Air Fryer vs Food Dehydrator: How Different Are They?

Have you heard people talking about air fryers? You’ve probably heard a family member or friend mention them at some point because they’re a very hot kitchen appliance right now.

And what about food dehydrators? You may have heard mention of these appliances too.

When you’re not very familiar with either appliance, they can seem pretty similar. If you’ve been thinking about testing one out, how do you know which is right for you?

To help you discern the differences between an air fryer or food dehydrator, just keep reading below.

We’ll cover what they are, some similarities and differences, and a few advantages and disadvantages of each. After reading, you’ll have a clear picture of which appliance is right for you, so you can take the best one for your needs home!

What Is an Air Fryer?

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy eating fried food. One thing you may not enjoy, though, are the health risks so often associated with consuming fried food.

Often times, fried food contains grease, which, as you can assume, can lead to a wide array of health problems if not eaten in moderation.

An air fryer aims to eliminate these health risks by frying food without having to saturate them in oil first.

What Is a Food Dehydrator?

The primary function of a food dehydrator, on the other hand, is to reduce the water content of foods like fruits and vegetables. Foods like these have a high water content, which, if left for an extended period of time, can result in the formation of bacteria or fungus.

If you want to preserve your food without having to worry about bad bacteria or fungus, you’ll want to think about getting a food dehydrator.

How Are an Air Fryer or Food Dehydrator Alike?

The following are a few examples of the similarities of air fryers and food dehydrators.

  • Both appliances can provide you with delicious food without any health concerns
  • No oil necessary
  • No grease!
  • No need to worry about burning yourself
  • Both appliances can cook many different foods
  • Both appliances cook food evenly

As you can see, both air fryers and food dehydrators are quite similar in some ways.

However, there are differences between both appliances too. We’ll dig into those in a bit more detail below.

And How Are They Different?

The following are a few examples of the differences between an air fryer vs dehydrator.

  • Food dehydrators can take hours to days to do their thing, whereas air fryers only need minutes
  • After being dehydrated, food may appear dry and look different than it did when it went into the dehydrator – not so with air fryers
  • You can store dehydrated food for much longer than air fried food
  • Food dehydrators have a larger serving capacity than air fryers
  • Dehydrated food tastes different when it comes out of the dehydrator – this is not the cases with air fryers
  • You can use a food dehydrator to eliminate food waste, but not an air fryer

It should be obvious to you now that food dehydrators and air fryers serve different purposes, despite their similarities.

Air Fryer: Advantages and Disadvantages

The following are a few examples of advantages and disadvantages of an air fryer.

Advantages:

  • Enhances the taste and visual appeal of food
  • Gives food a crunchy, crispy texture
  • Air frying is not a time-consuming process
  • Air fryers are inexpensive
  • Easy to maintain and clean
  • You can cook using several different methods in an air fryer
  • Minimize health risks associated with consuming grease
  • No oil necessary

Disadvantages:

  • Air fryers can’t cook large amounts of food
  • If you want to cook using another method, you have to buy additional accessories which is another expense
  • It takes time to learn how to use an air fryer
  • You have to cook one food at a time
  • You don’t have the option to increase the appliance’s capacity
  • You can’t store the food for long periods of time after it’s been cooked

Air fryers have a lot of great advantages, similar to that of food dehydrators. They too, however, also have several different disadvantages which may influence your decision of which appliance to buy.

Food Dehydrator: Advantages and Disadvantages

The following are a few examples of advantages and disadvantages of a food dehydrator.

Advantages:

  • Increase food’s shelf-life
  • Dehydrated food is easy to store
  • They’re not expensive appliances
  • It’s easy to see the progress of the food inside
  • You can dehydrate several different foods at a time

Disadvantages:

  • They have to run for long periods of time
  • Your electricity bill may increase as a result
  • They are noisy
  • Some dehydrators are very large and clunky
  • The appearance and flavor of food changes after dehydration

While food dehydrators have a whole host of great advantages, there are a few big disadvantages, too. It all depends on what you plan to use your food dehydrator for and how often you think you’re going to.

A Final Word

As you can clearly see, both air fryers and food dehydrators have their own unique benefits.

And now that you have all of this great information, making the decision between an air fryer or food dehydrator should be simple. What it really boils down to is why you plan to use either appliance, because in the end, they do have different functions – however slight.

If you prefer food dehydrators and are looking for more great information on how you can use them, you should check out the rest of our website! We offer plenty of food dehydration tips like raw vegan recipes you can make in your dehydrator, how to make deer jerky, and so much more.

We want to show the world all of the great ways that food dehydrators can be used.

Just head over to the “food dehydration tips” section of our website and see for yourself.

author avatar
Danny
Hey there, since 2016, my mission has been to provide you with the information and guides you need to make food dehydrating simple and fun. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, my site offers helpful guides, reviews, and recipes to enhance your dehydrating experience. I take pride in only recommending products I believe in, ensuring my readers' trust. As an affiliate of various programs, including Amazon Associates, your support helps me continue providing quality content. Thanks for stopping by, and happy dehydrating!