10 Reasons to Buy a Food Dehydrator

Save money, preserve food and control waste

If you're wondering why buying a food dehydrator is a good idea, there are plenty of valid reasons. Food dehydrators have a wide range of uses and health and wellness benefits. Some of them can be used for more than just dehydrating food. Dehydrators come in an array of varieties that work for everything from drying fruits to working with arts and crafts projects. Find out what kind of dehydrator is right for your lifestyle and needs so that it can enhance your daily living. Here are 10 great reasons to buy a food dehydrator.

1. Keep food fresh longer

When you dehydrate food, it removes water that allows food to go bad quickly. As a result, fruits, vegetables and meat last longer after dehydration. You can keep them in jars or other food storage containers that won't need refrigeration, and they'll still stay edible for an extended time. Remember to remove any fat from meat before the dehydration process to ensure it dries completely with less oil.

2. Make preserved food healthier

Not only does dehydrating food keep for longer periods of time, but it also makes it healthier. When food is canned for preservation, added sugars or other preservatives might be used that may make the product less healthy. An advantage of dehydration is that you don't add any sugar or unnecessary ingredients, which allows their nutrients to remain intact. Dehydrated foods also have naturally sweet or strong flavors without additives, which encourage kids to eat healthier snacks.

3. Use it for more than just food

When trying to decide is a food dehydrator worth it, consider its overall versatility. Dehydrators have many uses that have nothing to do with preserving or drying food. You can use them to dry arts and crafts projects like flour molds or for making your own potpourris. You can even make your own raw materials like recycled paper and other fun projects that you can enjoy doing with your kids.

4. Create versatile dishes

Other than the usual fruits and veggies, dehydrators enable other types of cooking and food prep. You can proof bread dough in it, make yogurt or snacks like fruit leather because the heat and drying process provides the ideal environment to create these culinary delights. Some dehydrators also allow for drying baking ingredients like nuts, seeds and milk.

5. Different types for your specific needs

There are two main types of dehydrators to choose from based on your needs: horizontal flow and vertical flow. Horizontal flow units have heavy-duty drying fans at the back or sides and are larger for more professional jobs with bigger batches. Meanwhile, vertical flow units have a fan at the bottom that blows upwards. These smaller specialty appliances are better for the lower quantities that hobbyists often make. Certain units are even portable, so you can take them with you for on-the-go crafting.

6. You can use it a little or a lot

A major advantage of dehydrators is that you can use them for tiny jobs or large ones. Dehydrate a single piece of fruit or 20 pieces with ease because. there's no minimum quantity; you can make only the amount you need or enough to share with friends. Plus, many models have stacking shelves for dehydrating different items at the same time. If you decide you need even more flexibility, you can buy extra shelves for stacking units.

7. Reduce your home's waste

When you extend the life of your food, you reduce the amount of waste you throw out in the trash. Less garbage means lower monthly trash bills and grocery costs each week, which helps contribute to sustainable living. Whether you have an outdoor garden or you tend to overbuy at the grocery store due to good intentions to eat healthy, a dehydrator allows you to preserve any excess food that you don't eat immediately. More food in your tummy and less food in your trash can is another added benefit.

8. Prep for emergencies

The long shelf life of dehydrated food makes it ideal for emergencies. You don't have to prep it, cook it or work with dishes that require cleaning. This means it's ready to go any time, in any condition. It's also lightweight, so you can take a lot with you if you need to leave without weighing yourself down.

9. Dehydrators provide space-saving solutions

While dehydrators themselves can be stored nicely in your cabinets, they can also minimize the amount of space that your food takes up in your pantry. If your garden has a large harvest one year, you can dehydrate your crop and keep it from crowding your fridge or freezer. If you go camping or hiking, you can fit dehydrated meals easily into your backpack, giving you more space for your camping gear. It also won't weigh down your luggage like hydrated food will.

10. It's a fun activity

One of the best reasons to buy a dehydrator is that it's fun. It's a simple activity to do with kids or adults and yields edible results that everyone can enjoy. With the low effort required and the fact that it’s not very time-consuming, children can be fascinated by how foods change during the process. You can even conduct creative experiments to see what you can dehydrate and what you can't, just for kicks.

If you're curious about what you can use your dehydrator for, you'll be happy to find that there are plenty of options. Dehydrators can help you create healthy food that saves you money and time. Since they're easy to use and have a onetime cost, decide which one is right for you, then begin your food-drying journey.