Freeze Dryer with Standard Pump

After experiencing lots of problems with my current freeze dryer (different brand) I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a Stay Fresh Freeze Dryer. It took 5 weeks to ship (due to high demand) and after receiving my unit I can assuredly say that it was worth the wait!! This freeze dryer is built with quality in mind. I love the commercial feel that this unit offers as well as the different options for trays. I ended up buying the unit with the 7-shelf system, but I also bought the 4-shelf accessory so that I could have more space between the shelves if I need them. Overall, I've pretty much run this unit nonstop since receiving it and I am very happy with my purchase. The few times I called Stay Fresh I was able to actually speak with the owner/engineer (Tim) who designed this unit, so my questions were answered perfectly and quickly. I could go on and on about what makes this freeze dryer better than the current options available but here's just my top 5 favorite things about the Stay Fresh.
1. Motorized Ball Valve (on the vacuum port) to prevent oil vapor from contaminating food
2. Temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of the food resulting in faster drying and less energy consumption
3. A control panel that offers basic and advanced functions.
4. Very quiet industrial pump that delivers an exceptional vacuum during the freeze-drying cycle
5. Quality internal parts (relays, GTM wiring harness, stainless drain pipe).

This unit does not have lots of accessories at the time but in a recent conversation with Tim, he mentioned that accessories are right around the corner.

Great unit and worth the investment

For context, we use this freeze dryer along with two others for a small candy business.
Pros:
- Extremely high-quality components, especially when compared to competitor units. The PSU is computer-grade with a very clean output. Relays are solid state and replaceable (without soldering skills). Compressor is beefy for chamber size and achieves a colder trap. No plastic tubing (except the PVC vacuum hose) and very high-quality fittings hold the vacuum very well, and I can usually hold the vacuum pressure lower than 500 mTorr with the pump off for 24 hours.
- The industrial pump is a BEAST! Only downside is the demister isn't designed to channel collected oil back into the unit, so you periodically have to drain off the collected oil and top off the oil in the pump.
- Excellent manual mode (all I use, the regular software looks decent, too) that allows modifying tray temperature during cycle.
- Full tray temperature range available, unlike a competitor that requires you to pay for the "pharmaceutical" model to unlock that feature.
- Truly flat trays that make good contact with the racks and prevent hot spots, unlike competitor trays that are embossed with a logo that distorts the surface

Cons:
- The chamber is relatively small, compared with a competitor "large" unit with similar tray capacity. This unit achieves the extra space by having much lower clearance between shelves. Not a problem if you are preserving food, but for candy, this is a real issue when you are doing candy that poofs up a bit. It hits the heater for the shelf above and sticks. I ran a batch of Jolly Ranchers where I had to pull out the entire tray and use thin cardstock to slide between the top of the candy and the tray heaters to remove the candy without destroying the batch. I think SF has a tray unit available with more head space and less trays, but I don't have it and it lowers the capacity, so I just use our competitor unit for that kind of stuff
- The top and bottom tray slots, especially the bottom, run cooler than the rest. This is, of course, due to proximity of the cold trap, but it has a serious effect on candies that are very sensitive to precise temperature to achieve the desired result. Often times when running those, I don't even use those two tray slots. My recommendation here would be individual thermostats and heater wiring/relays for those two tray slots, then a single thermostat/relay for the rest. Those two definitely need to be regulated differently.
- The stainless steel trays themselves need folded-over edges. I've cut myself many times on the sharp metal edges.

We are really enjoying our Stay Fresh freeze dryer!! It does a super job and we have kept it busy for months now. The Stay Fresh freeze dryer is intuitive and is virtually foolproof. Customer service has been excellent when we’ve had a question. We couldn’t be happier.

This Company is Amazing!! The customer support, (Tim) is "MILES" ahead of the rest. I own another freeze drier and after a week of owning it and dealing with the customer service of that company, I decided to buy a Stay Fresh machine and can't be happier. Being in the refrigeration and high vacuum system business for more than 40 years I can tell you that this equipment was built with much thought and quality components to be sure. Maintenance and serviceability are a key focus with this machine, and that is important if it ever needs repairs. Thank you, Tim and your amazing team of experts that produce and " SUPPORT" this this product. If and when I need another freeze drier this will definitely be my first choice. All the Best, Jim C :))

I would highly recommend a SF FD to anyone who is looking to invest in one. Tim is the best not only only do you get quality product but exceptional customer service which is very difficult to find these days. I own 3 and would buy another.