Harvest Right Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer

The Countertop 360 is Harvest Right's smallest and lowest-priced home freeze dryer. It freeze dries 5 to 9 lb of fresh food per batch, runs at about the volume of a dishwasher, and is built to sit on a kitchen counter.

The Harvest Right Countertop 360 costs $1,295. That's well below the $1,895 to $4,995 range of Harvest Right's standard home models.

People who want to try freeze drying without a $2,000 to $4,000 investment, and people with small kitchens, apartments, condos or RVs. It also suits anyone who wants to freeze dry leftovers and fresh produce a few pounds at a time.

The Countertop 360 holds 5-9 lbs of food per batch. This compares to 6-10 lbs for the Small model, and 10-15 lbs for the Medium.

• A twist-lock door that pulls itself into place, so there's no door seal to line up and fewer vacuum errors.
• A removable drain container instead of a drain hose.
• An air valve that releases pressure in the chamber, so defrost water can't be drawn back into it.
• The vacuum pump is built into the cabinet, on a shelf you can slide out.
• A window onto the pump's oil level when the door is closed.

Yes. It measures about 17.75 in tall, roughly 25.5 in wide and 19 in deep, and weighs about 110 lb. It's small enough to sit on a standard kitchen counter, which is typically 25 to 25.5 in deep.

Usually. Most kitchens built in the last 20 to 30 years have about 18 in between the counter and the bottom of the upper cabinets, and the unit is about 17.75 in tall. Plate racks, built-in shelves and similar fixtures can reduce that gap to around 17 in, so measure before you buy.

Not much, but it needs airflow. Leave a little room on each side for ventilation and a couple of inches behind it for the power plug. Don't put it inside a closed cabinet.

Plan on roughly 17 in of clearance in front for the door to open and for pulling out the pump shelf. In our video review, the all-in working footprint came to about 34 in wide, 21 in deep and 18 in tall.

Put it on a rolling kitchen cart. It stays handy while you load and unload, and you can roll it out of the way when it's not in use.

5 to 9 lb of fresh food. That's roughly 5 to 9 one-pound cartons of strawberries or 45 to 80 large eggs. Harvest Right estimates a batch yields about 0.7 to 1.2 gallons of freeze-dried food, and rates the machine for up to about 1,500 lb of fresh food per year.

Four stainless steel trays, each measuring 7.1" W x 12.6" L

• Freeze dryer with the vacuum pump already installed
• 4 stainless steel trays and a heating rack
• 25 Mylar bags and 25 oxygen absorbers
• A compact impulse sealer for sealing the bags
• A countertop oil filter and vacuum pump oil
• Instruction manual, pump manual and Guide to Freeze Drying
• Power cord

Most people add pre-cut parchment paper for the trays, plus extra Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for long-term storage. You can browse all our recommended products for the Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer here.

No. The vacuum pump and vacuum hose are already installed and connected when it arrives, which removes much of the usual learning curve. Setup takes a few minutes:

1. Check that the vacuum hose is hand-tight at both ends.
2. Remove the oil cap.
3. Turn the drain plug all the way clockwise to close it.
4. Add pump oil until the sight glass is one-half to three-quarters full.
5. Plug the power cord into the back of the unit and into a 15 or 20 amp outlet, preferably on a dedicated circuit.

Yes. Wipe down the inside with a food-safe alcohol such as rubbing alcohol, vodka or Everclear. Then freeze dry a couple of slices of bread on parchment paper. This "bread run" helps clear the new-machine smell and gives you a quick tour of a full cycle.

About 54 dB once the vacuum pump is running, which is the level of a typical dishwasher. We've owned every Harvest Right model since 2017, and we think it's the quietest we've ever used. You can watch TV or hold a conversation in the same room while it runs.

It runs on standard 110 V household power and draws up to 1,600 W (15 A). Use a dedicated 15 amp circuit if you can. A 20 amp circuit also works.

The unit pre-cools for about 15 minutes after you press start, then runs four stages automatically:

1. Freezing: frost forms on the outside of the chamber as the food freezes solid.
2. Vacuum freezing: the pump starts and begins removing water from the food.
3. Drying: the machine alternates heating and cooling under vacuum to pull out the remaining moisture.
4. Extra dry time: an adjustable final stage, set to 2 hours by default.

Total time depends on the food and how much you load. The machine beeps when the batch is done.

Turn the air valve to let air back into the chamber, open the door and take out the food. The water pulled from the food melts off the chamber wall into the drain container. When it's defrosted, you can start the next batch.

Slide out the removable drain container and pour it into the sink. There's no drain hose to position or clean.

Slide the pump out on its shelf to check or change the oil. The oil level is also visible through a sight glass with the door closed. Harvest Right recommends filtering or replacing the pump oil every 20 to 30 batches.

Yes, with the optional Wi-Fi Upgrade Kit.

Fruit, vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, desserts and full meals. Leftovers work too: put a lid on them, freeze them, and load them when you're ready.

Three years, limited.

Directly from Harvest Right. Check the product page for current colors, pricing and availability.

Freeze Drying Supplies carries the supplies that go with the Countertop 360, including pre-cut parchment paper, Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Shop accessories

Watch our full video review, which covers unboxing, setup, a test run and a noise check. Watch the review