Choosing a vegetable dryer for home use. How to choose a dryer for vegetables and fruits - types and main parameters

Harvest season becomes a great occasion to replenish your home collection household appliances and choosing another one. The endless stories about the benefits of organic food and fruits and vegetables willy-nilly make you think. And, at least, look at the site of a large store. And the next arrival of a neighbor who has already managed to buy a dryer for vegetables and fruits puts an end to any doubts.

It remains only to decide on personal preferences and offers from numerous manufacturers. Naturally, a dryer for vegetables and fruits can be chosen on the market, the price of which is the most budgetary, and more expensive models. The only question is, is it worth paying more? So, what is worth paying attention to.

How to choose a dryer for vegetables and fruits?

Device cost.
This indicator often plays a decisive role. Moreover, it can be evaluated both in terms of maximum budget, according to the principle of “not sorry”, and focusing on the most expensive models. In this case, users expect more high quality components and products in general.

It is impossible to focus strictly on the price of the dryer. It is necessary to understand other parameters. Most importantly, understand your own needs. A hostess who is going to occasionally dry a couple of bunches of spices or a kilogram of apples for the winter should not find fault with the parameters of the device. While the owners household plots planning to process the entire crop, it is better to choose a more powerful and quality model. Such a solution would certainly be more advantageous. Buying a dryer in the most budget segment with minimal functionality can lead to its premature “killing” or failure of the device.

Warranty from the store and the manufacturer.
This parameter is a logical confirmation of the quality declared by the brand. Most companies confidently talk about the quality of the products offered, providing devices with a guarantee for operation for a year or even two. However, the greater the confidence of the manufacturer in the product he offers, the more secure the buyer can feel.

Device type.
When choosing a suitable device, it is important to understand that they are convection and infrared. The latter perform more gentle drying, with more low temperatures preserving vitamins and useful elements. It is natural that an infrared dryer for vegetables and fruits is more expensive than a convection model.

The most common type is based on the use of heating coils and a fan. Thanks to blowing warm air fruits dry evenly.

Appliance power.
This parameter is the main one in choosing a convenient home assistant. If you do not plan to dispose of all the vegetables and fruits from the garden or the nearest garden, it is enough to get a dryer with a power of up to 350 watts. Its capacity will be enough for the needs of one family. Models with power over 450 W are already closer to practical industrial devices. They are ready for higher loads. And you should prepare in advance for a more significant bill for the used electricity. After all, you have to pay for any benefits.

Control method.
The choice of this parameter means the ability to control how the electric dryer for vegetables and fruits works through convenient modern sensors or classic switches. Conservatives prefer mechanical control. Most users are confident in the greater reliability of such devices. While advanced users enjoy modern electronic control. By choosing a model with a display, you can be sure of your own coolness. The main thing to remember is that the management method is responsible for the convenience of the user and only for him.

Number of trays.
An electric dryer for vegetables and fruits should be selected exactly in accordance with this parameter. It is important to consider not only the number of trays, but also their depth. It is logical that the more trays there are, the greater the volume of products will be processed. However, you should not take the device with a small depth of the tray. Some foods are best dried in large pieces, such as mushrooms.

It is best to choose containers made of transparent plastic. In this case, it is easy to observe the process without even opening the device. Reviews of dryers for vegetables and fruits of this type are the most flattering, which is logical.

Temperature.
Dryers can have 2-3 fixed temperature conditions, and can have smooth temperature control over a wide range. The latter option is preferable, because allows you to set the drying temperature required for a particular product. In addition, you can arbitrarily increase or decrease the temperature during the drying process. Which is also quite convenient.

Useful functionality.
This category should include all the useful innovations offered by the manufacturer.

Sushilki for vegetables, fruits, mushroomscan have:

Auto power off;

Overheating protection;

Cold air mode;

Thermostat.

There are many companies - am I alone or how to choose a brand of dryer for vegetables and fruits?

There are more than enough offers from well-known and unfamiliar manufacturers on the market. Rotor, Zelmer and Izidri Everyday are considered leaders. The latter position their devices as the highest quality, reliable and functional.

Which dryer for vegetables and fruits to choose depends only on you. After all, if your desire to make home stocks is limited to preparing a kilogram of apples, the simplest model with the widest functionality is enough. However, if your neighbor has Izidri Everyday in the kitchen, you simply have no choice but to choose an even more expensive and advanced premium model. In any case, the main thing is to remember your own wishes for the device and focus on them when buying.

