The Best 6 Commercial Food Dehydrators To Buy In 2024

The quantity, type or size of the food that can be dehydrated depend on the sizes, make and specifications of a dehydrator. It is therefore important to purchase a food dehydrator while bearing in mind the purpose for which we intend to use them. This will enable us to buy the kind of dehydrator that will meet our particular needs. For this reason, there are those specially meant for use at home which dehydrates small quantity of food items and those that are used in dehydrating bulk and large quantities of materials. The latter are commercial food dehydrators and we are going to learn about them in this post

Here I’ll show you what you need to know about commercial dehydrators – which are those used for drying large foods; a buyer’s guide to choosing the best, and also share with you 6 of the best commercial food dehydrators you can buy in 2024.

The Best 6 Commercial Dehydrators To Buy

In a hurry? Let me just share with you the best 6 commercial dehydrators of 2024 right away: (more details after the table)

What are food dehydrators?

Food dehydrators are machines that are used primarily to dehydrate food by taking out the moisture content. Food items & herbs can be dehydrated which eventually making it possible to store these for a long period.

However, it is noteworthy that they do not just elongate the shelf lives of food materials only, they, in addition, do that while ensuring the intact preservation of their nutritional contents as well as their natural flavours.

Types Of Dehydrators

Basically, dehydrators are constructed in two different ways with regards to their airflow mechanisms, sizes and costs.

• Box Dehydrators: The first type is the box and shelf food dehydrator which has horizontal air flows across it that facilitates uniform drying of food and which is quite good in producing meat jerky. Additionally, these type of dehydrators have their heat sources positioned at the back of the equipment and they do not come cheap, not to mention relatively large as well!
• Stackable Dehydrators: The second type is the stackable food dehydrator. This one bear its heat source beneath the gadget but does not allow for even drying of food always. They are compact and also easy to store. They also have the advantage of being cheaper than the bulk and shelf food dehydrators but are not too good at producing meat jerky.

Whichever one you prefer, the choice is yours to make since they are both great at drying food effectively.

What are commercial food dehydrators?

Commercial dehydrators are those kinds of dehydrators that are capable of drying large quantities of different type of food items at the same time. These dehydrators have a large number of trays for drying. They also have very powerful electric motors fitted with fans to cool them and thus, prevent overheating and damage which may result due to prolonged use.

Most industrial food dehydrators are manufactured in the bulk and shelf design. This means that consideration of space for storage is an important factor since the bulk and shelf dehydrators are quite large and hence use up much space in storage.

Why commercial food dehydrators?

If you are wondering why exactly you need a commercial food dehydrators, here are some major reasons why:

• Commercial food dehydrators are important for business purposes like in hotels and restaurants because large materials of different types are involved and so the need for multiple drying trays is a serious issue.
• Certain substances must be separated using different trays during drying or else you risk their denaturation and loss of taste or flavour. Imagine, for instance, drying meat and vegetables on the same tray! You certainly risk denaturation of the vegetables, don’t you?
• Also, commercial food dehydrators are fitted with reliable cooling mechanisms that allow for very long uses without the fear of damage. Since it is understood that workers may be quite busy in restaurants and hotels where commercial dehydrators are mostly in use, they have control features that prevent damage due to forgetfulness or using beyond time.
  Features such as the adjustable thermostat for heat regulation and the timer which can be set to turn off the device at anytime its work is gauged to have been completed. All these will prevent undue wastage and loss in the business.
• A dehydrator utilizes the heat generated by its electric coil to dry food and so the retention of heat is of paramount importance. For this reason, most commercial food dehydrators are equipped with see-through glass windows that allow you to monitor the drying without the need to open them up, the consequence of which is heat loss and prolonged poor drying.
• Commercial food dehydrators are also manufactured using very tough and durable materials in such a way that they will serve you for long without any fear of damage or loss.
• Foods that are dehydrated are very healthy and can stay for a longer period of time. Click this link for a detailed answer to the question Are Dehydrated Foods Generally Healthy? And also see 4 safe dehydrators

The various uses of commercial food dehydrators

If you still need more reasons why you need a commercial food dehydrator, here are some things this machine can do for you that you may not conveniently get elsewhere:

• Primarily, commercial food dehydrators are meant to remove moisture from food items which will prevent the growth and activities of destructive microorganisms thereby extending their shelf lives.
• They equally serve other purposes as well. For instance, commercial food dehydrators can be regulated using their thermostats to ensure that food items are dried without denaturing essential proteins, nutrients and mineral salts especially as proteins are known to be damaged by excessive heat.
• The combination of the timer, automatic shut-off mechanism and the adjustable thermostat all contribute to preserving the colour, flavour and texture of food items and they are provided in all commercial food dehydrators.
• Since most commercial food dehydrators have very high ratings of heat production, they can be set to high temperatures in such a way that we can use them as ovens for cooking too. In other words, commercial food dehydrators can be used not only as regular dehydrators but also as ovens, depending on their temperature settings.

