Choosing a food dehydrator
Food dehydrators make it incredibly easy to preserve food by drying it without destroying valuable nutritional aspects of the food. In the modern world competition is high between different manufacturers and the number of features available on various makes and models of dehydrator is forever growing. This article highlights key features of food dehydrators and explains the benefits each feature can give you.
Before we start looking at the various features let us recap that a dehydrator is essentially a cabinet that comprises of a number of food trays, an electric heating element and a fan and vents that help circulate warm air around the trays.
Drying method - horizontal or vertical air flow
Dehydrators are split into two main categories, vertical air flow and horizontal air flow.
Vertical air flow models have the heating element and fan located on the bottom of the machine and the trays that the food rests on are stacked on top of the base. The temperature tends to vary between the top and bottom trays and this can result in having to 're-order' the trays part way through the dehydration process so that an even drying effect is achieved across all trays.
Horizontal air flow models have the heating element and fan located on one of the sides of the dehydrator and the trays are drawer like rather than stacked. The horizontal air flow tends to give a more even distribution of temperature across the food trays resulting in more uniform dehydration of food.
Horizontal air flow tends to reduce the mixture of flavours which means it is better when drying different food types at the same time. It also prevents any juices from the food dripping down onto the heating element as the element is at the side of the machine. This can make cleaning easier when compared with vertical air flow models.
Drying area and dimensions
One key aspect of a dehydrator is how much food you can dehydrate at once. If for instance you have a glut of seasonal fruit or vegetables via your garden or other means then you will have a lot of food that needs drying. The larger the area of each food tray the more food you will be able to prepare and dry at one time making the process more convenient.
A desire for a large tray size must also be balanced against the size of the machine. Do you want the machine to fit on a kitchen tabletop or will it sit on a table of the floor?
Square or rectangular shaped dehydrators will fit flush to a wall but can look clunky whereas more rounded shapes will leave unused space on your worktop.
Number of trays and expandability
Closely related to the drying area is the ability of the dehydrator to hold a number of trays. The more trays you have the more drying area you can have for the same dimension footprint on your tabletop / floor.
If you aren't entirely sure how many trays you will need then you might want to consider models that are expandable by the addition of extra trays. These tend to be the vertical air flow models such as the L'equip dehydrator.
Also check what the depth of the trays are. This will affect the types and thicknesses of food that you can dehydrate as well as air circulation.
Temperature control
This is a key feature of dehydrators and the type of temperature control will determine how effectively you can dry your foods. Different foods have different optimum drying temperatures. Some models come with a fixed temperature and others have variable temperature controls that operate between a certain range e.g. 85°F and 160°F. If the model features variable temperatures what temperature range does it cover?
Timer control
Want to dehydrate some food but don't need to go out in a bit? If so then you need a Dehydrator with a timer control that will automatically switch the dehydrator off before frazzling your food. Again this is a feature for convenience but is very useful.
Other considerations
Some dehydrators will come supplied with fruit leather sheets which you put on you food tray before putting foods with high water content such as fruit leather mixtures or sauces.
Other uses for a dehydrator
As well as the main uses of dehydrating fruit, vegetables, meat and fish a dehydrator can be used for other functions including:
- Making yoghurt
- Proofing breads
- The de-crystallisation of honey
- Drying nuts and seeds
If these sound of interest to you then it may be worth bearing this in mind as features such as tray depth may determine whether these are possible.
Warranty offered
Be sure to check the machine has a reasonable warranty period of at least 12 months. There may be a different warranty period for the motor and the parts. If you are going to be using the dehydrator in a commercial environment such as a cafe or restaurant then make sure you get a model whose warranty covers commercial use.
Conclusion
It can be seen that there are a number of features to look out for when buying a dehydrator. These features can give you practical benefits or convenience benefits or both. We have covered air flow type, drying area, tray number and type, timer controls and temperature controls. Finally of course there is the issue of price and the amount you spend will depend on the features you desire.
Happy dehydrating!
