If people are considering going with the trend of buying a freeze-dryer for the home, they’ll be thinking about the cost. Most choose to go for a freeze-dryer designed for home use. There’s also the option of going for a larger, commercially designed dryer.
Prices for commercial freeze-dryers begin at around $2,500 and go up to $38,000 or more, depending on the type and features. Some commercial freeze-dryers cost as much as $2,000,000.
Now, we’re wondering how much these dryers cost and if there’s any benefit to having one instead of a conventional home freeze-dryer. So, let’s read on for all the answers below.
How Much Do Commercial Freeze-Dryers Cost on Average?
The cost of a commercial freeze-dryer depends on the size and the brand. Some brands can cost up to $5,000 for up to 3 gallons of product. For other brands, a freeze dryer with a capacity of 2/3 gallons will cost around $7,500, with prices rising to as much as $38,000 processing 3.17 gallons.
Some businesses freeze-dry food in huge batches. As a result, it’s possible to find companies with enormous freeze-dryers worth as much as $2,000,000!
Remember that companies that need freeze-dryers of this size are likely to buy in bulk. Because of this, freeze-dryer company websites don’t list prices for commercial machines, preferring clients to contact them directly. This is especially true if you’re buying in bulk. You’ll have to call the company to get their bulk sale pricing.
There’s also a big difference between the price models of different freeze-dryer companies. We have a home freeze dryer model by Harvest Right. They are helping grow the home freeze-drying trend by producing cheaper dryers than some of their more commercially based competitors. They also sell commercial units.
Customers need to contact them directly for inquiries about the exact prices of Harvest Right commercial freeze-dryers. However, in the past, their commercial units were priced very similarly to their home units. You can go to Harvest Right’s site by clicking this link here. Their menu will help you navigate to the commercial units and the appropriate phone number to call.
Here at Backyard Homestead HQ, we’ve already compiled a list of pricing for a few different freeze-dryer options. If a lower price is best for you, check out Why Are Freeze-Dryers So Expensive, Are They Worth It?
So, there’s a big price difference between commercial freeze-dryers and those designed for personal use, but is there a difference in how they work? Read on below to find out!
Commercial Freeze-Dryer vs. Home Freeze-Dryers: Is There A Difference?
As it turns out, there can be quite a few differences between a freeze-dryer used at home and the kind that big businesses use. Some of these differences include:
Difference #1: Size
The most apparent difference in freeze-dryers is size. Commercial enterprises need to do a lot of freeze-drying, and with home freeze-dryers maxing out at around 0.66 gallons, they just don’t cut it.
We’ve found freeze-dryers online with as much as 1,475 square feet of freeze-drying space. That’s over a hundred times the size of some of the larger home freeze-dryers.
Inevitably, a larger machine also requires more energy. However, larger designs are quite often more efficient. For example, one machine can do the work of ten small freeze-dryers.
The larger dryers have much less surface area, so they can potentially keep cool more efficiently rather than losing energy through the surface.
Difference #2: Price
Of course, with a larger machine comes a heftier price tag. made for large businesses rather than families looking to store food.
Difference #3: Utility Bills
There are more money-based factors to consider than just the upfront cost of the machine. For example, larger freeze-dryers use more electricity than small ones, even if not operating at maximum capacity.
They also require more floor space, which can be a pain if there isn’t enough space to fit everything inside the home or business.
Difference #4: User-friendliness
Companies such as Harvest Right have developed extremely user-friendly home freeze-dryers, which often work by simply pressing a couple of buttons. (Check out our step-by-step guide to that here).
Large-scale industrial freeze-dryers might require more knowledge of freezing times, sublimation temperatures, and air pressures, and these factors need to be dealt with manually. Home dryers will do that for us.
Difference #5: Appearance
Let’s not forget that a freeze-dryer must go into a home, so it’s designed to blend in a bit more than commercial dryers (which can sometimes look like a big white gas tanker).
Why Buy a Commercial Freeze-Dryer Instead of a Home One?
If the consumer wants to make huge batches of freeze-dried food and is considering making a home-based business, it might be a good idea to invest in a commercial freeze-dryer. That’s especially true if they are lucky enough to have the financial capability to do so.
Otherwise, most people will find that a home freeze-dryer is an alternative that costs less and fits in the home better while also fulfilling all their needs.
A good compromise between a large industrial freeze-dryer and a home one might be a mid-size model, such as Harvest Right’s commercial dryers. These retain the easy-to-use features of their home dryers while giving us a little more room to work with.
Speaking of cash floating around, did you know that we can make extra money renting out our freeze-dryers? Read this article we wrote: (Can You Make Money With a Freeze-Dryer? Find out here)
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
In the end, the decision to buy a commercial freeze-dryer is a personal one. Most people choose to go for a freeze-dryer designed for home use. But, there’s also the option of going for a larger, commercially designed dryer.
Of course, home and commercial freeze-dryers have quite a few differences. If we want to make big batches of freeze-dried food and are considering making home business, then it might be a good idea to invest in a commercial freeze-dryer.
Otherwise, most people prefer to get home-size freeze-dryers to save money and space.
For further information about freeze-dryers, try out these articles that we wrote for you:
- Is a Home Freeze Dryer Worth it? How to Know!
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of Home Freeze-Drying
- Where to Buy a Freeze Dryer: Complete Buyer’s Guide
Resources
Learning from your own experience is essential, but learning from others is also intelligent. These are the sources used in this article and our research to be more informed as homesteaders.
- “Freeze Drying Machines | Cuddon Freeze Dry New Zealand.” Cuddon Freeze Dry, 16 Aug. 2021, www.cuddonfreezedry.com/products.
- “Harvest Right|Freeze Dryers|Freeze Dried Food Storage.” Harvest Right, 2022, harvestright.com.
- Starr, Kimberly. “Can You Make Money With A Freeze-Dryer? Complete Guide.” Backyard Homestead HQ, 21 July 2022, backyardhomesteadhq.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-freeze-dryer-complete-guide.
- Starr, Kimberly. “Harvest Right Freeze Dryers: Step By Step Setup Instructions (With Pictures).” Backyard Homestead HQ, 21 July 2022, backyardhomesteadhq.com/harvest-right-freeze-dryers-step-by-step-setup-instructions-with-pictures.
- Starr, Kimberly. “Why Are Freeze Dryers So Expensive? Are They Worth It?” Backyard Homestead HQ, 20 July 2022, backyardhomesteadhq.com/why-are-freeze-dryers-so-expensive-are-they-worth-it.
