The technique of food dehydration, a practice dating back to the ancient world, offers an inherent way to preserve food that has been harvested without refrigeration.
A dehydrator is a device that extracts moisture from food. If you're looking for the best commercial food dehydrator, we've compiled this list of options with reviews to help you find the one that's right for your needs.
Types of Commercial Food Dehydrators
1. Cabinet Dehydrator
These devices operate at minimum air flow and minimum temperature to dehydrate food without changing its visual, textural, or flavor—and they take up the most room. They are excellent for use in beef jerky, dried fruit, herbs, and so on. Most models accept 5 to 50 pounds of produce at a time. If you're processing large amounts of fruit on a daily basis, look into cabinet dehydrators with automatic loading systems so you don't have to unload the unit every day.
2. Stackable Dehydrator
Such units usually comprise a heating element and fan located at the base and trays that are stacked one on top of the other. The most advanced commercial food dehydrators dry food at low temperatures, but they can also manipulate humidity. These kinds of food dehydrators are more portable than the cabinet-type dehydrators, which means they can be used for small-scale businesses or workers in an industrial kitchen.
3. Horizontal Flow Dehydrator
These are the combination of the best features of the cabient and of the stackable arrangements, which ensure, however, the best possible airflow and temperature regulation for homogeneous drying, and are often equipped with microprocessor controls.
List of 5 Best Commercial Food Dehydrators Reviews
1. Ivation 10 Tray Commercial Food Dehydrator Machin
- The most versatile food dehydrator on the market. It's got so much punch to it, even those tight fruit roll-ups will disappear in the blink of an eye. The fan of this dehydrator constantly blows warm air with 1000W of heat power so that your food is evenly dried on all sides.
- Room for six trays (15.6" x 15.6") means you have plenty of room to preserve all your favorite beef jerky, fruit, snacks, and vegetables without worrying about limited space! Even better? You can also remove one or more trays at a time to make space for, in particular, thick slices, when needed as well!
- Ivation is a tri-function commercial food dehydrator with the capability of being used to transform garden-fresh vegetables and fruits into nutritious and tasty snacks for the whole family. The versatility of this product doesn't stop at its other uses though; it also has the ability to act like an oven because of its temperature control dials. With countless options, Ivation will surely please anyone who wants to step up their kitchen game with one purchase!
2. NutriChef Electric Food Dehydrator Machine
- The NutriChef food drying machine can end the cycle of food waste. This device is multi-functional in that it is also possible to use it for food drying without dehydrating the food for easy clean-up. The trays are detachable and dishwasher safe, making them easy to maintain!
- Using the capability of an electric motor, this commercial dehydrator can allow you to eat fresh and healthy snacks like never before! Just throw any fruit or vegetable into the machine, and it will do the rest of the work. You can't beat that kind of efficiency!
- This NutriChef Electric Food Dehydrator Machine allows you to make nutritious sundried potatoes with as little as four hours of drying time. They won't be limp on the counter either; they'll keep a good crunchy shell with a good soft interior, and it is so hard to beat if fry cravings ever return.
3. Waring Commercial WDH10 10 Tray Food Dehydrator
- The Waring Commercial food dehydrator 10 trays, with a hard aluminum exterior and high-capacity design, are suitable for commercial use. It allows you to perfectly dry up to 10 trays of food at a time, and as such, this product is excellent for muffin drying, for degreasing soups, and for oven-dried crispy onion soup mix.
- Thanks to the robust build, you can be sure that the heat loss issue that plagues most dehydrators of lower quality is no longer a concern! Mesh racks permit ventilation and air flow by fast, evenly drying with no heating to the outside or by admitting moisture to the inside.
- The digital LED display allows you to set temperature in steps of 5 degrees Fahrenheit as well as change time settings for an easy selection of your desired set temperature.
4. STX International STX-DEH-1200W-XLSCommercial Food Dehydrator
- The STX Dehydra Model 1200W-XLS is a commercial-sized food dehydrator, ideal for your restaurant or catering business. Due to an extremely large stainless steel construction, 10 drying racks with 16 in width and 14.5 in depth each have been produced from the 304-grade stainless steel to guarantee the strength and longevity of this incredible product that also has 1200 watts of dehydrating/heating capability with 7 pre-set heat temperature modes between the temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) and 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). With this unit, there is no solution when it comes to powering through a high-intensity, strong foundation piece to help nourish your customers with a great-tasting product without using an unhealthy way of preparation!
- The STX Dehydra 1200W Dehydrator is perfect for those who are looking to make healthy snacks or dehydrate their organic harvest. This commercial food dehydrator can be programmed in 5-minute intervals for any climate, and the digital control panel is easy to use with an LCD screen that provides specific guidance on what temperature you should run your machine at for different types of food! A special feature that distinguishes STX brands is the one that comes free in the package, an included cookbook, full of ideas about how to best maximize your harvest every time.
5. WY Commercial Electric Food Dehydrator
- The WY Commercial Electric Food Dehydrator comes with an integrated new development that provides the most circulation of air in order to get an equitable drying that does not overheat and result in perfect drying of fruit slices. This commercial food dehydrator is both efficient and versatile, providing the dryer with the versatility you need for your next project.
- The drying temperature of this unit can be adjusted up to 90 degrees C from 30 degrees C depending on the type of product being dried. In addition, there are 20 adjustable trays to allow for mass production or even batch production on a small scale.
