Harvest Right Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer: My First Look
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This Harvest Right Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer first look shares my experience testing this brand-new compact model for one week. So far, I’m very excited about how well it fits my needs. Will it suit yours? Let’s find out.
Disclosure: Harvest Right provided this Countertop 360 for me to keep at no cost. I was not paid or required to publish this first look review post. Homemade Food Junkie is a Harvest Right affiliate, so we may earn a commission if you purchase through our link, at no additional cost to you. All opinions and observations are my own. I don’t do review posts often, but this machine deserves one.
Home freeze dryers have intrigued cooks for years, but many people have ruled them out as too large, expensive, noisy or complicated for everyday home life. Now there is an option for those cooks and home food preservers. This Harvest Right Countertop 360 freeze Dryer is a completely new upgrade in home freeze drying for the small family.
I have used a Harvest Right Medium Pro freeze dryer for years. It was a great match for my husband and me when we had a very large garden and more food to preserve. We now live in a smaller home, grow a smaller garden and cook primarily for two people.
After using the Countertop 360 for several batches, I can honestly say that I love this smaller freeze dryer for the way we live now. It gives us enough capacity for modest amounts of garden produce, leftovers, pantry ingredients and treats without requiring us to organize our home around a large piece of processing equipment.
The tradeoff is capacity. The Countertop 360 holds considerably less food than the larger Harvest Right models, and its food cycles are not necessarily dramatically shorter. This first look will help you decide whether its balance of smaller output and greater convenience makes sense in your home.
Harvest Right Countertop 360 at a Glance
| Feature | What I Know So Far |
|---|---|
| Exterior Machine dimensions | 17⅞ inches high × 25 inches wide × 18 inches deep |
| Measured depth in my setup | Approximately 21 inches from the wall to accommodate the cord |
| Trays | Four small trays-12 1/2 ” long by 7″ wide |
| Measured tray volume | Volume capacity: Approximately three cups per tray when filled nearly to the top with sauce. |
| Pump | Enclosed inside the cabinet with viewing window and slides out for maintenance |
| Drainage | Internal system; no external hose and bucket. Pulls out to empty. |
| Noise | Much quieter than my Medium Pro during normal operation |
| Connectivity | App can be used manually; machine-to-app Wi-Fi requires an optional adapter sold separately. |
| Launch sale price | $1,295 |
| MSRP | $1,595 |
| Best fit | Smaller households, modest batches and everyday use |
| Main limitation | Lower batch capacity |
These are the machine-body measurements and my early working measurements. This countertop 360 freeze dryer needs additional operating and ventilation space, which I’ll explain below.
Who Is the Countertop 360 Best For?
The Countertop 360 appears best suited to people who are interested in freeze drying but do not need to process large quantities of food at once.
For my two-person household and small garden, its capacity makes sense. I can preserve a batch of tomato sauce or applesauce, save suitable leftovers, prepare lightweight camping food and make pantry ingredients without filling a large machine.
A larger Harvest Right freeze dryer can be too cumbersome and impractical for some people to manage. A smaller, quieter machine like the Countertop 360 model will be a much better fit.
An urban family might begin by making freeze-dried candy or fruit snacks, then discover practical uses for leftovers, lunch ingredients and camping food. The Countertop 360 capacity will earn its place in this lifestyle.
This is not the best primary freeze dryer for a large homesteading family or anyone trying to preserve a substantial harvest quickly. Those households will probably need one of the larger Harvest Right models.
The 360 could also be useful as a second freeze drying machine to take harvest overflow occasionally, or as an additional, low volume, freeze dryer along with canning, freezing and dehydrating. For home preservers looking to build a diverse pantry from fresh food, along with daily kitchen uses, this machine might work very well.
Considering a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer?
Harvest Right offers several home freeze dryer models with different capacities and space requirements. Compare the current models, included equipment and prices to determine which size may work best for your household.
Compare Harvest Right Freeze Dryers
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How Much Food Does the Countertop 360 Hold?
