5 best electric dryers for fruits and vegetables

Saturn ST-FP 8504

A simple and reliable model whose functionality fully justifies the purpose for which they are bought. Such a dryer can be recommended to housewives who are just beginning to comprehend the art of cooking dried fruits and are going to cook them for a small family.

Saturn ST-FP 8504 has five roomy plastic trays, each holding up to 1 kg of raw product. The pallets are stacked on top of each other and closed with a transparent plastic lid with a handle and small air outlet holes. Interestingly, the manufacturer recommends turning on the device with all the trays at the same time, even if you need one or two.

The control is mechanical: there is a power button on the housing and a step-by-step temperature control for 8 positions, which allows you to select air heating from 35 to 70 °C.

All parts of the dryer are made of high—quality heat—resistant food-grade plastic, which — based on user reviews — does not emit any foreign odours during operation, and is also easy to clean.

Drying of products is carried out according to the principle of convection, the heating element and the fan are located in the centre of the pallet. Note that if the dryer is loaded with products to the top, over time for the upper tiers there will be a problem of lack of airflow from above. In this case, it is recommended to periodically change the trays in places, otherwise the "bottom" may dry out, and the "top" may remain damp.

Saturn ST-FP 8504 handles well with the processing of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, berries, herbs, meat, fish, bread and medicinal plants. However, you will have to get a little better at drying berries — they can fall through fairly large holes in the pallets. The manufacturer does not recommend covering the pallets with paper, film and gauze, although, as practice shows, you can still take a risk using the latter.

Mystery MDH-323

Another option of a decent low-cost electric dryer, the functionality of which is expanded due to electronic control, LCD display and timer up to 20 hours.

The design features of the Mystery MDH-323 practically do not differ from the previous participant of our TOP 5, with the only difference that this dryer has the ability to adjust the distance between pallets.

The removable sections — and there are 5 of them here with a capacity of 0.5 kg each — can be installed in one of two positions: low and high. If the thickness of the products is not more than 2 cm, it is better to put the pallets in a low position, if more than 2 cm — in a high position.

The operation of the fan is controlled by an electronic timer, setting the drying time from 30 min to 19 h. 30 min. At the end of the process, the device gives a loud and long signal. Mystery MDH-323 operates in the standard temperature range from 35 to 70 °C.

During the operation of the device, you can also check the time you set and even adjust — change the drying time and temperature both up and down.

The manufacturer attributes the possibility of drying bread/ meat/fish to the features of the model (although we already know that this is not a novelty, but a direct duty of the electric dryer) and recommends using the latter only lean varieties and in pickled form. The composition of the marinade must necessarily include salt, which will help "pull" the free liquid from the pulp and thereby better dry the product. For the rest — processing of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and berries — the dryer handles "perfectly", does not make much noise during operation.

Zelmer FD1001

What distinguishes Zelmer FD1001 favorably from the rest of the participants in our review is its stylish appearance — its original design will complement and decorate the interior of any kitchen. In addition, the model has a thoughtful ergonomic design, which significantly saves space for its storage.

The device is equipped with only four plastic pallets, the total volume of which is 11 liters. The manufacturer warns that under the influence of prolonged use of coloring products, the colours of drying elements made of plastic may change.

Pallets can be installed in two positions: folded (for storage) and unfolded (for work). Depending on the amount of dried products, different number of pallets can be used here. But note that drying cannot be used folded.

Thanks to the electronic two-level drying adjustment the device can operate at one of two degrees of heating: 250 or 500 watts. However, we did not find an answer in the instructions for the dryer for which temperature indicators these modes are responsible. Pressing the button on the device body leads to a transition from the I degree of heating to the II and vice versa. There is no timer here.

The dryer is equipped with an overheating protection system — if the temperature rises excessively, the heating element automatically turns off and works as a fan, and after cooling it turns on again and continues drying. Many users note that this protection is the weakest point of the model — the heater fails every now and then and blows cold air. Someone assumes that a capacitor burns out in the device and advises soldering a piece of copper wire to it from both ends, someone believes that it's all about a burnt thermal fuse and recommends replacing it with a similar one, but more powerful or the same as in a microwave oven (self-healing).

Binatone FD-2685

Binatone FD-2685 is the only dryer in our review, the heating element and fan of which are located on top of the lid, and not from below. As you know, the lower fans often "suffer" from drops of juice, which some products (mainly berries) can emit during drying.

The package includes 5 pallets, made of eco-friendly SAN plastic, which is recommended for use in the production of children's tableware . Consequently, during prolonged heating, the material of the dryer pallets does not emit toxic substances.

It is equipped with a display with an indication of the heating level and the drying level, which makes electronic control more simple and understandable. The backlight of the display is green, matching the design of the case and cover of the device.

Binatone FD-2685 has a convenient timer with auto-off. Its fan is equipped with a removable filter, which is easy to clean or wash. By the way, all elements of the dryer, including pallets, cannot be washed in the dishwasher.

Two levels are implemented to adjust the power of the work.The first level is optimal for products with a low water content (mushrooms, onions, herbs, medicinal herbs), the second is used for products with medium and high water content (apples, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes). Some buyers note that, despite the presence of these modes, the temperature is almost the same, it feels about 60 °C.

VES VMD-7

The model differs from the rest of the dryers in our review by the special shape of the pallets — here they are not round, but square. This design feature increases the surface of the dryer by up to 25% and is very convenient for drying large square sheets of bread or pastilles . In addition, as practice shows, parchment, gauze and other materials that housewives are used to lay on drying trays are often rectangular in shape.

The number of pallets in VES VMD-7 has been increased to six, they are made of transparent plastic and can be adjusted in height. The case of the device is made of heat-resistant plastic. To reduce the drying time, the device is equipped with a built-in fan. If the maximum permissible temperature is exceeded, the overheating protection is started and the dryer is turned off.

The control is electronic, there is an LED display and a thermostat with the ability to adjust the temperature from 40-70 °C . A timer for 48 hours has been implemented, which greatly facilitates control over the process of even the most "long-lasting" drying of products such as grapes, cherries, pears, peaches.

Based on user reviews, the dryer is really very roomy, evenly warms the air, blows hot air well over the products, works quietly.