As a relatively new technology for home use, plenty of people have questions about the industrial-grade preservation process also known as lyophilization. I’m not a scientist, but I’ve studied up and have enough experience to weigh in:
Data, however, doesn’t tell the complete story. All home freeze dryers give you complete control over the type of food that you store and how it is prepared.
Are freeze dryers energy-efficient? While freeze dryers consume energy during operation, they can be cost-effective in the long run by reducing food waste and allowing for bulk food preservation.
For those on a budget, the premier oil pump’s upfront cost seems much more reasonable. It’s a significant saving, one that could go towards purchasing more food for preservation and storage equipment such as Mylar bags.
Given our experience, the decision to purchase a freeze dryer again if we had a do-over is a pelo-brainer, we would get it every time.
We did not include those riser racks in our capacity calculations and comparison since they aren’t true tray capacity.
The Large Freeze Dryer will freeze dry up to 16 pounds of food at a time, and more than 2,500 pounds of food over the course of a year. That is enough to keep a family of four well fed for at least six months.
So, the answer depends on what you are trying to do. My opinion is that dehydrators are better for snacks- like jerky and dried fruit, whereas freeze-dryers are better for pretty much any long-term food storage. Both are pretty good at making candy as well.
We were looking for a reliable way to extend the shelf life of our garden produce and eggs, without compromising quality. A freeze drying machine not only preserves flavor and nutrients but also greatly extends shelf more info life – by up to 25 years!
But, freeze dryers can handle a wide range of food and retain nutritional value (and flavor!) much better than dehydrators. They also give the food a massively long shelf life, extending some perishable foods to over 25 years!
Lastly, the drum and trays can get pretty cold, so don’t touch frozen surfaces with your skin to avoid injury or frostbite.
Design is important for quality because there are many separate components working together inside of a freeze dryer. The weakest link can cause the entire machine to not work- whether its a faulty door seal or underpowered vacuum pump.
Most freeze dryers increase their capacity with tray count and deeper drums. The front of freeze dryers in various sizes can appear to be similar when, in fact, there are large capacity differences. Tray size can illustrate this best:
The dehydrator features a digital thermostat and timer, giving you complete control over the drying process. The transparent door and trays make it easy to monitor the progress of your food without having to open the machine, ensuring that your snacks are dried to perfection.