EN
When people think about investing in the freeze drying technology, the question that comes to mind is most of the time: what is the cost of a freeze dryer? The answer is absolutely different, a couple of hundred dollars in a small household unit to a million and more dollars in a large production line in an industry. Which machine should you use depends on the size of your batch, type of product and budget. We produce freeze dryers of all sizes: household, laboratory, pharmaceutical, and food productions at Jiangsu Bolaike Refrigeration Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. The following table is a breakdown of freeze dryer prices by category.
1. Household Freeze Dryers ($2,000 – $6,000)
Household freeze dryers are available to home users, small farms, hobbyists who wish to store garden produce, fruits, meats and even entire meals to be stored in the long term. These small top-mounted or free-standing machines usually have 2-6 kilograms per batch and are powered by regular domestic electric power. The prices vary between $2,000 of simple models and up to $6,000 of bigger models with stainless steel trays and electronic controls. Although household freeze dryers are more expensive to buy outright than dehydrators or canning machines, these devices (freeze dryers) save money in the long term by decreasing food waste and preserving fresh food. Jiangsu Bolaike sells household freeze dryers, which are energy saving, sound free and simple to use- ideal in preserving food at home.
2. Laboratory Freeze Dryers ($5,000 – $50,000)
Applications of laboratory freeze dryers are in research and development, small scale pharmaceutical testing and product formulation. These are benchtop or floor mounted units with accurate temperature and vacuum control that enable the researcher to create freeze drying recipes to new drugs, biological samples, or nutraceuticals. Basic benchtop units cost as little as $5,000 to much larger pilot systems with multi step programming, data logging and validation features cost $50,000. The most significant attributes influencing price are shelf space (0.5-5 m2), condenser temperature (50 °C to 85°C) and level of automation.. In Europe, Asia and the Americas, Jiangsu Bolaike laboratory freeze dryers are utilized in universities and pharmaceutical R&D labs.
3. Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryers ($50,000 – $500,000+)
Pharmaceutical freeze dryers are used to produce vaccines, antibiotics and other injectables that are sterile and GMP compliant. Such machines must be constructed of stainless steel, which is validated with clean in place (CIP) and sterilized in place (SIP) systems and complete documentation to allow approval of the regulatory process. The cost can be as low as $50,000 (small production units) up to more than $500,000 (large, fully automated lyophilizers with 10-100+ m² of shelf space). Other expenses are cleanroom integration, validation, and compliance documentation to FDA/EMA rules. Jiangsu Bolaike produces pharmaceutical freeze dryers which are ISO9001 and CE certified, and they are crafted to the highest quality standards in the production of drugs.
4. Food Freeze Dryers ($80,000 – $1,500,000+)
Food freeze dryers are industrial machines that are used in large scale production of freeze dried coffee, instant meals, fruits, vegetables, seafood, and herbs. These systems come with a shelf space of 10-200+ square meters and they are capable of handling 100 kilograms to more than 10 tons each batch. Prices start at $80,000 in small food freeze dryers (10-30 m2) and can go as high as more than 1.5 million in fully automated production lines with pre freezing tunnels, automatic loading/unloading and CIP systems. The most important cost drivers are the total shelf area, energy efficiency (vacuum pumps and refrigeration systems), quality of the materials (food grade stainless steel), and level of automation. Jiangsu Bolaike-offers turnkey food freeze drying systems, such as design, installation, and training of operators- all supported by 56+ national patents and 20+ years experience.
Conclusion
Freeze dryer prices vary by scale and application: household units ($2,000-$6,000), laboratory units ($5,000-$50,000), pharmaceutical systems ($50,000-$500,000+), and food production lines ($80,000-$1,500,000+). In addition to the costs of purchase, there are costs of installation, energy use, and maintenance. Having more than 20 years of experience, a 12,000 m2 factory and exports to Europe, Asia and the Americas, Jiangsu Bolaike is able to provide efficient and energy saving freeze dryers to all requirements. Get in touch with us to receive a tailor-made quote depending on your production needs.