Did you know that dehydrated food retains more vitamins and minerals than any other form of cooking or food preservation?
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Great For Jerky
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Sleek Design
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Budget Friendly
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Novice Friendly
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Compact
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On top of that, they’re also typically 100% natural because you’re dehydrating food from its raw, original form. No more preservatives necessary, like when you purchase frozen fruits and vegetables.
Whether you’re dehydrating apples, jerky, or fresh herbs, investing in a commercial food dehydrator is a healthy and cost-friendly way to preserve your food. And what better time is there to start than during a pandemic?
If you’ve been contemplating dehydrating your food, read on to learn everything you need to know about the best food dehydrators on the market.
1. What Should I Consider in My Food Dehydrator Search?
When it comes to purchasing a food dehydrator, size is one of the key factors that you want to consider before you buy. Overall size is essential because you want to make sure you have room to store your dehydrator. Whether you plan on keeping it on the counter or storing it in your cabinets, you need to measure your space for overall size.
The second aspect that you should consider is the capacity of the food dehydrator. If you want to do one large batch with a variety of foods at once, a larger model with more trays will benefit you. If you prefer to work with small quantities and dehydrate all your fruits one day, and your meats or vegetables another day, then a smaller model will work fine.
Another important consideration when purchasing a food dehydrator is whether or not it has a programmable timer. The basic dehydrators sometimes skip the programmable timer, but it’s not worth the cash savings. You want to have a programmable timer to dry your foods overnight, or when you’re busy throughout the day.
You need to know what you want to dehydrate. If your primary priority is making healthy jerky, you should look for dehydrators specially made for beef jerky. Some dehydrators aren’t designed to make jerky, so make sure you read about the model’s jerky capacity.
The last thing that you should look for is the temperature range. When it comes to food dehydrators, the more extensive the temperature range, the better. If you want to dry delicate things like fresh herbs, it would be best to purchase a model that goes lower than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For meats, you want to make sure it goes up to 160 degrees.
One other point worth mentioning is if you decide to purchase a plastic commercial food dehydrator machine, you want to see if it states that it is BPA free. This ensures that you won’t have to worry about having any harmful chemicals enter your food.
Best Commercial Food Dehydrators
2. Tribest Sedona Express SDE-S6780-B Digital Food Dehydrator: The Jerky Master
If your primary goal is making jerky with your food dehydrator, the Tribest Sedona Express is the ideal choice for you. This is the first model that reaches a high enough temperature that it abides by the USDA Beef Jerky Preparation Guidelines.
The Tribest Sedona Express has a black exterior and a stainless steel interior, giving it a polished look if you plan to keep it on the counter top.
Read about some of our favorite features that this dehydrator has below.
- The Tribest Sedona Express operates silently, so it won’t be disruptive if you’re trying to run it while watching TV, working, or sleeping.
- Although this food dehydrator is made of plastic, it is B.P.A. free, so you don’t have to worry about harmful industrial chemicals in the plastic.
- The device has a powerful central fan, which produces supreme jerky.
- The dehydrator has a capacity of 9.9 square feet, giving enough space to make a large batch of jerky at once.
- If you’re in a rush, the Tribest Sedona Express has a fast option, and it also has a setting where you can start with raw meat.
Pros
- A quiet machine so you won’t get disrupted when you’re watching your favorite shows
- BPA-free
- Powerful central rack for tasty jerky
- Spacious food dehydrator with 9.9 square feet of space
- The fast-drying setting makes it convenient when you’re in a rush
Cons
- Expensive
3. Excalibur 3926TB Commercial Food Dehydrator: The Top Choice in 2020
This 9-tray electric food dehydrator is one of the best choices overall on the market in 2020. One of the best features is this product comes with a ten-year warranty, so if you’re looking to make a long term investment, this is an excellent choice.
Some of the best features of this food dehydrator are below.
- The Excalibur 3926TB comes with an automatic shut-off and a 26-hour timer.
- It has a range of 105-165 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range allows you to meet the best safety standards for all foods, including jerky.
- It makes it easy to dehydrate many foods at once with 15-square feet of drying space.
