There are umpteen number of commercial dehydrators available in the market. They do the work as the regular food dehydrators, but the only difference is that they dry food items in large scale.
Some may think that dehydrating and preserving food items is a gargantuan task, as the process is very long. Earlier, people had the time and energy to do it. They would sun dry items and preserve them in air tight containers for future use. Nowadays, people neither have time nor energy to do it all themselves. But, still food if not preserved properly goes into the drain. So, technology has a solution for everything- commercial dehydrators or food dehydrators!
People have started using food dehydrators in their homes. But, what we use at home is not sufficient if you have to dehydrate food items in large scale. Now there are commercial dehydrators available in the market.
All dehydrators do the same job! They maintain a constant temperature and air flow, which dries the extra moisture present in the items that are dehydrated. Mostly, all dehydrators have a thermostat to maintain temperature and a fan to circulate fresh and dry air. It is always recommended not to choose a Commercial Dehydrator which doesn’t come with a thermostat and a fan.
So, when you are opting for a dehydrator, it is always better to think twice, do complete research, read reviews, and then buy one. You should keep in mind that you are buying one for your home, but it IS a commercial piece of equipment. So it is going to be a bigger investment, but it will do a better job. Before buying one, you should keep four important factors in mind.
- Heat and Air Flow
• Access
• Versatility
• Materials and Quality
There are two basic designs of commercial dehydrators available- stackable tray dehydrator and shelf tray dehydrator. We will refer to these two types as we discuss the four factors.
• Heat and Air Flow
The most important thing that should be kept in mind when buying a Commercial Dehydrator is the even heat and air flow. It would be really frustrating to find out that the products we are drying in a dehydrator are not evenly dried. This can happen only if the heat and air flow doesn’t spread evenly. The products that are closer to heat and air flow dry fast and the ones that aren’t take more time. If you choose the stackable tray model, the heat and air flow spreads evenly basically due to the nature of the design. The shelves in this model slide out like an oven and so the heater and the fan are situated at the back of the model which spreads heat and airflow horizontally and equally to all the trays.
If you choose the shelf tray model, especially the ones that are available in the regular department stores, then you may have problems with the even heating and air flow. These dehydrators have their heat and air source at the bottom of the unit, and so the food items that are at the bottom, get their maximum share and dry fast, and the ones at the top take a lot of time comparatively. There are more quality commercial stackable dehydrators available which spread heat and air evenly. However, these are much expensive comparatively.
• Access
Easy access to the food items is absolutely necessary in a dehydrator to check whether it is ready and to remove it. This requires moving the trays time and again. In the stackable tray model, the tray you are working on can be pulled out individually, which is not the case with the shelf model. With a shelf tray model you need to pull all the trays together to check for one particular section, which may lead to a spill.
• Versatility
While you are investing in a commercial dehydrator you obviously want it to be versatile enough. When considering both the models, each one has their own set of advantages when versatility is concerned.
• Materials And Quality
When you are buying a commercial dehydrator, you want it to last, as you are making a big investment. Check for multiple year warranties. Products that have multiple year warranties are good, quality products. Mostly, all products are made of FDA approved food grade material. If you are concerned about plastics as they may cause fumes, go for the all stainless steel model.
When buying commercial dehydrators, plan ahead for what you want and then do a complete comparative study, before investing your time and energy.
You might think that most dehydrators are the same: 5 trays, weighing about 5 lbs, about 10 inches in height. This view is entirely wrong, as there are many models of normal and commercial food dehydrator out there, designed to produce large batches of dried foods at any one time.
Manufacturers such as Excalibur concentrate on commercial food dehydrators, which have anywhere up to 45 drying trays and appear more like a refrigerator appliance than a small tabletop one. If your needs are not quite this large then you can still purchase tabletop dehydrators, with around 10 to 15 trays and a 26 hour timer that allows you to leave them to run on their own, without causing over-drying or cooking.
You can buy a standard dehydrator for commercial use, but you should be aware that its warrantee will probably not be covered for it. If it breaks within the warrantee, then you will not be able to claim a refund or free repair. A dehydrator that is advertised as commercial should have commercial use written into the warrantee, but you should always check this before buying.
A commercial dehydrator can be a fantastic investment even for the average family who intend to sell dried goods at fairs or carnivals. It’s not just food than can be dried in them either; flowers can be dried for art and clay can be dried for jewelry and ornaments if you are artistically inclined. There are many ways to make money from dehydrated goods, and that’s not to mention the money you save from buying dried foods from the health food store too.
If you’re unsure of whether you will need commercial dehydrators or a simple kitchen dehydrator, then we recommend you ask to borrow a friend’s for a week, or ask someone who already has one and who is following the same ventures as you. Alternatively, you could try building your own homemade food dehydrator for a minimal cost, to see how much you will be using it and whether you need more than the standard 5 to 7 trays.
Contents
Commercial Food Dehydrator – Introduction
A food dehydrator is an instrument that is designed to remove moisture content from the food in order to avoid decomposition and enable its preservation. The term dehydrator suggests removal or extraction of water from the product. An air flow or heat source is used to fulfill the purpose of the dehydrator. Using a commercial dehydrator is a very effective method of increasing the shelf life of various foods. A commercial dehydrator is a dehydrator that is used for commercial purpose by companies that sell food products of different kinds.
