Food Dehydrator vs Oven – Here What you need to Know

Till now, we have discussed a lot about dehydrators on our website. But there are still few people who consider dehydrator just similar to an oven. But that is not true.

There are a lot of similarities between the dehydrator and oven which make them alike. You can do dehydration in both the appliances but the results are always different.

So, let’s go more into detail about the topic i.e. Dehydrator vs. oven in the below article to solve the doubt in your mind. But firstly get familiar with the two product definitions.

Quick Navigation:

• What is Dehydrator
• What is Oven
• Similarities
• Dissimilarities
• Comparison
• Pros and Cons of Dehydrator
• Pros and Cons of Oven
• Conclusion

What Is a Food Dehydrator?

A food dehydrator is an autonomous appliance that comes with a fan for circulation, a heat source, as well as various trays for dehydrating many foods at one single point of time.

They are available in both the price range i.e. reasonable and costly. If you buy any less expensive models, then they will not have hi-tech and innovative features like timer, adjustable thermostat, more drying space, energy-efficient, etc.

What Is an Oven?

A conventional oven might also be used to dry out food if you maintain the machine’s temperature at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But there are lots of ovens which will not function at a low temperature.

The heat produced in the oven is used for baking, roasting and steaming. To offer faster and even cooking, the ovens use a small fan for blowing the hot air near the cooking compartment.

Similarities Between Dehydrator and Oven

There are some similarities between the dehydrator and oven which we are giving below:

1) Drying Food

You can use both the appliances for drying food, and they fulfill their purpose accurately. But for proper and accurate drying, the food dehydrator is a better option to choose from.

2) Price of the Machines

The prices of both the kitchen appliances are almost similar to buy. Both of them are viable at reasonable as well as high prices. The price varies with the brand, features and the model. Thus, you have to decide which model of the oven or the dehydrator you will prefer to purchase.

3) Needs Some Countertop Space

The oven or the food dehydrators are one of the essential kitchen appliances that you quickly find in the home of the people. But both of them need some proper space on the kitchen countertop so that you can use them efficiently when required.

4) Cook Food Evenly

Whether you buy an oven or a food dehydrator, both of them cook the food evenly without compromising any situation. The outcome of food cooking is fantastic at the end. You can happily serve the food prepared in both appliances directly to your guests without thinking much about the quality of the food.

5) Manufacturer of the Products

Both machines manufactured by some of the biggest and renowned brands in the market. The manufacturer who indulges in making the dehydrators (like Excalibur and Nesco) or the oven (like Samsung and Electrolux) is already well established in this business and always try to provide some new and innovative features in their products.

Dissimilarities Between Dehydrator and Oven

As defined above that both the food dehydrators include some of the standard features. But there are a few things which make both appliances different from each other. The below points will make our view more clear:

1) Temperature Control

A food dehydrator is a kitchen appliance that comes with a fan, multiple trays, as well as a heat source. It can easily dehydrate different types of foods at one point in time with the help of the temperature adjustable control feature. The foods are dried uniformly with the assistance of a heated airflow system.

In the case of an oven, you can also dehydrate the food but if the machine can operate at a low temperature but this is not possible. There is no temperature control feature for lowering the heat and the oven usually run at high temperature. You have to check the temperature of the oven before placing food in it.

2) Versatility

Food Dehydrators are recognized for their versatility as they can be used to dry out an extensive variety of foods. They efficiently pull moisture out of the food for ideal drying. But in the oven, you cannot heat or dry any food. There are very few foods which you can cook in the oven.

3) Number of Racks

There are lots of stacked trays (five to twelve) in the food dehydrators which accommodate a diversity of meat, vegetables, herbs, jerky, spices, etc. But in the oven, you will not find many racks. They mainly contain 2 to 5 trays in which you can dry a very less quantity of food.

4) Authenticity of Flavors

In the food dehydrators, the original authenticity of the flavors does not get the mix, but while using an oven, the flavors get the mix if you place the food on the same rack.

5) Fan

The food dehydrators comprise a fan that circulated the air evenly on all the shelves of the even drying of food whereas in the oven you will not find any air circulating fan.