The Countertop 360 has four trays. They are 12 1/2 inches long x 7 inches wide. I measured each tray volume capacity at approximately three cups of sauce when filled nearly to the top. So four trays is approximately 12 cups measured to near the tray rims.
However, for some foods, working capacity may be lower. For Liquids and foods that expand and need headspace, for example.
My first full batches of both tomato-sauce and applesauce filled four trays and produced two filled 5 × 7-inch Mylar bags. The sauces dried completely without additional drying time.
For perspective, the Countertop 360 and Small Pro both have four trays. However, their capacities are not comparable. The Countertop 360 is a significant step down from the Small Pro in batch capacity. The 360 trays are much shorter than the small pro trays.
Smaller capacity is the 360’s most important consideration, since batch time is nearly the same as the larger machines, in my experience so far. If you routinely have large quantities of ripe produce waiting to be preserved, the limited tray space may become frustrating.
To help with batch time, if you want to purchase an extra set of trays and the lids for them, pre-freezing loads will help cut down on machine freezing time and you’ll also have a faster work flow.
Harvest Right’s freeze dryer sizing guide can help you compare its larger models according to household needs, garden size and expected batch frequency.
If a heavy tomato harvest produces more than this smaller machine can handle, freeze drying does not have to do all the work. I also rely on other food preserving methods such as freezing tomatoes whole and dehydrating tomato slices to make homemade sun-dried tomatoes, to name a couple. Diversity of food preservation methods keeps your pantry interesting and fun.
How Much Space Does the Countertop 360 Really Need?
The published cabinet dimensions do not actually give the machine’s complete working footprint.
The cabinet is 25 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 17⅞ inches high. In my setup, it needs approximately 21 inches from the back wall to the front of the cabinet to accommodate the electrical cord in back, without bending it too tightly. For perspective, back in the day, this was the footprint of my old large, countertop microwave.
I can operate the drain valve with about three inches between that side of the machine and the wall. That is enough ventilation room on this side of the machine, according to my conversations with Harvest Right.
On the pump side, the service door swings outward approximately 10 inches. The pump also slides partially out of the cabinet for oil changes and maintenance. You will need to keep that space accessible even when the pump remains enclosed. The pump side is where ventilation and access are most important. Keep this area free of obstacles to allow air flow to the pump.
The front of the 360 also needs room for the main door to swing open and for the trays and drain pan to slide in and out comfortably. Since it will sit forward on the counter, plan for the door swing and tray loading into your traffic areas.
Harvest Right told me that it has tested the Countertop 360 under an 18-inch cabinet without a problem. The company also said that side ventilation is the larger consideration and that several inches of clearance is needed.
My take: This machine , like all freeze dryers, needs a lot of air flow and works best at temps of about 75 degrees room temperature down to 40 degrees. This freeze dryer machine produces a lot of heat when it works. The pump temperature rises to 130 degrees F. So don’t close this unit in too tightly.
My Countertop 360 does not live in my kitchen. We placed it in our utility and laundry room near the kitchen, freezer and utility sink.
My pro, placed in the same spot, would occasionally message on the screen that the room was too hot and the batch dry time would, consequently increase. So I opened the door to cool the room. So far the 360 is not sending that message, but an enclosed area with no ventilation is a no go.
The 360 arrangement we have works very well for us. A kitchen, pantry, utility room or sturdy rolling cart may also work, but placement should account for ventilation, electrical access, door movement and pump maintenance—not merely the cabinet dimensions.
One other thing you need to know about placement. This freeze dryer cannot use an extension cord. it needs the direct connection between the cord and a dedicated 15 amp (non GFI) outlet. So plan accordingly.
It also wants to be left alone once placed due to the refrigerant. If you move it on a cart, make sure the machine is not bumped or jostled. This applies to all the freeze dryer machines. but this one is small enough, although still very heavy, you may think it is ok to move. I wouldn’t.
What Is the Countertop 360 Like to Use?
The machine is easy to load, and the touchscreen guides the user through starting a batch, it provides clear instructions on the screen for each step.
The enclosed pump and internal drainage system remove much of the awkward equipment that surrounded my Medium Pro. The pump is easy to monitor and maintain, the internal drain pan works well and the shelves are easy to load.
