All About Food Dehydrators

Why you should buy one and which models are the best

Food dehydrators are small home electrical appliances for preserving food. In the past, fruits and vegetables would be preserved by drying them in the sun or in an oven, but electric food dehydrators are faster and more energy efficient than either of those methods. If you're shopping for food dehydrators, these are the facts you need to know.

Food dehydrator functions and features

Food dehydrators use the circulation of heated air to dry food. This air can be created by a bottom heating element or by a heater placed on one side. In other words, food dehydrators feature either horizontal or vertical heating. If you're drying different types of food in a vertically heated food dehydrator, the flavors will sometimes mix.

Food is typically dehydrated between 120 and 140 degrees to prevent overcooking or spoilage. Drying time can take anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days depending on the item and food dehydrator.

The features you should pay attention to when buying electric food dehydrators include the number and size of drying trays, length of warranty, available temperature range, and a timer to prevent overdrying.

Before you buy an electric food dehydrator, make sure it's going to be a cost effective purchase. Buying dried fruits or bags of trail mix will probably be cheaper than purchasing produce at a grocery store and drying it at home. However, if you happen to live on a farm or have a large garden in your backyard, an electric food dehydrator will allow you to enjoy your own produce year round.

Which are the best food dehydrators?

Nesco American Harvest FD-1010 Gardenmaster

The Nesco FD-1010 food dehydrator is considered by some to be the best available. It comes with 4 trays but is expandable up to thirty trays, with a thermostat ranging from 95 degrees to 155 degrees. This Nesco food dehydrator features 1,000 watts of drying power and comes with a 1-year warranty. This Nesco food dehydrator will cost more than some models (from $120 to $150), but food dehydrator reviews indicate high customer satisfaction with its performance.

Ronco

The Ronco food dehydrator is slower and replacement trays for it can be a bit costly, but its initial cost is far cheaper than the Nesco food dehydrator. The Ronco is a convection-air dehydrator, which means it will take longer to dry some foods, but it also runs silently. The Ronco food dehydrator comes with 5 trays.

L'Equip 528

The L'Equip 528 food dehydrator is a fascinating little machine. The L'Equip food dehydrator comes with a 12-year warranty against defects, so you know it's a quality product. It also features a computer-controlled sensor that checks the temperature sixty times per second.

The L'Equip food dehydrator's thermostat ranges from 93 degrees to 150 degrees. This food dehydrator provides 550 watts of drying power and comes with 6 stackable trays measuring 17 inches by 11 inches.

At over $150, the L'Equip 528 food dehydrator will cost you, but it's worth it.

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