If you have ever use a food dehydrator then you must be aware of its procedure of dehydrating food items and the same procedure is followed in a commercial food dehydrator.
But for more clarification, we will define you the meaning of commercial food dehydrator in general.
A commercial food dehydrator is basically had bigger capacity, high power as well as wattage for drying out large quantities of food. The number of trays in such dehydrators is also more because these appliances are manufactured to be used commercially in some business related to the food industry.
Well, As the awareness and demand of the dehydrated fruits and vegetables have grown in the market, the requirement of commercial food dehydrators has also grown. These appliances also offer the best solution to the growing business of dehydrated foods.
Comparison Chart of Best Commercial Food Dehydrators
The following are the reviews of top five commercial food dehydrators which are available in the market:
| Serial No | Product Image | Product Name | Temp Range (°F) | Wattage (watts) | Trays | Air Flow | Thermostat | Timer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   | Tribest Sedona Commercial Digital Food Dehydrator | 77-167 | 470 | 11 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 2 |   | COOLERDEPOT 30 tray commercial Dehydrator | 86 - 212 | 2400 | 30 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 3 |   | STX International Commercial Stainless Steel Digital Food Dehydrator | 97-165 | 1200 | 10 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 4 |   | Magic Mill Commercial Food Dehydrator | 95-167 | 1000 | 10 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 5 |   | CO-Z Commercial Grade Stainless Steel Electric Food Dehydrator Machine | 95-155 | 1000 | 10 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 6 |   | ChefWave 10 Tray Food Dehydrator Machine | 95-167 | 1000 | 10 | 360 degrees | Yes | Yes |
| 7 |   | VVinRC Commercial Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator | 86-194 | 1000 | 10 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 8 |   | Proctor Silex Commercial 78450 Food Dehydrator | 95-155 | 1200 | 10 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 9 |   | Weston 28-0501-W Food Dehydrator | 50 to 160 | 1600 | 24 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
| 10 |   | TSM Commercial Grade Stainless Steel D-20 Digital Touch Screen Food Dehydrator | upto 180 | N/A | 20 | Horizontal | Yes | Yes |
Table of Contents
Types of Commercial Food Dehydrators
Before proceeding further into the article, first of all, let’s discuss that how many types of commercial food dehydrators are there in the market.
There are generally 2 kinds of commercial food dehydrators which are obtainable in the market i.e. Electric Dehydrators as well as Solar Powered Dehydrators.
Both of them possess diverse sources of energy but their function is just similar which is to eradicate the content of the water from the food items so that it can be preserved for longer time period. The elimination of water restrains the development of bacteria inside the food and stops it from getting decay.
In What Way Commercial Dehydrators Function?
As you know that commercial food dehydrator is not much different from the normal dehydrator and in fact their functioning is also quite similar.
The entire working of a commercial food dehydrator is quite simple. There are a timer and an automatic thermostat that lets you alter the settings of the appliance according to your requirements. You just have to place the food uniformly over the trays and put them inside the dehydrators after getting assured that all the settings have been done accurately for the even heat distribution.
The general constituent of these commercial food dehydrators consists of the heating components, air ventilation, and cooling fans. All of these work together during the process of food dehydration. The heating component helps in heating the food so that excess moisture can be taken out. After this, the warm dampness is propelled away with the help of cooling fans. This entire process continues until the content of the water in food gets considerably lowered for the purpose of preservation.
You must know that the drying temperature varies according to the category and quality of the food. For instance, more temperature is needed to convert the meat into jerky, whereas peaches could be dehydrated in lesser time as well as temperature.
The optimum balance between air circulation, time and temperature is the only key for the perfect dehydration of the food in the commercial food dehydrator.
Who Can Get Benefit from the Commercial Food Dehydrators?
You must be wondering what type of people should use these commercial food dehydrators.
Well, the answer is simple. Any person who wants to dry out the food regularly and also in bulk quantities may use the commercial food dehydrators. These food dehydrators have a larger capacity and it may consist of around 42 trays in some models.
Some of them also even originate with a double zone model for drying out the 2 different kinds of foods rendering to their conflicting requirements. The capacity or the number of trays in such dehydrators can also be increased or decreased as per the need of the business.
For example, a restaurateur can preserve seasonal fruits, herbs, vegetables, and meat in bulk quantities in this way.