Setting Up the Enclosed Vacuum Pump
Although the vacuum pump is enclosed inside the Countertop 360 cabinet, it still requires initial setup and regular oil maintenance. Before our first batch, Dave opened the pump compartment, slid the pump partially out and filled it with the supplied oil while monitoring the level through the sight glass. A window in the cabinet allows us to check the oil level while the pump is housed inside the machine.
The pump also has a separate valve on top that is marked open and closed. This is not the exterior drain valve used when starting a batch and releasing the vacuum. The picture in my early copy of the Countertop 360 manual shows the wrong pump part when explaining this valve, so that illustration needs to be corrected. New owners should make sure the instructions match the pump they receive and contact Harvest Right if the valve position is unclear. Moving on…
The door seals very well, in fact, it may take five or ten minutes to release once you open the valve and the door latch. Don’t worry, the door will eventually pop open without brute force if the valve is open and the door is unlocked.
My first tomato-sauce batch taught us an important setup lesson. The machine failed to establish a vacuum twice and returned to freezing. We initially suspected the door gasket, but my husband eventually heard air being pulled through the drain valve. The valve was open.
The valve position is opposite what we were accustomed to on my Pro, and the 360 does not have an external drain hose to provide a familiar visual reference. The valve itself is not clearly marked “open” and “closed.” Once we closed it correctly, the machine established a deep vacuum and operated normally.
That was our setup mistake, not a mechanical failure. However, the valve positions could be more clearly marked on the machine and explained in the manual for new users.
The pump made rattling, vibrating and low growling sounds while it was trying to pull a vacuum against the open valve. Once the system was properly sealed, it settled into a quiet, steady hum. To be clear, the pump regularly does a bit of growling when it first goes into deep vacuum, then it quiets down. That is normal. But if the valve is open, the machine will return to freezing and message that is cannot go into vacuum.
Based on listening to both machines in my home, the Countertop 360 is much quieter than my Medium Pro during all phases of operation. That difference will matter to anyone considering placing it in a kitchen adjoining a living room.
In my opinion, this machine noise would be acceptable in open living situations. I’m basing that on my laundry room door being open to our living space and I often forget the machine is even running. I have an air purifier that is louder.
What I Freeze-Dried During My First Week
Homemade Tomato Sauce
My first successful two loads contained four trays of homemade garden tomato sauce. The trays were prefrozen, and the batches finished in approximately 24 hours without requiring extra drying time.
The sauce dried beautifully and filled two 5 × 7-inch Mylar bags per batch.
Tomato Sauce and Leftovers
My next load combined three shallower trays of tomato sauce with one tray of leftover bean-and-bacon dinner. This was an intentional test of how a small household might actually use the machine rather than waiting to accumulate four trays of one food.
The food had been prefrozen for several days. With the drain valve correctly positioned, the machine entered vacuum easily at approximately -11°F and moved smoothly into drying.
Golden Delicious Applesauce
I also freeze-dried applesauce made with Golden Delicious apples from my son’s tree. The first batch pre-froze only about 12 hours and still completed its cycle in approximately 23 hours.
These early batches suggest that the Countertop 360 can handle the foods I most want it for: modest garden harvests, homemade ingredients, fun treats and useful leftovers. Results will vary according to the food’s thickness, sugar content, moisture and how heavily the trays are loaded.
Testing the Candy Function: Skittles
For many people, making freeze dried candy is going to be hugely fun and satisfying with the 360. Candy finishes quickly, in about 3 hours and tastes amazing. We put a few varieties of skittles in to test. Excellent.
Using the Harvest Right App With the Countertop 360
I have used the app to find settings for freeze-dried Skittles, save recipes and add personal notes. The notes should be especially useful for recording adjustments that suit our preferences or documenting how a particular food performs.
Harvest Right has confirmed that the Countertop 360 is Wi-Fi and app compatible.
