Can You Use Your Oven As A Dehydrator? 3 Ovens That Can Dry Foods

Having an oven is becoming a common kitchen appliance you find in most homes. But as for food dehydrators, not everyone has the opportunity to have this around. Recently, the benefits of having dried foods have been more publicized and encouraged more than ever! The importance of making dry foods is numerous. From preserving them to always having cheap and healthy foods at hand; you just can’t overemphasize its importance. For this, people are more engaged in searching for the means of drying foods at home without having to purchase expensive alternatives or even a dehydrator.

If you are one of those who do not value the store-dried foods or do not have a food dehydrator in your budget, this post is totally for you. Let’s find out if an oven can help you to dry your foods; see answers to some pressing questions; a comparison between the oven and food dehydrator and of course, recommendations of some ovens that are worth your money.

3 Of The Best Ovens That Can Dry Foods

In a hurry? Let me just share with you the best 3 ovens that can dry your foods perfectly right away: (more details after the table)

Can The Oven Be Used As A Dehydrator?

Yes, the oven can be used as a food dehydrator when you do not have the drying machine. In fact, some people even prefer using the oven than using a dehydrator, especially because, unlike a dehydrator, an oven can do other things as well and that is a serious advantage over having just a dehydrator.

Be informed however that not all ovens can be used to perform the function of food dehydrators. Ovens that are suitable for use as dehydrators ought to have a temperature grading lower than one hundred and sixteen degrees Celcius so that food meant for drying do not end up getting cooked instead. Ovens with higher temperatures are liable to actually go beyond drying the food to getting them cooked and that is not your aim.

Additionally, the use of higher temperature ovens may lead to enzyme denaturation and whenever an oven is used to dehydrate, you need to be extra attentive to ensure that only the right temperature is applied in the process. Judging by the length of time needed to dry food which is about six hours, using an oven to dry foods may however be quite expensive really, but if done well, it is worth the effort.

What Are Ovens?

Simply put, an oven is an appliance in the kitchen that is used in several ways such as in roasting, baking, steaming, heating, cooking, and in some cases, drying food items. Few people, however, know that an oven can, in fact, be used as a food dehydrator, provided the correct temperature is applied; and you are about to be one of them.

It can therefore be said that ovens have all the qualities and parts to serve as food dehydrators but have it in mind that those with very high-temperature ranges are discouraged from being used for dehydrating foods as you may not get what you desire at the end.

What Is A Food Dehydrator?

This is a machine specifically designed to dry foods through the removal of water very efficiently. The dehydrator comes with a heating coil, a fan and several trays on which to place foods that are ready for drying. In the dehydrator, much like in the oven, the appropriate temperature is applied to dry up moisture in the food and these water molecules are subsequently driven out through vents by the fan mounted at either the top, the rear or possibly the bottom of the dehydrator machine. It usually comes with trays for stacking food items just like on shelves and this makes it easy to arrange your foods in order while allowing even distribution of air.

Is A Dehydrator Better Than An Oven?

When one considers the benefits of having dry foods, a food dehydrator is said to be way better than an oven. Here are some reasons why:

1. To start with, a food dehydrator can be used to dry different types of food items all at once by utilizing many trays to accomplish the job. For instance, you can dehydrate spices, herbs, fruits, meat and so on, all at the same time.
2. The food dehydrating machine has the added advantage of drying evenly and more effectively, unlike the oven.
3. Additionally, most dehydrators are equipped with multiple trays to allow you to process a variety of foods at once but an oven, at best, comes with three racks or even fewer at times. And let’s not talk about how widely spaced the racks are and this can make it difficult to place small bits/pieces of foods without having them fall through the spaces.
4. For reasons of capacity and also versatility, the dehydrator is leagues ahead of the oven.
5. Dehydrators have other advantages over ovens in retaining the flavour and texture of dried foods which cannot be guaranteed by an oven especially since each food item, when drying in a dehydrator, is placed in a separate tray for processing. Imagine processing such contrasting food items like meat and vegetables on the same tray! You sure should expect the vegetables to get denatured by losing their flavour.

