Blue Alpine Freeze Dryer review
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2023
- Sorry it took so long to make this initial review of the Blue Alpine.
Many issues that I see with this machine. I personally will not be using the machine for any food as StayFresh.com has an amazing built machine and I feel like the Harvest Right is a good alternative to this one as well.
Wish I had better news as I was looking forward to this machine.
It appears that you spent way too much time trying to find "issues" with this machine instead of seeing how it works, Did you ever run a batch? or test the effectiveness of it's freeze drying process etc? Everything you claimed as a "issue" is purely theoretical. I want to know how it works. By the way, I do not own any freeze drier but am in the process of researching the several brands to see which one to buy. This video did not help me make that decision. Not a fan of your review.
This review should have helped and sorry if you don’t think it did. The machine needs work to help make sure it’s keeping your food safe for the years it claims. Cleaning should be everyone’s big issue with a machine. That being said this machine is currently being tested. I try doing out of the box reviews like I did with the StayFresh and I will do with other machines in the future.
I couldn't agree more with this. I contacted the company as we own a factory with a pile of units and are in the works of getting several from them, apparently the part about commercial voiding the warranty is fiction. This video comes across as a shill for stay fresh. My guess he either sells them or somehow profits from them. No idea if that's true but if I was a betting man id bet my house on it hahaha
Sorry, I'm not a big fan of your reviews!
I am having a horrible time with harvest right freeze.Dryer, they're blaming me for sending me a dysfunctional machine.Be careful with harvest right
We just purchased the large unit directly from the manufacturer in Idaho three days ago. Very pleased. There have been many improvements.
Hello! I am actually an engineering intern who is the lead in the welding team. I think you are 100% entitled to your opinion and some of your concerns and points are completely valid on this machine. We have a new revision of this machine that is currently being manufactured by our facility. I’m sure we have details on our website. We changed a lot of where our electronics are located and the quality and strength of the mounting of the tub inside the frame and most of all our quality control got stepped up big time as we actually have the staff to complete orders. Sorry for the long message but feel free to contact us with any questions we will try to be fast and as helpful as possible. We just want to build an American machine assembled in the USA that will have good longevity and function to the customers standards.
Thanks for the comment. I hope some major improvements are being done by the company. I am always open to doing a new review for a new upgraded machine however I can only go off of what’s been tested. I hope some changes were made to the freeze drying software and also the standards that are being done for testing. These machines should be going much lower than 500mT when testing and during the process.
Mark thank you again and I do hope the best for Blue Alpine after they are able to make the upgrades that are needed to make this a truly amazing machine
Thank you Donald. I’m just wondering if your partnered with stay fresh in an advertising sense or they support you? Granted this may sound biased coming from an employee of blue alpine but I’m just curious
Just like when I signed up to be an affiliate for Blue Alpine that’s all I do with StayFresh as well. I don’t receive any other support from them.
As I tell people all the time if they don’t want to use my affiliate link that is fine it’s not about the money for sharing what company I think it best it about getting people into what I think is the best unit right now.
If Blue Alpine made the improvements and could really prove that the machine is working like the others or better I will adjust my opinion of it. However one of the owners at Blue Alpine don’t think it’s a big deal that hoses collapse while running the machine. Sorry to say but it does. When I was testing my newest update for our site I saw it first had and had to spend the little extra money to make sure we had a hose that wouldn’t do that.
Honestly I think they are a little too late in the game to become a huge contender as ever HR is making some improvements and after I complete my major overhaul of everything the machine does that thing might be the best machine out.
This review seems extremely self-serving, and looks more like you’re trying to promote your own business at someone else’s expense rather than giving an honest review.
I’m suspicious of your agenda and motivation. It’s more like a biased hit piece than it is a review. ….not a fan of your method. Not cool
After running this machine and testing I still stand by everything that was said with this machine. I would never suggest this machine to anyone. I would rather have a machine that’s worked very well such as StayFresh or a machine we know we can fix such as a Harvest Right. The Blue Alpine is not worth the money spent and needs a major remodel. The company has since reached out and stated I thought you wanted to work with an American made company. Well I would love to other than the fact I don’t give out good reviews to companies they much earn them. This one is a dud.
Indeed! You hit it on the head. He is linked to StayFresh FD company so any FD machine at this point will fail.
We just purchased the large unit afew days ago directly from the manufacturer in Idaho. Many improvements. Very happy with our purchase. We've only done afew batches and still learning.