Commercial food dehydrators are also a kind of blessing for large size families who usually have to face the problem of lack of food abundance. They can dehydrate the ingredients of the food in advance so that the lavish meals can be prepared at any time.
These appliances can also be perfect for the hunters who remain on the expedition for a longer time period. They can carry dehydrated food in bulk along with them so that their survival becomes easy in the worse conditions.
Preserving the dried foods in large quantities also helps the household ladies to save lots of money which they might have to spend in buying from the market.
Things to Consider While Buying a Commercial Food Dehydrator
When you make a decision to purchase a food dehydrator, you have to decide several things in advance such as how large the appliance must be, and what will be the price that can be afforded. However, commercial food dehydrators are available at different sizes and prices.
The below we will talk about certain important things that cannot be ignored while buying a commercial food dehydrator:
1. Warranty
The different types of brands of food dehydrators originate with dissimilar years of the warranty period i.e. from 1 year to 10 years. Actually, the different parts of the appliance brand may have separate warranties. Therefore, it will be very beneficial if you gather all the relevant information about them in advance from the manufacturer. The length of the warranty period also matters a lot. So, you should also check out this.
Though we want that you never have to avail this warranty period service and your product works efficiently in the future. Nonetheless, when you are getting some benefits, it is always advisable to select the best option which is obtainable.
2. Trustworthiness of the Brand
The expenses which are levied on buying a commercial food dehydrator must be done with great care and thought by clearing your doubt over their worth and practicality. You should be assured that the brand whose product you are buying should possess a credible and a good status in the market.
There are always few brands which may be popular but they have received bad reviews due to their poor after-sales service. Some of the brands which may offer costly products but provide quality customer service can be considered.
3. Better Control Over the Appliance
It will be advantageous to buy a commercial dehydrator which offers you more control on it. Are you thinking that how is that possible?
Well! When you can regulate the temperature through the regulator then you get the complete controls of the heat inside the appliance. A timer also plays a significant role which generally exists in all kinds of food dehydrators.
4. Power Usage
One more thing which needs to be considered while buying a commercial food dehydrator is the amount of electricity which the appliance will consume. In a regular food dehydrator which is destined for the domestic use, 500 – 800 Watts of the power is sufficient.
On the other hand, if you aim to use your appliance on a bigger scale, the high power appliance is required for the good dehydration procedure.
List of Additional Accessories for the Commercial Dehydrator
After buying a commercial dehydrator, it is completely your personal choice that whether you want to stay gratified with it or wants to enhance your experience more. For getting additional innovative benefits of this appliance, you just have to do small extra investments for buying certain very cool accessories.
Are you thinking that we are talking about the regular guidebook which comes with your commercial food dehydrator?
No, here we are discussing the pioneering and auxiliary accessories that you can buy from the market for increasing the overall outcome of the food dehydration.
The following is the list of the accessories for the Commercial Dehydrator:
1# Recipe Books
Recipe books are easily available in the market by diverse commercial food dehydrator brands. These books state you the step-by-step guidelines not only related to the process of dehydration of different kinds of fruits and vegetables but also how you can make delicious recipes in very less time.
2# Polyscreen Tray Inserts
Polyscreen Tray Inserts are made up of very flexible material that needs to be installed on the trays as you dry out your food. These accessories save the food items from getting stuck over the steel trays of the commercial food dehydrator.
You may also make a roll of these trays for making a perfect fruit’s roll ups. This accessory basically benefits you in keeping your appliance clean from the dipping as well as sticking of the food. It can also be easily clean without any stress.
3# Vacuum bags and containers
There are numerous companies which have launched the vacuum bags and containers in the market which are prepared specially for storing the dried items. These accessories are available in diverse sizes.
Vacuum bags can certainly be a more appropriate option than the normal plastic bags for the storage purposes because in vacuum containers the moisture does not get reabsorbed by the food and thus save it from getting spoiled.
4# Non-stick dehydrating sheets
One more convenient way to dry out your food is in the pureed form. You just have to pour the entire liquid (for example yogurt) and leave for dehydration over the non-stick trays. These non-stick trays are manufactured from the silicon material. It can also be used for the baking purposes. The cleaning process of these accessories is also quite easy.
5# Herb sniper scissors
Herb sniper scissors are one of the secondary accessories which help you in drying the herbs effortlessly by taking out the herb from its stems before placing them in the commercial food dehydrator. The herbs can be crumbled or sliced off when you are required to store them.
