Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Reviews

This was the worst customer service experience I’ve received.

They shipped me the wrong item after waiting for a week. Call them told them the error and they said they would have someone call me back, never happened. Called again the next day, they said they needed a photo, so I send proof so they can verify their error. I again asked for a callback but from a supervisor this time to hopefully speed up their already slow shipping process.

And again they did not call me back. The next day I called and requested a supervisor, they could not get me one and had to call me back. Earnest a supervisor, eventually called back said they can’t help me. They said they already reordered it and if they reordered it to speed up the shipping it would just take longer and harvest right said they would not fix there mistake and cover the cost to express ship (little power cord cost nothing to ship).

This is the worst customer service I’ve experienced in a long time. I mean you spend $3000-4000 with a company and then order a replacement part and this is the treatment I get?! Horrible

When I upgrade this unit (which I plan to next year) I’ll be sure to shop around and find another company that offers something similar and that can offer a good customer service experience. I would avoid spending anymore of my money with this company.

I purchased thr blk medium machine from Tractor Supply and it worked wonderfully the first year. I ran it non stop the whole time. After that i started having problems with it. Harvest right charges $40 just to schedule a repair consultation which i do not like.

First was the heating element in the tray was broken. After all diagnostic tests they said i needed a new tray which was several hundred dollars since according to them is past the 1 yesr warranty. At this point I have no choice but to pay otherwise i will have a heavy paperweight. I got the new tray and it worked. I slowed down freeze drying but troubles started again. It stated inadequate vaccumn. So we figured it out as the plastic hose was the culprit. I had to pay about $40 for a new one. So far it has been working okay. Kind of disappointing the machine seems to be having more and more problems. When it works, its a dream.

But to harvest right credit they didn't charge me for the last repair consultation because I had multiple repairs in the same month.

3.5 / 5 stars

We've had our Large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer since 1/2019 and have used it extensively and love it. Lately, we've been getting the dreaded "No Vacuum Seal" error.

The first contact was via a phone call and our information was taken down but after more than 3 weeks of no response we did the on-line ticket method and were contacted within 2 days (that's the method we recommend). Elle has been great with her assistance.

This one is tough and we've communicated with her a number of times to narrow down the possible causes. She has been very informative and patient during the process and when she was unclear about something she easily went higher up to get the answers needed.

Currently it's down to testing to see if the pump is bad. If so, we'll get a new one and get back to FDing all the wonderful things our Grandkids love. We recommend the Harvest Right for all your "Goodie" making as well as making Meals for those Emergency times.

We were having problems with a lack of vacuum on our unit and called Jesse in support at HarvestRight. He had us send a file obtained by the usb port on the machine and he analyzed it, telling us we probably need to clean the premier pump internally. We did a firmware upgrade to the current version first.

He gave us a lot of time and great instruction on the update and the cleaning of the pump, which we did but took pictures of the pump before and after so he could analyze them also. In the discussion we came to realize that the oil filter we had was not good enough and so we got the upgrade ordered through Jesse and also decided to use new oil more frequently and to never leave oil in the pump when the drier was not being used for a while, as it goes bad just sitting there.

After cleaning the pump, doing the firmware update and installing new oil we were back in business! Thanks Jesse for your time, patience and great teaching skills when we needed it!

I love my Medium Harvest Right! I did a lot of research on freeze dryers before buying one and Harvest Right has been around the longest and has the most experience in the industry. Setting it up was very straightforward and easy. It's so simple to use too.

I love making healthy snacks with it. My favorites are cinnamon apples, banana chips, blueberries, roasted garlic pepper green beans, roasted garlic powder, caramelized onion powder and healthy treats for my pets.

I'm also going to use it to make some freeze dried food to eat during power outages from hurricanes. And I can finally send a delicious home cooked meal to my relatives in another state. It's such a useful thing to have. I love this thing so much!

This is a review of both of the Harvest Right freeze dryers I purchased. I purchased a Harvest Right Pro Small unit. The instructions were clear, concise, and easy to follow. I followed the instructions and setup the unit including the bread run. Unfortunately, the unit had two problems, #1 There was terrible chemical odor in the unit. I attempted to clean the unit to eliminate the odor to no avail. I wiped down the entire inside of the unit and the rack. Nothing worked to get rid of the odor. #2 There was no way to download log files from the machine we made multiple attempts to resolve the issue, but nothing worked.