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The purchase of a fruit dryer will allow you to enjoy the taste of fruits all year round. At the same time, they practically do not lose their useful properties. Among the wide variety of fruit dryers, it is difficult not to get confused, so in this article we will try to figure out which fruit dryer is better and how to choose the right model.

A dryer or dryer for fruits is a device whose main task is to remove excess moisture from fruits. We propose to consider the principle of operation electric dryer for fruits.

It consists of:

• electric motor;
• plastic pallets;
• covers.

At the bottom of the dryer is Electrical engine, and on top - pallets covered with a lid through which air escapes. Due to the presence of the engine, an air flow of a certain power is created, which gradually dries the fruit.

Some models require more than twenty trays for drying a large amount of fruit. It is also possible to purchase a dryer that dries not only fruits, but also vegetables and berries.

The electric dryer works quite quietly, almost silently. It is quite compact and fits easily in the small corner rooms. During the operation of this device, a very tasty aroma of fruits or vegetables that are in it is released.

According to the juiciness and size of the fruit, there are different drying modes. For some fruits, as little as four hours is enough, while others require more than twenty.

The main rule for obtaining quality products - correct setting temperature and air flow. If the temperature is too high, the fruit will turn black and charred, and if the wind is too strong, the air will not rid the fruit of moisture.

Trays are transparent or white, they are mostly made of plastic. Transparent trays allow you to monitor the drying process. In principle, the color of the trays does not affect the quality of the work. The number of trays in most popular dryers ranges from three to five. Dryers have a capacity of 6 to 12 liters.

Benefits of using a fruit dryer

There is an opinion what to do dried fruits much easier using an oven or other appliances, such as cheesecloth. But it is very difficult to guess the exact temperature and the required air flow. Moreover, if in the summer you cut fruit into pieces and leave it on the table, then a large number of flies and other insects you are guaranteed.

Therefore, it is much easier to give preference to a fruit dryer, which will cope with its duties efficiently and quickly.

We offer to consider the main advantages of a fruit dryer:

Benefits of eating dried fruits

Eating dried fruits enriches the human body useful vitamins and minerals. This is especially true for those fruits that you are sure of. To stabilize iron and increase hemoglobin levels, it is enough to eat five pieces of dried apricots a day.

Homemade dried fruits made in a dryer are characterized by the absence of stabilizers and carcinogens. When they are dried, some vitamins, of course, are not preserved, but substances such as iron, magnesium and calcium remain.

Dried fruits are added to salads, compotes are cooked from them, used in baking and eaten raw.

To stabilize the state of the body, it is recommended to eat prunes, dates and raisins daily.

Dried fruits are also used to make sweets, they have a fat-burning effect, therefore they are allowed in a large number of diets.

The main types of fruit dryers

According to the principle of operation, fruit dryers are divided into:

• infrared;
• electrical.

Infrared fruit dryer features more high cost compared to electric. Principle of operation this appliance consists in the absorption of moisture by infrared rays, so the drying process occurs at sufficiently low temperatures. The work of such a dryer is quite intensive, the taste, color and shape of the fruit practically do not change, and vitamins are preserved up to 91%. With low power consumption, the drying process is ideal.

An electric or convection fruit dryer dries fruits using hot air convection. With this drying process, moisture is gradually released, so the fruit is deformed, there is a change in taste and a large amount of vitamins is lost. The only advantage of such a dryer is its affordable cost.

Tips for using a fruit dryer at home

1. If the trays have holes, then small pieces of fruit or berries will easily fall out through them. Therefore, it is recommended to choose trays in which the mesh is very thick, or dryers with additional meshes.
2. It is recommended to start the drying process at a high temperature and end at a low one.
3. The less time the drying process takes, the more vitamins will remain in the products.
4. If the drying process takes a long time, periodically change the location of the containers.
5. Dry fruits separately from fish, meat or mushrooms, as the smells will still mix with each other in the process.

Overview of fruit dryer manufacturers and their characteristics

It has long been known: in compotes, jams and other canned vegetables and fruits are preserved with heavy losses vitamins that do not tolerate heat treatment and cooking. Drying retains nutrients much better.

Only we usually have nowhere to dry: it’s not very convenient in the oven, strung on strings and hung on the balcony, as our grandmothers did - flies and wasps will ruin it.

Easier to buy modern fixture for drying food. How to choose a vegetable dryer to enjoy delicious and healthy foods in winter?

