For the price you pay it should not be breaking down so often. The warranty should be at least for five years.

Great Customer Service
May 27, 2023

My Harvest Right FD has been doing exactly what I need it to do. I’ve been using it for just over a month and have processed 11 batches of fruits, veggies and meats for our family food storage.

I did have screen glitching hiccup but a quick e-mail to HR’s customer service solved that. They responded within hours and e-mailed four small files to be transferred to a thumb drive. A quick install of the files to the FD updated the system to the newest software and I was back in business.

Large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
May 26, 2023
After quite a lot of research we decided to purchase a large freeze dryer from Harvest Right. Once we made the purchase it arrived quickly and in excellent shape. Since we had watched so many videos and read the documentation that shipped with it, we were ready to start using it as soon as it arrived. So far we have had no issues with it and have been extremely impressed.

Great customer service!
May 26, 2023
They were, easy to understand, great customer service, and did everythingpossible to help when needed. They helped within days when requesting tech help on an issue and easily resolved my issue quickly. The freeze dryer we purchased has worked wonders. Would recommend.

Saves money and time
May 25, 2023
I love having a freeze dryer. With just 2 of us, I used to have trouble using up a 10 pound bag of onions, or a bag of mixed bell peppers, or a bunch of celery, before they went bad. Now I just prepare the food, cut it up into the size pieces I need, and freeze dry them. I can take out as little, or as much as I want, without worrying about the rest spoiling. It really saves money on the produce. And it saves a lot of time in the preparation.

Owned for 1.5yrs
May 25, 2023
I’ve owned my freeze dryer for a year and a half. I am giving it a three star because I have had several issues with it. I really do love the idea of owning a freeze dryer. Unfortunately, I have had some time lost and money out of my pocket in fixing the freeze dryer. I do believe I just have a bad unit.

No Heat Detected
May 24, 2023
I purchased my freeze dryer in mid March but did not get it set up maybe a month later. I ran into the "No Heat Detected" error message with my very first batch. I tried troubleshooting myself, but continued to receive the same error message. I eventually reached out to Harvest Right's technical support team. They originally told me I may have had a bad modular so I sent back the one I have and they replaced it. When I received the one modular, I continued to receive the "No Heat Detected" error message but the heat was there. I ended up reaching back out and Itzia ended up helping me with further troubleshoot and discovered that my epoxy pieces were possibly causing the issues I was having. Not only was I receiving the error message, the very first step of the freeze dry process where the machine cools before I put my food in was being skipped. Itzia was extremely nice, helpful and patient. She also was very apologetic about the situation and timing of the issue, which was out of her control, but she definitely showed compassion for Harvest Right customers.

Impressed so far
May 24, 2023
We are enjoying our freeze dryer more and more. We had some technical issues when we first brought it home. We contacted the company and we received a fast and efficient response from their technical team. Jake from Technical Support helped us until the issue was resolved. He was super patient and helpful. My In-laws and Brother In-law purchased their own after we told them about Harvest Right and all we could freeze dry and how this would help us get our food storage in order.

Very satisfied customer
May 23, 2023
We bought a large freeze dryer 6 months ago. It is so simple to set up and use. We have dried all kinds of food, then rehydrated a small portion to see how it tastes, and with few exceptions, it tastes just like it did before FD. And the candy is phenomenal! (milk duds are my fav!)

Good customer service
May 23, 2023

Love, love, love our Freeze Dryer! We purchased our FD in February and have had occasional issues with an inadequate pump error message. Contacted Harvest Right and had an email and phone call the same day. They helped me upload my log files, assessed the problem, sent instructions for how to fix it, and had me up and running again in no time. The representative was helpful and kind.

Highly recommend owning a Harvest Right freezer dryer. One of the best purchases we've made.