Freeze Dryer Perfection (almost)
Let me start off by saying I love this freeze dryer. After reading all the reviews, I purchased mine from Stay Fresh. Not only is the machine excellent, but, Tim, the owner is amazing. Tim and their support should be the Gold Standard of what exemplary support should be. But, back to the dryer. As a military vet and a holder of advanced degrees in Aeronautical Engineering, the machine is very well built. Stainless steel is used throughout, cable management is superb and individual components (i.e. relays) are easy to replace if necessary. This machine was designed to be repaired by the consumer in the field. The machine was delivered quickly and setup was a breeze. I am on my third run and it's worked flawlessly. The industrial pump is no joke. It's heavy and built like a tank. Definitely go with this option if you're considering buying one of these dryers. Now, as perfect as this dryer is, and it is, there are some areas that I think need to happen to raise it to the next level and bury the competition. First, and I apologize this has probably been mention numerous times before, but, this dryer desperately needs to be Wi-Fi connected and with that, a good phone app to communicate with the dryer. I want to be able to see real time stats, make adjustments on the fly, and be alerted if something goes wrong during the process. My refrigerator, dishwasher, and thermostat are all connected like this, why can't this dryer? Second, I find that the dryer struggles to drain the water when clearing out the ice. Since the chamber is level, water backs up against the door and sits there. I suggest using adjustable front feet to elevate the front (maybe an inch) to ensure water drains front to back. Third, the user interface might be a little confusing to some people, it's just not as intuitive as it could be. This is where the competition is superior. Making the user interface more user friendly would be a big plus. And, lastly, think about adding a condenser fan. This dryer tends to run a little warm and placing a fan in front of the condenser will make the machine run cooler and more efficiently. All in all, this is an excellent machine that will give years of service. Don't think twice about buying one if you're in the market. And kudos to Tim, he's an awesome person. I don't think he gets nearly the credit he's due.
