Whether you want to preserve excess produce, eat more raw produce, make homemade fruit rollups, homemade dog treats, or your own flavored jerky, dehydrating food is a fun alternative to store-bought snacks. Dehydrating food also concentrates flavors so fruits taste sweeter and herbs are tastier than their fresh counterparts. Some nutrients that are broken down by cooking are preserved by dehydration at standard temperatures.
You can dehydrate fruits, vegetables, or even meat items. It offers a more controlled environment with a lot of surface area to keep the desired food items.
Factors to consider when purchasing a food dehydrator:
When it comes to finding the best food dehydrator for your needs, it will largely depend on your specific preferences and how you plan to use it. Here are some of the main features and factors to keep in mind when purchasing a dryer.
- Heat distribution and airflow: Before you buy a dehydrator, research what the manufacturer says about heat distribution and airflow for each model. Horizontal flow dehydrators tend to have the best design for this purpose, but many vertical flow models include fans and other design features designed specifically to improve airflow.
- • Ease to use: The main thing is to have a dryer that will cook evenly enough so that you don’t have to worry about changing the shelves.
- Price: The price of a food dehydrator can range from INR 4,000 to over INR 45,000, with some commercial-sized units priced well over INR 50,000. For most people interested in buying a dehydrator, especially first-time buyers, the right model will fall somewhere between the price extremes.
- Size and capacity: As with most small kitchen appliances, when adding a new appliance to your kitchen, you need to consider both the amount of food you’ll want to make in one batch, as well as how much space you have available.
- Noise: As it is typical for food dehydrators to be equipped with a fan, you can expect many models to make some noise. However, the overall noise level will vary from unit to unit. If it’s important to you to stick with an appliance that’s as quiet as possible since dehydration at times can take upto hours.
These are the best-tested dehydrator you can buy based on popular reviews:
1. Tribest Sedona Express:
This is a fixed digital food dehydrator with 11 stainless steel trays that can hold a large amount of drying while requiring minimal space on your countertop. The unit’s door locks are closed and have a large glass panel for monitoring and an easy-to-use control panel. The Sedona Express offers several dehydration modes—including quick, raw, and a contraction of both—that set it apart from the competition. Quick mode allows the temperature inside the unit to rise above the set temperature so food can dry faster. The raw mode will not allow the unit to exceed the set temperature, preventing your food from overheating. While quick mode is most commonly used across appliances, raw mode allows for more precise drying.
The current market price is 44,618 INR.
Advantages:
- Adjustable temperature controls (77℉ to 167℉)
- It offerstimer from 1 hour up to 99 hours
- 11 trays that can be washed in the dishwasher
Disadvantages:
- It is expensive compared to other dryers available in the market.
2. Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator:
The favorite aspect of this dehydrator is the design. The crisp white trays and clear top made it look sharp on the counter, not to mention you could easily check our dehydrated food with just a glance.
Storing this dehydrator is also easy as the trays slide into each other to reduce the height of the equipment. The cord also tucks under the base, making it an ideal piece of equipment to use when you need it.
The price starts from 4327 INR.
Advantages:
- Affordable
- Transparent cover allows for easy viewing
- No additional settings to deal with
Disadvantages:
- The drying temperature cannot be adjusted
- No time or alarm settings
- The lower fan is difficult to clean
3. Excalibur 3900B Electric 9 tray with Adjustable Food Thermostat:
The best part of the dehydrator is the 9 trays that total 15 square feet of drying space- offering plenty of room for your favorite snacks. The thermostat’s adjustable temperature control ranges from 105° to 165°F, making it safe to make jerkies. The fan, heater, and thermostat are at the back of the unit, so cool air is drawn in, heated, and then distributed evenly throughout each reservoir.
The price for this amazing product starts at 38000 INR.
Advantages:
- Plenty of tray space – the large size is suitable for heavy consumption or large families.
- Adjustable temperature control – Dehydrating foods at low temperatures preserve nutrients and enzymes for up to 9 months when stored correctly.
- Auto-off timer – you can leave the unit unattended if needed (one of the best features).
Disadvantages:
- Price – more expensive than other dehydrators in the market
- Can be a bit noisier.
- Does not include hard plates for fruit skins or dripping food.
4. Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A:
This dehydrator provides maximum speed and quality for drying your favorite foods. Adjustable temperature control (95°F -160°F) gives you the flexibility to get the best results when drying different edibles that require different temperature settings. This dehydrator comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands to 12 trays so you can dry a large amount at once without having to rotate the tray. You buy separately buy additional trays.
The price starts from 8000 INR and it is 5 other models available in the market.
Advantages:
- You can dehydrate a large quantity at a time, without rotating the tray.
- Expandable up to 12 trays
- Easy to clean
- Adjustable thermostat to dehydrate various products
Disadvantages:
- Does not come with a timer.
- Automatic turn off feature is not available.
5. NutriChef PKFD08 Electric Worktop:
This is a multi-tiered kitchen appliance that can hold up to 5 trays. The smart, sleek design allows for little counter space and plenty of space for drying. It effectively dries food by removing moisture.
The price starts from 4000 INR.
Advantages:
- Adjustable temperature controller (95℉ to 158°F)
- 5 trays on the top rack that can be washed in the dishwasher
Disadvantages:
- The only downside is you cannot add additional trays.
6. Excalibur 2900ECB 9-Tray Economy Dehydrator
With fifteen square feet of drying space, this is one of the larger dehydrators, perfect for drying large batches. This model has two dials, one for temperature and one for timer, with setting recommendations printed directly on the unit. The trays are easy to insert. Excalibur dehydrators come with detailed instructions with charts and recipes that are very helpful and informative.
The price starts from 30000 INR.
Advantages:
- Adjustable temperature controller (95℉ to 165℉)
- It has a programmable timer which can be from 2 hours up to 26 hours.
- Comes with 9 dishwasher safe trays.
Disadvantages:
- No visibility.
- Cannot add additional trays
- The temperature range is not suitable for drying meat.
As you can see, you have a lot of different options for the relatively simple task of drying food. Carefully consider what types of edibles you want to dehydrate, how much you’re willing to spend, and how important convenience is to you during the process. Once you understand these main concerns, finding the right model will be a little easier and you can get down to munching on jerky and dried fruit.
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