For both of the above issues I contacted Harvest Right support. The support person was insightful and professional. He provided relevant information and suggestions. In the end he said that they would pick up the unit for repair or I could return it to the retailer.

In the end I ended up purchasing a Harvest Right Pro Large unit. The Harvest Right Pro Large unit works well. The only minor issues I have experienced was the drain hose was smashed into the door during packing for shipment. Harvest Right is sending me a replacement. The other issue is that the drain hose coming from the unit is very short making opening and closing the ball valve more difficult.

Here are a few recommendations for success with a Harves Right Freeze Dryer:

1) Purchase a larger unit than you believe you will need. If you load a freeze dryer to its maximum capacity it take longer to freeze dry the food. If food is spread out thinly and below the maximum capacity of the unit especially for wet food it will complete much faster.

2) Thoroughly clean the freeze dryer inside and out before using it.

3) Use plain white vinegar for the bread run

4) Make sure you have a proper workstation or area in a climate-controlled area. The freeze dryer works best in an area with lower humidity and at room temperature. It is also helpful to have a clean place to place all the trays being loaded into the machine.

Finally, for any unit but the small. Understand that the units are very heavy. You will need two people to install. If shipped it will arrive in a very large crate on a pallet. Be patient and carefully follow the instructions.

Do I recommend the unit: Yes

Would I purchase again: Yes

Working beautifully now, set up was frustrating

Received as a Christmas Gift. You should be aware that if you get the LARGE you will need a 120v plug and a 20amp in the breaker box. So you may need an electrician. We are now up and running and having fun! Very happy with tray capacity!

But it didn't start that way: cut black seal, plug outlet change, heaters not working. Customer service was ready to help, but it took time.

Harvest Right has, over the last five years, provided exceptional support and results! I reached out to the company back in 2019 to gather preliminary information. Scott walked me through the various models, thoroughly explained how they operate, and provided recommendations, including adding an independent 110-volt/20-amp circuit. Eventually, I purchased an XL model and immediately experienced great results. The freeze dryer is highly-automated and, in all but one case, owner-induced I might add, produced completely-dried food, ready for packaging. Nevertheless, as with any complex technology, caveats exist, making tips, techniques, and related general knowledge essential getting the most out of a freeze-dryer. Approaching my third year of ownership, Harvest Right’s Customer Support team has provided excellent service and help. Incidentally, Scott, my original contact, has stayed in touch and continues to answer questions and provide insight as well. The team’s blend of domestic and overseas personnel provides assistance virtually any time I need it. Without exception, each individual I’ve spoken with has been a true professional and subject matter expert, either being able to provide on-the spot answers or timely replies to more complex questions.

At the end of the day, my freeze dryer allows me get the most out of harvest season by preserving large volumes of food. It also helps me get the most out of camping season by enabling me to store and carry much more food than my camper’s freezer can hold. Finally, given food allergies within my family, we can prepare shelf-stable meals in advance (including chicken parmesan and curried turkey) that ensure we always have food options, regardless of what local grocery stores and restaurants can accommodate. Scott and the rest of the Harvest Right team have, over several years, proven themselves to be committed to customer satisfaction and ensuring we, as owners, get the most out of our machines.

We purchased our Harvest Right freeze dryer a year ago, and it has been fantastic! We've had so much fun experimenting with dehydrating all kinds of food. One of the biggest benefits is being able to create healthy snacks that are free of additives and chemicals. This has been especially rewarding since we can offer our grandkids wholesome, guilt-free food.

Whenever they visit, the first thing they do is head to the pantry where we keep the dehydrated snacks—they absolutely love them!

Recently, we encountered an issue with the unit not holding a vacuum. Naturally, we were concerned, but the company's customer service was incredible. When I called, they patiently walked me through possible solutions. When the issue wasn’t resolved immediately, a technician from their technical team followed up and spent an hour on the phone with me.