6) User-friendliness

In the case of the time, efficiency, and energy, it is quite easy to use a food dehydrator as it comes with the features like temperature controls in them. You have just to set the temperature and time for drying the food in the machine and the rest process will be done automatically. But, in the case of the oven, you do not get this benefit as well as it can be a little difficult to use if you are a first time user.

7) The requirement of the Supervision

The maximum numbers of food dehydrators you buy these days require negligible surveillance as you just have to put the food on the trays and set the timer accordingly.

There is no necessity always to check your food. On the other hand, while using an oven, you have to keep an eye on the entire process, and you can leave the machine unattended.

8) Nutrients and Vitamins

While drying food in the dehydrators, the beneficial enzymes like vitamins and minerals do not kill, but the oven while cooking your food, most of the vital enzymes in the food get vanished.

9) Cost of Running

The food dehydrators are energy-efficient appliances that do not affect much your electricity bills, but the oven is quite expensive to run and can put some burden on your monthly pocket.

Let’s Make Some More Comparison!

So, now you know the similarities and the dissimilarities between the dehydrator and the oven but if you are still confusing that which appliance you should buy for your home, then we are giving the pros and cons of both the machines below which will make your uncertainty more clear.

Pros and Cons of a Food Dehydrator

The following are the pros and cons of a food dehydrator:

Pros:

• The food dehydrators perform faster drying of the food.
• They possess a lot of space for placing the food in one single batch.
• You can place it easily on your kitchen countertop.
• It is very easy to use this machine with the help of the temperature control feature and the timer.
• It dries out the food evenly.
• Effectively pulls moisture out of the food for ideal drying and also for increasing the shelf life of the food.
• The fan circulates the air evenly over all the racks.
• You can check the status of your food in between the process.
• Dry out multiple items in one single point of time.
• This machine can expand if required.
• It retains the minerals and vitamins of the food after drying.
• There is no need for supervision while drying food in the dryer.
• The flavors of the different foods do not get mixed.
• Cook food in a healthy way.
• You do not need any oil for cooking food in the food dryer.

Cons:

• An expensive machine to buy.
• Use more energy than the air and sun drying.
• You cannot store easily in the kitchen cupboard, if not use.
• It does create some noise at the time of the drying process.
• Need more countertop space in the kitchen for placing.
• Take more time to dry than the oven.
• You might not like the looks of the food at the end as they turn brown and get the shrink.
• The taste of food after the drying process might get change and different.

Pros and Cons of an Oven

The following are the pros and cons of an oven:

Pros:

• Cook the food evenly from all edges.
• It takes less time for cooking the food due to the setting of the high temperature.
• The oven can bake multiple foods together without affecting the temperature.
• Ovens have got a stylish and elegant look.
• Cooking food in the oven does not hamper the looks of the food, and they look very delicious.
• The taste of the food cooks in the oven gets enhances.
• You can cook low-fat food with very little oil.

Cons:

• Different methods of cooking inside the oven need a different set of time and temperature according to the food recipes
• Foods like cakes and bread do not rise well in the ovens.
• You cannot increase the capacity of the oven when needed.
• The good enzymes of the foods get disappear in the oven.
• You have to keep an eye on the oven while cooking food in it.
• The flavors of the different foods get mixed while cooking the food.
• Cook food in an unhealthy way.

Conclusion

Now, most of you have got an idea regarding the food dehydrator vs. oven, and we also expect that you are possibly convinced that which kitchen appliance you want to buy for drying or to cook your foods.

In the above article, we have tried to show you all the aspects of both the appliances whether good or bad. We have also discussed the similarities and dissimilarities between the two machines.

If you want to buy a machine for making some delicious and innovative recipes for your guests, then the oven is s good option. But as you know today people have become quite health conscious these days, then serving them the dried healthy food (with the help of a food dehydrator) is a useful choice.

In the end, we just want to say that if you want to dehydrate your food flawlessly, then it will be advisable to use a food dehydrator than an oven. It specially designed for doing the drying job in a healthy and perfect way.