Did you know that you can use dried hops for baking and not just for making beer? The yeast used for making bread is also made from hops. It is easy to dry hops in a food dehydrator and you can use the dried hops for various baking recipes.
Hops are the hop plant’s flower that are mainly used in beer preparation, but instead of adding flavour to pilsners and ales, they also offer a range of health benefits. They possess anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and pain relieving properties that are beneficial to people suffering from various ailments.
Comparison Chart of 3 Best Food Dehydrators for Hops
Before beginning the article let’s take a look at the three best food dehydrator for hops so that you can learn about their features.
| Serial No | Product Name | Wattage (W) | Number of trays | Temperature range | Thermostat | Timer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator | 600 watts | 5 | 95 degrees F to 160 degrees F | Yes | No |
| 2 | NESCO FD-80A, Square-Shaped Dehydrator | 700 watts | 4 | 95 degrees F to 160 degrees F | Yes | No |
| 3 | Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator | 750 watts | 6 | 95 degrees F to 165 degrees F | Yes | Yes, 48 hours |
The dried sprouts of the young hops can also be cooked like asparagus and it is also a part of cooking different dishes. You can quickly dehydrate hops in the food dehydrator at your home and use it in the bread or pies for tasty, tender, and soft dough. But do you know that which is the best food dehydrator for drying hops?
There are many famous brands that are manufacturing food dehydrators for hops. But only a few of them provide good drying results for the hops as it needs a specific range of temperature for proper drying.
In this article, we will review the three best food dehydrators for hops along with their pros and cons. We will also share with information that will help you in making a wise buying decision.
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What is the Right Temperature to Dry Hops?
Many people think that the airflow and heat of the food dehydrator might be intense for drying delicate hops. They think that the high temperature of the machine can destroy the essential oils of the hops. But that is not true. If you choose the right temperature and settings, you can dry hops in the dehydrator without causing any damage to the dried hops.
In a food dehydrator, you can safely dry hops at the temperature of 95 degrees F or 35 degrees C. It will take around 9 hours to dehydrate the hops fully.
How Long Must We Dehydrate the Hops?
The complete drying process of the hops in the food dehydrator will finish in nine hours. But to be on the safer side, you can check the drying status of the hop after four hours. If the hops are dry after four hours, you should let them stay in the dehydrator for a few more hours. Usually, nine hours in the ideal time for the hops to fully dehydrate.
Reviews of 3 Best Food Dehydrators for Hops
After going through several food dehydrators in the market, we have come across the below mentioned food dehydrator for hops. We have reviewed them thoroughly along with their pros and cons.
1. Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator
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This is an incredible food dehydrator from the world-renowned company Nesco. You can dehydrate delicate food like hops in this unit as it comes with an adjustable thermostat for temperature control.
The temperature range of the machine varies from 95 degrees F to 160 degrees F. It has a powerful fan mounted at the top that offers 600 watts of dehydrating power. The machine runs on 120-volt electricity. You get five trays in this unit that is ample for drying hops, but still, you can expand it to 12 shelves if needed.
While drying hope, the dehydrator’s transparent vita-save exterior helps in blocking the harmful light that can spoil the nutritious content of the hops. The air inside the unit comes downwards with full force in the chamber due to the patented Converga Flow drying system.
The heated air disperses horizontally on all trays for drying the hops quickly and uniformly. You do not have to rotate the shelves during the hops drying process, and you will not face any issue of flavors mixing either.
The company offers additional accessories like recipe and instruction booklet, fruit roll sheets, clean-a screens, cure packs, and original jerky spice along with the product.
Pros
- The controls are quite easy to use
- You can easily clean the machine
- It dehydrates the hops evenly without any tray rotation
- It does not create too much noise
- It offers you ample space for drying hops
Cons
- There is no timer and ON/OFF switch in it
- It does not have adequate drying power for hard food
2. Nesco FD-80A, Square-Shaped Dehydrator
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The next name on our list is Nesco FD 80 A which is a square-shaped food dehydrator that you can use for drying hops. It comes with the feature of adjustable thermostat that ranges between 95 degrees F to 160 degrees F, so you can easily adjust the temperature for drying the hops.
Its top mounted fan is quite powerful along with the drying power of 700 watts. You can expand its trays up to eight if required for drying more hops. You will not face any issue of tray rotation and flavour mixing in this unit. The hops get dried fast and evenly in this dehydrator.
The company also provides accessories like an instruction manual, cure packets, jerky spice, and clean-a-screen with the machine for your convenience. You can easily wash its parts in the dishwasher after drying the hops.
With the patented drying system of Converga Flow the air moves horizontally over all the trays. You can regulate the heat with a simple control knob.
Pros
- It dries out the hops quite quickly without rotating the trays
- You get uniform drying results with the top mounted fan
- You can dehydrate an extensive range of foods with the adjustable thermostat
- The square shape trays offer you ample space for drying
- You can read the guidelines about the temperature that imprints on the machine
- It made from BPA free plastic material
- You can expand the drying space up to 8 trays while drying hops
- It’s motor and fan works quietly while running
Cons
- You get a warranty for only one year
- There is no transparent door to check the drying status of the hops
3. Presto 06301 Dehydro Digital Electric Food Dehydrator
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This dehydrator comes with six drying trays for hops. You get sample packets of jerky cure and spice with it. The digital thermostat feature of the unit allows you to dehydrate delicate foods like hops. It ranges between 90 degrees F to 165 degrees F.
The heating element and the fan in the machine located at the bottom region that provides a uniform flow of air for optimum drying. There is no requirement for tray rotation in this dehydrator.
You get six trays for drying hops in it, but you can extend them up to 12 for massive drying space. The manufacturers also offer jerky spice and cure; two non-stick mesh screens and two fruit roll sheets with the unit. You have to buy the accessories separately.
Its cover and the trays are dishwasher safe and fully immersible too. You can watch the entire drying process of the hops from the see-through cover. The machine runs at 120 volts power.
Pros
- The controls of the machine are simple and digital
- It comes with useful features like auto shutoff, ON/OFF switch and timer
- Cleaning the unit is easy
- It comes with expandable capacity up to 12 trays
- You can adjust its temperature with the thermostat
- There is no need for tray rotation in it due to even flow of air
Cons
- It creates noise while drying
- The drippings can fall on the motor at the bottom
- The replacement trays are very costly
- Its construction is not robust
Conclusion
Dried hops are quite useful for baking foods. But they can stay fresh for a long time if you store them in vacuum sealed bags. Hops biggest enemy is the oxygen, and vacuum sealing can also help you in storing the dehydrated hops for an extended period. You can dehydrate the hops in the food dehydrator in bulk and save them for future use. Don’t forget to keep it away from exposure to light and moisture.
In comparison to the sun drying and oven drying, drying the hops in a dehydrator is convenient and provides you with more efficient results. In the above article, we have analysed the three best food dehydrators for hops. We have reviewed them thoroughly so that you can make your buying decision wisely. You might pick any of the above food dehydrators for hops as they will serve you for a long time.
So, which food dehydrator for hops did you pick? Do let us know in the comment box below.
Is there anything more you want to know about drying hops? Please share your queries with us. We will reply to you soon and provide you with relevant information.