Food Dehydrators Are Surprisingly Versatile Tools

Food dehydrators are essential kitchen appliances for anyone looking for ways to preserve seasonal produce, but the dehydrator's usefulness goes far beyond that. You can use this handy device to dry herbs for custom spice blends, make fruit leathers and meat jerky, dry homemade pastas and so much more. The low-heat dehydration process helps to preserve the food's nutrients while extending its shelf life without the use of preservatives. You can even use a food dehydrator for craft projects like drying flowers for potpourri or making paper.

The Details

The food dehydrators in the Williams Sonoma collection are available in several styles and at several price points, so there is something for everyone. If you are short on kitchen storage, you might opt for a collapsible, space-saving model. If you expect to be dehydrating large batches of fruits and vegetables simultaneously, consider a dehydrator that allows for different temperature and timing zones. Whichever option you choose, make sure you have plenty of food storage containers on hand for stashing all of your dried treats. Read on for more about your choices:

• Cuisinart 5-Tray Food Dehydrator - This economical and efficient dehydrator features five stackable racks, so you can dehydrate in large batches. The powerful, 620-watt fan offers four settings, and the adjustable thermostat lets you control the temperature. Includes a special sheet for making fruit roll-ups.
• Sedona Dehydrator - With high-tech features like an all-digital control panel, digital timer and quiet-dry setting, this dehydrator delivers an incredibly efficient drying experience. Other thoughtful features include a dual-fan control for varying batch size, continuous timer mode for 150 hours of uninterrupted drying and a glass window for monitoring progress.
• Sahara Folding Dehydrator with Stainless Steel Shelves - This dehydrator boasts an award-winning design that folds up for compact storage, making it perfect for kitchens of any size. It has seven stainless-steel shelves that offer 11 square feet of drying area, and it collapses to just 3.5 inches high when not in use.
• Excalibur Res 10 Dehydrator - Thanks to patented technology that simultaneously heats and dries food, the Excalibur produces results that are tough to beat. This deluxe dehydrator includes ten trays and features two drying zones with independent time and temperature settings, so you can handle large batches and dry different foods at the same time.