There’s no denying that dehydrators are an investment, so it’s important that you select one that’s not only made with high-quality materials but one that also meets your dehydrating needs—especially if it’s being used daily and in a commercial setting.
Whilst our dehydrators at Commercial Dehydrators are perfect for everything from the dehydrating hobbyist to full-scale food production, if you’re investing in a dehydrator there are a few key components that you want to look for.
1. SIZE
If you’re looking for a dehydrator for your business, size is probably one of the first things you will consider. You want to ensure that whatever appliance you choose can meet the demands and needs of your business first and foremost, so capacity is imperative. At Commercial Dehydrators, our commercial range starts at our 16 tray unit and goes up to our 28 tray unit. The overall footprint of the dehydrator is also important. We offer both vertical and horizontal formats, so depending on how much floor space you have for the unit is an important consideration. and some with separate dehydrating compartments. Our 16 tray commercial dehydrator is by far our most popular, as it’s compact enough that it doesn’t take up too much room, yet still allows a lot of space inside to get the job done. It’s a suitable unit for those who love to dehydrate at home, but still a powerful and perfect size model for a small business. This unit can sit on a bench top or be operated safely on the floor, and because of its size and the fact that it’s lightweight, it can be stored away quite easily too.
2. MATERIALS
At Commercial Dehydrators, all of our dehydrating units are made with commercial-grade, double-walled stainless steel. This means they can withstand high temperatures and are also food safe, being that they’re free from any harmful chemicals that can often be found in units made of plastic materials. They’re also easier to clean, which removes the risk of bacteria absorbing into the materials and therefore seeping into your food.
Our 16 tray dehydrator comes with mesh trays that are 40 cm x 40 cm in size and are also made of stainless steel. There are also 2 types of non-stick mats included with our dehydrators—a mesh type, similar to the trays in the machine, and a pan type. Both of these are made with Teflon coated fibreglass and are also considered food safe. If you want to keep an eye on your food as it’s drying away, our units have a tempered glass panel on each door, giving you easy viewing capabilities.
3. TEMPERATURE
Perfect for commercial usage, our 16 tray dehydrator heats up to 90°C, with the minimum temperature being 30°C and has a horizontal airflow that allows for even heating across all trays, meaning there’s no need to flip products or rotate trays throughout the dehydration process. Our dehydrating units also provide an ambient air mode that enables the fans to spin and produce air without heat, slowly cooling down the product inside or drying products like herbs and some seafood that don’t require a lot of heat. If you have a range of foods that you want to dehydrate but can’t monitor the process from start to finish because you’re busy running your business or watching the kids at home, our 16 tray commercial dehydrator comes with a timer that can be set from anywhere up to 99 hours. This is a feature that a lot of other dehydrators on the market don’t provide—this allows you to dehydrate products that take a full day or more, with ease and peace of mind.
4. ENERGY
Being energy efficient is something we’re passionate about at Commercial Dehydrators and our 16 tray unit uses 50% less energy than other dehydrators on the market that provide the same heat and drying times. The double-walled stainless steel helps to minimise energy costs and ensures there’s even drying throughout the whole machine. There’s also the run-on timer mode that will automatically switch off the machine once completed, and you can easily set this to save energy too. Delivering a high 1875 watts of commercial-grade power (other comparable units are around 1500 watts), our 16 tray dehydrator uses an average of 750 watts.
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