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The dehydrator allows you to preserve fruits and other seasonal products by drying them. These devices and dryers for vegetables and fruits are very close to each other in many respects, but the difference lies in the fact that the dehydrator has finer settings. For example, on the dehydrator, you can delicately adjust the mode of processing fruits, while the valuable substances contained in the products are preserved.
Dehydrators may differ in target products, design, shape, number of pallets, volume of working surfaces. Among these devices there are very simple ones, with a small number of functions, respectively, with a low cost. More expensive options are equipped with more features. The best dehydrators are easy to use and look stylish.
When choosing a device, you need to find a common denominator of all its characteristics, including the price. For example, you should not overpay if you are not going to use this device to perform a large amount of work, in this case, medium-priced models are quite suitable for you. If you care about as many features as possible, ease of use, no budget restrictions, then there is a sense in purchasing expensive models.
It is difficult to choose the most suitable option from the mass of devices. It will be easy for an unprepared consumer, especially, to get confused. We’ve rounded up the top 8 best fruit dehydrators for 2022.
Top 8 rating according to KP
Editor’s Choice
1. MARTA MT-1870
MARTA MT-1870 is a cylindrical dehydrator for drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms. There are five levels for pallets, and the total volume of the device is 20 liters. It is possible to adjust the height of each pallet. Electronic control and temperature control make this model easy to operate.
The dehydrator itself is made of durable heat-resistant plastic. Display, timer, power indicator – all these functions will help improve the process of control by the user.
Advantages and disadvantages:
2. Gemlux GL-FD-611
Gemlux GL-FD-611 is a heavy duty (1000W) cube dryer. This model belongs to the convective type of dehydrators. The device has space for six pallets. The temperature is adjustable from 30 to 70 degrees. The device, however, weighs a lot – 8.5 kg. All elements are made of heat-resistant plastic.
The model is equipped with a display, a timer, overheating protection, and two drying modes. Not the most budget option for a dehydrator, plus it takes up a lot of space and weighs decently. However, these shortcomings are compensated by ultra-high power and decent capacity. True, the cord could be made longer.
Advantages and disadvantages:
3. Rommelsbacher DA 900
Rommelsbacher DA 900 is a cubic dehydrator based on the convective principle. The undoubted advantages of this device are the materials of the body and pallet (metal) and the cable length (almost two meters).
The drying temperature is adjustable from 35 to 75 degrees. Control elements: display, timer, overheating protection. Power – 600 watts. Not the lightest, the weight of the device is 6.9 kg. Undoubtedly, with such material, spaciousness and functionality, the device cannot be cheap.
Advantages and disadvantages:
4. VolTera 1000 Lux with timer and electronic control unit
The VolTera 1000 Lux is a powerful, convective dehydrator for preparing fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and other foods. High power rating – 1000 W, this power is enough to quickly and efficiently cope with your tasks. The device itself is quite compact, but holds up to 5 kg of products.
The set comes with five standard pallets, plus one for marshmallow and one mesh. The temperature can be adjusted from 40 to 60 degrees. The basis for the body and other parts was plastic. For the convenience of the user, the dehydrator is equipped with a display, a timer, overheating protection and an on indicator.
Advantages and disadvantages:
5. Galaxy GL2635
Galaxy GL2635 is an inexpensive compact dehydrator for drying fruits, berries, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs. Ideal for small quantities of products. The control method is purely mechanical. The power is 350 W, which means that you should not press high performance. On the other hand, this device consumes little electricity.
There is room for five pallets. The temperature is adjustable from 40 to 75 degrees. There is no timer, but the height of the pallets can be adjusted. Bonus: it comes with a recipe book. The body and trays are made of plastic.
Advantages and disadvantages:
6. RAWMID Dream Vitamin VAT-07
RAWMID Dream Vitamin DDV-07 is a horizontal convection type dehydrator. There are seven pallet levels in total. The kit comes with six trays for marshmallows and six additional nets for drying herbs. The pallets themselves are made of metal alloy. A sufficient power indicator is 500 watts. This is quite enough for the device to perform its tasks qualitatively.
The temperature can be set from 35 to 70 degrees. In terms of control, everything is standard here: display, timer, overheat protection, power indicator. The result is a compact dehydrator that is perfect for fruits and vegetables.
Advantages and disadvantages:
7. Ezidri Snackmaker FD500
The Ezidri Snackmaker FD500 is an electronically controlled dehydrator capable of drying up to 10 kg of fruit in one go. Has three temperature modes: 35, 50-55, and 60 degrees. In total, there are five levels for pallets, but additional pallets can be placed: up to 15 for drying greens, herbs and flowers; up to 12 for drying fruits, vegetables and meat.