They had me send photos of the unit, helped identify the problem—a misaligned rubber gasket—and guided me through a simple fix. To ensure everything was working properly, they asked me to run a dehydration cycle and even called back the next day to confirm.

I’ve never experienced such attentive, thorough customer service before. I have no hesitation recommending Harvest Right products to anyone!

We purchased our Harvest Right freeze dryer a year ago, and it has been fantastic! We've had so much fun experimenting with dehydrating all kinds of food. One of the biggest benefits is being able to create healthy snacks that are free of additives and chemicals. This has been especially rewarding since we can offer our grandkids wholesome, guilt-free food.

Whenever they visit, the first thing they do is head to the pantry where we keep the dehydrated snacks—they absolutely love them!

Recently, we encountered an issue with the unit not holding a vacuum. Naturally, we were concerned, but the company's customer service was incredible. When I called, they patiently walked me through possible solutions. When the issue wasn’t resolved immediately, a technician from their technical team followed up and spent an hour on the phone with me.

They had me send photos of the unit, helped identify the problem—a misaligned rubber gasket—and guided me through a simple fix. To ensure everything was working properly, they asked me to run a dehydration cycle and even called back the next day to confirm.

I’ve never experienced such attentive, thorough customer service before. I have no hesitation recommending Harvest Right products to anyone!

I researched many brands of freeze dryers before purchasing a Harvest Right XLG. I'm elated with my choice! The freeze dryer itself is very well built and after a minor door adjustment it is rocking! Super impressive how effortlessly and quickly it processes my ingredients.

But the reason for writing this review is to laud HR's customer service, they set the standard of exceptionalcustomer service. Super helpful, friendly and responsive; more importantly, they genuinely care about their customers!!

We bought an existing small ranch in Mexico with 26 mango trees and 3 avocado trees.

1)The mangoes taste amazing and freeze dried they are even better and crunchy if you eat them without hydrating. The mylar bags are colorful and professional from which to sell.

2)The avocados can be sliced or made into guacamole before freeze drying and often pre-freeze to cut down the freeze dryer time.

3)Sweet corn is next on the list and we expect it may taste like candy once dried.

We could never have enough freezer space with our harvest as a lot comes ripe at once and since we like to prep for eating every season it's perfect. Hope to help small Mexican churches to prepare for hard times and possibly sell commercially as well.

It's great for retired life to have a special purpose fulfilling needs and enjoying the present with healthful food.

The dryer itself is easy to use, as it almost runs itself.

Customer service is professional and friendly.

If you can afford it, buy the largest one if you have a lot of food to dry.

Harvest Right freeze dryers are the way to revolutionize the way you store food. Previously I had done solely canning for my fruits and vegetables, now I have the option of doing both, depending on what my future plan is for the food.

I purchased my Harvest Right freeze dryer in February of this year; to help optimize the way I store vegetables from my garden. I accomplished my goal of optimizing the produce of my garden and have found even more uses for the freeze dryer. The green beans with a little olive oil and seasoning freeze dried is like having a crisp green bean chip. They are amazing. I found several ways to process my tomatoes. I pureed some, sliced others, made chili and spaghetti sauce and freeze dried them for later. These will be great to throw in a crock pot for a quick dinner when I get home from work. The peppers were quick and easy to prepare for freeze drying and when I need some for cooking I am able to grab what I need for the meal.

I have been making freeze dried goodies to give to family and friends for birthdays, special events and holidays. They love freeze-dried apples, yogurt, ice cream bars and banana chips. My freeze dryer is getting a workout with requests from family and friends. The freeze-dried goods make great healthy snacks for kids, and they love them, which is much better for them than the process snacks you would purchase.

With food prices extremely high this year I found a need to freeze dry foods that are in season, to save money for when I need them at a later time. I have been able to freeze dry dozens of farm fresh eggs, rhubarb, strawberries, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, beans and other foods to save for later when they are needed for recipes and meals.

There are so many foods you can freeze dry, and I have only touched the surface of a few in the months of owning my machine. I am looking forward to learning and freeze-drying whole meals in the future.

There are just a few things I would change if I could: the bulkiness of the machine itself, and the length of the time to freeze dry products. I highly recommend purchasing one, especially if you have kids and a family to feed.