How to use a commercial food dehydrator

Using a commercial dehydrator is just as simple as using a regular dehydrator. If you need a detailed and step-by-step guide on how to use your commercial dehydrator all by yourself, see the details below: Or click this link to see How you can use a food dehydrator to dry herbs easily.

Step One:

Switch on your food dehydrator and set the thermostat between 95 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on what you want to dry. You can also check the manual for the best temperature you can set it to.

Step Two:

Check for the dampness or moisture of the food item you want to dry. Peradventure the foods are wet, pick up a dry paper towel and blot them dry.

Step Three:

After blotting the foods with a dry towel, put them in the dehydrator trays. Ensure they are placed properly, preferably in a single layer.

Step Four:

To ensure the foods dry faster and evenly, ensure you place them according to their sizes.

Step Five:

While the dehydrator is running and drying the food items, you can be checking it from time to time.

Step Six:

Turn off the food dehydrator when you are satisfied with the dryness of your food. If you buy a dehydrator with a timer, then it would stop at the time you set it.

Step Seven:

When you are certain that it has dried to your satisfaction, bring them out and let them cool them down.

Step Eight:

Once they are cool enough, gather them and place them in a jar to store them till when you need them. You can label them for easy identification in the future.

Simple things to keep in mind about commercial dehydrators

The proper use of any commercial food dehydrator involves a number of strategies and measures that will ensure maximum benefits to the user. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you have a commercial dehydrator:

• Enclosed in the supply pack of any commercial food dehydrator is a user manual that explains the correct settings and usage in drying different kinds of food items. Strict adherence to these instructions is vital to not only drying perfectly but also safeguarding the equipment too since it prevents any unnecessary damage to both the food items and the machine.
• Secondly, the drying trays of most commercial dehydrators are easily removable which comes in handy during cleaning.
• Furthermore, all washed parts must be adequately air-dried after cleaning before re-installing into the dehydrator. In this way, they are assured to last longer since rusting is prevented by not allowing moisture to remain on the stainless steel trays and other components.
• Despite the cooling mechanisms provided by the fans in the equipment, where it becomes too hot after prolonged use, it must be turned off and allowed to cool before any subsequent use. In this way, the machine is sure to last for much longer than it would otherwise.

A Buyer’s Guide To Choosing The Best Commercial Dehydrator

Before you can choose any commercial dehydrator for your business or even personal use, you are expected to look out for certain features. Checking out some things before settling on one would help remove any regrets that may arise in the future. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you want to buy a commercial food dehydrator in 2024:

1. Buy dehydrators with many shelves that will allow for drying items of different natures at the same time without any risks. This will not only save money but also save you precious time in the end.
2. Good dehydrators are always provided with automatic shut off mechanisms for drying food items in optimum temperatures without denaturation. When picking one, make sure it offers this auto-shutoff feature.
3. Another feature to watch out for before buying any commercial food dehydrator is the provision of a glass window for the observation of drying in progress. This is especially important since, without the glass window, one will be forced to open up the dehydrator intermittently to check up on the process. This periodic opening of the dehydrator to check leads to heat loss and avoidable extension of the drying time and of course stress in the whole enterprise.
4. To facilitate better and proper monitoring, some commercial dehydrators are even equipped with LED light to make observation a lot easier and fun. You should be on the lookout for dehydrators that have this feature if you want the best out of it.
5. Recommended commercial food dehydrators come with easily removable stainless steel trays to ensure stress-free cleaning and maintenance. It’s best you go for a dehydrator that has trays you can detach to save you time and keep it clean always.
6. Good dehydrators are also covered with a lengthy guarantee and warranty terms to protect buyers in the event of any defects or malfunctions, as well as the availability of free maintenance for many months (or even years) after purchase. If you can get a good commercial food dehydrator with a warranty, it would pay you better as this can save you some costs if your machine develops any fault at some point.

Six Best Commercial Dehydrators Of 2024 You Can Buy (Product Reviews)

There are some very highly recommended commercial dehydrators that are equipped with most, if not all, the features enumerated above that are worth buying. They tick all the boxes highlighted in the buyer’s guide above and they would surely give you very good value for your money.

The first and most important thing in the purchase of a commercial food dehydrator is knowing what to use it for and why you really need it. Then comes the issue of which one to buy that will serve you without any complaints and where it can be bought at friendly prices without any compromise in its quality.

