Making an Electric Food Dehydrator

Basics

A food dehydrator is an appliance that can be a great addition to your kitchen. You can use a food dehydrator to preserve food items you may have purchased as well as fruits and vegetables you might have grown yourself. A food dehydrator can also be used to make tasty snacks such as beef jerky or turkey jerky. Most commercial food dehydrators can be used for a number of indoor dehydrating purposes, and many consumers choose to purchase dehydrator through TV shopping, over the Internet or at their local retailer. What buyers may not realize is exactly how simple it is to make their own food dehydrator at home. Building an electric food dehydrator is a task that anyone can do with just a basic knowledge of carpentry and electronics.

What You Need

The first thing you will need is a large, strong cardboard box. A wooden box is also an option. If you choose to build a wooden food dehydrator, some of the tools you might need can include a tape measure, a jigsaw, a drill, a wire stripper, a knife and any other tools that may be used for woodworking. Cardboard will build a less sturdy food dehydrator, but it will be a bit easier for you to work with. For a cardboard food dehydrator, line it with foil. Your food dehydrator will need to hold food trays and have space toward the bottom for one or more household light bulbs. The light bulbs you use should include light sockets, cords and plugs to allow you to attach them to the wall. If you are using a cardboard box lined with foil, you will want to insulate your light bulb attachments from the foil.

Assembly

To assemble your food dehydrator, cut holes into your wooden or cardboard box to add one or more incandescent light bulbs, insert wooden rods to hold food trays and then insert the appropriate parts. Fluorescent light bulbs don't work, and what you will want to do is use the largest incandescent light bulb you can. Cookie sheets work as well as disposable food trays, provided that there is enough room around them to provide for air flow.

Benefits

Commercial food dehydrators can range in price anywhere from $20 to $200 or even more, but building a food dehydrator at home using this easy plan is something which is significantly cheaper. Building your own food dehydrator can not only save you a great deal of money in terms of drying and preserving food, but it can also provide you with an appliance that produces the quality of results in slightly less time than what you can expect from a commercial product.