How to Compare Food Dehydrators
Hunters use them once a year to turn deer meat into jerky, backpackers use them twice a year to lighten the load on long hikes, and farmers and frugal consumers use them constantly during peak fruit or vegetable seasons to dry food for winter. Whatever the case, food dehydrators are well worth the price for the wonders they produce. To decide which model to buy, you need to decide which type of user you plan to be and what your priorities are, not only in terms of frequency, but also in terms of capacity, space, cost and ease of use. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Dry a variety of foods in your oven before shopping to get a sense of which foods you will want to dry.
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Make a decision on what kinds of items you want to dry and compare models to meet your needs. Items range from fruits, vegetables or meat to specialty items such as fruit leather, yogurt or spaghetti sauce.
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Decide on the capacity, or the number of trays or shelves, that you will need. Compare the tray sizes and ease of use. Trays need a small lip at the edge to prevent spillage and they need a medium sized mesh. Stackable dehydrators are less expensive than fixed box models but require tray rotation and are less flexible in what products they will dry. Box type dehydrators are more expensive, but they are sturdy and can dry food such as tomato sauce or yogurt.
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Think about your budget. Dehydrators range from $35 up to $250.
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Decide where you will place the dehydrator and where and when you will use it. Will a model with a very quiet fan be important to you? Will you need to choose a small model?
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Look at the heating elements of different models. You need a range of heat from 95 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and a thermostat to get steady heat. Timers, automatic shutoffs and automatic tray rotation are useful if you lead a busy life. The advantage of convection heating over heating with fans is that the models are quieter, use less electricity and can be used for projects such as paper mache and flower drying, but they also take longer to dry food like tomatoes or peaches.
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Check the air flow systems. The best models will have a horizontal flow and a fan with two speeds.
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Decide whether extra items are important to you. These include recipe books, jerky spices, stick-proof trays or peelers and slicers.
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Verify important safety issues such as a UL (Underwriters' Laboratories) label and a grounded plug.
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Consider service and warranty issues. Some plastic dehydrators have a more limited life than others.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dried fruits image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
