When it comes to dehydrating foods, we often try to dehydrate foods that are not only healthy, but also useful in different recipes. Mushrooms are great for dehydration as you an use them in a number of recipes fro soups to salads and much more.
Do you know how mushrooms are good for our health?
Well! There are lot of nutrients that we get from dehydrated mushrooms along with fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Besides this, mushrooms have a high level of niacin which benefits in lowering of cholesterol. You can add dried mushrooms to different dishes for combining flavors and enhancing the taste of the dish.
Comparison Chart of Best Mushroom Dehydrator
| Serial No | Product Name | Temp Range | Watts | No of Trays | Timer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excalibur 3926TB | 105◦F to 165◦F | 600W | 9 to NA | Yes; 26 Hour |
| 2 | Presto 06301 | 90ºF to 165ºF | 750 watts | 6 to 12 | Digital timer |
| 3 | Aroma Housewares Professional | 95°F to 155°F | 300 watts | 6 to NA | No |
| 4 | Nesco FD-75A | 95ºF to 160ºF | 600 watts | 5 to 12 | No |
Are you wondering how you can dehydrate mushrooms?
One of the most accessible methods to dry mushrooms by using a food dehydrator. if you check online, you will find that there are many food dehydrators available for drying mushrooms and other vegetables. It can be a little difficult to find the best dehydrator to suit your budget and requirements.
Well, to help you in finding the best dehydrator for mushrooms, we have prepared the below article in which we have written about the top 10 best dehydrators for mushrooms. We will review our top 3 picks and for the rest of the product reviews, you can browse through our website.
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Important Things to Consider While Buying Dehydrator for Mushrooms
If you are buying a dehydrator especially for drying mushrooms, then you cannot pick just any regular food dehydrator. There are few things which you should keep in mind while purchasing the best dehydrator for drying mushrooms so that you get the best value for money. Here are some points you should consider before making the purchase
1) Space between the trays For drying mushrooms, you do not need much space in between the shelves. The mushrooms have to be thinly sliced so that you can quickly place the slices on any size of the trays. It does not matter if your dehydrator comes with five trays or nine trays. Make sure the space available between the shelves is adequate so that the heat inside the machine reaches every area.
2) Timer It is essential that your dehydrator has a timer in it for drying mushrooms. It takes six to eight hours to completely dehydrate the mushrooms. When you have an inbuilt timer on your machine, it will shut down as soon as the drying process is over. You can set the time on the timer as per the requirement of the recipe.
3) Temperature Range The adjustable thermostat feature is a must in a dehydrator for mushrooms. Some food dryers come with a fixed temperature that cannot be changed. But, for drying mushrooms, the ideal drying method is to have an adjustable thermostat feature. Some people like crispy mushrooms a some like soft ones, so if you can change the temperatures while dehydrating mushrooms, you can get the required textures.
4) Transparent door Try to pick a dehydrator for mushrooms that has a transparent door. It will help you in viewing the progress of dehydration without opening the main door. Without a transparent door, you might need to open the dehydrator multiple times to check on the progress of dehydration of the mushrooms which can add to the total dehydration time.
5) Placement of the fan There are different positions of the fan in different dehydrators like the bottom, top, and back. The best location according to us for drying mushrooms is the backside. It helps in evenly blowing the hot air all over the trays.
Reviews of Top 3 Best Mushrooms Food Dehydrators
In the above comparison chart, we have provided you the list of 10 best dehydrators for mushrooms. But in this section, we will review our top three picks that you can consider for your kitchen.
1. Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator
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The first name on our list of the best dehydrator for mushrooms is Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator. Excalibur is a well-known brand that is famous for manufacturing high-quality household appliances.
Similarly, this food dehydrator is an excellent product in which you can dehydrate mushrooms. The dehydrator offers drying space of nine trays on which you can dry a significant amount of mushrooms in a single session.
The best part about this product is that it has an inbuilt timer and an adjustable thermostat that allows you to dry the mushrooms as per the temperature and the time you set.
Pros
- It gives you an ample space of 15 square feet for drying food
- You can use it efficiently with features like adjustable thermostat and 26-hour timer
- It offers 600 watts of drying power
- The 7 inch fan also helps in quickly drying the mushrooms
- It has the Parallex Horizontal Airflow which does not need the rotation of the tray at all
- You get one flexible poly-screen tray insert along with the product that stops your food from getting a stuck to the trays
- It has an adjustable thermostat that ranges between 105°F to 165°F which lets you dry any type of food including mushrooms very quickly
- You can remove the trays from the machine for increasing its height while drying any bulky item
2. Gourmia GFD1950 Digital Food Dehydrator
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The next name on our list is the Gourmia GFD1950 Digital Food Dehydrator. It comes with nine large trays that allow you to dehydrate lot of mushrooms in one batch. If you dehydrate food in bulk, you will love the capacity offered by this dehydrator
The dehydrator comes with a digital temperature control that ranges between 95º F (35C) to 158º F (70C). You just need to set the temperature and leave the rest on this fantastic machine.
It also has a transparent door that lets you check the status of your drying mushrooms whenever you want.