Thanks for the comment. I have seen some pictures of people who have shown the upgrades and hope they are working well. I am not willing to spend more money to review this companies machines. They have my information if they would like an updated review with upgrades they have completed. More companies are coming on the market and one I am working with is going to blow away ALL the current companies that are making these right now. I’m excited for them to come to the US and bring a high quality machine to us.
@@freezedryerrepairsupportI'm currently looking into purchasing one. Can you share which ones are the best? Thank you for any input.
Your concerns about the hoses and Teflon type were addressed by the company in their toutupe video. They tell you why they used that refrigerant and why no Teflon tape, and why that particular hose.
I think your review would be more complete if you had bothered to do a little more research.
While I have watched videos they have made I still disagree with them. I have talked with MANY companies about the teflon and they agree it should be used. Also 8 hours or even 4 hours is crazy for freeze time. Having been fixing different machines I still stand by the assessment of this machine. Still no telling about how to really clean all of this machine which I dont blame them for as the other companies havent given good details about this as well. They however IMO have spots that are going to be harder than other companies.
@@freezedryerrepairsupport Teflon is normal on many consumer applications, but in rare in applications that are very sensitive to debris or in need of high pressures. It is normally used on taped (pipe) threads, as they form a seal by mechanically locking (and deforming slightly) together. When you get into high pressure hydraulics, some manufactures will void warranty for using teflon tape; they mandate the use of thread sealants instead. Max vacuum pressure is ~14.7psi, whereas thread sealants are used at in the 3000-10000 and up PSI ranges. When used on gas (natural or propane), code even dictates a gas rated thread (double the normal white teflon tape thickness) be used to lessen the chance of debris in the line.
I've used miles of teflon tape and still use it when appropriate, but it is not always the best solution. It is quick, easy, and most importantly cheap. That said, when I need sealing on my hydraulic systems, I use a two part system, first a spray prep solution, and then the thread sealer. It's much more expensive, but holds under more demanding scenarios.
@@freezedryerrepairsupport Let us all guess, stay fresh uses Teflon and you couldn't say anything about that and still be on the pay roll lol
They use KF25 fittings with centering rings but thanks for taking a guess at it. For people who don’t use freeze dryers and understand them maybe BA is great. I am just not a fan and don’t agree with the way they have software setup and the standards they have set for testing as well
Hey Donald, thanks for taking the time out of your personal life to look into all of these different freeze dryers for us noobs. These things are expensive and a risky investment for people like me who don't know the ins and outs about them.
Thank you Donald, I think I need to go look for your StayFresh review, as we are considering possibly adding another in the future, and you know the problems we had with Harvest Right, as you had to repair it all. Thanks for the heads up on this!
Hope you enjoy it!
I dont care what Harvest aright calls it, that is a compressor, not a condenser. The evaporator coil which absorbs heat wraps around the drum, and the condenser coil is the part which sheds heat via the fan.
Carl I need to learn these terms from you. I have read this thing like 10 times to try changing my brain
Thank you for the review so far.
My pleasure!
Thank you. I hope to purchase a freeze dryer latter this year. I was underwhelemed at the Blue Alpine company videos, Oilless vacuums are bad then latter on we will be releasing our oilless vacuum pump latter on... You have certainly nailed it. I live in Australia so we have 50Hz at 230-240v and I don't know if they make a model that suits, but I'm not interested in finding out.
Just finished your videos along with watching videos for HR and SF. Seems like your complaints are pretty universal to all the versions of freeze dryers. Like cleaning the tray rack and the inside connections.
We have 3 commercial freezers in our store. My HVAC guy tells me that the R-290 (propane refrigerant) is the best system. He says it uses less refrigerant and is more efficient and the amount of refrigerant and the refrigerant is much better "greener". Because the amount of refrigerant is so minuscule the fire hazard is very very slim.
The only downside from his opinion is that it runs at a higher pressure making leaks more possible.
That being said, he hadn't experienced more leaks in the real world on R-290 than the older types.
