Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
The raw food diet has been rapidly gaining in popularity, especially among the seriously health-conscious. Getting the best results, and providing some more options requires more than just a knife and a cutting board. One great way to mix things up and get the most out of your food is to use a food dehydrator. These small, (sometimes large) kitchen appliances fit on your countertop. They help you get store-bought quality dehydrated foods at a much lower cost. That’s without any additives, or preservatives. If you’re a beginner, or seasoned kitchen-savvy cook, we’re here to help you find the best dehydrator for a raw food diet!
What is the Best Dehydrator for a Raw Food Diet?
The raw food diet can seem a little intimidating at first, but there’s a lot of good benefits to look forward to! One of them is enjoying delicious and filling produce, fruit and other foods without a ton of additives and nasty preservatives. Keeping your diet clean starts and ends in the kitchen, and you need the right tools for the job!
A food dehydrator is the best way to make your foods last much longer, without the need for salts, sugars or artificial preservatives. A dehydrator works by heating, and subsequently drawing moisture and water content out of the food you place inside. After some time, you’ll be left with some delicious food you can enjoy, and store in a variety of ways! Fruit and produce are some of the most popular foods to dehydrate, but beef jerky and interesting fruit roll sheets are also some alternatives. A cylindrical, or box-shaped electric appliance with a series of perforated trays holds your foods for quick and even dehydration.
What is the Raw Food Diet?
The raw food diet is exactly as it sounds! Believers in this diet eat everything raw, unprocessed, uncooked, without additives, preservatives, sugar and even table salt. The notion is that raw foods aren’t just digested better. But contain a higher number of healthy enzymes and nutrients that are lost in the cooking process.
One great way to stay on the right path, and keep things raw and natural, we’re going to talk about employing food dehydrators to that end! They’re incredibly useful for making the best out of foods that can sometimes become a little boring. Not only that, you can use them to make your favorite fruits more portable, and longer lasting! It’s a huge plus having one of these things in your arsenal. If you’re wondering, ‘how do I stay on the raw food diet?’ We’ve got the answer! Mixing things up with a food dehydrator will go a long way towards you maintaining your dietary commitments. Here’s to your health! Check out our reviews of the best dehydrator for a raw food diet below!
The Best Food Dehydrator for Beginners:
Presto Dehydro
This nifty little appliance is a great way for beginners to get into food dehydrating for the first time! For seasoned culinary pros, its fool-proof design and smaller profile is great for storage and convenience. The Presto Dehydro has 4 trays for dehydrating foods. The cover of this small unit is totally see-through, so you can monitor the progress of your goodies while they dry down! This food dehydrator utilizes what is more or less a common mode of operation for models in its class. A bottom mounted fan and heating coil provide a regulated temperature. This provides the optimal environment for dehydrating foods, and before long you’ve got exactly what you want!
It’s small and compact, allowing it to be stored in smaller spaces. This is complimented by a retractable cord that fits into the bottom of the unit. We love this dehydrator, with a low price tag for food dehydrating beginners!
Ivation 6 Tray Countertop Digital Food Dehydrator
This is a square-shaped countertop dehydrator that’s perfect for preserving your favorite fruits and treats! Keep your eye on the prize and maintain your raw food diet with this nifty and simple to use dehydrator! If you’re interested in making homemade snacks that follow your dietary guidelines, it doesn’t get much better than this. The Ivation is quite a bit larger than our previous model. And while it is a countertop appliance, it certainly demands some serious counterspace. We recommend a unit like this if you plan on doing some serious dehydrating. Or prepping your dried foods ahead of time, that is to say. In this unit, a rear powered fan helps to dry your food.
Adjustable temperatures between 95 to 158 degrees F ranges in 8 different temperature settings. If you’re working with dehydrating recipes that call for a specific temperature, you can rely on the accuracy of this unit. If you’ve got a herb garden, love your dried fruits or you’re making some serious jerky, the 6 trays provide ample room without overdoing it on size. The Ivation food dehydrator comes in at a slightly higher price point, but has enough precision features to warrant it.
OSTBA Food Dehydrator 5 Tray 240W
With enough space for a moderate batch of dried goodies, the OSTBA has 5 interior shelves in its temperature controlled chamber. This is a food dehydrator that’s designed with the raw food diet in mind! It comes with precise instructions on what temperatures, and how long you can dry foods in order to preserve the powerful enzymes. One thing to keep in the front of your mind when dehydrating foods for your raw food diet, is that you can too easily ‘cook’ them. The last thing you’d want is to defeat the purpose of your nutritious diet, Thankfully units like this keep that in mind, and provide instructions on properly dehydrating different types of foods. This unit, like the other ones featured in our reviews, are totally BPA free. On top of that, a one year replacement warranty guarantees its operation.
Cosori Premium Food Dehydrator
This Cosori unit is perfectly well suited to dehydrating smaller batches of food. It has 6 stainless steel trays, with a digital timer and temperature controls. If you’re looking for quality and precision, the Cosori has both. We’d also like to compliment its stainless steel design, which makes it perfect if your dehydrator will be stored on the countertop at all times.
Otherwise, the small compact design and two handles on either side make it incredibly simple and easy to store. The food-grade stainless steel makes this Cosori dehydrator an easy addition to our best dehydrators for a raw food diet. Not only is it easy to use, but it looks good doing it. One other thing worth noting is that this is the quietest dehydrator to make our list. If you need an appliance for a small apartment, or you just can’t stand humming and buzzing, this is a surefire pick!
Excalibur 9 Tray Food Dehydrator With Automatic Shutoff
What makes the Excalibur a very worthy addition to our list? Besides its name, it happens to be a really efficient, high capacity food dehydrator. The first thing you’ll take note of with this unit is its unique, toned-down look. The brushed black finish gives it a professional look, which is appropriate considering its size. The Excalibur 9 tray food dehydrator is as close to professional as they come. It boasts a whopping 15 square feet of drying area. Each tray is composed of a flexible polyscreen, which prevents any type of food from sticking to the trays.
In keeping with a commitment to the health benefits of the raw food diet, the Excalibur scores some points as well. Maintaining the nutrient and enzyme balance of the foods you dehydrate is central to the design of their dehydrator. Consult their instructions to ensure that you don’t cook any of the foods in the unit. This company celebrates the power of immunity harnessed by the foods you eat, preserving them for up to 9 months!
Hopefully these reviews for the best dehydrator for a raw food diet have served you well! Look towards these countertop appliances for a cleaner, fresher and healthier way to preserve some of your favorite foods. By locking in all of the revitalizing, and nutritious compounds of these foods, you’re doing yourself a service in the long run. Rely on these dehydrators to preserve food to the standard you expect, and you’ll taste the difference. With none of the sugars, preservatives or additives of store bought dried foods, you’re saving yourself a small fortune in cost, and nutrient balance. Which one of these units would fit best in your kitchen? Let us know, and stop by for more reviews of your favorite appliances, decor and organization items!