Food Dehydrators

You may be wondering 'Why do I need a food dehydrator? What can it do for me?'

With this simple kitchen appliance you can dry a variety of fruit, herbs, meat, vegetables and even flowers.

Using a food dehydrator means you can extend the shelf life of you fruit, veggies and meat by dehydrating them and storing for future use. You can even make your own granola, veggie chips or biltong in this way. You can also use a food dehydrator to prove dough and yoghurt, making it a more versatile appliance than you might think at first glance.

Create your own healthy snacks, such as banana chips or fruit rollups, to nibble on while at work, between meetings or on the go. Save money when you have a healthy option to hand, avoiding junk food temptation. It can be a great way to add variety to packed school lunches.

So how does a food dehydrator work?

These appliances' drying system use a heating element and fans to circulate the warmed air, causing the food to dry out.

Dehydrators come with between 6 and 10 BPA-free plastic or stainless steel trays - stackable drying racks - depending on the model, so you can prepare different foods at once. These shelves are also easy to wash, just a little hot soapy water and a brush, and dry. You can enjoy easy temperature control ranging between 35 and 70°C so you can choose your heat setting depending on the food. With a digital display and timer up to 24 hours you can stay in control and monitor progress or let it work on its own, similar to a slow cooker.

It's a natural and preservative-free way of treating food without, for example, using a lot of sugar or brine. You could prolong the life of your dehydrated food yet even more by further preserving it in a vacuum sealer. Turn your kitchen into a food lab.

Ideal for the true home chef who knows their ingredients and knows how to get the best uses from them.

Shop food dehydrators by well known household brands such as Sunbeam, BioChef and Cuisinart.