Can You Rent Freeze Dryers? | Freeze Dried Guide (2024)

Freeze Dried Fruits

Freeze dryers are awesome appliances that can help you preserve food for long-term storage. Although many are interested in freeze-drying food, not many can afford to pay for one and ask one question: Can you rent a freeze dryer? We’ll tackle everything about freeze dryer rentals and see if it’s a more reasonable alternative

Freeze Dryer Rentals – Who Offers Them

Looking for freeze dryer rentals is admittedly a challenge. In general, you can only rent freeze dryers from the following:

• Private owners
• Professional kitchens
• Appliance rental companies
• Freeze drying facilities.
• Equipment rental companies

Some private owners offer renting out their freeze dryers for almost anyone who’s looking for long-term storage. However, one thing you should consider is that you can only use them as-is on the private owner’s location. Freeze dryers are heavy, and it takes more than 2 people to load them up onto a pick-up truck.

What’s more, big-sized freeze dryers need their own dedicated outlet. Definitely not something an owner could afford to connect and disconnect at will. You won’t see anyone with a huge freeze dryer willing to let you take it out of their homes.

If you’re going to go for professional kitchens, sometimes they put in an added service. The same goes with freeze drying facilities as they already have a process down for freezing and storing food.

Just one thing, though. Freeze dryer rentals from professional facilities can be expensive. Their freeze dryers are designed for big batches, so get your money’s worth and prepare a huge load to freeze dry.

Where Can Rent Freeze Dryers?

Thanks to the internet, you don’t have to jump in your car and drive across the state just to look for freeze dryer rentals.

You can look for ads online like Craigslist or your local classified ads section. You may or may not find one immediately, but just keep looking. Be patient and wait for an ad that fits your needs and location.

Do you belong in any freeze-drying community group? Not only do these groups offer great recipes and tips for freeze drying. You’ll find an occasional freeze dryer or two who will offer their freeze dryers for rent. These groups can be a Facebook group community or a forum dedicated to freeze dryers or preppers.

Don’t forget your friend, too! If you got into freeze drying because of your friend, then don’t be shy. Ask if you could rent your friend’s freeze dryer and start storing healthy food for you and your family.

Does Harvest Right Offer A Freeze Dryer For Rent?

No one can blame you if you want to test a Harvest Right freeze dryer before buying. Nothing is as painful as coughing out more than $4000 and finding out that the costly machine is not what you need.

Unfortunately, Harvest Right doesn’t offer a rental service. If you plan to rent a Harvest Right freeze dryer, you have a better chance of getting one from a private owner.

How Much Will They Cost?

How much you’ll pay for freeze dryer rentals range from $5-$500+, depending on where you’ll get them.

For private owners, that can be $5 per tray or around $60 for the entire machine. You do have to be clear about what you’re going to freeze dry and try to negotiate. Consider yourself lucky if you find a private owner who’s willing to offer $5 per tray. Running the machine each hour isn’t exactly cheap. If you want fair trade, look for an owner with an electricity usage monitor. Or you can get one and hook it up while using the freeze dryer.

Freeze dryer rental from equipment or appliance rental companies can be $550 per week. If you make it a habit, then soon you’ll find yourself wishing you should have bought one. Unless you get 4-5 loads done in a week, freeze dryer rentals isn’t a good economic option.

As for professional kitchens, you can spend about $80 for 24 hours, topped with $5 additional per hour. Sometimes, this won’t be enough for certain food items. Also, keep in mind that you’re dealing with a professional kitchen. They have health and safety regulations to follow. Check for their list of what food items you can and can’t freeze dry before you sign up.

Freeze Dryer Rentals – Yay Or Nay?

Freeze dryer rentals can be an ideal food preservation solution for you if:

• You’re on a tight budget
• Freeze drying a small batch of food
• Not really into long-term freeze drying

You don’t have to spend a lot if you’re just going to test out a freeze dryer and see if it’s good for you. However, freeze-drying involves trial and error. You might not get a good experience if you’re going to use it on a short-term basis.

On the other hand, may be better off buying yourself one. If let’s say you rent a freeze dryer 6-8 times for a week in a year, you’ve just enough for a decent-sized unit.

Have you tried renting a freeze dryer? Where were you able look for freeze dryer rentals? What made you love it? What made you hate it? Share your experience with us in the comment section!