Prep4Life Cube Elite
The Prep4Life Cube Elite is a medium home freeze dryer with 5 trays and a published batch capacity of 12 lb of fresh food. It ships with an oil-free vacuum pump. Same Utah-built cabinet, trays and electrical as the Select; the $1,600 buys an oil-free pump built into the cabinet — no hose, no external pump, no oil. The only home unit here with an integrated oil-free pump. Its "up to 3,400 lb a year" works out to 283 cycles, or roughly 97% of the year's hours at the long end of its published cycle time.
- Batch
- 12 lb
- Trays
- 5
- Pump
- Oil-free
- Approx. price
- ~$4,595
Indoor use where an oil pump's mist and maintenance are unwelcome
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, read from p4lfood.com. Rows marked est. are arithmetic on those figures; energy at $0.17/kWh, the 2025 US residential average.
- Batch capacity
- 12 lb
- Claimed per year
- up to 3,400 lb
- Implied cycles est.
- 283 / yr
- Implied running time est.
- 4,817 h–8,500 h / yr
- Tray size
- 9.25″ × 18″
- Tray area est.
- 833 sq in
- Per tray est.
- 2.4 lb
- Pump
- Oil-free
- Voltage
- 110 V
- Circuit amps
- 15 A
- Power draw
- 1,265 W
- Energy per batch est.
- 29.7 kWh · $5.05
- Cycle time
- 17–30 h
- Dimensions
- 18″ W × 22.5″ D × 27″ H
- Weight
- 152 lb
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- Wi-Fi app
- Yes
- Colors
- Black, Stainless Steel
- Warranty
- Limited 3 year: first 90 days full; 1 year parts (customer pays shipping/service); years 2-3 sealed refrigeration system only; non-transferable; outside continental US 1 year limited + 3 year sealed system
- Country of origin
- USA
- Approx. price
- ~$4,595
- Price per lb of batch est.
- ~$383 / lb
Power draw is the maker’s computed 11 A x 115 V from spec sheet 'Power Requirements: 115VAC ~ 11 Amp'; 'Power Connection: 115VAC 15Amp Circuit'; FAQ: 'In a typical 24 hour cycle, The CUBE uses between 12-14 kWh' figure.
Batch capacity: maker's spec sheet: 'Food Capacity: 10-14 lbs' (midpoint recorded); the feature page separately claims 'Freeze dry 12-17 lbs of food' - maker figures conflict.
Annual claim: maker's comparison graphic: '3400 lb fresh food per year' — assumes the extended-rack configuration.
Features
- 5 trays
- Oil-free pump
- 110 V
- Touchscreen
- Wi-Fi app
- Smart sensing
- Makes an annual claim
- Under 20″ wide
- Multiple colors
- Made in USA
From the spec sheet
Points for and against, drawn from the published figures — not owner reports.
- Integrated oil-free pump: nothing to change, no external pump on the floor
- Standard 15 A outlet
- Maker publishes 12–14 kWh per typical cycle
- Moisture sensing, Wi-Fi alerts, candy mode
- 18-inch width
- $1,600 over the Select for the pump alone
- Annual claim still assumes extended racks
- 90-day full warranty, then parts only
- Alerts-only Wi-Fi
Compare the The Cube Elite
Related units
More from Prep4Life →Prep4Life Cube Select
- Batch
- 12 lb
- Trays
- 5
- Pump
- Oil
- Power
- 110 V · 15 A
Claims up to 3,400 lb/yr = 283 cycles est.