Pros
- The body of the machine is made from the ABS and BPA free plastic
- It comprises of 360˚ air-flow movement system that is controlled electronically for better drying
- It comes with the eight settings of preset temperatures that allow you to set the heat between 95 degrees F to 158 degrees F
- You can add or remove the trays of the unit as per your need
- Its quality, safety, and efficiency are verified by the ETL
- It runs on the high power wattage of 600 watts which allows you to dehydrate your mushrooms quickly
- You get a cookbook along with the dehydrator
- It does not make any noise while drying any food
- You can clean the trays easily with a wet cloth and soapy water
- You can the status of your food through the transparent door
- It comes with the 19.5 hours timer which is inbuilt in the dryer
3. Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator
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The Presto 06301 food dehydrator is a digital appliance that offers outstanding performance while drying mushrooms. This machine is easy to use and it is highly efficient for drying any kind of food, especially mushrooms.
The manufacturer offers jerky spice and cure along with the dehydrator so that you can cook delicious jerky in this machine. The highlight of this product is that it has the feature of adjustable thermostat which ranges between 90 degrees F to 165 degrees F that allows you to dry your mushrooms properly.
The fan is located in the bottom section of the dryer so that the all the food on all the trays gets even airflow. It comes with the six shelves initially, but you can add six more shelves if needed. The trays of the unit are dishwasher safe and you can clean it quickly.
Pros
- It offers you an ample amount of space for drying mushrooms, and you can add six more trays for increasing the drying space
- You can use the dehydrator efficiently with features like timer and adjustable thermostat
- It has the power wattage of 750 watts which let you dehydrate the mushrooms in very less time
- It comprises of vertical air flow system that helps in drying the food evenly on all the trays and from all sides
- It requires very less amount of space on the countertop of your kitchen
- The inner body of the product made from the BPA free plastic material that produces no toxins at the time of food drying
- You get additional accessories like two fruit roll sheets and two nonstick mesh screens trays
- There is no need for tray rotation in the machine as heat is dispersed evenly on all the trays
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
While looking for the best dehydrator for mushrooms, there are lots of questions which arise in our mind of potential buyers. Here, we will answer some of the frequently asked questions so that you can make a wise buying decision.
Q: Hi, I have just purchased the dehydrator for mushrooms. Can you please tell me that at what temperature I should dehydrate them?
Usually, all the good branded food dehydrators will provide you a booklet in which they mention the specific temperatures required for drying a particular food. But if you don’t have such guidebook, you can try dehydrating the mushrooms at the temperature of 100 degrees F. You should keep checking the status of your dried mushrooms if you are drying it for the first time.
Q: Are there any necessary steps that I need to follow before drying the mushrooms in the dehydrator?
You need to wash the mushrooms properly for removing the dirt. A mushroom is grown in complete soil and with fertilizers, and it is crucial that you wash them off before drying. Then, you should slice them in the small size of ¼ to ½ inch thickness. It gives them a right texture and taste after drying. Now, evenly spread the slices on the trays of your dehydrator for drying. Remember they should not be placed on top of each other as it can result in uneven drying.
Q: I have recently purchased a square-shaped food dryer that has a fan located on the backside. So, does it need tray rotation at the time of drying mushrooms?
The food dehydrators in which the fan located at the back do not require any rotation of the trays. Such machines are capable enough of efficient drying. However, if you still find some issue of uneven drying then, the best idea will be to switch the trays.
Q: Is it possible to clean the dehydrator which I use for drying mushrooms?
Yes, you can quickly clean the food dehydrator which you have used for drying mushrooms. You can use a wet cloth and some soapy water for cleaning the inner section of the unit. Sometimes, the trays are dishwasher safe so you can wash them in the dishwasher easily. But always remember that don’t put any part of the dehydrator directly inside the machine until it is mentioned that all the elements of the unit are dishwasher safe.
Q: I want to buy a budget-friendly food dehydrator for drying mushrooms. Is it necessary to have a timer on the machine?
It is not mandatory that you buy a food dehydrator with a timer for drying mushrooms. The inbuilt timer benefits you by drying the mushrooms correctly in the given time period. If you do not want to buy a machine with the timer then you may also purchase the timer additionally form the market. By the way, even if you want a budget-friendly food dehydrator for drying mushrooms, many food dryers comes at the reasonable price which does not affect your pocket at all.
Q: What should be the size of the mushrooms when we slice it before drying in the food dehydrator?
The size of the sliced mushrooms before drying can be between ¼ to ½ inches. It should be thick enough to maintain the taste and texture of the food.
Q: What is the perfect temperature setting for drying the mushrooms in the food dehydrator?
Ideally, 110 degree F is the right temperature for drying the mushrooms in the food dryer. But you can set it as per your need.
Q: How much time will it take for drying mushrooms in the food dryer?
If you have sliced the mushrooms in the size of a ¼ inch then, it will take around 4 to 6 hours. But, if the size of the mushroom is thicker more than the standard size, then it can take approximately eight hours for drying in the food dehydrator.
Conclusion
So, it’s the end of our article, and we just want to say that drying mushrooms in a food dehydrator is one of the easiest ways to preserve mushrooms. It also maintains the nutritive value of mushrooms even after drying.
There are some recipes in which dried mushrooms are used. You can use the dried mushrooms for enhancing the flavor of your dishes or soups. With the emergence of food dehydrators, now it has become stress-free to dehydrate mushrooms in very less time.
In this article, we have reviewed the top three best dehydrators for mushrooms. But that does not mean that the rest of the products on our list are of no use. They are equally useful and efficient products that you can use for drying the mushrooms correctly. You can also read their detailed reviews on our website if interested.
We hope that you like the above article. If you have any queries regarding the blog, you can write to us in the comment box below.