These commercial food dehydrators are recognized as boon for food package industries all across the world. This food dehydrators are essential part of packing industries for that reason only packaged food packet preserved for longer time.
For a survival food packet, which can be the difference between life and death, use your food dehydrator to make jerky. Protein is going to be the most important food when in a survival situation. Make sure you have enough to last for days and adding vegetables like carrots, peppers and potatoes can also help you survive. Though not ideal, as long as you have a source of water, you could survive for weeks on jerky if you needed to. In survival situations calories mean life and the more calories you have, the longer you last. This innovation of commercial food dehydrators has made revolution in this food industries.
Commercial Food Dehydrator – Purpose & Working
It is generally taught to us that the body of every organism, plant or animal is characterized by more than 765% of water. All foods including fruits vegetables and meats have a high amount of water content. Where there is water there is scope for activity and growth of micro-organisms. Thus, dehydrating the food product will ensure that there is no growth of bacteria, fungi or other micro-organisms and this in turn will lead to longer preservation of that food product.
Another reason why the food product may be dehydrated for commercial purpose is to reduce its weight.
A commercial food dehydrator requires some source of external energy to operate. Commercial food dehydrators usually work on solar or electrical power supply. The basic parts of dehydrators used for commercial purposes include fans, heating element, air vents that allow circulation of air throughout the chamber and finally food trays where the food is placed for dehydration. The fans, heating elements and air vents function simultaneously to extract the water content in the food.
The heating element brings about warming of the food to expel moisture from inside. The fans function in removing the warm moisture contained air throwing it outside the dehydrator through the air vents. The process of dehydration continues for a few hours until a dried product is obtained. This food product will have relatively low moisture content and this will help in better preservation and increase in its shelf life. Presently there are several different types of suppliers are available who are offering different types of food dehydrator of different size, shape and for different purpose as well. If you are planning to buy one than you must do proper research before getting one. You must ensure that you buying device is offered along with warranty and maintenance. Moreover you will find different types of food dehydrators for instance, commercial food dehydrator which used for large scale production.
Different food products are dehydrated at different temperatures. Most of them lose their moisture content at 54 C but meats and other foods that have a higher rate of decomposition have to be dehydrated at around 68 C. It is very important that constant heat be provided to the food product to ensure proper dehydration. If the process is not carried out systematically, then there may be chances of possible food spoilage. Also, dehydrating the food at very high temperature can lead to hardening of the food.
The Excalibur EXC10EL 10-Tray Glass Doors Stainless Steel Dehydrator is one appliance that has truly helped change the face of packaged food. This appliance has made it easier for food production associations to deliver healthy food that can stay for a longer duration and still retain its nutritive value.
Buying Guide- Commercial Dehydrators
Drying food can be called a very old method of preserving food items. In olden days, food items were sun dried and preserved in containers. Dehydrating food items provides a lot of benefits like health, financial and cooking. It is actually safe, as it is completely dried and all the microorganisms are killed as moisture is being completely removed from it. And, moreover, food that is dried is compact and can be stored in containers easily, and also adds flavor to many food items.
Canned food items like vegetables and fruits, may have preservatives and unhealthy chemicals. Dried food items are also a very good cost saving option. For example, when you buy food grown from a local farmer, you may never be able to buy in small quantities. You may have to buy a whole carton and it may go bad if not utilized within the stipulated time. Instead, if these items are completely dried and preserved, then it may be utilized for a longer period of time. But, is it really possible in this fast paced world?
How to Choose the Best Commercial Dehydrators?
But, today in this fast paced world, no one has the time to dry food items in the sun, and see to it if it doesn’t get drenched in a sudden downpour and get spoilt. Technology acts most of the time as a boon, and one among those technological inventions are those commercial dehydrators that are available in the market. So, drying and preserving food items is not a rocket science! Most of the commercial dehydrators have a fan attached to it underneath or in the sides which blows hot air on to the food items to dry them. The hot air thus blown helps the water to evaporate from the food items gradually. There are many other commercial dehydrators which dry food using convection heat. Such dehydrators use electricity and do not make any noise. But, they take twice the time to dry food items compared to the other.
These food driers have a stack of trays on which food can be laid. These stacks also vary depending on the kind of drier chosen. While choosing dehydrators, you should decide on what kind of items you are going to preserve. If you are planning to preserve meat along with other food items, then you may require one with thermostat adjustment. If you are working, and can’t wait to switch off the dehydrator, then choose one which has automatic timer options. You can set the timer and accordingly it will get switched off automatically. By using a timer, you can also be rest assured that your food is not over dried or over burnt.
Which Size to Choose?
There are many food dehydrators in different sizes available in the market. If you have a large vegetable or fruit garden, and have plans to preserve food in large quantities then try to invest in a big Commercial Dehydrator. But, if you have plans to use them occasionally then plan for smaller ones.
Commercial dehydrators are worth an investment!