Freeze-drying isn't just about preserving food – it's about food freedom! Freeze dryers give one the ability to enjoy out-of-season produce, save money with bulk shopping, create amazing snacks and meals with incredible shelf-lives, or even give your favorite candies a fun, crunchy twist. As the market grows, deciding on a freeze dryer can be tricky. Harvest Right is a trusted name, but the innovative newcomer Stay Fresh is worth considering. Let's break down the key differences to help you get the most out of your investment
Harvest Right stands out for its diverse product range, offering tailored solutions for various needs. The lineup includes models designed for home use, commercial applications, and scientific research. Whether you're a health-conscious individual looking to preserve organic snacks at home or a researcher requiring precision in a laboratory setting, Harvest Right provides a freeze dryer to match your specific requirements.
The update in July 2023 brought improvements like faster processing times, enhanced software, and improved energy efficiency. Harvest Right freeze dryers are renowned for their versatility, making them ideal for many users, from amateur homesteaders to professional food processors.
Meanwhile, Stay Fresh offers a more focused product line that caters to home and food business owners. It offers a four-shelf and seven-shelf freeze dryer, with the option to upgrade to an industrial-grade oil vacuum pump. Compared to the Harvest Right product line, Stay Fresh competes with the small and X-Large freeze dryer line of the former due to the number of shelves. Stay Fresh freeze dryers are designed for the needs of small-scale producers and home enthusiasts, providing efficient and reliable freeze-drying capabilities for preserving various foods.
Winner: Harvest Right
Harvest Right wins due to its diverse product range catering to various needs, from home use to commercial and scientific applications.
| Harvest Right | Stay Fresh |
|---|---|
| 1x Impulse Sealer | 1x Standard Oil Pump, with the option to upgrade |
| 1x Premier Vacuum Oil Pump | 1x Stainless Steel Tray set, with the option to buy extra |
| 1x Vacuum Pump Oil | 1x Oil Filter |
| 50x Mylar Bags | 1x Impulse Sealer |
| 50x Oxygen Absorbers | 50x Mylar Bags |
| 5x Stainless Steel Trays | |
| Oil Filter | |
| Guide to Freeze Drying (physical) |
Harvest Right and Stay Fresh allow you to freeze-dry out of the box with the included accessories. However, the former has a slight edge with the added accessories, such as oxygen absorbers and guides.
Winner: Harvest Right
Harvest Right has a slight edge with additional accessories like oxygen absorbers and guides.
The X Large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer boasts an impressive tray space of 2251 square inches and can handle up to 50 pounds of material per batch. Meanwhile, the small freeze dryer features a tray space of 434 square inches and can handle up to 10 pounds of material. In terms of shelving, the small model comes with four trays, while the X-Large model offers seven.
| Specification | Harvest Right Small (4-Tray) | Stay Fresh 4-Tray | Harvest Right X-Large (7-Tray) | Stay Fresh 7-Tray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tray Space | 675 sq. in. | 640 sq. in. | 2251sq. in. | 1120 sq. in. |
| Tray Size | 14" x 7" | 8" x 20" x 0.75" | 29.5" x 10.9" |
8" x 20" x 0.75" |
| No. of Shelves | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Capacity | 10 lbs | 15 lbs | 50 lbs | 25 lbs |
On the other hand, the four-tray Stay Fresh freeze dryer provides 640 square inches of tray space, almost comparable to the medium-sized Harvest Right freeze dryer. Positioned between the two Harvest Right models, the Stay Fresh offers a balanced solution for users with moderate freeze-drying needs. Meanwhile, the seven-tray Stay Fresh model offers up to 1120 square inches of shelf space, which, unfortunately, is only half of what the X-Large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer offers and slightly larger than what the Large Harvest Right offers.
One might question why there are such differences between Harvest Right and Stay Fresh models when they offer similar shelf space. Well, this has to do with the dimensions and design of each unit. For example, the seven-tray freeze dryer from Stay Fresh is slightly smaller by a few inches (20 x 26 x 31 inches), allowing it to occupy less cubic space compared to the X-Large Harvest Right model (24.3 x 37.4 x 35.6 inches). Similarly, the four-tray Stay Fresh model shares the exact dimensions with its seven-tray counterpart, while the small (17.4 x 21.5 x 26.8 inches) and medium (19 x 25 D x 29 inches) Harvest Right models are smaller than their Stay Fresh counterparts.
