Freeze Dryer Batch Time Planner
Pick your machine, choose a food, and set the slice thickness. Get an estimated run time in hours, electricity cost for the batch, and how much freeze-dried food you will end up with. Save your batches to a local log. Everything runs in your browser - nothing uploaded.
Estimated batch time
Add 2-4 h buffer for a final check
Energy used ?
kilowatt-hours
Electricity cost
at your rate
Fresh food loaded
across all trays
Freeze-dried yield ?
moisture removed
Learn more: estimating freeze-dryer batch time
How the estimate is built
The planner starts from a baseline cycle time for each food, then multiplies by a thickness factor and a load factor. Practical Self Reliance's beginner guide says a cycle generally takes about 16 to 40 hours and depends on the food's starting moisture and how thick it is sliced. The planner's baselines run from 10 to 32 hours, with candy at 2 to 4.
Strawberries, for example, have a 28 hour baseline at medium thickness (about 6 mm). Thin slices (about 3 mm) multiply that by 0.7, thick pieces (about 12 mm) by 1.3 and chunks (about 20 mm) by 1.6. Thin strawberries come out at about 19.6 hours and chunks at about 44.8.
Thickness is not a straight line
Doubling the thickness from 6 mm to 12 mm raises the multiplier from 1.0 to 1.3, not to 2.0. Going from thin slices to chunks is roughly a sevenfold increase in thickness but only a 2.3 times increase in the multiplier. The factors are the planner's own estimates, so use them as a guide and log your real batches.
Load, cost and yield
If a tray holds less than 70% of the food's recommended weight, the planner multiplies the time by 0.85. Electricity cost is machine watts divided by 1,000, times hours, times your rate per kWh. A 1,500 W machine running 28 hours uses 42 kWh, which is $6.30 at $0.15 per kWh.
Dried yield is fresh weight times (1 - moisture%). Six pounds of strawberries at 91% moisture dry to about 0.54 pounds. The calculation does not add back the small amount of water that remains in a finished batch.
FAQ
Why did my batch take longer than the estimate?
The estimate uses thickness and load alone. Real batches also depend on how evenly the food is spread, your machine and how full the condenser is, so a real run can pass the estimate.
Does cutting food thinner always save time?
In the planner, yes, thinner pieces get a lower multiplier. Very thin pieces can lose texture or collapse for some foods, so there is a practical limit.
How is the dried weight calculated?
The planner subtracts the food's moisture percentage from its fresh weight. A food that is 90% water by weight dries to about 10% of its starting weight, which is why batches look so much smaller coming out.