Among the methods of harvesting products for the winter, it is worth noting drying. Now most experienced housewives prefer the use of modern electrical appliances to the traditional method of drying in the open air. The variety of models of electric dryers on the market is so great that it is time to make a top rating of the best electric dryers for vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. Let's figure out how to choose a high-quality electric dryer with an optimal set of functions.
Attention! A more up-to-date rating of the best dehydrators for vegetables and fruits for 2022 can be viewed here.
Of course, it is possible to dry crops from your home garden using the traditional drying method, but using modern technology has a number of advantages:
In addition, the entire drying process can be adjusted by the settings of the appliance, ranging from the desired temperature and the presence of convection to the amount of products and time costs.
You can quickly dry the crop of vegetables and fruits in a conventional electric oven. But in this case, you will have to try so that the products do not burn out, do not dry out or cook. In an electric dryer, this is much easier to do. By the way, not only vegetables, berries or fruits can be dried in such devices. They are great for drying fish or meat, making fruit marshmallows.
Devices that allow you to dry a variety of food products can be of different designs, have a different principle of operation and a number of additional functions. In addition, all types of electric dryers differ in size and performance. To choose the best option, let's take a closer look at the device and the principles of operation of the models.
The general arrangement of all models of drying devices is the same, regardless of other characteristics. In all models of electric dryers, a heating element must be installed, which in some models is also equipped with a fan. The simplest electric dryer is a baking sheet equipped with a built-in heater.
The most popular models of electric dryers have a closed case. It is both convenient and hygienic. They can be multi-tiered, round or square, with several compartments for different products.
It is quite easy to use such devices:
There are several principles for classifying these electrical appliances.Most often they are distinguished by the type of heating element. From this point of view, there are the following types:
Which model of household electric dryer should be preferred in order to combine the reliability of the device, the convenience of operation and the quality of the final product? Let's take a closer look at the technical device of some models.
The unit can have a rectangular, round or square shape. By and large, nothing depends on this. Therefore, in this matter, you should be guided solely by your own taste. What you really should pay attention to is the materials, dimensions and locations of the main components of the device.
Case material may vary:
The performance of the device, which can be judged by external dimensions, also plays an important role. If you intend to use the unit from time to time for small volumes of products, then choose closed devices that have a compact device. If you are a professional dryer or intend to dry fish and meat, then you will need a more spacious model with several tiers of trays.
The main elements - a fan and a heating element, can be located below or to the side of the drying chamber. For a small device, this does not matter, the fans can be both horizontal and vertical, but for a larger dryer, a lateral arrangement will be better, so the products will be evenly processed.
Trays can have different heights and designs. They can be made in the form of a fine mesh or a solid sheet with a side height of 10 mm to 20 mm or even higher. Some models of trays may have adjustable side heights. This is convenient if you want to dry the whole fruit.
When choosing a device for drying, be sure to consider such a parameter as power:
It should be noted that not all units have the function of adjusting the thermal regime. There are devices that operate at 50 degrees and can only turn on and off. If this is the case, then there are 3 options:
Additional functions can be installed, which are optional in nature, but can make the work more convenient. These include the presence of protection against overheating, thermostat and backlight. There may be devices with a timer.
After we have considered the main differences between different models of electric dryers, let's look at which electric dryers are most in demand by buyers. Then you can decide which dryer to buy.
On the first line of the rating, we placed the Snackmaker FD500 model from the New Zealand company Ezidri. The power of this unit is 500 watts. For one cycle of work, this electric dryer will cope with 7 kg of raw product. This is quite enough for an average family. The package of this dryer includes a base, which performs the main function of heating, ventilation and temperature control, 5 round trays, a plastic lid, as well as 1 tray with a grid and 1 tray for fruit marshmallow. In addition, along with the device comes a brochure that contains the basic recipes.
The cost of this model is 12470 rubles.
Video recipe for marshmallows in the dryer Ezidri Snackmaker FD50
This is a very high quality device for home use, made according to the type of professional equipment. It has a wide range of functions and an impressive package. The device is suitable for drying not only small and chopped vegetables and fruits, but also overall products.
The body of this dryer is made of durable high-quality plastic, and a fan mounted in the rear wall ensures uniform drying. The set includes 7 steel trays and 6 trays each with mesh and for making marshmallows. The device has a horizontal type, which saves space. There is a thermostat to adjust the temperature, and the cooking process can be observed through the transparent front cover.
The average price of this electric dryer is 14,500 rubles.
Video review of the dryer:
This electric dryer is one of the most powerful in terms of its performance and belongs to the Metal Convective category. In it, you can cook not only vegetables and fruits, but also meat, and fish, and mushrooms. A fan is installed at the base of the unit, which accelerates the air heated to +70 degrees through the internal space. Heat is provided by a heating element with a ceramic coating. The product, dried by this device, almost completely retains its original appearance and nutritional value. The drying process is fast, you can load a significant amount. This compensates to some extent for the high energy costs.
The price of this model is 2830 rubles
This model is made in a plastic case. In the basic configuration there are 5 horizontal trays, but their number can be increased up to 15 pieces. The internal total volume of the chamber is approximately 20 liters. This unit is equipped with a capillary-type thermostat and regulates the temperature from +35 degrees to +70 degrees. You can simply process the products with cold blowing without heating. The air supply is organized in such a way that it is supplied to each tier separately. This allows you not to move the trays during the drying process.
The price of this model is 4900 rubles.
Video review and feedback on the use of the VolTera 1000 Lux dryer:
This reliable and high-quality unit is made in Belarus. With it, you can dry berries, mushrooms, fruits and vegetables without losing nutritional value and vitamins. Also in this electric dryer, you can qualitatively dry medicinal herbs while retaining their healing properties and essential oils. It is possible to cook pasta.
The working units of the electric dryer are mounted at the base. There is a heating element and a fan, outside control of the device is provided. There are three operating modes for drying herbs, for drying pieces of vegetables, fruits and mushrooms, and for drying whole foods. Comes with 5 trays with lid.
The price for this model of electric dryer is 3060 rubles.
More details about the BelOMO 8360 dryer in the video review:
This model is considered one of the best among infrared dryers. It has a large size, which allows you to dry a lot of products in one cycle. On five mesh trays, 7 kg of raw product can be placed at the same time. In addition to its direct purpose, the electric dryer will cope with the preparation of fermented baked milk, drying pasta and many other tasks.
The cost of this drying is 8500 rubles.
The question of purchasing this useful home appliance is definitely worth considering for those who have their own summer house or garden. After all, using an electric dryer, you can enjoy delicious dishes at any time of the year, since dehydrated products do not lose their taste, nutritional value or aroma. And you can make up for the lack of moisture very easily in the process of cooking.