Best food dehydrator 2021.
Contents
Drying is one of the oldest processes for making wholesome food. Thanks to this preparation the food is stored much longer and practically does not lose its useful properties. The whole process is quite long and does not cost much. A lot of people remember being taught history in school, and there was mention of stone ovens that were erected in gardens. Because of this location, people used them to dry fruits quickly. Stocking up for the winter always saved people from starvation.
Modern people use a dehydrator to dry fruits and vegetables right in the kitchen. I just love using a dehydrator. Even the simplest product opens itself in the most unexpected way.
The large dehydrators are perfect for preparing many different products at the same time. I have used a lot of dehydrators in my life and can tell that you should take your time and choose the right one for you. Today we’re going to take a look at three models:
- If you’re looking for more capacity and better features, the Excalibur 3926TB 9-tray dehydrator might be the perfect choice for you. This best-selling model gives you 15 square feet of drying space, it includes adjustable temperature control and an automatic timer, and it gets top marks in customer reviews online.
- Affordable, modern and reliable, the COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator stainless steel dehydrator offers many useful features for beginners and professionals alike. With about 9 square feet of drying space on its 6 stainless steel food trays, it’s suitable for small and large families.
- Ivation is large enough to accommodate a total of 9 drying racks. This gives consumers the ability to cook large quantities of food at one time, saving them money on groceries and snacks. Of course, there are machines with more racks, but this is still an impressive number of racks.
A dehydrator serves to speed up the process of drying food by circulating hot air. Determining which electric dehydrator is better is very difficult, so everyone can recommend different models. Many manufacturers make high-quality devices, but, unfortunately, not all models are universal and aimed at certain drying processes. Therefore, it is worth figuring out which electric dehydrator is better to choose and what you will use it for.
How to choose a dehydrator
A typical dehydrator is a housing, inside which a heating element, a fan, and a temperature control sensor are installed. The intensity of heating is regulated by the control panel. Pre-prepared (sliced) products are placed on mesh trays that do not interfere with the free circulation of air.
When selecting a dehydrator, pay attention to the following parameters:
- Vertical or horizontal blowing. Vertical blowing is in most cases inferior to horizontal blowing. The reason is that this design causes hot air to pass sequentially through a number of installed product trays.
- Temperature control. Different products require different temperatures for dehydration.
- Heating element. Most dehydrators have one heating element next to the fan, which is sufficient for all tasks. However, some models may be equipped with an additional heating element – a red spectrum lamp, which creates low-temperature infrared radiation with a very long wavelength.
- Useful area. One of the key parameters of dehydrators is the number of trays and their total usable area. This is what determines how much food you can fit into the unit at one time.
- Controls and settings. The standard for household dryers with electronic control is the ability to set any combination of temperature/time. This is the kind of appliance we recommend you consider first.
Despite the fact that the dehydrator is a fairly simple device, in the set with “advanced” models you can find a variety of accessories that expand the capabilities of the device, or facilitate the process of cooking certain products.
TOP-3 dehydrators to buy right now.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the models we talked about earlier in this article.
1.Excalibur 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator Machine.
This model is a 9-tray electric box-type food dehydrator with a unique drying system designed to provide even heat and airflow for the best results on all types of food.
However, it’s not for everyone. Price is one consideration. Another is the size of the unit, especially for those with very limited kitchen or storage space. As always, you need to know before you buy.
One of the most important things to note about this model is how its timer works. The manufacturer calls it a “motorized timer,” and what that means is that if the power goes out while the dehydrator is running, the timer keeps track of the actual drying time.
I think that this is a pretty good model, which is perfect if you never had a dehydrator.
2.COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator Machine.
With its budget price, medium to large capacity, and 600 watts of power for superior performance, the COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator really leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re new to the world of dehydrating food, you’ll especially love this food dehydrator because it’s easy to use, delivers consistently good results, and comes with its own free recipe book.
This food dehydrator has 6 stainless steel trays, which is more than enough for the needs of the average family, but also not too much for one person. Plus, you get a free mesh screen for thinner foods like herbs, and a fruit leather sheet so you can dehydrate fruit (or vegetable!) purees into yummy snacks.
This is a smaller model, so I can recommend it if you don’t have a lot of free space in your kitchen.
3.Ivation 9 Tray Countertop Digital Food Dehydrator Drying Machine.
The Ivation food dehydrator allows users to cook everything from cured meats to dried herbs. The versatility of this product makes it outstanding, especially since it is also affordable. Of course, there is some cause for concern. The lack of instructions or recipes will be a problem for those new to dehydrating food. Likewise, the sheer scale of the machine may prevent it from fitting into small kitchens.
Thus, it is worth noting that this dehydrator will not satisfy everyone, and you may want to keep browsing if you have a small kitchen or a complete lack of dehydrating experience. However, if your kitchen is large enough to accommodate a dehydrator of this size, Ivation will be a great addition. The machine gets the job done, and the price is impressive.
I really liked testing this model. It does everything I need and looks amazing in a kitchen.
Differences.
When choosing a home dehydrator, you need to decide on a number of issues, based on which a particular device will be chosen.
How often will the device be used? If the dryer is expected to be used several times a year exclusively for making and processing crops (apples, berries, mushrooms), then suit a relatively simple vertical model – the main thing that the device was roomy enough. Two of the above models have 9 trays. If the dehydrator will be used frequently, for cooking a variety of dishes, it is better to opt for a more sophisticated and technically advanced device.
Will you be drying “complex” products? Cooking marshmallows, yogurt, all kinds of meat, and fish snacks requires a quite precise temperature control. And therefore, if you are not just going to remove moisture from products, but want to diversify your menu with all kinds of dried snacks, you cannot do without a dehydrator that allows you to precisely control the temperature inside the working chamber.
