Online stores are easily the best option for several reasons – you can get all the information about the products, installation, and usage online. You also have all the necessary information about warranties and customer support, as well as means of shipping.
Hence, the Premier Pump is especially not affected by warm, ambient conditions. When temperatures rise, it will pull a vacuum far better than the Standard Pump. The Premier Pump is just not affected by outside heat. It pulls the same deep vacuum even when it is in a warm environment.
Be wary of buying freeze-dryers that come from locations where the unit could have been tampered with or damaged, even by accident.
One of the reasons I like the small freeze dryer is the size. At the same time, my large freeze dryer takes up space equivalent to a clothes dryer—the small one doesn't.
Due to all the choices available, setting up your commercial kitchen for a restaurant can seem overwhelming. Here is our guide to some of the different types of commercial appliances you can buy.
Agree entirely on the fittings! After many emails and phone calls to HR, some advice that didn't pan out, and some parts replacement, the unit is back in business! Turns out it was the wire passthrough for the heater wires.
Easy preparation. Food is prepared for freeze-drying the same way food is prepared for regular freezing. After rinsing and removing blemishes, blanch most vegetables; pretreat fruits if necessary to prevent browning; meats can be freeze-dried cooked or raw; casseroles are typically assembled from already cooked foods.
You get all the same when you buy a freeze dryer in person, but buying it online takes less effort (and it’s more comfortable since you’re sitting on a couch).
The shelf life of canned and dehydrated food is approximately two to three years, while freeze dried food easily lasts eight to ten times as long.
I, too, have noticed a significant difference when I defrost mid-cycle. I do that routinely now. I carefully use a heat gun to "shock" the surface of the ice, moving back and forth across it fairly swiftly, which causes it to crack and separate somewhat from the cylinder.
Now that I've filled you in on why the most affordable freeze dryer is the small Harvest Right, let's talk about how you can score one without breaking the bank.
A walk-in freezer isn’t an appliance that you would find in a domestic kitchen! But, they’re very common in restaurants.
Obviously things like ice cream and marshmallows you would want to let the freeze cycle run longer. When I'm ready to start the drying cycle, I open the door, remove the insulator, and check the temperature of the food on the trays with an infrared thermometer. As long as it's below -10F I start the dry cycle. A side note for TonyC, have you ever thought about attaching a mirror to each side of the tray rack to reflect the radiant heat back in to the trays? I've looked at some mirror finish stainless on ebay, and it looks like you could do it for about $40. Not sure if it's worth a try or not. I would think it would let you get more water out in a cycle because the radiant heat wouldn't be warming the ice on the chamber walls. Just a thought.... Edited December 16, 2015 by Pipsqueak duplicate post (log)
So the bottom line more info is this: If you can afford the money and time to spend on freeze-drying your own food and you believe the need for the food is many months or years away, then eventually the Harvest Right freeze dryer will pay for itself.