- If you’re pressed for time, the Excalibur makes clean up easy as pie. All the trays are dishwasher safe, and the flexible mesh inserts clean easily with just one minimal wipe down. The interior of the dehydrator itself cleans with a quick clean with a washcloth.
This is the best commercial grade food dehydrator experts recommend buying. It is reliable, fast, and efficient.
Pros
- Nine trays in a spacious food dehydrator
- Easy to use machine
- User manual included
- Retains nutrients with parallax horizontal airflow
- Automatically shuts off with a 26-hour timer
Cons
- Poor quality fan
5. COSORI Premium Commercial Food Dehydrator: The Sleek Choice
The COSORI is on the top of our list because of its sleek, stainless steel design. If you have a stainless steel theme in your kitchen, this model will sit nicely on your counter top and blend well with all your other appliances.
Here are some other reasons why we love the COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator.
- Although this is a smaller model, it still has six trays to dry multiple varieties of foods at once.
- This is by far the best noise-free model on the market. If you plan on cooking overnight or bothered by noise, this is a great option.
- It’s made with food-grade stainless steel.
- The COSORI Premium has an automatic shut-off, making it convenient for overnight dehydrating.
- It’s effortless to clean, and most parts are dishwasher safe.
- It has a temperature range of 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, meeting expectations to make everything from herbs to jerky.
One of the major complaints about this model is that other products on the market are similar at a lower price point. However, if you’re not on a budget, the extra frills you get with this machine are worth it, especially if you plan on displaying it on your kitchen counter.
Pros
- Noise-free model so you won’t be worried about interruptions
- Stainless steel design for high-quality food
- Automatic shut off system for overnight dehydrating
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Expensive
3. Proctor Silex Commercial 78450: The Chef’s Choice
Are you a chef running a commercial kitchen? If so, the Proctor Silex is an excellent choice for restaurants. This food dehydrator comes equipped with ten trays, and digital controls, making it the ideal model for making large restaurant batches.
Read on for some of the best features of the Proctor Silex Commerical 78450.
- This commercial grade dehydrator has 1200W heater and an extensive fan-system for high-quality drying.
- It’s effortless to clean. The Proctor Silex has tray holders and fan screens that are removable so you can quickly wipe down after use.
- The Proctor Silex Commercial is approved for use in your commercial kitchen.
- This industrial dehydrators door slides up so that you can easily put trays in and pull trays out quickly.
- This machine comes with 7 easy temperature settings, allowing you to adjust temperatures from 95 degrees to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The timer on the Proctor Silex can be set for up to 15 hours.
- The Proctor Silex comes with a unique horizontal airflow fan system. This special system provides consistent results every time, which is extremely important for restaurant-use.
Pros
- Extensive fan system that ensures your food is dried evenly
- Can clean the machine with less effort by removing the tray holders
- Adjustable temperature settings from 95 degrees to 155 degrees Fahrenheit
- Unique horizontal airflow fan system suitable for restaurant use
- This food dehydrator is approved for commercial kitchen use
Cons
- Not made with long-lasting material: the fan often fails after a few months
4. Presto 06300: Best Budget-Friendly Food Dehydrator
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t access the many health benefits of a food dehydrator. If you’re looking for a model that’s $50 or less, the Presto 06300 is the best choice for you.
The Presto 06300 may be small, but it’s mighty, with a maximum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, making it safe to dehydrate just about anything. It has four trays, so you can still dry a variety of food at once.
If you’re a backpacker and just looking to make small batches of food for your overnight backpacking journey, this is a popular choice.
These are some of the features that we love about the Presto 06300.
- It has a neat see-through cover so that you can easily keep an eye on your food to make sure it doesn’t dry out.
- It’s small, making it easy to store.
- The Presto 06300 comes with an awesome bonus of jerky spice kits.
- The fan in this model is mounted on the bottom, which helps ensure that your food is dried correctly. For a smaller device, it does an excellent job.
The major downside with this food dehydrator is that it doesn’t come with a timer, but you can’t beat it for the price.