Winner: Tie
Both brands offer competitive specifications, with Harvest Right providing larger tray space in their X-Large model, while Stay Fresh offers a balanced solution with their four-tray and seven-tray models.
Harvest Right prioritizes the use of stainless steel in crafting their freeze dryers, ensuring durability and resistance to corrosion. Stay Fresh, meanwhile, uses a combination of stainless steel and aluminum for the construction. Additionally, both brands utilize cylindrical chambers, enhancing their ability to withstand pressure during the freeze-drying process. Moreover, their doors are constructed with plexiglass, offering transparency and durability.
However, Stay Fresh distinguishes itself with a small yet significant detail that sets it apart. Unlike Harvest Right, Stay Fresh incorporates an actual pipe as its drain valve, rather than a plastic tube. This pipe extends all the way to the chamber, promising enhanced longevity and reliability in draining water after use. If you’re using a Harvest Right freeze dryer, you can have the valve modified through a third-party maker, although it takes some effort to install, based on this video.
Winner: Stay Fresh
Stay Fresh wins with its use of an actual pipe as the drain valve, promising enhanced longevity and reliability.
Harvest Right prioritizes user-friendly interfaces across its freeze-dryer range, ensuring ease of operation for users of all experience levels. Featuring a touchscreen interface, users can effortlessly navigate through settings to achieve precise freeze-drying conditions or utilize presets for simplified operation. Additionally, with the availability of firmware updates, users can enable different temperature settings on their home freeze dryer, conveniently uploaded via USB.
On the other hand, the Stay Fresh Freeze Dryer is specifically designed with simplicity in mind, making it particularly user-friendly for beginners. It’s patented Smart Control streamlines operation by using presets to let the machine do the rest. Stay Fresh freeze dryers can automatically adjust time, temperature and pressure for the best results without making it complicated for the users. There’s also a manual mode for advanced users who want to set the freeze dryer when they want to experiment.
Winner: Stay Fresh
Stay Fresh wins, as it is specifically designed with simplicity in mind, making it particularly user-friendly for beginners with its patented Smart Control and preset options.
Harvest Right and Stay Fresh present unique offerings tailored to meet the diverse needs of users.
Harvest Right stands out by providing firmware updates that can be conveniently loaded via USB. This feature empowers users to address any bugs or enhance the capabilities of their freeze dryers, ensuring optimal performance over time. Additionally, Harvest Right offers an optional upgrade to their oil pumps, priced at approximately $1495 when purchased alongside the freeze dryer or $1795 when bought separately.
Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers, on the other hand, offer a range of features designed to streamline the freeze-drying process and enhance user experience. These include advanced drying algorithms that adjust settings for you, motorized ball valves, RTD temperature sensors, and replaceable solid-state relays. Each freeze dryer comes standard with a vacuum oil pump, with the option to upgrade to an industrial-grade oil pump for increased performance.
Both Harvest Right and Stay Fresh strive to provide innovative solutions that cater to the evolving needs of users, ensuring efficient and reliable freeze-drying capabilities.
Winner: Tie
Both brands offer unique features, with Harvest Right providing firmware updates via USB and optional oil pump upgrades, while Stay Fresh offers advanced drying algorithms, motorized ball valves, RTD temperature sensors, and replaceable solid-state relays.
Both the Harvest Right and Stay Fresh offer a candy mode in their freeze dryer. In this segment, Donald on YouTube noted that the Harvest Right needed 15 minutes to prepare the freeze dryer for candy, befor loading the candy itself. On the Stay Fresh, all he had to do was load the candies in the freeze dryer, and did not need any prior preparations in doing so. Running both at three hours, the Stay Fresh managed to produce dryer skittles, compared to the Harvest Right, which was still chewy. For this instance, the Stay Fresh has an edge when it comes to candy.
One thing that can be attributed to the Stay Fresh’s efficiency is the probe inside the chamber. It senses the temperature of the food being freeze dried so that it can alert the system when to switch modes. This puts the Stay Fresh ahead of the Harvest Right when it comes to time consumed in freeze drying. You don’t need to add extra hours, as it uses real-time data to shift.