Reviews of Best Commercial Dehydrators
Below are the reviews of the three best commercial food dehydrators that we have picked after doing an extensive study and research:
1) Tribest Sedona Commercial Digital Food Dehydrator
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It is a compact size commercial food dehydrator that comes with 11 drying trays. You can adjust its temperature between 77 degrees F to 167 degrees F as per the food you want to dehydrate. The timer and temperature controller located at the unit’s front side for stress-free operation.
There is a two-stage sequential timer and temperature feature in the product that begins the drying process instantly at high temperature and then decreases it at the time of finishing for perfect food drying.
Moreover, you can continuously dehydrate the food up to 99 hours at one time. With the help of the internal LED light and the transparent glass door, you can quickly check the drying status of your food.
Pros
- The two stages sequential timer and temperature let you pre-set the drying temperature during the dehydrating process
- You can continuously dehydrate in the machine for 99 hours
- The food does not get overheated owing to the feature of overheat protection
- You get long 10 years warranty period with the unit
- You can easily watch the drying process through the glass hinged door and the internal LED light
- All the controls of the unit are digital and located on the front side
Cons
- The timer displays the time only in hours
- The instruction manual is not so informative and helpful
2) STX International Commercial Stainless Steel Digital Food Dehydrator
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It is an extra-large stainless steel commercial food dehydrator that comes with the ten stainless steel racks. The wattage power of the unit is 1200 watts along with the seven pre-set temperatures. Moreover, you can adjust the temperature of the machine between 97 degrees F to 165 degrees F.
With the help of the rear-mounted fan and motor; the air flows horizontally in the machine for the even drying of the entire food. You also get a stainless steel drip tray with the machine which you can put at the bottom section.
There is a 15 hours timer also which helps you in drying the food with more perfection. Its control panel is digital that comprise of time setting, seven pre-set temperatures, LCD, and up-down buttons along with the drying guide.
Pros
- It comes with the large capacity to serve lots of people at one time
- Its components made from a stainless steel material that is easy to clean and maintain
- The looks of the machine are stylish and professional
- You can easily reassemble or disassemble as per your need
- There is a digital control panel in the unit for easy access
- You get a 12 hours shut off timer in it that makes the unit shut down automatically as soon as the drying process completes
- It has a high wattage power capacity which is useful for drying hard foods like meat or jerky
Cons
- The trays in the machine are bit small in size
- The edges of the unit are sharp which can result in cuts or abrasions after becoming rough
- It creates lots of noise during the process of drying
3) Magic Mill Commercial Food Dehydrator
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It is a BPA free commercial food dehydrator in which you can make healthy recipes and snacks. You can set the temperature of the machine within the range of 95 degrees F to 167 degrees F through its control panel and pre-set adjustable temperature control feature.
Moreover, a 24 hours timer also provided in the unit for more accurate and even food drying. The air flows horizontally in the machine with the rear-mounted fan and motor for more even food dehydration. You get ten stainless steel and spacious trays along with the 1 set of oven mitts, five non-stick trays, and five plastic fine mesh trays for drying a wide variety of food. There is no need to rotate the shelves at all. You can check the progress of the food drying through the unit’s transparent door.
Pros
- It offers enormous drying capacity for dehydrating a variety of food
- You can remove the trays for accommodating big size food items
- The transparent door helps you in keeping an eye on the drying process
- You can pre-set the temperature as per the food you are dehydrating
- The machine shut down automatically as soon as the timer gets off
- The trays are made from stainless steel material
- You can easily reach the control panel located on the unit’s front side
- The drip tray lets you keep the unit clean at the bottom
- It runs silently while drying the food
Cons
- There is no inner backlighting
- You cannot expand it
- There is no cookbook included in it
- You get a short warranty period benefit with it
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I get a drip pan along with the commercial food?
I think you are a new user of this appliance. For your information, the accessories are not provided along with the dehydrator. If a person needs them, then he/she have to buy it additionally from the market.
Q: I am a new user of the commercial food dehydrator. Please let me know that what wattage capacity appliance I should buy?
The wattage capacity totally varies in all the food dehydrators. You have to be clear that whether you want to use this product for drying out subtle food items or for hard ones. The more will be the wattage, the more will be the heating effect on the food in very less time.
Q: For what purposes a commercial food dehydrator is used?
