While selecting a food dehydrators, there are so many things that we consider including the shapes. The general shapes of the dehydrator are square and round. The drying process of the machine is not so much affected by its shape, but still, few things set them apart from each other. The objective of both shapes is to offer dehydrated food in very less time and in a most convenient way than the other drying methods.
The selection of the correct shape of the dehydrator might also benefit in better preservation of the food while storing for the long term. Many people are not still aware of the square and round shape design of the dehydrator. Thus, we think that it is essential to outline the dissimilarity between square vs. round dehydrators so that you can decide easily which one is beneficial for you.
Square Food Dehydrator
There are so many food dehydrators that come with the square shape and square trays like Excalibur food dehydrators.
Advantages of the Square Food Dehydrators
The below are few benefits of the square food dehydrators:
- Fans in the rear
The main benefit of the square food dehydrators is that the fan and the motor located at the back side for horizontal flow of the air. It helps in providing a similar temperature on every single tray across the entire food either inside or outside. Moreover, it results in quick and uniform drying of the dried food.
- Full dehydration space
You get full space for drying food on the tray of the square dehydrators as there is no hole in the center. The trays also offer ample space for drying a considerable amount of food in one time.
- Fit snugly
The square-shaped dehydrators fit securely in the cabinets. It does not matter whether you have a small or large kitchen; they get to fit comfortably in any kitchen design without wasting or improper utilization of any space.
- Ideal for jerky
These dehydrators are ideal for dehydrating the strips of the meat for making jerky. You may also prepare long pieces of any other kind of meat in it in very less period.
- Stress-free food placement
It is quite easy to arrange food on every single tray of the square dehydrator. There is no need for cutting the food from any of the sides so that it easily fits inside the machine.
- Large size
The square food dehydrators possess large size for drying food in comparison to the round dehydrators. The square trays offer a huge amount of space for drying food of any size.
- No monitoring
One more advantage of square dehydrators is that you do not have to monitor the entire dehydration process of the food. You can assure that the whole food will be dehydrated perfectly uniformly on all the trays of the machine.
- Robust construction
The maximum models of square dehydrators have robust construction. The material used in their external body is of stainless steel that has a longer life.
Disadvantages of the Square Food Dehydrators
Below are a few disadvantages of square food dehydrators:
- Requires high power
Most of the square dehydrators need high power for drying food. It means that this might affect your monthly bills also.
- Expensive machines
In comparison to the round food dehydrators, the square dehydrators are costly to buy. You might have to incur more money to get them from the market.
- Cannot be expanded
You cannot expand most of the square dehydrators for drying big size food. They mostly fixed in size.
Round Dehydrator Trays
The round food dehydrators are intended for stacking. Specific good famous examples of the round dehydrators are Nesco food dehydrators. It also has some advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of the Round Food Dehydrators
Below are the benefits of round food dehydrators:
- Right size for drying
They offer the right size for drying food. It easily matches the needs of the small family that needs dried food in fewer amounts.
- Energy efficient
The round dehydrators are more energy efficient as they run on less power wattage for drying in comparison to the square dehydrators. They do not have any impact on your pocket.
- Easily fit in the kitchen
These machines get easily fit on the kitchen counter. Their round stacking trays fit on the fan and heater located at the bottom
- Sleek and compact design
The sleek and compact design of the round dehydrators is appealingly attractive to certain people, particularly for all those people love to place their dehydrator over the kitchen shelf all the time.
- Budget-friendly
They are budget-friendly in comparison to the square dehydrators. So, you can buy them without any worry if you are a beginner for dehydration.
- Utilize the required trays
These machines utilize only that number of trays that you needed for drying food. They use their full capacity along with a similar amount of power.
Disadvantages of the Round Food Dehydrators
Below are a few disadvantages of round food dehydrators:
- Extra Warmer lower trays
The lower trays of the round dehydrators are extra warmer than the square dehydrators. It is mainly due to the location of the heater at the bottom that makes the food near to them dries faster.
- Keep an eye on the drying process
You have to keep an eye on the food drying in the machine for the uniform dehydration. Moreover, it needed the rotation of the trays during the process of drying food.
- Longer time
Since the rotation of trays required during the dehydration, the drying time for food also gets extended. It means that the food needs more time for uniform drying.
- Loss of space
One more problem with these round dehydrators is that there is a hole in the center of the trays on which you cannot place the food for drying. It means this result in the loss of the usable dehydration space.
- Heater at bottom
These dehydrators have a heater at the bottom. The entire heat comes from a single source, and it has to make its way up gradually.
- Improper long pieces of drying
The round dehydrators with the round trays are not perfect for dehydrating long slices of the food. You might need to cut the long pieces into the smaller pieces so that they get easily fit near to the tray’s edges.
- Less drying surface area
The round dehydrators have less surface area for drying and placing food in comparison to the square dehydrators possessing a similar width.
Which type of food dehydrator (square vs. round) should use while making meat jerky?
While preparing the meat jerky, you should use the square shaped dehydrator as it will circulate the air uniformly for producing the constant drying temperature. If the jerky does not achieve the optimal temperature for drying or if there is lots of humidity in the machine then, it will make the jerky unsafe to consume as the microbes or bacteria will start growing in it.
The fans as well as the heating elements in the square dehydrators located at the rear side of these machines that offer even distribution of the heat and air all the time. It benefits in making perfect yummy meat jerky in the end.
While comparing square vs. round dehydrators, which food dehydrator should use for making healthy snacks like dried veggies or dried fruits?
The square food dehydrators should use for preparing healthy snacks like dried veggies, fruit roll-ups or dried fruits. These machines provide constant and even drying on all the trays.
If using the round dehydrators then, you can see that veggies and fruits dehydrated them might be crispy from outside but will remain moist from inside which is unsafe to store and consumption. You will not get the desired results from this shape of the food dehydrator.
Conclusion
Buying the right shape of food dehydrators is quite essential because investing in these machines cannot be done daily. While comparing the square vs. round dehydrators for buying, you should look for the one that perfectly fulfills all your requirements and also comes at a reasonable price. Different people have a different opinion regarding the round and square shaped dehydrators.
According to our opinion, the square dehydrators have the upper hand over the round dehydrators in terms of space utilization. The whole tray of these machine used for drying food without any empty spaces. They need very less space in your kitchen. On the other hand, some people prefer to but round dehydrators because of their elegant looks and low price.
So, now you have to decide which food dehydrator, i.e., either square dehydrator or round dehydrator you want to buy. You should pick the one that matches your kitchen size and budget too as that can only be the best choice for you.
Have you got a square dehydrator or a round dehydrator at your home? Are there any more benefits that they are offering besides the above one? Please let us know your thoughts in the below comment box.
Reference
https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/round-vs-square-dehydrators.544137/
https://www.healwithfood.org/dehydrator-review/rectangular-square-dehydrator-fan-in-back.php