FreezeDryer Calculator

Pre-filled from harvestright.com on 2026-11-01. Each default is the midpoint of the range Harvest Right publishes; batch time is our estimate. Change them to match your machine and your food.

Power cost per batch = watts / 1000 x hours x electricity rate. Fresh food cost per batch = capacity x fresh food cost per lb. Batch cost = power + consumables + fresh food. Batches per month = monthly spend / (capacity x retail value per lb). Monthly savings = monthly spend - batches x batch cost. Payback months = machine price / monthly savings (shown as "no payback" if savings are zero or less).

Best-fit size is a simple rule of ours, loosely based on Harvest Right's published household guide (about 1-3 Small, 2-5 Medium, 4-8 Large, 5+ X-Large): 1-2 people = Small, 3-4 = Medium, 5-6 = Large, 7+ = X-Large. It is a starting point, not a recommendation. Capacity is Harvest Right's fresh-food figure; the model applies your retail value per lb to that capacity.

The fresh food cost per lb ($2.50) is our own rough estimate, so edit it for what you actually pay (set it to 0 to ignore food cost). The result does not include the freeze dryer's pump oil or maintenance, shipping, or sales tax.