Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Reviews

My system started giving me error messages but through the harvestright website and their YouTube videos I was able to troubleshoot a lot myself. When I got to a point that I couldn't fix the errors, I reached out through a ticket and received excellent support. I really love that the same people see you through to a resolve and everyone is so kind/helpful!

We recently purchased a "scratch and dent," medium-sized freeze dryer from Harvest Right. Upon delivery, we inspected it carefully and found only the tiniest scratch. We then moved it into the spot where we would be operating it, let it sit for 24 hours (as recommended), and then ran our bread test. We were instantly disappointed because we could tell right away that the refrigerator compressor was not operating correctly. It would only run for a couple of seconds at a time and kept kicking on and off. The unit was not cooling at all. I called Harvest Right's customer service, explained what was going on, and was scheduled to have a phone meeting with a service technician for later that day.

When the technician called, he was already aware of what issues we were facing. He asked some questions, had me try a few things, and led me through a process to run a water batch test. This would enable the machine to gather data that I could then send to him and he could see exactly what was happening. When he called back after receiving the data, he told me that the refrigeration component was not functioning properly and that we would need to send the unit back for repair. They sent all of the necessary components to repackage the unit and scheduled the pick up for us.

In the mean time, Harvest Right (due to the care of our service technician), decided to send us a new unit instead of having us wait for them to repair the broken one. We now have the second machine hooked up and running successful batches! Throughout this whole process our service technician has been in contact, sharing updates, and checking in to make sure that we were taken care of. I've been happy with the service we've been provided. And, our whole family is excited about all of the possibilities of things we can preserve using our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer!

Harvest Right has provided me with excellent service over the years.

I purchased my first machine in 2016. I have used it to freeze dry all kinds of food. It has worked well with minimal repairs over the years until 2022. I am going to do one final repair and hope I can get it up and running again. I plan to buy a new machine on the first of June 2023. I have recommended Harvest Right to my friends and family and 5 of them have purchased a machine as well and enjoy Freeze drying their food. I would still recommend their product

We have had our harvest right freezer for a little over a month now, and for the most part we LOVE it. The set up was easy and very user friendly.

However, even though we have only had it for a month we have already had issues with the refrigeration mode. Twice now we have received a message on the screen saying our machine wasn't getting cold enough and stopped the cycle...resulting in a whole wasted batch of product. Even though it is still "under warranty" Harvest Right said we needed to pay to have someone come and fix it.

In short: When it works, it's great! However, if we are already having to have expensive repairs after one month of use I am not optimistic about our return of investment. It is a very expensive machine, and I would expect it to run longer than a month before major problems.

They want you to pay 45 dollars to talk to tech for parts I Just wanted to rebuild my pump they will not give you a list of part. you have to go to a tech for that one every time you call the help desk, they are no help at all.

We have the size Large freeze dryer. Set up was easy, we did the first run with bread to get that new smell out. Watched all the video tutorials and started preserving food right away. It's a loud appliance and you wouldn't want it in your house where you have to hear it all the time. The large takes a large amont of time to freeze and then dry the 5 trays. We like to pre-freeze but not necessary. Surprisingly, avocados are a lot of fun. Did a bunch of onions for powder and flakes. Raw eggs turned into powdered eggs for when the chickens stop laying in the winter. Buying frozen fruit on sale is a great way to get those freeze dried mangos, cherries, and strawberries at quite a low cost and then save them for future use. Cucumber slices dipped in "pickle flavors" and vinegar were surprisingly delicious like little pickle chips. Can't wait to try okra with garlic and salt. We love this freeze dryer! It holds quite a bit of food at one time. I've seen it take 50 hrs to finish when it's very full, but 24-40 when we pre-freeze and the foods are "too wet". We store in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers or we vacuum seal in jars. We built a sturdy stand with a shorter attached stand for the pump and have a 5 gallon bucket to catch the water during defrost.

If you have to call customer service for anything, they are very helpful and so polite.

Looking forward to preserving the garden harvest this summer and many more after that.

The HarvestRight machine is an amazing piece of equipment that takes homesteading and prepping to the next level. Freeze dried food is so tasty, especially crisp & crunchy fruits and vegetables. Reconstituted items are surprisingly close to the original. In addition, it retains nutritional value better than other processing methods, has a longer shelf life and, as a bonus, freeze drying is incredibly satisfying and fun.

Although the initial purchase price may be a consideration for some, the HarvesRight Freeze Drier should be viewed as an investment for the future. It is certainly more economical than buying prepared survival food kits for the family and, no doubt, everyone will appreciate stocking up on specific food items that are already family favorites.

Perhaps the most admirable feature of HarvestRight is their staff. They are readily availabe, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

Love my FD

It took me awhile to decide to purchase a Large FD. But my nephew had one and loved it. I took the plunge and have not regretted it. I have the large FD, we had problem from the very start. I was not happy, this cost a lot of money, but HR techs were amazing. I run my FD pretty much 24/7. I love how things look so amazing when they are done. Celery looks like celery, everything I have FD has looked and tested the same as when I put it in. I FD some taco soup and when reconstituted tested just like I had taken it off the stove. I am wishing I had a second FD.

Have nothing but good things to say about my FD and Harvest Right techs.

Nona

Date of experience: March 16, 2023

Love, love our Harvest Right freeze dryers! Bought our first one April 2022 (Ozzie), the second one for our daughter and her family for Christmas in July, and got a third one in December 2022.

We process 2-3 loads a week(proteins, soups/stews, fruits, veggie) so we definitely keep Ozzie and Harriet busy!

We didn’t realize just how loud Ozzie’s pump was until we started running Harriet, the difference in decibel numbers was pretty significant. Originally Ozzie had been located near a living area, but he was so loud we had to relocate him to a room with a door as far away from the living area as we could, he was THAT loud.

We contacted Harvest Right customer service, shared some videos with decibel measurements, and while it took a bit long due to our schedule and theirs, we were very pleased that they shipped us a replacement pump, just as we were approaching the end of the one year warranty.

So Ozzie’s “heart” transplant was a success, and he and Harriet are happily generating loads of delicious foods. Two machines running simultaneously for sure generates some noise, but Ozzie’s new “heart” has made a HUGE difference!

This whole process truly could have been a nightmare, but was not due to Harvest Right’s support, specifically Shai’s excellently customer service ….give that girl a raise for a job VERY well done! Her follow-up and follow-through were exceptional via email and phone, she reached out regularly about every 2 days to keep us updated during the process.

Well done Harvest Right! The freeze dryers are amazing, and the customer support is too!

And it’s important to note that this is literally my first online review for ANY product, but felt the need to share our experience.

We have purchased several harvest right freeze dryers and will continue to add more to our “collection.” The company are excellent at trouble shooting problems while under warranty, and are even there to support your purchase after that period. Customer service is well organized, and you can expect help from them on a schedule, so you’re not waiting around all day for a call.

As for the machines, we save vs purchasing ready made meals, and know the exact ingredients.