But, these reasons do not stop you from using an oven to dry your foods if that is all you have. But if you are not up for going through the process of using an oven and need a good food dehydrator, visit this post to see a Buyer’s Guide On How To Choose The Best Food Dehydrator In 2021. You can find good food dehydrators there that would help you dry foods efficiently and conveniently.

A Simple Comparison Between Ovens And Dehydrators

If you have ever wanted to place an oven and food dehydrator side by side to compare them, here are what should be going through your mind:

• Unlike dehydrators, ovens come, in some models, with very high-temperature gradings since there can be severe heat demands in cooking certain food items.
• A food dehydrator has more processing trays than an oven so that different food items for drying can be accommodated separately.
• When using a dehydrator, you may not need to frequently flip the food in order to achieve even drying of food.
• Food dehydrators have fans mounted in them to drive away moisture during drying. On the other hand, proper temperature regulation must be carefully maintained while using ovens to dehydrate, lest you end up over-drying or even cooking the food.
• A portable food dehydrator does not take up much space on the counter and that affords you more counter space to work on, unlike the oven.
• Drying food with an oven can take less time to accomplish than with a dehydrator but using an oven utilises much more energy and this is not all that efficient.
• Do not forget also that in using an oven to dehydrate, it is difficult to maintain both the temperature and airflow which inadvertently translates into a comparatively poorer drying if not monitored round the clock.

However, since almost everyone has an oven, much else may not be needed in order to dehydrate food. You really do not need to spend extra money on buying a dehydrator before you are able to dry your food if you have enough patience and maybe, time. With that said, let’s make use of the oven you already have by going through how you can effectively use it to dry foods.

The Basic Step-by-step Method Of Drying Your Foods/Fruits in The Oven

The easiest and certainly cheapest means to preserve food is via dehydration and you do not require jars, chemicals or any preservative to do that. You may in fact not even need a dehydrator to preserve your food since your toaster oven can do the job and in good time too.

There are however certain items you may need in order to dehydrate food such as lemon juice fruits, a kitchen knife or Mandolin slicer, wax paper, a fly pan or cookie sheets and finally a spatula. The manner and way in which you prepare food meant for dehydration depend on what you are dehydrating. Let me walk you through how that is done:

• To dry fruits/foods without the risk of them changing colour, you are required to first soak them in an equal mixture of water and lemon juice for a few minutes.
• For you to accomplish even dryness, the food/fruit you want to dry must be sliced into thin and roughly equal sizes. To get this kind of slices, if you are not good at using a knife to do so, you may need to use a food mandolin.
• Since fats are known to tamper with dried food by making them rancid or possibly even scorched during drying, you can therefore cut away all fat and make use of only lean meat. Thereafter, place the food meant for drying on top of wax paper to guard against them sticking which will make removal difficult.
• Large cuts of meat can be placed straight away on the oven’s rack but ensure that you use paper towels to blot out any traces of marinade to prevent it from dripping down onto the heating element. Be sure that the heat during drying is not too hot to prevent burning or scorching the food.
• While drying, ensure that you regularly flip the food for even dryness.
• Once your food has reached the dry level you need, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down before storing.

Three Perfect Ovens That Can Dehydrate Foods Just Fine

Drying of foods can be done by even adopting traditional means such as spreading the food in the sun or placing it in the open where its moisture content can be lost. But for this method, there is always the risk of the moisture in the air to slow the process which may eventually cause the food to rot or waste away. Not to mention how unhygienic it can be to leave your food out in the open where flies or dirt can rest on them.

This is why you would need any kind of dehydrating machine or even an oven that can be used to dry your foods and provide you with healthy options always. If you are looking for ovens that can serve you as ovens and also food dehydrators, let me show you some very good ovens that are useful as food dehydrators which have also enjoyed wide acclaim from users around the world.