Winner: Stay Fresh
Stay Fresh wins, as it produced dryer candies in less time compared to Harvest Right, attributed to its probe inside the chamber that senses food temperature for optimal mode switching.
| Harvest Right | Stay Fresh | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Small (4-Tray) | 4-Tray |
| Base Price | $2395 | $2999 |
| Oil-Free Pump Upgrade | $1500 | - |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year |
| Size | Large (7-Tray) | 7-Tray |
| Base Price | $4995 | $3995 |
| Oil-Free Pump Upgrade | $1500 | - |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year |
The Harvest Right Small Freeze Dryer is available at a base price of $2395, while the large version starts at $4995. Both models come packaged with the Premier Oil Vacuum Pump included. For users looking to upgrade to the oil-free vacuum pump at the time of purchase, an additional $1500 investment is required. Alternatively, the oil-free pump can be purchased separately later for $1800.
It's important to note that the cost of oil is an additional consideration, with a six-bottle pack of Harvest Right’s mineral oil priced around $100. However, this quantity is typically sufficient for approximately nine oil changes, providing users with long-term cost savings and maintenance convenience.
For the Stay Fresh, the four-tray freeze dryer costs $2999 while the seven-tray costs $3399. Upgrading to the industrial oil pump will cost you an additional $735 upon purchase. Buying the industrial oil pump will cost you $1295. Factor in oil changes may set you back by around $100, like the Harvest Right.
It would seem that Harvest Right gives you more value for money with its oil-free vacuum pump. But if you look at it per square inch of space, you’re getting around $4.69 per square inch with the four-tray Stay Fresh, and the seven-tray freeze dryer will cost you $3 per square inch. The small Harvest Right comes down to $5.52 per square inch and the X-Large model is worth around $2.22 per square inch. All in all, the larger freeze dryers from these brands give you more value for money, with Harvest Right still having that slight edge.
Winner: Harvest Right
Harvest Right has a slight edge, particularly with its X-Large model offering more value per square inch of space.
Although Harvest Right has maintained its presence in the market for a considerable period, the customer experience has not always been ideal. Numerous complaints have surfaced regarding subpar after-sales support, with some customers expressing dissatisfaction to the extent of requesting full refunds. While there have been instances of satisfactory support, many users have been left unsatisfied with the level of assistance received. In some cases, customers have had to escalate their concerns to Harvest Right executives directly to secure a resolution, including obtaining full refunds.
Meanwhile, Stay Fresh seems to be taking cue from the complaints against Harvest Right and is trying to learn from it. Many have praised their customer service, with one customer noting that a customer representative contacted them on a weekend and guided them in troubleshooting. One reviewer on their website noted of a learning curve with the product but was gladly assisted by their email support in getting things going. Coincidentally, many of the praises for Stay Fresh came from Harvest Right conversations on Facebook and Reddit.
Winner: Stay Fresh
Stay Fresh wins, with many customers praising their customer service and support, while Harvest Right has faced numerous complaints regarding subpar after-sales support.
Neither Harvest Right nor Stay Fresh have any certifications for their products, which is unusual on the part of Harvest Right, considering it offers a pharmaceutical-grade freeze dryer. When it comes to warranty, Harvest Right offers a three-year warranty for its freeze dryers. Stay Fresh offers a one-year warranty.
Winner: Harvest Right
Harvest Right wins with its 3-year warranty compared to Stay Fresh's 1-year warranty. However, neither brand has any certifications for their products.
Stay Fresh emerges as the overall winner. While Harvest Right excels in certain aspects such as product range, included accessories, and warranty, Stay Fresh secures wins in crucial categories like build quality and durability, ease of use, performance and efficiency, and customer reviews and feedback.
Stay Fresh's user-friendly design, advanced features, and superior customer support give it a competitive edge over Harvest Right. The use of an actual pipe as the drain valve enhances its longevity, and its patented Smart Control and preset options make it easy for beginners to operate. Additionally, Stay Fresh's probe inside the chamber allows for optimal mode switching, resulting in more efficient freeze-drying.
Although Harvest Right offers a slightly better value for money in terms of price per square inch, especially with its X-Large model, Stay Fresh's overall performance and positive customer experiences make it the more compelling choice.
It's essential to note that the ideal freeze dryer ultimately depends on the specific needs and priorities of the individual user. While Stay Fresh secures the overall win based on the points discussed in the blog post, Harvest Right may still be the preferred choice for those who prioritize factors such as product range or warranty.
Ultimately, the choice between Harvest Right and Stay Fresh freeze dryers depends on individual preferences, priorities, and requirements. Whether prioritizing versatility, technical specifications, ease of use, or customer support, consumers must carefully evaluate their needs and conduct thorough research before deciding.
