5 best vegetable and fruit dryers for the home

An inexpensive dryer, which is usually purchased for home cooking of small batches of fruits and vegetables — usually, this model becomes the first experience of fans of healthy eating, and later it is replaced with a more powerful and functional technique. As for power, the device consumes 300 watts, like a low-power blender or mixer. The drying temperature is 70 °C: this is sufficient for processing most products.

The set includes 5 plastic pallets, the height of which can be adjusted, but not much. Users note a significant drawback — the fragility of plastic and the inability to buy damaged pallets. At the same time, the drying sheets are easy to clean — manually or in the dishwasher. There are also no special baking trays for desserts, but experienced housewives make a pastille on parchment, from which suitable circles are cut out (the width of the baking sheet is 25.5 cm).

It is difficult to claim any special functionality — the dryer is equipped with mechanical control and only one button. You will not find a timer or a thermostat in it. But this is a real find for those who do not need these amenities, for example, the device is suitable for retired summer residents. Thanks to the transparent case, it will not be difficult to observe the drying process and independently determine the degree of readiness of the product. By the way, as in any modern technology working with high temperatures, the Polaris PFD 2405D provides protection against overheating.

The spacious dryer is designed for 11 liters and is equipped with 4 opaque plastic pallets with a diameter of 30 cm. In appearance, this is a common technique without remarkable details and features, but users appreciated the quality, reliability, appearance and safety of the device (there is protection against overheating, and users assure that it works).

The power of the device is 520 watts, which is slightly higher than in similar low-cost models. The first thing that captivates the user is the country of production, which is Poland, and they trust it more than China.

The main disadvantage of plastic trays is fragility, but not in this case; plastic parts from Zelmer are really durable and of high quality, do not have an unpleasant smell. Pallets are officially allowed by the manufacturer to be washed in the dishwasher. By the way, the convenience of this model is that it is foldable and takes up very little space when folded. Still, 4 trays are not enough for such power, but given the size of the pallets and the dryer itself, most likely, these are vain complaints.

Mechanics are the basis of this device. Many users consider mechanical control to be the most convenient and reliable. There is no display or touch switches on the front panel, but there are 2 buttons with green backlight. The first button starts the device in operation and maintains the temperature at half of the maximum level. The second button starts the maximum temperature.

The device is heated to a temperature in the range of 42-60 °C.

The electrical part is designed in such a way that the liquid that can come out of particularly juicy fruits or berries will not flood the electric motor and other components. Another positive point is the power cord, as long as 1.5 metres. On the legs of the dryer there are special anti-vibration rubberized pads that protect against slipping and excessive noise. Unfortunately, reviews of device breakdowns in the first months of use are often found on the web, although this does not always depend on the manufacturer, but more often on compliance with the operating rules.

It's important to know! The owners of the device willingly share information about the real time that the device spends on drying. So, pears and apples need from 10 to 24 hours, plums dry for about 48 hours, honey mushrooms — 6 hours, and strawberries from 12 to 15 hours.

The design of the Rotor Diva dryer is simple to the point of outrage: plastic trays (5 pcs) with small holes, a fan and a heating element (heater) are installed under the trays. The products are blown with warm air in the temperature range up to 70 °C with a maximum power consumption of 520 watts; the drying time is 2 – 22 hours, depending on the product, its juiciness and size, and the efficiency of the device is 80% (the higher the beneficial effect, the more vitamins remain in the product).

The model has a convenient thermostat with divisions: 30/40/50/60/70 °C. Also, the capacity deserves special attention: on 5 pallets you can place up to 7 kg of products (20 liters). Of course, there is overheating protection — a mandatory feature for a modern device. And most importantly, the model dries almost any products: vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, herbs, berries, meat and fish.

In general, a good and most importantly — inexpensive dryer with all the necessary functionality and fine—tuning, except for the timer — it is necessary to mark the drying time on separate devices. There are also not enough special trays for pastilles, but the most resourceful buyers cover the baking sheets with parchment, cutting out a substrate of a suitable shape (the cooking time of the pastille is 8 hours). Also, users note as advantages a long power cord and durable plastic.

The first thing a potential buyer sees is a stylish case with metal inserts, a transparent system of pallets 32x25 cm each, a bright LCD display, convenient buttons. Behind this external beauty there is a good potential: a capacity of 5 kg, a power of 350 watts, 7 temperature modes from 40 to 70 °C, an electronic timer for 48 hours and 4 plastic pallets.

The convenience of the timer is not only in its availability, but also in the display of the remaining time. Electronic control allows you to squeeze out of the device to the maximum — so, the design provides an electronic temperature indicator of a switchable type – from °C to ° F (Celsius to Fahrenheit). Another undeniable advantage is the circulation fan, thanks to which the air is evenly distributed throughout the chamber. Of course, the designers could not do without overheating protection in this model — the buyer receives all the necessary options in full. For stability, rubber feet are provided on the countertop.

The cardinal difference between the model and cheaper dryers in pallets is that here they are made of metal, and of high—quality stainless steel. Another important technical point is the high power of 800 watts, although such 20—liter designs are more often characterized by a power of 500 watts. What does it give? The higher the power, the faster the dryer will cope with the task. By the way, with a volume of 20 liters, the capacity of the chamber is 12 kg, and the blanks are placed on 6 baking trays, the height of each is 6 cm, so the drying possibilities are almost limitless.

On a note! The Steba brand is registered in Germany, but the dryers are assembled in China.

The main feature is electronic control, which is more technologically advanced compared to its mechanical counterpart. And the products will never dry out more than necessary, thanks to a timer of up to 24 hours with a setting step of 30 minutes. As for the equipment, in the box with the device you will find a special mat for drying herbs, and you will be able to prepare spices and the basics of useful decoctions yourself. By the way, the whole design of the device is thought out to the smallest detail — take at least a hinged door, like in an oven, which is very convenient to open and close.

All of the above does not reveal the capabilities of the device by 100%, therefore, we will continue to describe the usefulness. So, the designers introduced electronic temperature control in the dryer in the range from 30 to 70 °C with an adjustment step of 1 °C. A separate convenience that absolutely all users appreciated is the presence of an information display and convenient buttons. Another cool feature is the location of the fan: it is attached from the side of the back wall, which allows it to evenly blow all the baking sheets. And finally, about safety: the developers have provided a reliable automatic shutdown system and overheating protection, so you can easily leave the working device at home and go about your business!