Mega commercial freeze dryer
Our biggest chamber: six trays and 1,733 sq in of tray area, 2 in between shelves, and a cold trap that holds 40 lb of ice, pulled down by a 10.2 CFM pump. It runs on a 110-volt, 20-amp circuit.
$5,355
Mega Commercial vacuum pump included. Shipping to the lower 48 states included. Also built for 220–240 V, 50 Hz.
Where the Mega earns its price
Most of what the Mega does better than our other chambers comes down to two numbers: tray area and the room between shelves.
Candy
Candy is limited by area and by the space it needs to puff, not by pounds. The Mega pairs the most tray area we build with the widest shelf spacing, 2 in against 1.6 in on the 5-Shelf and Large. A single layer of Skittles-size candy comes to about 173 oz finished per batch, and the extra headroom is what keeps gummies, taffy and marshmallows off the shelf above. More in freeze dryers for candy.
Bulky, low-moisture loads
Herbs, leafy greens, yogurt drops and thin-sliced fruit fill the trays long before they test the cold trap, so tray area is what you’re buying.
Vials and tall containers
Two inches between shelves fits 2R and 6R vials with a lyophilization stopper half-seated, and the nine-step programmable shelf curve handles a real lyophilization cycle. See freeze-drying vials in the Mega.
Big wet batches
Forty pounds of ice capacity takes about 44 lb of strawberries or 50 lb of cooked meals in one load. A full wet load is a long cycle, roughly 70 to 95 hours, so a Mega running nonstop turns just under two of them a week. If wet food is all you dry, compare it with two Larges on the comparison page before you decide.
- Model
- 12H11560US
- Price
- $5,355, pump included
- Fresh food per batch
- up to 50 lb
- Ice capacity
- 40 lb
- Trays
- 6 × 10.5 × 27.5 × 0.75 in
- Total tray area
- 1,733 sq in
- Shelf spacing
- 2 in
- Shelf temperature
- −50 °F to 180 °F
- Cold trap
- −35 °F
- Vacuum pump
- Mega Commercial oil vacuum pump, 10.2 CFM
- Power, 110–120 V 60 Hz
- Dedicated 110 V 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet, required
- Power, 220–240 V 50 Hz
- Dedicated 15 A circuit, required
- Average draw while drying
- About 1,400 W
- Cabinet, W × D × H
- 25.25 × 33.5 × 37.5 in
- Weight without pump
- 268 lb
From the published specifications, checked November 12, 2026. User manual (PDF)
The chamber, to scale
Six shelves at a 2 in pitch, and one 10.5 × 27.5 in tray from above.
Installing and running it
- Power
- A dedicated 110 V, 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet is required. The 220 V version needs a dedicated 15 A circuit. The machine averages about 1,400 W while drying and about 600 W while freezing, so a full load of fruit uses roughly 120 kWh, or about $22 at the 2026 US household average of 18.2¢ per kWh. A four-hour candy cycle uses about 5 kWh.
- Space
- The cabinet is 25.25 in wide, 33.5 in deep and 37.5 in tall, and weighs 268 lb without the pump. The vacuum port (upper left) and drain (lower right) add about 2 in on each side. Air goes in on the left and out on the right, so leave 12 in clear on both sides and keep heat sources off the left: about 53 in of width in all.
- Pump
- The Mega Commercial pump moves 10.2 CFM, weighs 62 lb and measures 6.5 × 21 × 9 in, with an oil mist filter of 5 × 5 × 8 in. It connects through a 5 ft stainless steel vacuum hose with KF25 fittings. Keep it in clean air between 50 and 75 °F, as far from the machine as the hose allows or 6 to 8 in below it.
- Delivery
- It ships palletized, about 400 lb in all, with curbside delivery booked by appointment. Measure doorways before it arrives, and plan how you’ll move a 268 lb cabinet from the curb.
Built in
- Zoned heating and fans on the shelving for faster, more even freezing
- Motorized ball valve that closes the vacuum line to keep pump oil out of the chamber
- Dedicated vacuum release valve, so you can backfill with dry nitrogen
- Stainless steel drain line, 5 ft stainless vacuum hose and a stainless mesh filter on the vacuum line
- KF25 flange on the cabinet
- RTD temperature sensing, with an optional 2-pin probe in standard, needle or pad form
- Glass-to-metal sealed feed-through for an airtight chamber
- Solid-state heater relay; every relay is replaceable
- Stainless steel and aluminum construction on the major parts
- Patented automatic cycle (U.S. Patent 11,287,185), candy mode, and an Advanced mode with a nine-step shelf temperature curve
In the box
- Mega Commercial vacuum pump
- Six stainless steel trays, 10.5 × 27.5 in
- Oil filter and impulse sealer
- 50 mylar bags and 50 oxygen absorbers
- The Stay Fresh recipe book, 125 recipes with settings, emailed as a PDF after shipping
Worth adding for production
- Mega trays, set of 6 ($219), so the next batch is loaded while this one runs
- Mega tray dividers ($40) for portioned candy
- Temperature probe ($25–$60)
- Commercial pump demister filter ($95), replaced yearly
Mega questions
How much can one Mega produce in a week?
On wet food running around the clock, from about 75 lb of fresh fruit to about 105 lb of cooked meals a week, depending on the food and whether it goes in already frozen. On candy, about 173 oz per batch for Skittles-size pieces, with batches measured in hours rather than days. The calculator works it out for your product and package size.
Does the Mega need 220 V?
Not in North America. It runs on a dedicated 110 V, 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet. If you’re outside North America, the 220–240 V, 50 Hz version needs a dedicated 15 A circuit. See 220 V models.
How does it compare with Harvest Right’s HRC100?
The HRC100 Pro is a bigger single machine: nine 18 × 26 in trays (about 4,212 sq in), 65 to 100 lb a batch, on a dedicated 220 V, 30 A circuit, listed at $14,795 and on sale for $13,895 when we checked Harvest Right’s site in November 2026. Two Megas give you 3,466 sq in and up to 100 lb a batch across two independent 110 V machines for $10,710. One machine means less loading and bigger trays; two mean redundancy and no 220 V circuit. More in what a commercial freeze dryer costs.
Why is the Mega’s cold trap −35 °F when the others are −40 °F?
For food it makes no practical difference. It matters for collapse-sensitive lab formulations, where a colder trap allows a slightly lower chamber pressure; for that work the Standard and Large are marginally better placed. The vials guide has the numbers.
What’s the warranty?
In the US, one year full on the freeze dryer and pump, with the refrigeration system covered through year three. Outside the US, two years of parts on the freeze dryer and one year on the pump. Technical support is free for life. Details on warranty and support.
Need a written quote?
Buying two or more machines, shipping outside the US, or need a quote for a purchase order? Send the details and we’ll reply with a written quote.