Tefflon tape is not a leak stopper it is a solid lubercant that allows the fitting to be tightened more easily to water tight. In a freeze dryer dealing with cold and vacume your tefflon tape will fail, water will get into it as vapor, then it can freeze and crack the fittings as the water when crystalizeing due to the freezeing will expand. Yes in vacume it will boil and not freeze but the leak will not be in a vacume. A well hined connector can be air tight with out the need for the tefflon tape. No expert on freeze drying im here to learn but have done a lot of past experementing with lol vacumes and temperature canges due to past hobbies. Used to be fun to make home made swampcoolers in south texas that ran on a 6 volt deer feeder battery.
It would be nice if someone could do a side by side comparison running the three different companies units processing the same foods through them, a true test on performance.
Scott, we will be doing that. I only have so many plug ins haha. But planned this next break I have from work
@@freezedryerrepairsupport That would be great.
Blue Alpine has exceptional customer service & the freeze dryer I have is awesome!!
Can you please send us all a video of this. I have asked customers to send me a video of how well the machine runs now that they did updates however still waiting for this. The company doesn’t want to talk with me it seems like and talk about the upgrades they made and see about getting an updated review. Honest feedback is something they seem to have an issue with. So not sure if I can say customer service is exceptional unless your saying what they want to promote the machine
Hey Donald, will you be doing a review of Prep4Life freeze dryer? They are a company located in Utah.
I will reach out to them and see what they are offering. Thanks for the information
I think he'll only do it for a free machine?
I am interested in hearing from anyone that has this machine or any other Freezedryer. I would like to know how it is performing for you if you’ve had any problems and if customer service was reasonable with taking care of your problems? Basically was it worth your money and would you buy it again?
Great questions. I hope some people leave comments for you. Some people love the machines they use others hate them. That’s why I created this page to try having an unbiased opinion of these machines.
It’s a minuscule amount of refrigerant, but don’t enclose it with a gas pilot just in case the leak, if it happens, is uncharacteristically rapid. Loss of refrigerant is typically very slow, so the 50ml (uneducated guess, but material usage and/or energy consumption is typically indicative of industry wide change) of that is like a fart in the wind.
Wait a minute, scratch that, reverse it. Industry wide change is typically indicative of publicly traded companies that have no problem producing unsafe products to shave .06% off their costs, raise the price by 37% over a two year period all while lobbying aggressively to ban gas appliances. Progress = forcing people to upgrade into $18.7K of stuff that sucks, that they don’t need, and don’t want. Big refrigeration trying to take a man’s 8 burner Vulcan… I think not.
I like what I have seen of the stay fresh machine too. Better overall design on heating than HR and the build quality looked better too, like you say.
Too bad Blue Alpine is not quite there yet.
Thanks for the honest review as always!
If you have not used the machine, how can it be legitimately compared and rated to others?
Well good thing is I looked at the parts like I have done to all the machines I use. I have now used the machine and my thoughts were correct it’s not a well put together machine and they have done some changes from what someone that is working with the company has said
After watching the review (maybe more like a hit job) I can imagine the BA folks are wondering why they did 5 years of research and testing and have it be all taken down in 20 minutes. Maybe before you posted the 'review' maybe a phone call to BA to go over the dislikes you had and give some recommendations would have been helpful to the up and comer. Then you could have waited a year to see if improvements came before you cut them down like a dead pine tree. You wonder why they cut you out of being their affiliate? Maybe your 'honesty' was directed in the wrong way. StayFresh should have sent a bonus check in the mail for you for this one.
Funny you say this I talked to Cory from BA about this machine before I ever received it. Was told many times they were not going to make changes for my concerns. So sounds like I did my part and due to the blow back they made some changes.
Could you make another review with the machine actually running? It seems clear that this machine is not particularly well engineered. The amount of issues shows a certain lack of quality beyond just beginner's mistakes. Yet i do like the filter on the vacuum intake, i think every machine should have some sort of simple cloth filter at least. Food particles do not belong in vacuum pumps.
Yes we will be getting to that for sure. I am out fixing another brands Freeze Dryer haha. Once we get back we will be hooking this thing up and running it and comparing it to the other machines. As I said I will personally not be eating or saving food from it as I don’t trust the design
How can you call this a review by just looking at it and speculate on the company’s customer service with no actual knowledge of such?
Can you do an update on this brand they seem like they really worked for years to develop their brand and it’s USA made
Good evening, I refuse to spend more money with this brand. I have talked to some users and I still have concerns they haven’t fixed all the issues with vacuum however we will see if they ever reach back out for a new review to happen. Right now my suggestion for people is still StayFresh. They have very good customer service. While I know many people want to use BA as they are assembled in the US right now I can’t suggest it
@@freezedryerrepairsupport disappointed they could do something great. Do you have a referral code for stay fresh?