To further ensure that you are properly informed on what to buy and where to buy when it comes to getting a machine for drying foods, let me show you certain products that are sold by Amazon and which are just great and no doubt value for money when you are looking at something you can use to dehydrate your foods:

1. BOWUTTD All-In-One Countertop Oven For Air Frying, Roasting, Defrosting & Dehydrating (With Accessories & Recipes)

This product is also a multi-functional oven that makes cooking simply enjoyable with about thirty recipes that it has to offer. It cooks evenly and ensures that you get only grease-free meals. The product is also reputed to be fast and helps you to save kitchen space because of its compactness. It can work great to dry your foods with ease too.

Features

You can buy this on Amazon by clicking this link to be taken to the page. there you would find more details about it, price and users’ reviews. Then you can make an order if you are satisfied with the oven. It can be bought through the link:  which I found at Amazon.

2. ICONITES 10-in-1 Air Fryer, Convection Toaster Oven with Dehydrator

This oven is so compact that storage cannot be any issue, not to talk of the fact that it is easy to operate and has thirteen different accessories such as fry net basket, roasting basket, drip tray and so on. Furthermore, its parts are dishwasher friendly for ease of cleaning and the oven is sold under customer-friendly terms as well.

Features

• This air-fryer oven has a spacious 20-quart unit which allows you to make plenty of food for the whole family.
• The oven is not only an air fryer but also a rotisserie, dehydrator, pizza grill and oven toaster. with a wide temperature range from 180℉ to 400℉. Be sure that you would enjoy air-frying, baking, grilling, roasting, toasting, dehydrating and rotisserie with this appliance.
• It has 10 preset options which make any kitchen task very easy. From frying and roasting to dehydrating and baking; you are sure to find things easy the whole time!
• The LED digital touchscreen is clearly visible and you can choose any cooking mode and get meals done with just the press of a button.
• It comes with 13 accessories which include a skewer rotisserie, fry net basket, roasting basket, fetch rack, 5pcs of dehydrating racks, chicken fork, 2pcs of oven mitts, removable drip tray and dishwasher safe parts to make cleaning a breeze.

If you want this oven, click this link to be taken to the page on Amazon where you can learn more and also make your purchase. can be bought through the link:

3. COSTWAY 7-in-1 Convection Oven (can Air Fry, Bake, Broil, Toast, Dehydrate)

This dehydrator has seven pre-set cooking functions for just about any kitchen functions from boiling, baking, frying, dehydrating, down to even toasting. It has knobs for ease of control and all its parts are dishwasher safe which makes cleaning easy. With a transparent window and fully lighted interior, dehydration can be monitored easily. It is also covered with an excellent guarantee and warranty terms that protect customers long after purchase.

Features

• This oven will definitely satisfy all your diverse cooking needs by making a variety of cuisines. And you can select the ideal modes through adjusting function switch.
• It is spacious enough to accommodate lots of foods at once so be sure that you can prepare something fast for the whole family without wasting much time and energy.
• The non-slip foot pads, heat-resistant handle and oven mitt will provide further safety insurance for you.
• There are four electroplated knobs to help you control the time, temperature and cooking mode effortlessly. You can set the temperature and the time just as you want.
• The air fryer toaster dehydrating oven comes with 4 dishwasher-safe cooking accessories which include a fry basket, oven rack, baking pan and crumb tray. All accessories are removable for easy cleaning.
• The transparent window and interior lighting will allow you to monitor the food easily while cooking. This would prevent you from opening the door regularly to check your food.

You can get this handy oven and enjoy the dual function oven by clicking this link to find out more and place your order.

Conclusion

Though food dehydration can be accomplished by using conventional or traditional means, there is still a certain measure of the risk of getting your food spoilt and contaminated through this means. This has made the purchase and use of a food dehydrator (or its alternatives) almost impossible to resist.

Dehydrated foods have more relevance than we may be aware of at first. Come to think of it, when you dehydrate foods, you are in essence preserving them for long time use and this means you are saving money too. Plus, this can come in handy as healthy foods you can snack on instead of resolving to junk foods.

In addition, dehydration of foods when done well does not in any way tamper with either the flavour, naturalness or texture of the food. Not to talk of the intact preservation of all vital chemicals, nutrients and vitamins in such foods. To dehydrate and store for prolonged use, is in fact, a sure bet especially in these trying times we find ourselves.