Also included are one mesh sheet and one marshmallow sheet. The power of this device is 500 watts. The dehydrator is made of plastic. There is protection against overheating.
Advantages and disadvantages:
8. Oursson DH1300/1304
Oursson DH1300/1304 is a budget convection type dehydrator that is perfect for fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, meat and fish. The device is controlled mechanically. Only four levels for pallets. The power is not the highest (400 W), but it is quite enough for the house.
The height of each pallet is 32 mm. Temperature control is carried out in the range from 48 to 68 degrees. The body and trays are made of heat-resistant plastic. Definitely this dehydrator is suitable for home use if you need to prepare small portions of food. For larger scale work, more powerful devices are needed.
Advantages and disadvantages:
How to choose a fruit dehydrator
Maya Kaybayeva, a household appliances store consultant, told the KP correspondent what to pay attention to when choosing a dehydrator.
Types of dehydrators
There are two main types of dehydrators: convection and infrared.
The principle of operation in the devices of the first type is simple: moisture evaporates from the fruit with the help of a uniform blowing of hot air. Such models have a heating element and a fan. There are also separate devices without a fan, and the distribution of air in them is carried out in a natural way. But such devices are less productive. The advantage of the convection type of dehydrators is the prevalence and reasonable price. A slight disadvantage is the loss of some of the nutrients and a slight deterioration in the appearance of the fruit.
Infrared dehydrators are much more expensive in price. There are not so many of them on the market, unlike convection ones. They are “careful” about products: fruits retain more nutrients, as when naturally dried from exposure to sunlight.
Control method
There are three ways to control the dehydrator: mechanical, electronic and sensory. The first method is the most reliable, plus such devices are quite inexpensive. However, they have a very limited set of functions.
The second method is found in more expensive dehydrators, the set of functions with such control is larger, and the accuracy of setting operations is higher.
The third method is the most comfortable, since you just need to click on the screen. These models have the greatest number of possibilities for regulating the cooking process, but they are expensive.
Power
With this characteristic, everything is simple: the higher the power, the faster and more fruits will be dried by the household appliance. The most convenient dehydrator option would be a device with a power of 350-600 watts. The capacity and productivity of such devices is enough to prepare a decent amount of fruit. Power over 600 W is needed for very large workpiece volumes and frequent use. Dehydrators with a power of 125-250 W are suitable for very small portions and infrequent use.
Roominess
The classic option is the presence of four or five levels for pallets. This is quite enough to meet the needs of most consumers. If you like to make dried fruits but don’t set goals on an industrial scale, this is the best option. However, if you are a summer resident, a caring hostess who harvests fruits, vegetables, mushrooms in large volumes, then you should choose devices with six to nine levels. Such models allow you to dry different types of products at the same time. It is important not to mix products of different kinds. It makes more sense for everyone to allocate their own level. Approximately 0,5 to 2 kg can be placed on the level. products.
Material
The most common are models made of heat-resistant plastic. The advantage of these devices is their low weight, ease of washing, and the absence of heating. But, unfortunately, they are subject to frequent mechanical damage. It is worth saying that with poor quality plastic, parts may begin to crumble over time.
Metal is a more durable base for a dehydrator. Models made of metal are more resistant to physical influences. But there are also disadvantages: they are heated and quite heavy. Therefore, there are many devices of a combined type: some of the elements are made of metal, some are made of plastic.
design Features
It is important to consider the places where the fan and heating element are located. With a cubic shape of the dehydrator, it is most preferable to have a fan on the back wall. This will allow more even distribution of air and protect the fan from getting fruit juice.
If the device is cylindrical, the fan must be either on the top or bottom. At the same time, the upper position provides better protection, and the lower position provides better airflow.
The heating element can be located at the bottom, top or side. Each position has its own characteristics. When placed lower, dehydration is faster, but ten is vulnerable to juice and fruit pieces. When located on top, the reliability of the heating element is higher, but the uniformity of heating is worse. You will have to change pallets frequently. The side position is the most comfortable, but it is found only in large-sized models.
Caring for your dehydrator
- The dehydrator must be washed after each drying. It is best to avoid using detergents. Plain water will suffice.
- Trays can be lined with baking paper. This will keep the fruit from sticking to them.
- Drying is best done according to the following principle: first, the maximum temperature is set, which gradually decreases towards the end of the fruit preparation.
- Don’t overfill the pan. First, the fruit runs the risk of drying unevenly. Secondly, the pallet may not withstand the load.
- Feel free to read the instructions.
- Most importantly, don’t overheat your dehydrator.