What Size Freeze Dryer Do I Need?
Tell us roughly how much you’ll freeze dry in a week, and what it is. We’ll match the machine — and tell you when a smaller one is enough.
Showing a worked example. The live size picker needs JavaScript — if nothing changes when you edit a value, open this page on your phone or another computer.
The 5-Shelf freeze dryer
12 lb a week is one batch a week.
Choose your pump
| Price | from $2,699 |
|---|---|
| Per batch | 12–18 lb of fresh food |
| Trays | 5 trays · 800 sq in |
| Each batch | about 40 hours for 12 lb |
| Size | 20 × 26 × 31 in · 165 lb plus pump |
| Power | Dedicated 15/20 A outlet recommended |
| Model | Per batch | Batches a week | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small$1,750 | 8.0 lb | 2 | Fits · pre-order |
| 5-Shelffrom $2,699 | 15 lb | 1 | Best fit |
| 7-Shelffrom $3,099 | 15 lb | 1 | Fits |
| Large$4,335 | 27 lb | 1 every 2 weeks | Room to spare |
| Mega$5,355 | 40 lb | 1 every 3 weeks | Room to spare |
Per batch is a typical load. Batches a week are whole batches; a full food batch takes about 45–75 hours, including freezing fresh food and the final dry.
How we size it
| Model | Food per batch | Tray area | Ice capacity | Candy per batch | Full batch | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallfrom $1,750 · pre-order | 6–10 lb | 434 sq in | 8 lb | ~3 lb | ~44 h | Regular outlet |
| 5-Shelffrom $2,699 | 12–18 lb | 800 sq in | 14 lb | ~5 lb | ~53 h | 15/20 A |
| 7-Shelffrom $3,099 | up to 18 lb | 1,120 sq in | 14 lb | Not for candy | ~53 h | 15/20 A |
| Largefrom $4,335 | 20–35 lb | 1,283 sq in | 25 lb | ~8 lb | ~52 h | 20 A, NEMA 5-20 |
| Megafrom $5,355 | up to 50 lb | 1,733 sq in | 40 lb | ~11 lb | ~73 h | 20 A, NEMA 5-20 |
Pounds per batch is really a water limit. Everything that leaves the food freezes onto the cold trap, and the trap holds a fixed amount of ice — 14 lb in the 5- and 7-Shelf, 25 lb in the Large and 40 lb in the Mega. Wet food like fruit and soup hits that limit first: a full load of typical food is about 16.5 lb on the 5- and 7-Shelf, even though they are rated to 18. Drier food like cheese or cooked meat lets you load more. The full-batch times in the table are for those water-limited loads.
Candy is a tray-area problem. It is barely wet, so the ice limit never matters; what runs out is flat space, because candy needs a single layer with room to puff. That is why we size candy by square inches. We don’t recommend the 7-Shelf for candy — its shelves sit 1.2 in apart, too close once candy expands.
Herbs, leafy greens and thin-sliced fruit fill trays long before they reach the weight limit. The 7-Shelf puts the same weight on seven thinner layers, which suits them well.
How often you run it matters as much as size. A full batch of fresh food takes about 45 to 75 hours, including the freeze and the final dry, so twice a week is the practical limit for one machine at home, and about three a week if you run it back to back (two on the Mega). The machine spends the first 8 hours or so freezing fresh food (10 on the Large, 12 on the Mega); food you freeze ahead in your own freezer starts drying within about 0–4 hours. Candy runs in hours, so one machine can do several batches a day.
Power and space. The Small plugs into a regular household outlet and needs 12 in (30 cm) of clear space on its right side. The 5- and 7-Shelf need a dedicated 15 or 20 A outlet; the Large and Mega need a 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet (on 220 V the Mega needs a dedicated 15 A circuit). The 5-Shelf, 7-Shelf, Large and Mega need at least 12 in (30 cm) of clear space on both sides, because air comes in on the left and leaves on the right. Full dimensions are on the specifications page.
Premier or Commercial pump? It’s your choice on the 5- and 7-Shelf, and step 4 above compares them side by side. Both move 7.2 CFM, so neither dries faster. The Premier costs less and suits a batch or two a week. The Commercial changes oil every 30 batches instead of 5, pulls a deeper vacuum, runs quieter and can be repaired rather than replaced — worth it if you run back to back or sell what you make. It draws about 400 W while running against the Premier’s 300 W, so it adds a little to each batch’s electricity, and its cheaper oil changes roughly cancel that out.
Questions people ask
What size freeze dryer do I need for a family of four?
Most families of four are well served by the 5-Shelf. At 10–15 lb a week — fruit, leftovers and a few meals — that is one batch a week. Choose the Large if you are building food storage or putting up whole garden harvests at more than about 32 lb a week, or would rather run fewer, bigger batches.
Which freeze dryer is best for candy?
The 5-Shelf for home and hobby candy, and the Large or Mega for a candy business. Candy is limited by tray area, and a batch takes hours, so a 5-Shelf turned twice a day makes about 10 lb of finished candy. We don’t recommend the 7-Shelf for candy.
Do you make a countertop freeze dryer?
Yes — the Small Freeze Dryer, which is on pre-order now. It is 26.7 × 18.5 × 17.3 in (68 × 47 × 44 cm) and 100 lb (45 kg) without its pump, takes 6–10 lb of food a batch on four trays, and plugs into a regular 110 V household outlet. Leave 12 in (30 cm) clear on its right side. It costs $1,750 and ships in 8 weeks: pre-order the Small. For more than about 19 lb a week, the 5-Shelf is the next size up.
Can I plug a freeze dryer into a regular outlet?
Yes. The Small plugs into a regular 110 V household outlet. The 5- and 7-Shelf run on a standard 110 V household outlet too, but it should be on its own dedicated 15 or 20 A circuit. The Large and Mega need a 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet — the kind with a T-shaped slot.
Should I buy bigger than I need?
Only if you know your volume will grow. A half load still takes about 60% of the electricity of a full one, and every batch carries the same pump upkeep, so an oversized machine running part loads costs more per pound. If you are unsure, start with the size that fits a typical week, save food up for fuller batches, and add a second set of trays so the next batch is ready to go in.