So glad that I got my ba much more Superior machines then FD everything's been cut in half so glad I did not go by this video alone and did my research
Yep glad I could help. We have found many people claim this however I haven’t heard it from anyone who has tried many brands of machines so not sure I can say superior lol
My harvest right just 2 years old messed up again. Got no help from the company. Last year i had to pay 45$ to talk to a tech which knew nothing. This week they wanted $45 again. I said no. Went immediately and I totally destroyed it. Now i have no problem 😂. Sad to pay that much $ and get no help. Enjoy your videos.
If you didn’t destroy it too bad reach out to me at admin@fixmyfd.com and let’s try getting you up and running again
Personally I can't recommend harvest right. I and my sister found they have no support for their older machines. And with them making new versions constantly how long before the machines aren't supported. I have a cube and so far it has been OK. I would like to see you review that.
I can help you with your older machines if needed. I am trying to make sure support is here for them long term
@@freezedryerrepairsupport I will let my son know. I got tired of trying to get help and he is an engineer so can fix it himself. my sister gave hers away too. Both of them
This review... not a fan, just not a fan. Nit pick the thing to death with inconsequentials. Nothing about how it works. Whine about new EPA regs requiring mildly flammable refrigerant totally out of their control. Actual claim there are BARE wires passing through the grommet. Close up or I call BS
Well if you want to call BS just go by one and check it out yourself. I review every single machine looking at the inside and how well it’s built. If you don’t like it that’s fine. Others have lived my reviews. Watch the video trying to get the dang thing to run the machine sucks. Thats just the facts.
It's easy enough. You claimed there are bare wires going to the the tray heaters. Considering how important that is you should show them. @@freezedryerrepairsupport
R1270 is a type of pure propane for medium and low temp applications. It is extremely flammable not mildly. Availability to get replacement refrigerant locally will not be easy if it does leak.
Thanks for the review. I had high hopes for Blue Alpine, but will no longer consider it. One thing you mentioned that I had not noticed before was the importance of cleaning the freeze dryer and having access to areas that could have bacteria/mold growth. Do you have (or plan to have) a video on how to clean (and how often) a Stay Fresh freeze dryer? If people are using this to create emergency food storage, you don't want to be eating food that you thought safe that is actually contaminated. Thanks again. It was worth the wait to review. If Blue Alpine addresses your concerns, please let us know.
BA has a video that addresses some of the "issues" he mentioned. You might want to take a look. I'm still confused about why he called parts by the wrong name. I'm still looking for a review on cleaning the StayFresh. I'm sure it's out there. I just haven't located.
I'm so disappointing about the Blue Alpine the build quality on the internals doesn't look great, i saw a video of some showing the guts of a StayFresh and the build quality looked so much better and cleaner, I'm staying away from HR I've heard Way to many negatives, but so far I haven't heard much on StayFresh, most UA-cams use HR.
How has your StayFresh machine been holding up have you had any failures or issues I'd really like to know, I want to get into FD so bad but I also don't want to buy $3000 headaches become of quilty concerns.
I hope Blue Alpine takes your Criticism and improves there quality, there CEO seems like a nice guy.
I know how to fix HR machines so that helps and I can help people do that.
StayFresh.com has been amazing and still my number one. When I do things for myself that’s the machine I use and recommend for everyone
@@freezedryerrepairsupport 🤣 I just realized it was your video showing the insides of the SF, I've been watching so many videos of FD I must have forgot. 🤣
@@tylerburt554This isn’t StayFresh. This is Blue Alpine.
Thank you Donald. I was worried about the high mTtors being said and not worried about.
We have liked our harvest right. If you go stay fresh don't get the pump that comes with it. Best to upgrade.
Im going with Blue Alpine, thanks to this "review." 😂
Well glad I could help. I hear they have made many upgrades. Looking forward to forward to see what they have done and hopefully fixed many of the issues.
Seems like all your doing is bashing blue alpine without evening using it. As for insurance any equipment can cause your house to start on fire that’s why you carry insurance. I wish if you want to criticize an item do a side by side comparison
This review is the same we do with other machines looking at the insides and see the quality. We have tested it side by side and unfortunately it fails that test very bad. HR has a higher quality machine than this.