The app is full of great information on freeze drying, has a shopping, link, an instant support port, a way to register your machine on the app and is also designed to communicate with compatible Harvest Right freeze dryers through Wi-Fi . With WiFi the app can send available recipe settings to the machine automatically. Unfortunately, to use the WiFi connection you will need to purchase an additional WiFi adapter accessory.
The app is a helpful addition for cooks who are new to freeze drying because it brings recipes, settings and personal batch notes together in one place. Its WiFi capabilities make it a convenient way to set your freeze dryer up for recipes. However, without the WiFi connection, you will input the settings from the app by hand.
Countertop 360 vs. My Harvest Right Medium Pro
The fundamental freeze-drying process appears familiar: the machine freezes the food, creates a deep vacuum and removes frozen moisture through sublimation. The major differences are capacity and how the equipment is packaged for home use.
| Feature | Countertop 360 | My Medium Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Batch capacity | Best for modest loads | Better for larger-volume preservation |
| Vacuum pump | Enclosed in the cabinet | Separate pump beside the machine |
| Drainage | Internal system | External hose and drain bucket |
| Noise | Much quieter in my experience | Louder during operation |
| Maintenance | Pump slides out from the cabinet | Pump is fully exposed beside the machine |
| Appearance | Lower profile and more appliance-like | More industrial processing setup |
| Best use | Small households and everyday batches | Larger gardens and substantial food preservation |
My former Pro setup required space for the freeze dryer, vacuum pump, connecting hose and drain bucket. It worked, but it was awkward and visually industrial. It is also very tall, requiring 30 inches of clearance from the counter to accommodate the Pro machines.
The Countertop 360 consolidates those components into one cabinet. The foot print of the machine is similar to the pro but its height is much lower. It will fit under a standard 18″ countertop upper cupboard and harvest Right says that is enough ventilation, as long as the sides have about 18″ open. Its advantage is not simply that it is smaller. It makes freeze drying considerably easier to live with inside a home.
Countertop 360 Price and Launch Package
The Harvest Right Countertop 360 launches with a sale price of $1,295. Its stated MSRP is $1,595.
The launch package includes:
- Countertop 360 freeze dryer
- Mylar bags
- Oxygen absorbers
- A sealer for the Mylar bags
Harvest Right has not given me the quantities of bags or oxygen absorbers, so check the current product listing for exact package details.
Prices, promotions and bundle contents can change. You can see the current Countertop 360 price and package through my Harvest Right affiliate link.
The lower price makes home freeze drying accessible to more households, but value still depends on how much you will use the machine. A lower purchase price does not make the 360 a good fit if its capacity cannot keep up with the amount of food you need to preserve.
Is the Harvest Right Countertop 360 Right for You?
After my first week, I love the Countertop 360 for my small garden and two-person household. The more I use it and get familiar with it, the better I like it. Will this machine work well for larger families? That depends on how you use it.
The 360 is attractive, has a much lower profile and is quieter than my Medium Pro. The 360 is also far less awkward to place because the pump and drainage system are contained inside the cabinet. It produces good results with the modest batches of garden produce, homemade ingredients and leftovers that fit our life now.
Its smaller capacity is a real limitation, or benefit, depending on how you plan to use it. Anyone preserving large harvests or processing food in quantity should consider one of the larger models. Placement also requires more working and ventilation room than the cabinet dimensions alone suggest. And you need it near a dedicated 15 amp outlet with no extension cords.
The right choice comes down to what you need most. If output is your priority and you have a dedicated processing space, a larger freeze dryer will serve you better. If you have been holding off because conventional freeze dryers feel too large, loud or complicated for your home, the Countertop 360 offers a much more approachable option.
I cannot yet tell you whether it makes financial sense for every household or how it will perform over years of use. I can say that its balance of capacity, convenience and livability makes sense for me. Learn more about the Harvest Right Countertop 360 at Harvest Right.
Read more About Freeze Drying Here:
- Considering a Freeze Dryer For Home Use
- Freeze Drying Equipment
- Mylar Bags for Food Storage
- What is Good to Freeze Dry?
For a broader independent discussion of space, ventilation, noise, batch time and other considerations, read Utah State University Extension’s guide to what to know before buying a home freeze dryer.