To ensure that these requirements and more are met, let me share with you certain commercial food dehydrators that can be bought online (at Amazon) and which will do just nicely indeed. The best 6 of these dehydrators include the following:

1. WY Commercial Electric Food Dehydrator (with 20 trays, 24-hour timer and temperature control)

This dehydrator should definitely not be far from any business owner or individual who wants to take their drying process to another level. The food dehydrator is very efficient and can dry your foods safely and fast. It is long lasting and doesn’t consume to much time and energy.

Features

• The digital temperature pre-set range is 30 ° C-90 ° C, a 0-24h timer which provides accurate drying time.
• Quite commendably, this machine has twenty wide adjustable drying trays that allow for quick and easy bulk drying of assorted food items.
• The glass door permits monitoring of drying without the interference of any kind with the process.
• Should the gadget become too hot while in use, it has a mechanism that turns it off entirely so that it can cool down on its own. The BPA-free overheating protection is activated to turn it off.
• The 1500W food dehydrator has a built-in innovative design that maximizes airflow to achieve uniform drying without overheating.
• Airflow is made much more efficient by the rear-mounted fan to ensure even drying of food.
•  The dehydrator includes 20 spacious and adjustable trays. This feature allows you to easily mass-produce various types of dehydrated food at a fraction of the price of commercial dry grain.

This commercial food dehydrator is available for purchase through this link to the page on amazon. You can read reviews of other users and find more information about the product before placing your order.

2. Excalibur EXC10EL Commercial Food Dehydrator (with 10-trays, digital controller, 99-hour timer & temperature auto-shutoff)

If you are looking for a commercial dehydrator that spells quality, size and perfection, this Excalibur dehydrator is your best bet. It is large enough to serve your business needs and it is strong enough to last as long as possible.

Features

• To start with, it is provided with ten drying trays for attending to different items and also a removable drip tray for crumbs and spills.
• It comes with a manual on the “Guide to Dehydration and Preserving It Naturally”
• The dehydrator has a 110 Voltage and 600 Watts to efficiently dry your dehydrated foods without consuming much power.
• It also has an adjustable timer and shut off mechanism to provide you the time to attend to other things while also drying at the same time.
• With an adjustable hyper wave thermostat, it fine tunes the heat to eliminate over- or under-drying.
• The patented horizontal parallex drying system heats and dries all trays evenly.
• This is a large capacity dehydrator that is NSF approved and built for heavy duty use.
• It features a stainless steel interior and exterior construction to make it last as long as possible.
• Better still, it dries food without affecting the quality of your food using its equally adjustable thermostat. It also has a two-temperature and two-time options whereby one can be set to the highest temperature possible and the other the lowest and both will shut off automatically at the same time.
• A very transparent window permits you to monitor drying easily without any interference of the process through repeated opening and closure of the dehydrator.
• It comes with a ten-year limited warranty to ensure that you enjoy the product till its fullest.

This dehydrator is certainly in a class of its own when it comes to allowing easy and effective drying in commercial quantities. If you want to make this a part of your kitchen appliance, click this link to be taken to the Amazon page where you can learn more and also make your order.

3. 10 Layers Commercial Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator (with 1000W professional adjustable temperature control, glass window and free recipes)

This dehydrator is something any business owner would love. It is spacious enough and can work fast to dry your foods in no time.

Features

• With about ten drying trays, you must agree that it can process different types of food items without any complaints.
• The dehydrator is silent and so you can trust that you can use it without causing any noise pollution.
• The racks and trays are totally dishwasher safe. You can use a wet cloth to clean the housing easily.
• Added to the 10 trays, there is 1 drip tray and 1 professional recipe book which includes 67 kinds of food drying method.
• This food dehydrator machine provides a large space. You can adjust the distance between the trays as needed to maximize space usage.
• For even drying, it has a rear-mounted fan that facilitates horizontal airflow which guarantees efficiency.
• Its components are mostly made of hardened stainless steel that accords it unrivalled durability and ease of cleaning.
• The glass window on the door is convenient for you to track the progress of drying.
• The time range of the food dryer is 0~24 hours and the temperature range is 30℃/ 86℉ to 90℃/ 194℉. You can press the “Temp” button for 3s to switch the temp unit between ℉ and ℃. which can meet your needs for a long time or different Temp to make different food.
• This dehydrator also has a LED smart operation panel which you can use to control all its functions while in use and with ease.

If this is the dehydrator you need, head over to this link to be taken to the Amazon page where you can read more and see users reviews before making your purchase.

4. JAYETEC Commercial Stainless Steel Dehydrator (with 6 stainless steel trays and adjustable thermostat)

This commercial dehydrator, like all others of distinction, is a must-have for restaurants, hotels and even homes with large families. It doesn’t occupy much space, yet it dries foods very efficiently.