I wonder why there is another guy on a different channel promoting the Harvest Right equipment😅
They wanting to make money selling and repairing them haha. Tell people all the time if they don’t want to use my link or code us someone else’s. At least give someone the credit the company is willing to offer
We tried a stay fresh and hated the pump. Went to a Harvest Right and the premier pump is much better. Have not tried the blue apline, but don't intend to.
You are the first person ever that I have seen move from a StayFresh to a Harvest Right. I only promote the industrial pump for StayFresh as that’s the one I have used
I didn't get the industrial pump because I didn't want to pay for the upgrade, but probably should have. I think it was around $700 upgrade. The pump that came with it included was not good. @@freezedryerrepairsupport
I have a standard pump and an industrial pump. I have two StayFresh’s. I like my standard pump. It’s a workhorse compared to my premier pump. I consistently pull low mTtors. However, I use Dairyland oil and don’t run candy with it. The industrial pump makes puffier candy.
@@sandycaulkins7441 To me the standard pump is loud and lots of oil changes compared to my premier pump. Interesting that candy turns out different for you depending on the pumps.
@@carolclarkson4859 Mine is quiet. Industrial pump you cannot hear. Like I said, I switched to different oil that cleans the pump. I have an open concept house and you can’t hear either of my pumps. You might have had food or water in the pump. My premier pump was loud. Had to move it to a bedroom. That’s where my StayFresh’s are at now. But it’s right next to our front door and no one hears my standard pump when they come in our house. You might have gotten a bad one.
Donald: The purpose of the filter is to keep food debris from entering the pump.
Thank you.
Your dog is adorable, don't mind seeing him or her in the video.. I'm glad I didn't purchase the Blue Alpine after watching your video and your explanation of the build inside.
Thanks for watching and he loves the attention:)
You formed an opinion and then tried to nitpick the unit. We want to know how well it works. Many homes have natural gas or propane and you make it sound like the refrigerant that is better for the environment is a problem and the minuscule amount is a HUGE danger. It is a sealed system not like your car AC that is designed to leak. You go on about sticking your appendages into the holes and cleanliness but then don't understand that the foam is way better around the chamber because water vapor can't condense on the outside of the chamber and grow mold. Hard to replace parts... no explanation. Totally biased review.
Sorry you didn’t agree with this review however I look at every unit just like I did with this. Here is the video after running the machine. I do not suggest this machine. It is way to hard for anyone to fix these machines and they don’t hold vacuum well with very long run times. Here is my other review after running. Trying to find vacuum issue in Blue Alpine Freeze Dryer
ua-cam.com/video/ldygIWTh9l4/v-deo.html
Stay away from Harvest Right. Not a reputable company.
The moral to the story is that this machine is a piece of chit but you did get the green front panel.
It's a shame that no one has bothered to count the number of times he says "not a big fan of it".......this guy is an obvious shill for StayFresh, and it is so blatant that it's pathetic.
Will you count it for us? Thanks for watching the video. Sorry I am not professional UA-cam e star you were hoping for. Just some average Joe trying to help people.
@@freezedryerrepairsupport Wasn't 'hoping' for an 'e' star, but I was hoping for a non-biased review....which of course, you didn't deliver.
Thanks for reviewing this machine Donald, it seems like all of your comments were fair to both the manufacturer and potential buyers.
Thank you I am sure I will get some hate from other sides. I forgot to mention that it’s labeled for residential use only which can be a bummer for a lot of people
I love my harvest right . So glad I didn’t get this one thank you l send it back and get a real good one , clearly your not likin this one ☝️
You might watch a Blue Alpine Video or educate yourself on tapes and sealants. I expect more from you.
Last people I will take advice from is Blue Alpine. That machine is horrendous. We have had very good results how we have fixed these machines and have worked with many companies who say with how the machine was built we are doing it the correct way. I can’t change the way HR built the machine and what fittings they picked
Just unboxed and setup mine, love it. What a whiney ass review
Congrats on your new machine. Hope it’s not a dud like mine was. Hope you understand what it should be running at as well. But seems like you already know everything
@@freezedryerrepairsupport I definitely know whining about panels not being perfect from a small business is pretty pathetic. We all have different standards I guess
Now you have me worried about the Army if you don’t have standards.
@@freezedryerrepairsupport sounding quite MAGA there
Haha making it political when we talk about standards. Man people can’t make this up.