What Is a Food Dryer?
A food dryer is an appliance that heats and dries food by means of hot air at temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 degrees Celsius.
Specifically, it is used to make dried fruits, jerky, yogurt, etc. It enhances the preservation of food and allows the enjoyment of flavors, textures, and other tastes.
Compared to traditional sun-drying, a food dryer can make your favorite dried food in a short time with consistent quality, regardless of weather conditions. It also provides a unique flavor different from that of sun-dried dried foods.
For foods that are close to raw, known as raw foods, it is important to dry them at 48°C or lower to prevent enzyme breakdo
Uses of Food Dryers
Food dryers, as mentioned above, are used to dry out the moisture content of food. When making meat or fish jerky, the temperature must be set to 70℃ or higher for hygienic reasons, and the food must be heated sufficiently to the inside.
For dried fruits, the temperature is 35-40°C for semi-raw. On the other hand, when making yogurt, maintain the temperature at 40-45°C for regular yogurt and 25-30°C for kefir or Caspian yogurt.
Foods to be dried include tomatoes, carrots, bitter gourd, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, komatsuna, and spinach among vegetables. It is also used for squash, potatoes, onions, lotus root, and eggplant. Fruits such as bananas, kiwi, apples, lemons, strawberries, etc. can be dried, and fish meat such as beef, chicken, sausages, etc. can be made into jerky.
Features of Food Dryers
Advantage
Food dryers can produce dried food with a stable taste in a shorter time than sun-drying. Also, there is no need to worry about weather or insect contamination.
Another advantage is that heating and drying are done using electricity, so there is no need to adjust temperature and humidity, and there are fewer risks and fewer mistakes. Jerky and dried fruit are often expensive, but with a food dryer, you can always make additive-free dry food.
Disadvantages
Food dryers use electricity, so you will pay for the electricity you use. Power consumption varies from model to model, but be aware that those with low power consumption tend to take longer to dry, while those with high power consumption tend to cost more for electricity instead of shorter drying times.
Types of Food Dryers
Food dryers come in various sizes, number of stages, and power consumption. Due to the characteristic of spreading food inside the dryer, they tend to be bulky. Even those for home use are available in a variety of sizes, from compact ones to large-capacity ones that can produce large quantities at a time.
Even if the area required for installation is small, a food dryer with a large number of tiers will increase the amount of food that can be made at one time. There is a wide variety of trays from 3 to 6 or more tiers.
The power consumption of food dryers is considered relatively low among home appliances. Along with the advantage of being able to finish drying in a short time, those with high power consumption have the disadvantage of high electricity bills. Recently, many energy-saving types have consumed less power.
How to Select a Food Dryer
Whether for home or commercial use, the first thing to check is size. It is necessary to check whether there is enough space for operation and storage and select a dryer of the appropriate size. It is also important to consider the number of tray tiers and make sure they are suitable for the required capacity.
Power consumption and the temperature range that can be set vary from product to product, which in turn affects electricity costs, the time required for drying, and the foods that can be dried. It is also important to select a model that matches the intended use.
There are also products with other features, such as timer functions that allow you to measure the drying time, and products with low operating noise. When choosing a food dryer, there are many things to consider, such as whether the food to be dried is specific, whether the temperature setting range is suitable for the purpose, whether there is a timer function, and whether the heater capacity is appropriate.
How to Use a Food Dryer
Food dryers slice up your favorite foods, spread them out on a tray so that they do not overlap, and then dry them with hot air. Depending on the model, the temperature setting and heating time can be controlled by using the functions provided.