Food dehydrators are specialized small kitchen appliances used to
remove water content from foods. This is usually done using heat in
conjunction with air flow. Removing water content from foods eliminates
the humid environment needed by bacteria to grow and enables the
preservation of foods for long periods.
Electric food dehydrators use heating elements, fans and air vents to produce the hot air flow required for dehydration. Stacked food trays are used to carry the foods to be dehydrated. The most common and popular units you can buy nowadays are either round or rectangular. The shape of dehydrators would not be of any particular importance if it did not impact the way they function and how well they perform. But, it turns out that round and rectangular dehydrators usually operate quite differently, with clear impact on dehydration results. The main difference is in how the heat is generated and the air flown through the unit:
With rectangular dehydrators there is clearly no need to rotate tray positions since the heated air flow emanates from the backside of the unit and applied horizontally and uniformly to all the stacked trays.
Also, if buying a round dehydrator, it is preferable to get one with heating elements and fan at the top rather than at the bottom. This is because, when the heating elements and the fan are at the bottom, they tend to get dirtied and soiled by liquids dripping from the foods. This makes them harder to clean and decreases the durability of the unit. However, with well designed round units the problem can be minimized when the unit is properly used.
Finally, if you are a busy person that can not babysit the drying process, you should choose a dehydrator with a timer and automatic shut-off. There are many products out there with no timer that cost less than units with timer. However, it is definitely worth paying a little more to get a unit that is accurate and that will allow you to set and forget!
The most popular round and rectangular food dehydrators are made by Nesco and Excalibur. Nesco makes round and expandable dehydrators, while Excalibur focuses on rectangular and fixed sized units. If you need to dry very large quantities of foods you should consider getting an expandable dehydrator (some units can expand up to 30 trays).
There are dozens of food dehydrators out there that cost less than the two brands mentioned above. But by saving a few dollars you will lose a lot in quality, features, durability, and in the results you will obtain. Nesco and Excalibur dehydrators may cost a bit more, but they will provide you with total satisfaction. Finally, note that both brands offer a number of models that provide all the useful features described above.
Electric food dehydrators use heating elements, fans and air vents to produce the hot air flow required for dehydration. Stacked food trays are used to carry the foods to be dehydrated. The most common and popular units you can buy nowadays are either round or rectangular. The shape of dehydrators would not be of any particular importance if it did not impact the way they function and how well they perform. But, it turns out that round and rectangular dehydrators usually operate quite differently, with clear impact on dehydration results. The main difference is in how the heat is generated and the air flown through the unit:
- Round dehydrators usually have top or bottom mounted heaters and fans.
- Rectangular units usually have side mounted heaters and fans (on the back of the unit).
With rectangular dehydrators there is clearly no need to rotate tray positions since the heated air flow emanates from the backside of the unit and applied horizontally and uniformly to all the stacked trays.
Also, if buying a round dehydrator, it is preferable to get one with heating elements and fan at the top rather than at the bottom. This is because, when the heating elements and the fan are at the bottom, they tend to get dirtied and soiled by liquids dripping from the foods. This makes them harder to clean and decreases the durability of the unit. However, with well designed round units the problem can be minimized when the unit is properly used.
Finally, if you are a busy person that can not babysit the drying process, you should choose a dehydrator with a timer and automatic shut-off. There are many products out there with no timer that cost less than units with timer. However, it is definitely worth paying a little more to get a unit that is accurate and that will allow you to set and forget!
The most popular round and rectangular food dehydrators are made by Nesco and Excalibur. Nesco makes round and expandable dehydrators, while Excalibur focuses on rectangular and fixed sized units. If you need to dry very large quantities of foods you should consider getting an expandable dehydrator (some units can expand up to 30 trays).
There are dozens of food dehydrators out there that cost less than the two brands mentioned above. But by saving a few dollars you will lose a lot in quality, features, durability, and in the results you will obtain. Nesco and Excalibur dehydrators may cost a bit more, but they will provide you with total satisfaction. Finally, note that both brands offer a number of models that provide all the useful features described above.
The author lives in Montreal. He worked for many years as a professional engineer for a major telecommunication company. He has written and published on various platforms many articles on technology and gadgets, healthy living and gourmet cooking.
For an in depth review and comparison of the best and most popular food dehydrators Nesco and Excalibur please visit:
Compare Best Food Dehydrators
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maurice_Savaryego
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