Dried fruit and fruit leathers are quite useful for a raw diet, but it may be difficult to make them. Compared to the price of juicers and other equipment, a dehydrator is less costly and is easier to handle. This machine is advantageous when people don’t get time or the opportunity to go to an organic food store. Dried fruits or fruit jerky can be quite refreshing at the times.

There are some concerns when using dehydrator. How was the product made? What is used in production? What size dehydrator is needed? What components are used for heating, and how many fans are included?  Of course, then one must consider the warranty period. Whenever a dehydrator is purchased, it should be put in a convenient place with plenty of space. It is better to go for multi-purpose equipment with various trays and specialized equipment for herbs and fruits. The food hydrator in question should have a horizontal fan, but it can also be situated on the side.

There are a number of good food dehydrators on the market, and some of them are listed below for informational purposes.

Excalibur dehydrator: This dehydrator has plenty of  room-- about 12 square feet--and the drying space is large enough for a family. It has 9 free sheets with a horizontal fan, which provides efficient heating. It has the shortest of drying session available, and the tray does not need to be rotated. The machine can be cleaned very easily. Price: $200-$220

Nesco American Harvest: This one is the most inexpensive in the market, but it is of good quality. It has five trays that do not need to be rotated. Price is from $40 to $55.

L’ Equip dehydrator: This dehydrator gets bonus points for its mesh for drying sheets and special sheets for fruit leathers and roll-ups. It also has a very unique method of drying food uniformly. The dehydrator is intricately designed at the price of about $150.

TSM commercial dehydrator: As the name indicates, this model is for commercial purposes. It has an amazing 12 rack capacity, dual 6”fans for a better drying, and above all, dries with 1600 watts of power. It has the ability to dry about 15 to 18 pounds of fruit jerky at a time, and the price is quite fitting at $650.

It is better to get a slicer for preparing food for the dehydrator. Experts recommend a 645 food slicer with a geared motor of 130 watts because they work very efficiently. A 7” nonstick stainless steel slicer too will do too. Others model with micrometer control dial can get the thinnest slice to 9/16” thick, making them very effective.