When to choose an industrial dehydrator

Choosing the right dehydrator for your business

Deciding to buy an industrial dehydrator or commercial dehydrator is a big decision. It’s a significant capital expense, so you want to be sure that whatever you choose is right for your business, your product range and your future plans. 

If you’re weighing up an industrial dehydrator versus a commercial dehydrator, we’ve outlined some of the key differences to help you with your choice.

Temperature range

Our commercial dehydrators can be set at a temperature of up to 90°C (195°F). In contrast, the temperature in our standard industrial dehydrators can reach 150°C (300°F) and with customisation, industrial units can go even higher – up to 300°C (575°F). 

This means a greater flexibility in adjusting temperatures and drying times, depending on the products you are making and the final texture you want to achieve.

Timer options

All our dehydrator units, both commercial and industrial, come with flexible and programmable timer options unmatched by any domestic dehydrator available. In our commercial dehydrators, the timer can be set for up to 99 hours. All our dehydrator units, both commercial and industrial, come with flexible and programmable timer options unmatched by any domestic dehydrator available. In our commercial dehydrators, the timer can be set for up to 99 hours. Industrial dehydrators offer even more flexibility in the timer programming options, with the ability to set 5 separate steps all with 1000 hour timers.

Using a timer means you can automatically shut off units, eliminating manual processes for your team. With the ability to program your unit over many days, you can avoid unnecessary run-time and reduce your business’s overheads for electricity and other running costs.

Insulation

Insulation in dehydrators helps to ensure a more consistent drying temperature and reduced operating costs through heat retention. All our dehydrators offer superior insulation compared to domestic dehydrators – our commercial dehydrators are partially insulated, but our industrial dehydrators are fully insulated. This means they can offer better efficiency and heat retention, translating to approximately 10-15% faster drying times.

Airflow

Consistent airflow can make a huge difference to drying times and product consistency. Our commercial dehydrators offer superior airflow than domestic units, taking advantage of larger fans. This means there’s no need to rotate trays so that you can achieve consistent drying.

Our Industrial units also utilise DrySync™ technology. This advanced system allows you to precisely regulate the intake and exhaust valves for the airflow system. It starts by building up the humidity level in the drying chamber, and then cycles the exhaust system on and off throughout the drying program to evenly remove moisture from the center of your product. This ensures even and consistent drying, while preventing case hardening which leads to premature food spoilage due to internal mold and bacteria growth. With our DrySync™ technology, you can achieve optimal drying results every time, ensuring the highest quality end product.

The exhaust feature is also fantastic if you are dehydrating products that can release odours. Industrial dehydrators can be ventilated using ductwork to exhaust hot air and smells outside your premises.

Size and customisation

Industrial units can come in a range of sizes with a comprehensive range of customisations available. For example, our industrial units can be supplied as a single trolley with 30 trays offering 8.8m2 of tray area up to an eight trolley, 240 tray unit providing 70.7m2 tray area. These can be shipped as one piece or in several pieces to fit through doors and then be easily assembled on site.

As well as size customisations to suit your business needs and available space, industrial units can be tailored to:

• Insert hooks for hanging products as they dehydrate (great for biltong!)
• Choose from four types of trays depending on your needs (in contrast, our commercial machines only have two tray options)
• Run on single-phase power, if necessary (standard option is three-phase power). 

Is an industrial dehydrator the right choice for you?

While there are a lot of advantages to industrial dehydrators, for some businesses, multiple commercial units can sometimes be a more suitable choice.

Commercial dehydrators can be a more affordable option, with a lower price point. Buying multiple commercial units can sometimes offer more flexibility, based on your business needs. As smaller units, commercial dehydrators can provide more manoeuvrability, making them a great choice if your business is likely to relocate as you grow, or if you need to reconfigure your processing facility.

Multiple commercial units are also a good choice if your business is processing a range of products. Using several commercial dehydrators rather than a single large industrial unit means you can isolate different products and recipes in separate machines and avoid cross contamination.

Using several commercial dehydrators also means that you can stagger production. If you have a small team, multiple machines may help you to reduce labour costs with smaller batch sizes staggered throughout the day. Programming your dehydration cycles to finish at different times may be a smarter way to spread your team’s work out throughout the day.

Still not sure what dehydrator model will suit your business best?

When you are producing dehydrated food products for a business, the level of control and flexibility offered by commercial and industrial dehydrators really are unmatched by domestic units. The consistency of your products will be better, with more features to increase your productivity and efficiency. 

With a range of sizes available, from 16 tray commercial dehydrators through to 240 tray industrial dehydrators, we have models available to suit small businesses, growing businesses and big businesses. Our products offer excellent value for money, backed up by friendly support and a three-year warranty to give your business confidence and certainty for years to come. 

If you’re having a hard time choosing the right dehydrator for your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our friendly, responsive team can talk you through the options and help you to feel confident that you’re making the right product choice for your business, your product range and your future growth plans.

‍