Features

• It comes provided with several trays to allow for drying various food items at the same time. 6 BPA free, trays that are removable if necessary to increase the height needed to dehydrate bulky items or raise doughs. The tray size is 11″ x 15″ each and this provides plenty of room to get creative while drying.
• There is a rear-mounted fan to ensure that hot air circulates for even drying.
• It comes with 630W of heating power to dry food evenly from all angles.
• The door is clear and transparent so the foods inside are visible at all times.
• It also has a glass door for observations without interference in the drying process.
• The adjustable thermostat assists you to choose desired temperatures of drying any kind of food. You can choose drying temperatures from 95º F to 158º F, anyone that suits what you need at the moment.
• Best of all, it is ETL certified which attests to its reliability in efficiency and durability.

This dehydrator is certainly a good buy for all your business concerns. If you want to get this particular food dehydrator, click this link to be taken to the page on Amazon where you can find more information on the product, read users reviews and make your own order.

5. Samson-Silent 10 Tray Stainless Steel Dehydrator (with digital controls and glass door)

If you love to work in a quiet environment and still be super productive, this commercial food dehydrator is for you. Also, if you hate the buzzing sound of any kitchen appliance when in use, this particular one would fit you best.

Features

• The machine is an all stainless steel dehydrator.
• It has a glass door to aid you in monitoring the foods.
• With 10 stainless trays, 10 BPA-free mesh liners and BPA-Free drip tray, you are sure of getting the best from this.
• As the name implies, this dehydrator operates with little or no noise at all. This is best if you do not like to have machines that make the place feel and sound busy all the time.
• It is equipped with a glass door for easy monitoring of drying in progress.
• The temperature range is 8 Settings from 95 F – 167 F. The timer range is 0:30 Minutes to 19:30 Hours.
• It gives easy access to controls and has a digital control panel (5 buttons) with LCD that makes it easy to use the power ON/OFF.
• The trays can be moved or removed to create space for dehydrating larger items.
• You are guaranteed UL certified manufacturer’s 5-year warranty on the motor, fan, heater and control panel
• It also has a temperature range of about eight settings to enable you to choose depending on what you plan to dehydrate.
• This dehydrator is, like most others, certified for its quality and distinction by ETL, a regulatory authority concerned with electric appliances and their safety.

This commercial food dehydrator can be purchased through this link. It takes you straight to the Amazon page where you would find more about the product.

6. STX-DEH-1200W-XLS Commercial Food Dehydrator (with 10 trays, 1200 Watts, jerky safe and 15 hour timer)

This commercial food dehydrator is on another cool level when it comes to giving you the best drying experience. It is strong, has digital features that make the whole drying process as easy and convenient as possible. The machine is just what any restaurant needs, or anyone who would require huge drying processes.

Features

• Durability is more than assured especially as this dehydrator is made up of hardened stainless steel that resists corrosion.
• It has an LCD screen for easy observation. The seven preset temperatures enable you to dry different kinds of materials to your satisfaction.
•  It is commonly referred to as a Horizontal Air-Flow Food Dehydrator as it is powered by a rear-mounted motor with a 7 inch fan blade that blows the hot air towards all of the food you are drying on the racks.
• The STX “Dehydrating Made Easy” Cookbook (CD/PDF Format) is also included. This Cookbook is loaded with 126 Pages of over 270 dehydrating recipes, general drying temperatures, shelf life comparisons, food drying guide, a list of what is in season during the year, and recipes on how to make/dehydrate a whole lot of goodies using the machine.
• It comes with a stainless steel drip tray that slides into the bottom of the front drying section with ease.
• Most admirably, this dehydrator is supplied with a twelve-month after-sales warranty for your protection.
• It has a power rating of over 1200 Watts that makes it suitable for drying practically any sort of food item. With 7 Preset heat temperatures that range from 97 °F to 165 °F (36 °C to 74 °C), you are sure to get good drying experience.

Head over to this link to see the product on Amazon and find out more about it before placing your order.

Other Options

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can often find used industrial food dehydrators for sale on marketplaces and physical auction houses around the US.

Conclusion

Drying of food items for commercial purposes can be made much more fun and beneficial with the multitude of dehydrators that come fully equipped to satisfy your every need. Simply identify what you want them to accomplish and go for your choice. This is made easier since reliable products and their component parts are readily available with a customer-friendly warranty and guarantee terms at affordable prices.

Feel free to follow the guide here to make the perfect choice when choosing your dehydrator for business; or simply pick one out of the ones reviewed here and be sure to get guaranteed satisfaction. The products were carefully selected and they hit the mark when it comes to delivering the best and satisfactory drying experience for any business owner.

If you are looking to buy portable mini dehydrators for your own personal use, click this link to read all about How To Choose The Best Food Dehydrator For Home Use In 2024