A commercial food dehydrator is also used for drying out the food by eliminating the water content from it. Such type of dehydrators is used in the big eating places like restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, etc. It can also be used in the homes that have big size families.
Q: Does the commercial food dehydrator consume more energy a than the ordinary food dehydrator?
The consumption of the energy totally depends on the time period of the usage and the wattage capacity of the appliance. People who buy this product usually want to use it for larger scale business and its running cost does not affect them at all.
Q: Does the commercial food dehydrator similar to the ordinary food dehydrator?
Yes, both food dehydrators have the similar functioning process and they both offer the delicious and healthy dried food items to the user. The only difference between the two is the size and the power. Commercial food dehydrators are designed in such a way that it can be used in places like restaurants, hotels, etc but regular food dehydrator is meant for the household uses.
Q: Will I get the shut-off timer in such appliances?
Yes, you will get the shut-off timer in the appliance if it is mentioned in the product’s specifications over the shopping website.
Q: Does all the commercial food dehydrators are approved by the UL, CSA, and NSF?
The approval also varies from the company to company and model to model. If it is approved by such food governing authorities, then it will offer you a sense of relief while using such huge appliances.
Q: Does such food dehydrators consisted of the plastic parts or the stainless ones?
Normally, a maximum number of commercial food dehydrators comprises of stainless steel parts which offer a long and durable usage to the user.
Q: Is there any specific temperature range which a commercial food dehydrator must possess?
No, there is no such specific range of temperature which such appliances should possess. But you must check the temperature range in the product’s specification before buying it from the online shopping websites.
Q: Can I replace the racks or shelves of my appliance?
For your this query you have to contact the manufacturer of the food dehydrator. If they can replace it, then you ask them to do that.
Q: I think the commercial food dehydrator is very warm for drying out the delicate food items like herbs or spices. Does it so?
You can dry out the delicate foodstuffs in this appliance by adjusting the temperature as per the requirement. If you have not set the temperature accurately, then it may over-dry your food item.
Q: I have a small family of three members. Can I Buy a commercial food dehydrator for us?
As you told that you have a small size family, then it will not be advisable to buy a commercial food dehydrator. A commercial food dehydrator is meant for the large size families who need large quantities of food. You can buy ordinary food dehydrator that will solve your purpose perfectly.
Q: How many types of commercial food dehydrators that are available in the market?
There are basically two types of commercial food dehydrators that you can get from the market i.e. electric dehydrators and solar powered dehydrators. Both of them have the same function of operating. The only difference between the two is the source of energy which they utilize for drying out the food.
Q: I want to dry out two different types of foods in a commercial food dehydrator. Will that be possible in this appliance?
Yes, you can dry out two diverse kinds of food items in this appliance. In some models, a dual zone is provided which adequately dry out the two categories of food at the single point of time.
Q: Are the commercial food dehydrators costly than the ordinary food dehydrators?
Commercial food dehydrators are little expensive than the ordinary ones owing to the size it offers and a large number of trays. But its price is feasible as per the features and the benefits it offers.
Conclusion
A commercial food dehydrator is definitely originated as a blessing for the businesses related to the food industry. It is also great for the people who like to visit the restaurants for grabbing some delicious and healthy foodstuffs.
These appliances are available in all sizes as per your requirement. You just have to decide that which model suits you the best. We are sure that once you buy this amazing appliance for your business or for big size family, you will undeniably get mesmerized with its outcomes.
As you know people have become more health conscious nowadays and they want to consume only healthy foodstuffs even when outside their homes. There are numerous restaurateurs who have expanded their business with these remarkable appliances and now it’s your turn!
All the above reviews of the best commercial food dehydrators will help you in taking a wise decision regarding the purchase.
We will be very happy if you share your helpful thoughts along with the comments here! Please let us know that whether these Commercial Dehydrator Reviews useful to you?
Hi,
I like your blog, however, these dehydrators you have listed are not commercial units. For example, when making beef jerky it has been scientifically proven that a lethality cycle is needed to kill off bacteria before the dehydration cycle can begin. None of these dehydrators listed on your site can do this can’t do this. Thank you!
Best regards,
Paul Soucy
I was going to make the same statement. Department of Agriculture wants 165 degrees minimum. Great that these dehydrators are NSF certified, but none of them have high enough temps.
Hi Paul,
Can you please tell me where to look to find the best commercial and small dehydrators please?
Many thanks,
Mario