Types of dryers

There are two main types of dryers: convection and infrared. Both work from the mains, but use different principles. The convection device creates conditions for the evaporation of moisture, reminiscent of the conditions of natural drying: streams of warm or hot air. Heating elements are used to heat the air, a fan is used to create a breeze inside the device.

Infrared drying produces rays of a certain wavelength that heat the product, causing moisture to evaporate. Infrared dryers are considered to be more efficient and economical in many respects.

When deciding which dryer to choose, also focus on other parameters, such as power, capacity and availability of additional features.

Power

Oddly enough, but the quality of drying practically does not depend on the power of the device. But the time it takes to dry one serving of fruit depends. If energy costs do not make a noticeable hole in your finances, you can choose the most powerful models. But experts in drying vegetables are sure: for domestic use optimal power devices for drying mushrooms, fruits and other plant materials is 300-450 watts.

Capacity

Capacity depends on several indicators:

• the number of trays for placing mushrooms or vegetables;
• the ability to dry not only sliced ​​\u200b\u200bbut also whole fruits.

There are usually several trays, from 2 5-6, in the largest models up to 8. However, the more “floors” in the device, the larger, heavier and larger it is. If you intend to carry a dryer to the country in the summer, weight and dimensions can make a big difference.

Most devices are designed to dry sliced ​​mushrooms, fruits or vegetables. The height of each tray just doesn't allow it to be placed in the dryer large fruits. But if necessary, you can remove some trays, using only a few of them. When buying, you can also immediately choose those models, the instructions for which report the possibility of drying whole fruits or mushrooms.

Up to 5 kg of raw food can be placed in a medium-sized dryer at the same time.

Housing material

There are only two materials used for the production of dryers: plastic and metal. Both of them are not perfect, both have merit.

Plastic deteriorates faster. Low-quality grades of plastic can emit not the most pleasant odors when heated. Smell hot plastic can be absorbed into processed foods and spoil their own aroma.

The metal is much more durable and chemically neutral. But the metal case has the annoying feature of overheating when long work. Overheating of the case barks an unpleasant effect: from the processed mushrooms or vegetables, moisture begins to evaporate unevenly.

Device dimensions

Most household models are compact enough to fit easily in a kitchen or other space. With a height of about 40 cm, the width and depth of the device is from 35 to 45 cm. There are also more bulky models of high productivity, but they are usually used in large farms, for processing mushrooms and fruits on an almost industrial scale.

Additional instrument functions

It is better to choose a model that has a built-in overheating protection function. The drying process is quite lengthy, and it is often necessary to leave the switched on dryer unattended. Overheating protection will not allow the device to melt and start a fire. True, the instruction manual insists that the device should not remain turned on unattended.

Quite a few models offer an electronic way to control the process. This is modern and quite convenient, but it doesn’t fit well with the usual power surges in our cities and villages. Electronic systems controls can fail very quickly, during power surges the program can go astray.

Experts and experienced housewives advise choosing a model with a slightly less modern, but more reliable mechanical control.

Some devices allow you to dry not only slices of mushrooms, vegetables and fruits. They can be dried medicinal plants or flowers for use in dried flower arrangements. A very convenient function that allows you to prepare marshmallows from fruit puree mixed with sugar or honey. Some models allow you to dry fish and meat.

Blank storage

It is not enough to dry the fruits. They then need to be stored properly. For the storage of dried raw materials, certain conditions must be met, such as tightness, lack of light and impermeability to pests. Best for storage glass jars with screw caps, plastic containers or special bags for vacuum packaging.

Each of you knows that only fresh products have a huge supply of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, our weather are such that they allow the enjoyment of the fruits of nature only for a limited period of time. Summer is the time for us when we can consume the maximum amount of vitamins, but in winter and autumn there are some problems with this. Many people know that when heat treatment fruits and vegetables they lose the most useful substances. Canned foods don't always keep beneficial features. Thanks to a good dryer for fruits and vegetables, you can forget about this problem once and for all. Therefore, today I will tell you how to choose the right dryer for fruits and vegetables and what parameters you should pay attention to when buying. Well then, let's get started.

Kinds

Today, there are a huge number of both expensive and budget dryers for fruits and vegetables on the market. Despite this, they are all divided into two large groups, namely infrared and convective.

infrared

The first option works due to a special radiation spectrum. The beams penetrate into the structure of the product by approximately 5-12 mm. At the same time, all the useful stuffing of the products is preserved. Cool infrared dryers for fruits and vegetables allow you to store food even without special containers for up to one year. As for the availability of special hermetic packaging, their lifespan can be extended up to 2 years, while all the beneficial properties of fruits and vegetables are preserved.

convective

They use heat to dry food. In this case, a change in taste and color is indispensable.