- The use of a transparent door makes it possible to track the dry food snack development without ever needing to break them open. The WY Commercial Electric Food Dehydrator is a safety-capable instrument that is equipped with a timer and overheating protection so that there will not be accidents. Don't gamble on diet or experience—get this product now!
How to Choose the Best Commercial Food Dehydrator
1. Capacity
The first step to be made is to decide how many trays and thus how much volume the commercial food dehydrator must be capable of processing in a given time span. The size of the machine required by your business will depend on the volume of your business needs. If you only do an average amount of volume but it peaks during certain times, such as holidays or hunting season, you may want a second dehydrator if your current one cannot handle the increase in volume without slowing down and affecting production and quality (and losing some product). 4-8 sq. ft. per tray is recommended for good production rates.
2. Types of foods
Conventional ovens, dryer/conveyor ovens, horizontal flow tunnel dryers, fluid bed dryers, or solar-assisted drying technologies. Other possibilities exist, but these are the most frequent. 8 sq. The floor space required by each of the standard ovens is to be calculated, while for a horizontal flow tunnel dryer, ~4 sq. ft./tray is the minimum, and for a similar dryer, an average of ~1 sq. ft. per tray is recommended for fluid bed models. Solar-assisted drying occupies a minimal footprint because it may be situated on rooftops or open areas of significant external surface area that can intercept solar radiation and be used for drying foodstuffs.
3. Capacity Requirement
Where you are handling large volumes of food, you may require more than one unit to manage your production. Two 8-tray units can be employed for daily drying requirements; however, you need at least 12 trays if used intermittently throughout the day.
4. Multiple Product Lines
If you are just getting started and plan to sell multiple kinds of dried foods, including meats, fruits, or vegetables, figure out how much drying area per product line you are going to need to provide and how many product lines you are going to be able to provide. You may want to start with a unit that can accommodate all lines at once so they can run simultaneously.
5. Drying Temperature
The type of food will also influence the dehydrator's heat source (conventional ovens use gas or electric heating elements; dryer/conveyor ovens, horizontally flow tunnel dryers, and fluid bed models use heated air; solar-assisted drying uses solar power to heat air).
The majority of commercial food dehydrators have an optional heating element that is suggested for use with moisture-producers, such as fruits and vegetables. Food dehydrators that can exceed 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) are ideal for obtaining jerky (a lower temperature dehydrator is appropriate if you envision making "fruit roll-ups" or fruit leathers).
6. Energy Source
Commercial food dehydrators are primarily powered by electricity, but gas and propane dehydrators are also commercially available. It is important to calculate what power capacity your business will need. Also, what kind of electrical service do you have, since you will have to install special wiring and circuits for your commercial food dehydrator if it draws more power than your existing service can safely support?
7. Drying Methods
Food type, method of packaging, and the final product needs all affect the chosen drying technique (air-flow or tray-style). Airflow dryers typically move heated air through the trays, while tray dryers rely on heat rising hot air from below, which makes them best for creating jerky.
8. Space Requirements
Commercial food dehydrators are usually about 4 sq. ft. in size up to 100+ sq. Depending on ft., therefore, determine how much floor area you have in each of the areas in which you intend to install it (fitting the unit(s) you want to buy).
9. Noise
Some food dehydrators are noisier than others, so it's best to check with the manufacturer or your supplier first if noise is a factor that may be important to you.
10. Warranty
Warranty types and durations will vary based on the brand and type of the warranty, but typically range from one to four years. When purchasing a commercial food dehydrator, find out what is covered, how long it lasts, and who handles repairs/replacements as soon as there's an issue with the unit.
11. Maintenance
For certain models, commercial food dehydrators, with some models needing very little maintenance to use between food production runs and other models having frequent maintenance needs during the process of producing food. It helps to know upfront what kind of care maintenance will be required for each dried food processor before deciding on a commercial food dehydrator and what it will cost to repair or maintain the unit(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does a commercial food dehydrator work?
A commercial food dehydrator is designed to dry down your food in mass quantities. These types of machines will typically be composed of a stack of trays that are set vertically and allow the sheets to move closer together or further apart so air can flow between them. The heat is generated from below, and the trays are heated; the food dries out very quickly. This kind of design can dry food much quicker than any of the other methods since heat exposure and airflow can be maximized and delivered directly to the food that is on top of the sheet.
2. Is a food dehydrator better than an oven?
A dehydrator is likely to apply more homogeneous heat contact than an oven. Due to the vertical positioning of the trays in a food dehydrator, the food is in contact with the air coming from both sides and from all sides. Not only does it accelerate the dehydration process, but it also takes away all the other available humidity in food when all the other processes are complete.
3. What is a good dehydrator for jerky?
When you're preparing beef jerky, be sure to buy a machine that can hold strips of meat that are not too thick and not too thin. However, if the meat is too lean, the whole meat will not dry enough before it starts leaking through the trays below it; if the meat is too thick, it will take much longer to dry to the right level. The top dehydrator for jerky will also be configured for the desired flavorings, etc. Salt, soy sauce, and smoke can all be used to flavour your meat, so that's something to bear in mind when choosing a machine.
Conclusion
The thing to do is to select a commercial dehydrator that is the best possible for your food drying requirements. We have presented to you a total of 13 different products in this paper, and we are hoping you will find it very useful while choosing the one appropriate for you.
Featured image source: brodandtaylor.com
