You’ll have to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons. For me personally, none of the cons outweighed the pros. The high price tag is an investment in my ability to preserve food for long periods of time for me and my family without relying on others. The noise doesn’t bother any of us and it’s like white noise.
After the 3rd cycle I had hit my 20 cycle oil limit so it was time to change the oil. This time I took the time to add a flush port to my pump. When I replaced the plumbing with larger diameter brass and a cutoff valve I did not think to add the oil flush out port.
1. Inadequate Drying Time: If your food is not completely dry after a cycle, it may require additional time. Always check moisture levels before sealing.
Adele Faubert Albert was very helpful in answering questions prior to place the order and then with following up on delivery. The unit arrived on the date scheduled even though the tracking notice was not updated once the unit arrived in Canada. The pre-arrival instructions were very helpful as we were prepared once the unit arrived.
Another option that can work well is teaming up with like-minded friends or family members to purchase a freeze dryer together.
It takes slightly extended to dry than our other picks, and it lacks a speed-dry option, but it surely gets the job accomplished and fees various hundred dollars under very similar dryers.
•Operation allows for recipe customization (up to 10 Thermal Treatment and 12 Drying steps). Control of the rate of freeze. This means that the rate of freeze can be speeded up or slowed down.
7) Next up the drain line. This not only deminishes condensation but also eliminates an unnecessary hot spot into the chamber.
Use a professional shipping service that specializes in handling industrial machinery. Ensure the dryer is properly secured and protected to prevent any damage during transit.
A funny lesson I learned is that we no longer freeze-dry many fruits or vegetables. I know this goes against what most preppers say but I’ve come to Shop Now a different conclusion. We did tons of fruits and vegetables at first but considering the time it takes we found that we are better served by spending that precious freeze drying usage on more expensive items like meats, eggs, and complete meals.
And therein lies the cons to buying a freeze dryer. It takes time to make them cost effective. Depending on humidity in your area, a single run can take up to two days to complete.
The only way I know to filter the water vapor out would be a cold trap. They usually use liquid nitrogen or dry ice to keep the temperature low enough that all the water condenses out. Obviously you would need a supply of the liquid nitrogen or dry ice that would probably not be cost effective for most of us. The other option to get that cold would be to use a cryocooler and build a cold trap around it. It could be done, but would be pretty expensive. I've been watching some electronics on ebay that have cryocoolers in them, but the cheapest I've seen is around $600. Still not a cheap option, but you wouldn't need dry ice or liquid nitrogen to feed it.
You can leave meat covered with boiling water in the fridge overnight. For salsa, reconstitute with cold water and let sit 5 minutes.
The food options we had there were extremely limited and full of preservatives. To counter that, my buddy Lance went in with family members on the purchase of a freeze dryer for home use.