How to choose fruit and vegetable drying machines

February 20, 2021

A vegetable and fruit dryer , also known as a dried fruit machine , is a useful kitchen appliance designed to dry plant foods. With its help, you can easily prepare dried fruits and vegetables .

A dried fruit machine is especially needed during harvest, as it helps preserve the beneficial vitamins in fruits and vegetables.

It's no secret how beneficial dried fruits and vegetables are for the body due to their high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, remember - they are very high in calories.

Choosing a kitchen assistant is not difficult, just consider a few parameters, which we will talk about in today's blog.

Types of dryers for vegetables and fruits

Infrared dryer - the principle of operation of such a device is that infrared rays penetrate 6-12 mm into the raw material and affect its molecular structure.

Due to this principle of operation, at relatively low temperatures (40-60 degrees), water evaporates quickly. As a result, all the main properties of the product (color, taste, nutrients) are preserved.

Convection dryer - more common due to its simple operating principle and not too high cost. The device got its name due to the convective distribution of air.

The main elements of these dryers are a heating element and a ventilation system that allows warm air to move through the grilles.

There are simplified models without fans, which use natural convection and the air always rises. Although they operate quietly, the drying process takes much longer.

If the process takes an average of one day with a fan, then drying without it can take several days.

Drying construction

The main structural parts of a household dryer are: a heating element (thermal electric heater), a motor, a thermostat, a fan, a tray, a cover, and some additional elements that depend on the model of the device.

Heating element - the main element of the device that generates hot air, acts on the products and dries them. The number of heating elements can be different: if the design has a fan, then there is only one heating element, but if there is no fan, then 2 heaters are installed in the device. The electric heater can be located above or below.

The motor is one of the most important elements of the dryer, thanks to which the heating element, fan, and other parts work.

Thermostat - with its help, the temperature in the dryer is regulated and maintained at one level. A sufficient indicator for any product is about 35-70 degrees.

Tray - a part of the device that is installed on top and is a plastic plate that helps hot air flow upwards.

The device may have five or fifteen trays that are relatively rigidly fixed to each other.

Additional elements - depending on the model of the device, but the most common is a timer. However, a dried fruit machine is not as multifunctional as a food processor or multicooker.

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