Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Reviews

Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
( 1,600 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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Medium unit does tons of food!!
June 8, 2023
Received my medium FD 6 months ago! Wasn't sure if the medium would do the job! Well I have used all the Mylar bags that came with my freeze dryer and have about a 12 jars filled! It's doing great! Had a few things to deal with off the start but service was great!!!

Great results
June 8, 2023

I recently purchased the medium freeze dryer. During my first batch there was a power outage. The machine started beeping saying that the freezer was no longer freezing. I had remembered reading in the manual that the machine would fix most issues itself. As I was looking for a resolution the machine quit beeping.

When I checked it it said it was freezing again. The first batch turned out perfectly with no issues. I’m very pleased with my purchase in and looking forward to the adventure

Great Customer Service
June 8, 2023

We had our large Harvest Right freeze dryer for about 6 months when we began to have error messages. We submitted a ticket to Harvest Right customer support who contacted us within 24 hours to schedule a tech call. To be ahead in the process we submitted the report from the freeze dryer while waiting on the initial call. Brandon contacted us and asked that we run a water batch to determine if it was the pump or some other issue.

After a few tests and scheduled callbacks from Brandon, he determined it was a faulty pump and requested a new pump be sent. It took about 3 weeks to receive the refurbished pump. We thought the new pump was extremely loud so we again contacted Brandon who recommended a dry flush of the pump after each batch. This resolved the noise problem and the pump runs at a tolerable decibel level when doing this. We are totally satisfied with the customer service at Harvest Right but feel we shouldn't have needed to contact them with so little use of the freeze dryer.

Well-worth it
June 8, 2023

After years of debating purchasing a freeze dryer, as well as seeing very positive reviews of Harvest Right, I finally pulled the trigger. I was looking for a method of preserving food for times of scarcity, along with making tasty snacks for now.

The agents at Harvest Right have been very helpful throughout the purchasing process, as well as in follow-up assistance. The device is fairly simple to use, especially if you just let it run the smart cycle. The drying takes some time (usually a bit more than 24 hours), but it is thorough. Resolving a problem is as easy as calling in and speaking to a representative.

My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is that from the time I placed my order and paid in full until arrival of the machine was around 8 weeks. However, with a product as specialized as this, and knowing that many people are interested in protecting their food supplies, this really wasn't that long to wait.

Very satisfied, both with the product and with the customer service that goes well beyond just making a purchase.

Just buy it!
June 7, 2023

I was so skeptical of freeze dryers. I thought they were over priced and frivolous. My opinion changed when my friend was kind enough to freeze dry some green peppers I had an excess of. I couldn't believe how often I used those peppers and how delicious and convenient they were. I saw the value and started saving up for my very own freeze dryer.

I have owned my freeze dryer for a few months now and it's been running and full of delicious food ever since. It has replaced a majority of the canning I have done. Why didn't I do this sooner! I don't know what I did without this machine. I love it and will be enjoying nutrient dense delicious freeze dried food all winter.

My Harvest Right FD is one of the best investments I have ever made!
June 7, 2023

I have had my Large Harvest Right freeze dryer since the fall of 2020. I have run over 425 loads of food through it since then. I have had two minor problems with the unit during that time and both were quickly solved by the service technicians at Harvest Right. I can’t say enough good about my unit…it runs pretty much non-stop in my garage.

Right now I have it full of hashbrowns that I purchased at Walmart. I will be doing lots of applesauce this fall when our trees ripen and tomatoes as our garden starts producing this summer. I have done grated cheese, home made soups and stews, spaghetti, veggies and fruit, roasted chicken, mac and cheese, eggs, pulled pork, raw hamburger patties…not to mention some candies and ice cream bars!

If you are thinking about getting a Harvest Right FD, quit thinking and get one on order before the growing season gets going. You won’t regret it!

Excellent products!
June 7, 2023
We bought a pharmaceutical freeze dryer and couldn't be happier with the purchase! The control system on it makes it really easy to use and gives great results!

Medium FD purchase
June 6, 2023
I purchased a medium sized freeze dryer and it's been running pretty much since I got it 6 months ago. I did have a mid batch heater failure start to show up 3 months in, but harvest right tech support has been great in helping me troubleshoot the issue and sent out a new relay board to resolve the issue. Great to work with.

