A suitable freeze dryer can be the fine line between average and excellence in laboratories and cannabis production. If you're looking at getting a freeze dryer to meet the stringent laboratory or cannabis processing needs, your choices are narrowed down to a few brands.
Sounds easy to pick, right? Well, you want your money's worth when you invest in a freeze dryer. After all, having a freeze-dryer of such caliber is a long-term commitment, considering the costs.
When one mentions freeze dryers in the laboratory, the Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer has been a notable contender. While it does have “pharmaceutical” in its name, one would note that it's not often found in highly regulated laboratories due to missing certifications. But that didn't stop it from making strides in reliability where certifications are not mandatory.
However, the emergence of the Xiros Mikro Freeze Dryer marks a shift in standards. What the Xiros Mikro offers is not just another option but a means to exceed standards set by regulations. Designed with compliance and high performance in mind, the Xiros Mikro aligns with the needs of modern, regulated labs and the expanding cannabis industry.
Let's compare these two freeze dryers side-by-side, evaluating their performance based on their features, capacity, safety standards, and overall efficiency.
Xiros Mikro Versus Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
Let's look at the Xiros Mikro Freeze Dryer and Harvest Right's Large Pharmaceutical Freeze dryer for this comparison. Both machines are the closest in capacity and function, putting them in the same league.
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Xiros Mikro
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Harvest Right Large Pharmaceutical
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|---|---|---|
| Control Type | Yes (manual control available) | No (fully automatic) |
| Ice Capacity | 8 kg ice holding, 11 liters total condenser | 6 liters ice capacity |
| Tray Space (number of shelves) | 9 shelves (configurable to 3, 5, or 7) | 8 shelves |
| Tray Dimensions | 17.7 x 7.9 inches | 20.5 x 9 inches |
| Temperature Range | -45 to +50 degrees Celsius | Presets available, non-override |
| Vacuum Pump | Aether 8 Eco oil pump (oil-free pump upgrade available) | Industrial oil pump (oil-free pump upgrade available) |
| Dimensions (T x W x D) | 507 (H) x 748 (W) x 770 (D) mm | 30.75" (H) x 20.25" (W) x 23.75" (D) |
| Safety and Compliance | UL-certified | None |
The Xiros Mikro features Superior Performance Vacuum Technology, which many say is a game changer; this delivers precision and innovation for this freeze dryer. Through this technology, the Xiros Mikro ensures high-quality preservation. You can optimize the process to your liking to get the desired results. Another exciting feature is manual control. You can take over the control settings and set them any way you wish.
Meanwhile, the Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer delivers well based on the optimal vacuum pressure and drying temperature it sets. Using its Intelligence, the Harvest Right allows you to recreate the ideal settings. The system is fully automatic, which makes it a set-and-forget freeze dryer. While the vacuum system is less sophisticated than the Xiros Mikro, it works well, significantly, when maximizing shelf space.
Ice Capacity
The ice capacity is essential in freeze drying as this dictates how much you can freeze dry in a cycle. A higher ice capacity means you can pull out more vapor to freeze dry large quantities of material efficiently.
The Xiros Mikro has an impressive ice-holding capacity of eight kilograms with a total condenser capacity of 11 liters. That means you can freeze dry as much as you want in one cycle without compromising the quality. You can preserve more lab samples or cure larger biomass without worrying whether it will complete the process. The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer, meanwhile, has a six-liter ice capacity. While this is all right, it only means it can freeze dry large quantities, but not as much as the Xiros Mikro.
Tray Space
Shelf space is a crucial factor in choosing a freeze-dryer. You want to maximize each run, which can take at least 24 hours to complete.
The Xiros Mikro maximizes shelf space. You can maximize every freeze-dryer run with nine shelf spaces that you can easily reconfigure into 3, 5, or 7 spaces. It also boasts a large area per shelf, with the 20 x 45 centimeter (17.7 x 7.9 inches) trays. Meanwhile, The Harvest Right has eight shelf spaces, with 20.5 x 9-inch trays.
Temperature Management
Every material must be freeze-dried at certain levels to get the desired results. For this aspect, the Xiros Mikro allows you to control temperatures from -45 to 50 degrees Celsius. This versatility in temperature settings optimizes preservation, especially when preserving flavor profiles. In a laboratory, the versatile temperature settings of the Xiros Mikro allow various materials to freeze dry in the best conditions.
The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer uses its built-in Intelligence to do the whole process for you. You can choose different settings by selecting presets and letting it do the rest. You can set the temperatures as you deem fit, but you cannot override them, unlike the manual mode of the Xiros Mikro. But that is okay; the Harvest Right was designed as an automated system that allows you to do other things without worrying about your material.
Vacuum Pump Options
This time, Let's look at the vacuum pumps, which are crucial components in freeze drying. The Xiros Mikro offers the Aether 8 Eco oil pump as a default option, which provides no oil misting. You can upgrade to the Anemos, an oil-free vacuum pump, if you want less maintenance.
Harvest Right doesn't fall behind with its industrial oil pump that requires minimal maintenance. Likewise, an oil-free vacuum pump upgrade is available, putting the Harvest Right on par with the Xiros Mikro.
Dimensions
Regarding size, the Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer and Xiros Mikro have their respective advantages. The Xiros Mikro occupies less space for its footprint, but the Harvest Right occupies less space in cubic inches. If space is a consideration for you, consider these factors in your decision.
Safety and Compliance
This is where the Xiros Mikro stands out the most: it is UL-certified. For those unaware, UL certification matters greatly in laboratories and the cannabis industry. If there is a bar for every standard to meet the bare minimum, a UL certification is the gold standard. When a product is UL-certified, it not only does it pass safety, reliability, and quality standards, but it does so with flying colors.
The UL certification on the Xiros Mikro means this freeze dryer will ensure quality preservation and drying. It will also ensure that it is safe to operate the machine, and you are guaranteed consistency in results.
Closing Thoughts
While the Xiros Mikro is a newcomer, how it projects itself says a lot about its potential. When pitted head to head with the Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer, there is no doubt that the former is giving the latter a run for its money. Sure, the Xiros Mikro is a little more expensive than the Harvest Right, but everything you get makes it a worthy investment.
If you're on the fence over a freeze dryer, the extra thousand dollars you spend on the Xiros Mikro will be worth it. What you get is not just an advanced system for drying but also the assurance that you're getting a quality product.
You can also think of it this way: is it worth keeping an extra two thousand dollars when it could have been spent to ensure quality and efficiency? At this rate, the Xiros Mikro makes a strong argument with all its features in making you invest that amount towards meeting the gold standard.
