Dehydrator With a Fan vs Without a Fan – Which One to Pick?

By Eric Mitchell •  Updated: Sep 13, 2023 •  5 min read

In these modern times of food dehydration craze, reading all the dehydrator reviews, we still do have some grey areas to cover especially concerning the type of dehydrator we may want to occupy our kitchen counters.

For instance, should it be a dehydrator with a fan vs without one? That’s a question that might be in some people minds.

Dehydrator experts have opinionated that models with a fan make a better option considering the amount of time required to dry your food. But the final decision is dependent on you.

Dehydrator With a Fan vs. Dehydrator Without a Fan

We give you an insight into these two types of dehydrators so that you can make a sound decision basing on your needs and preferences.

We look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Dive in!

To begin with, most contemporary designs from leading brands such as the Excalibur and Nesco do have their dehydrators in-cooperated with some type of fan.

On the other hand, we got brands such as living food and Ronco having none.

Does it mean that those without the fan are inferior? Ney!

All of them do have pros and cons depending on the side of the coin you are looking at them.

For a proper understanding let’s take a systematic analysis of these handy devices depending on some factors, such as their type of applications to their ease of cleaning.

Dehydrators Without A Fan

What do we mean by a dehydrator without a fan?

These types are also known as the convection dehydrators. They depend on the transfer of heat between trays to dehydrate your food.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Dehydrators With A Fan

On the other hand, we have dehydrators with inbuilt fans albeit different positioning. Different models do have their own benefits and failures.

Dehydrator with fan

So, what are these different types of fan placement in the market?

In the current market, we do have the top mounted, bottom-placed and rear mounted.

#1. Top Mounted

Advantages

To start with, the top mounted fan dehydrators do pose some benefits. For instance, no juice drips inside them courtesy of their fan position, hence easy to clean.

Also, there is an even drying of food due to their ability to supply an equal amount of air to all the trays eliminating the need for consistent tray rotation.

Disadvantages

On the flip side, these kinds of dehydrators come with a reasonably higher price compared to the other models due to the technology involved in their design.

#2. Bottom Placed

Advantages

The bottom mounted fans equally come with their fair share of pros and cons.They are cheaper to purchase than their top mounted counterparts and get food dry more quickly depending on the number of the trays.

Disadvantages

On the downside, they quickly get greased by the juice falling on them. These results into a sticky mess that is hard to clean.

And on a lighter note, these lower end dehydrators don’t have a temperature control mechanism; they are a kind of plug and play SOTA thing.

#3. Rear Mounted

Advantages

Rear mounted fan dehydrators commonly feature the high-end models. They produce a horizontal flow of air that evenly reaches each tray for a uniform drying of your food.

More so, to clean these types is a piece of cake. First of all, there are no drippings on the fan, and secondly, they are made of a high-quality material such as stainless steel.

Disadvantages

Though made of high quality materials, they come with a price to pay. They are considerably pricier than your average dehydrator.

Also, they require some technical know-how in their assembly and operation, although not necessary since they come with a manual, which can quickly be followed through if you have a keen eye for detail.

Conclusion

Overall, we can see that each model has its good and bad sides. From an economic point of view, dehydrators without a fan would be an excellent choice. But they do come with their fair share of failures.

Regarding functionality and convenience those with a fan out shine those without. For instance, most of them get your food evenly processed without much a hassles, but come at a relatively higher price.

As an end user, you should critically analyze your needs against the pros and cons of each type of dehydrator. In so doing, we are sure that you can find the best fit for your needs in tandem with your pocket.

Eric Mitchell

Eric is the owner, author, content director and founder of dehydratorlab.com. He is the lead architect and the main man in matters concerning dehydrators, their accessories, guides, reviews and all the accompaniments.Whenever he is not figuring out simple solutions (hacks) involving cookery and their eventual storage, you will find him testing out the different types of dehydrators, to bring us the juicy details regarding these devices.He is a foodie enthusiast, pasionate about making jerky has a knack for healthy and tasty food and won't hesitate to share out any ideas that might be of value around this subject.

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