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How to choose a dehydrator

5. March 2018

A dehydrator is not just for drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, or mushrooms during season. It's truly an essential tool for every household that that wants to make food in a healthier way, or wants to pursue a raw lifestyle. here's a few questions to help you choose the best type of dehydrator for you.

1. Do you plan to only dry some seasonal fruits and vegetables, or will you use it year-round?

sušené houby

How often you will use a dehydrator can help determine the investment you wish to make. A cheap round dehydrator might be good enough for a few seasonal fruits, while a higher-quality machine will serve you better for more regular use.

While round dehydrators have their shortcomings including uneven heating and difficulty accessing lower trays, they are also much cheaper than quality square models. If you will only use a dehydrator occasionally, these shortcomings shouldn't be a problem.
If you plan to use a dehydrator frequently - for cooking, drying herbs, or if you have a larger quantity of produce to dehydrate - a larger square dehydrator is the better choice. High-quality dehydrators are easier to use, have higher capacities, dry things more evenly, and will last longer.

2. Round or square?

Round (stackable) and square (shelves) dehydrators differ mainly in terms of airflow, convenience, and flexibility.

sušička potravin excalibur

Round (stackable) dehydrators

The heating element and fan are located at the bottom of the dehydrator. Heat is forced up from the bottom and each tray is vented so some heat continues to the next tray. The middle is usually open, allowing heat to go upward and outward. The result is that most of the heat is concentrated in the moddle and bottom part of the dehydrator. Most manufacturers recommend rotating the trays every 2-4 hours, and in some cases rotating the ingredients on each shelf from the outer edges to the middle.
Stackable trays don't have an outer frame. The frame is the outer edges of each shelf. This means that if you wish to check the progress of a lower shelf, the upper shelves must first be removed.
Another disadvantage is that materials with a high fat or liquid content (such as meats for jerky) tend to drip down to the lower trays. This can coat the lower materials or leave a messy surface on the bottom. In some cases, unless the motor is well-sealed, liquid can leak into the motor causing a short.

sušička ovoce sedona

Square (stackable) dehydrators

Typically the heating unit is mounted vertically on the back of the dehydrator. Heat flows evenly from back to front. Trays do not need to be rotated, since the heat evenly reaches all trays regardless of position.
It is easy to check on the progress of dehydrating, since any tray can be removed individually. The front door opens like an oven, and in many cases the front door is clear so progress can be checked without opening the unit.
You can put in only the trays needed, if you need more vertical space. So if you are dehydrating or heating something larger - for example jars of infused oils - you can put the jars directly in without any trays in place.
Because the motor is mounted vertically on the back, there is no risk of any liquid dripping into the motor. Most models have a removable drip tray on the bottom, and special sheets can be put on individual trays from more liquid things like fruit leather.

3. Plastic or stainless steel?

Most cheaper dehydrators are made from plastic. Higher-quality units are available in botgh plastic or stainless steel. Generally speaking, a model with a stainless steel frame will be well-constructed and durable. With plastic, here are a few tips to get a feeling about the quality of the machine.

Physical inspection: Make sure to check out a questionable dehydrator before purchasing. Tap it to see of the plastic flexes or is more sturdy. Look at the corners of the dehydrator to see how the panels are connected.
Price: While you can find cheap round dehydrators made in China for less than 50 euros, generally speaking a higher price is indicative of higher quality.
Weight: A better-constructed dehydrator will be heavier. Compare the weight of similar machines if you are shopping online. There is no advantage to a lighter dehydrator unless you plan to travel with it.
Safety: Make sure that the plastics used are BPA-free. Under heat, dangerous toxins can be released from non BPA-free plastic into the food.
Brand: A dehydrator from a quality brand will be more likely to be of higher quality. There are also a few companies, such as Excalibur and Sedona, that specialize on dehydrators.

4. Small or large?

Once you have decided on the form factor and materials, size is an important consideration.

sušička ovoce excalibur

Small dehydrators

A 4-6 tray model is usually sufficient for someone who will use their dehydrator only seasonally, or is preparing things only for themselves.

sušička ovoce Excalibur

Large dehydrators

Larger dehydrators will have a capacoty of 9-11 trays. These are more suited for people such as:

Raw food enthusiasts, who will use it every day
Herbalists who need to frequently dry large quantities of fresh herbs
Those with larger families
Gardeners who have fruit trees that plan to dry a lot of fruit
Commercial users

5. Some other factors to consider

Sound levels of the dehydrator can be important if the unit will be located in the kitchen or other room where people often gather. Larger units tend to use larger fans which run a little more quietly.

A timer is a nice luxury to have with a dehydrator, as you don't have to worry about turning it off when it is finshed or risking over-drying something. Timers can be simple analog dials or programmable digital displays.

If you are investing into a high-quality dehydrator, make sure to check the warranty as well as the availablity of replacement parts if needed. Cheaper Chinese dehydrators are normally made in one production run, and are designed to be almost "disposable" with no replacement parts available.

Make sure to buy from a reputable source

At Sana-Store, we test all dehydrators before we offer them. We don't sell any dehydrators which don't meet our criteria or prove problematic. We also service everything we sell, and keep a large inventory of spare parts and accessories. We offer only the best dehydrators that we've tested, including Excalibur, Sedona, and the innovative new Yden.

See more dehydrators here

Information notice:According to the Act on Registration of Sales, the seller is required to issue a receipt to the buyer. The seller is also required to register the sales data online to the Financial Authority. In case of a technical problem, the data must be registered no later than 48 hours after the sale.