Fruits and vegetables also lose row nutrients during the drying process.

Both options can work not only in semi-automatic, but also in fully autonomous mode. Which to choose? Everyone answers this question for himself. Infrared dryers for fruits and vegetables are slightly more expensive than convection dryers, but this difference is not significant.

Main characteristics

Before you buy the best dryer for fruits and vegetables, you need to know about its main characteristics. There are several of them and we will talk about them in more detail.

1. Spaciousness. This parameter directly depends on the number of pallets that this unit can contain. The best dryers for fruits and vegetables contain up to 8 pallets. Here the pattern is actually quite simple - the more such pallets there are, the more fruits and vegetables can be dried. If you do not dry a lot of products, then you may not need 8 pieces. The number of pallets directly affects the cost of dryers, so pay attention to the price-quality ratio for a fruit and vegetable dryer.
2. Power. Modern dryers can have power from 200 to 1000 watts. The speed and efficiency of drying directly depends on this parameter. You should not buy too weak models, as they are not always able to provide a sufficiently deep degree of drying. The design is considered optimal, which will develop power from 300 to 500 watts.
3. Frame. Modern low-cost dryers for fruits and vegetables may have a plastic or metal body. The first option is considered preferable, as it allows you to monitor the process. In addition, plastic practically does not heat up, and is a lightweight material. With metal, things are a little different. Yes, metal cases are much more reliable than plastic cases, since they are not afraid of almost any mechanical impact. If we talk about heat and mass, then such a unit loses a lot to a light one made of plastic. Please pay attention to this when buying.
4. Location heating element. This feature is just as important. It is worth paying attention to the fact that it is on top and it is this position of the heater that is considered optimal. In this case, the moisture that will come out of fruits and vegetables will not fall on it, which will significantly increase its service life. Reviews about dryers for fruits and vegetables will definitely help you find out where it is located in a particular model.
5. Security. This is also very important during the operation of any cool fruit and vegetable dryer. There must be a function to automatically turn off the device. It will get rid of unnecessary problems associated with overheating, and will also block the accidental activation of an empty dryer.

There are a few more nuances that should be considered, but they are already of a secondary nature. For example, it is best if even a budget dryer for fruits and vegetables is extremely easy to disassemble, making it easier to clean it. It is worth consulting in advance on the forum about dryers for fruits and vegetables with experts before making a purchase.

For any dryer to last long years, you need to use the following useful tips during its operation:

• The drying container should be lined with either thin paper or a cloth. This measure will prevent small particles of food from entering the mechanism.
• Drying starts at high temperatures, which are then gradually lowered to get the maximum effect.
• Products with different kind should be dried in separate containers.
• If the device does not have an automatic shutdown option, then it must be checked periodically to avoid accidents. In case of excessive heating, turn off the device for a few minutes, and then continue the drying process.

Which brand do you prefer?

On the this moment there are a large number of dryers for fruits and vegetables, as well as brands that produce them. However, I would like to highlight three main brands:

1. Zelmer
2. Tefal
3. Ezidri

So if you do not know which company to choose a dryer, I advise you to pay attention to the models of these brands.

If you plan to process not too many fruits and vegetables, it will be quite enough to purchase a 350 W dryer - such an assistant will easily cover the needs of the whole family, but in this case the fruits will take a little longer to dry. Models from 450 to 1000 W have more pallets and are designed for more severe loads. If a device with a power of 350 - 450 W dries 5 kg of apples in 10 - 12 hours, then a dryer with a power of 600 - 1000 W will cope with this task one and a half to two times faster.

Number and depth of trays

Trays of impressive depth allow you to process large volumes of products and dry whole fruits. A small standard dryer is capable of processing from 3 to 6 kg of fruit at a time - for owners of small summer cottages, these opportunities are more than enough. Some models of dryers have the ability to adjust the height of the pallets from 1 to 1.5 cm.

Material

To be able to observe the process of drying fruits, you can purchase a dryer with transparent plastic containers - this will allow you not to open it unnecessarily. Yes, and such devices weigh much less than their metal counterparts.

As for metal dryers, when using them, it is recommended to systematically take breaks in work, as they get very hot. But almost all modern models of dryers are equipped with protection that does not allow the gadget to overheat even during prolonged use.