Fantastic product and company
June 6, 2023
While this thing is a beast to pick up and move (like take it down to the basement to live out it's life), it adds such great value and the ability to preserve food in another format. The more options available, the better life is. I've had great interactions with the customer service team and have no fear that they will do whatever it takes to make sure my experience with their product is superb. I highly recommend the product to my friends and family who are interested in preserving food.

Thank you Madysen!
June 5, 2023
We have been working with Harvest Right for almost a year to get out machine back up and running. After being passed around by 3 different techs, we were finally lined up with Madysen! Madysen went above and beyond to help us find the issue on our machine and we are finally up and running again! Thank you Madysen!

You will love it.
June 5, 2023
Love, love, love our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. Currently i use it to freeze dry fresh milk, eggs and herbs. I also experiment with various leftovers. After rehydrating several weeks later, the food taste just like it was freshly made. I look forward to using my Harvest Right Freeze Dryer come harvest time in the garden. It will be a game changer. Get yourself a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer today!! You will love it.

Easy to use and great customer service
June 5, 2023
I have had a great experience with my Harvest Right freeze dryer. It was easy set and and we were able to get freeze drying right away. Updates are also easy and any time I need assistance customer service has been wonderful and extremely helpful.

Use your freezedryer immediatly upon purchase for 1 full yr.
June 3, 2023

Bought a large FD 7-2021.Got sick, took me 1 1/2 yrs to recover. Had the FD professionally installed by an electrician who owned one as well. Did the 1st batch of bread. Then did 20 batches & all was fine. Batch 22 was not. Screen went out. Trouble shooting here we come.

Failed attempts to send me the correct software updates happened 3 times.I ordered a pre installed updated flashdrive from Harvestright. Installed the upgrades of software.

STILL issues.Called HR. Paid 45 .00 for a consult/diagnostic to be told I had to open it up etc & check connections myself. I'm a senior citizen 64 yrs old with a walker. After taking pictures of the unit, it was decided by HR that I had screen issues & needed a new screen. Unit is out of warranty since its over a yr old. 21 batches & the screen went out.

Lovely. Now it's going to cost under 175.00 to buy a new screen & try to install it myself. IF that doesn't FIX the problem, unit will have to be boxed up & freighted in to the service dept..Very disappointed in this unit & the quality of the unit.21 batches is supposedly nothing for these units to endure, guess I was wrong.

Before finding this out, I bought 2 more mediums in 2022 & have yet to use them.I am going to run them 24/7 before Oct 2023 & see if they last 21 batches. I will not recommend this product easily if at all depending on the outcome.

Enjoying my freeze dryer....
June 2, 2023
I'm on my 2nd FD as the 1st one did not work properly from the moment I removed it out of the box. I spent many hours on the phone with Customer Service and decided rather than replacing parts to get my brand new freeze dryer to work that I would exchange it for a working one. 2 out of the 3 representatives that I dealt with were amazing to work with, very knowledgeable and patient with me. However, I still decided to exchange my freeze drying for one that was not broken right out of the box. So far, I LOVE IT!! It easy to use and will provide a sense of security to me and my family.

Great Investment!!
June 2, 2023
I absolutely love my Harvest Right freeze dryer!! With the help of my daughter and SIL to carry and lift it into place, it was so easy to set up. All instructions are clear. When I had a small problem (it was my fault it turns out) Harvest Right customer service was right there to help me troubleshoot the issue. I would highly recommend this product. I can't say enough good things about it. I plan to use it to preserve much of the produce from my 2570 sq. ft. garden and to market much of this produce locally. Food will never be wasted again!! I love it, well him. I have named him Fred.

Love the product and the company
June 1, 2023

I love the product and the company. Great freeze dryer. Great customer support. So far we have used ours primarily for camping food so that we don’t need much cooler space. It’s awesome! Freeze dried chili is a revelation! And the fruit has been incredible. It’s super easy to use, and it’s always fun discovering which foods we like best. We went with the oil free pump, which makes everything easier. Love it.

Heads up, it’s a bit noisy (I hear the oil pumps are less so), and it heats up whatever space it’s working in, so you have to be a little strategic about where you use it. We use it inside during the intense summer heat and intense winter cold, and then prefer the garage when the weather is more temperate. Would prefer not to have to move it as it’s heavy, but that’s just our house set up. A basement would be perfect.

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.