Pros
- The see-through cover makes it convenient for you to see the dry process of your food
- The small design makes it easy to store
- Mounted fan on the bottom for uniform drying of food
- The product comes with a jerky spice kit bonus
Cons
- No timer included
5. Chefman Digital Food Dehydrator Machine: The Novices’ Choice
Are you completely out of our comfort zone when it comes to food dehydrating? If you know nothing about the process and need some extra help, the Chefman Digital Food Dehydrator is an excellent choice for beginners.
It’s fairly straightforward to use and even comes with 14 preset temperature controls. The dehydrating process is a no-brainer with this model.
Read about some of the best features of the Chefman Digital Food Dehydrator below.
- The Chefman food dehydrators comes with six decent-sized trays that are also adjustable.
- The temperature range meets the needs of any food you want to dry, ranging from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- The Chefman dehydrator comes with a programmable timer that goes up to 19.5 hours.
- It comes with a convenient fruit roll mesh tray and a drip tray. The fruit roll mesh tray is an excellent feature if you have kids and want to make healthy toddler snacks.
If you’re a beginner, you cannot go wrong with this choice. The only major downside to this commercial food dehydrator machine is the door is extremely delicate, so you have to be careful.
Pros
- Adjustable six trays giving space for drying a variety of foods
- Adjustable thermostat ranging from 95 degrees to 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- A programmable timer that goes up to 19.5 hours
- Inclusive of drip tray and fruit roll mesh tray
Cons
- The food dehydrator door is extremely delicate
6. Cuisinart DHR 20 Commercial Food Dehydrator
The Cuisinart DHR 20 is an overall good choice if you’re looking for a well-balanced food dehydrator machine. It comes with five trays, a fruit roll-up sheet, and a three-year warranty.
Here are some other things we love about this model.
- There are additional racks available if you need them.
- It comes with a convenient adjustable thermostat, including low, medium, high, and fan only.
- It’s plastic, but it’s BPA free, so you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals.
- The Cuisinart DHR 20 is extremely easy to maintain. The cover, the fruit roll-up tray, and the racks are all removable, and they’re also dishwasher safe. The only thing left to do after throwing everything in the dishwasher is wiping down the machine’s base with a wet washcloth.
- One of the best features of this machine is the extensive information available in the owner’s manual.
Like all models, there are some downsides to the Cuisinart DHR 20 food dehydrator. The biggest con is the noise level when you’re using the machine. There are definitely quieter models available on the market.
The other con to this dehydrator is that it seems to take longer to dehydrate your food than other models. Despite that, the end-product turns out excellent.
If you’d like to read more about the Cuisinart DHR 20, check out our in-depth review.
Pros
- Additional racks for more storage
- Adjustable thermostat ranging from high, medium, and low temperature
- BPA-free, making you confident you’re using a machine free from harmful chemicals
- Easy to maintain food dehydrator
- User manual included
Cons
- Noisy model during the drying process
FAQs
What are commercial food dehydrators?
Commercial food dehydrators are specialized machines used to reduce the moisture content of various food items in a retail setting. They can create dried fruits, vegetables, jerky, grains, nuts, and more.
What are some benefits of using a commercial food dehydrator?
Commercial food dehydrators offer many benefits, including better product shelf life, improved nutritional content, and minimal waste. Dehydrators can also help businesses reduce food storage costs and provide a unique product offering.
What types of food can be dried in a commercial food dehydrator?
A wide variety of foods can be dried in a commercial food dehydrator, including fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices.
What features should we consider when choosing a commercial food dehydrator?
When selecting a commercial food dehydrator, consider factors such as the size and capacity of the unit, temperature settings, airflow control, and energy efficiency. Also, choose a machine that meets safety standards and is easy to use and maintain.
Are commercial food dehydrators expensive?
The price of a commercial food dehydrator can vary significantly depending on the size and features of the machine. However, they are generally more expensive than consumer-grade dehydrators due to their larger capacity and more advanced features.
Start Your Dehydrating Journey Today
Now that you know the pros and cons of the top food dehydrators on the market, it’s time to analyze your top priorities and purchase the best model to meet your needs. No matter what model you choose, it’ll be worth the investment.
It’ll be better for your health, and provide fruits and veggies without the preservatives throughout the year.
Do you have questions about a commercial food dehydrator, or are you looking for more information about the dehydrating process? Contact us today for more information.
