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A stand-alone freezer provides additional storage space for frozen foods and meats that you purchase in bulk, keeps excess produce to enjoy all year round, and allows you to stock up on prepared meals. They're also great for hunters who have a bulk supply of meat. If you find yourself mindfully stocking up on food, you might be in the market for a new standalone freezer.
We relied on years of food storage knowledge from our kitchen appliance pros at Good Housekeeping Institute to evaluate upright and chest freezers at various price points, sizes, and capacities. We considered useful features like automatic defrost, flash-freeze, power on and open door indicators, storage options, and energy efficiency. Our picks include best-selling models from trusted brands that we love and have bought for ourselves. Here are our recommendations for the best freezers to buy in 2020:
Best Upright Freezer: Frigidaire FFFU13F2VW Upright FreezerBest Chest Freezer: Whirlpool WZC3115DW Chest FreezerBest Small Chest Freezer: Insignia NS-CZ50WH6 Chest FreezerBest Large Capacity Freezer: Kenmore 22202 Upright Convertible FreezerMost Energy Efficient Freezer: GE Garage Ready FCM11PHWW
For freezers, manufacturers recommend two and a half cubic-feet per person: A ten cubic-feet freezer is ideal for a family of four. There are two types of stand-alone freezers to choose from: Upright and chest. When choosing between the two, consider what and how much you need to keep frozen, as well as the space you have available in your home to accommodate the freezer. We recommend that you plan for at least three inches of space behind and on each side of the freezer to allow air to circulate around it. Freezers have compressors that get warm as they work to keep the inside cold, so they need to air space to prevent overheating.
Upright freezers look a lot like conventional single-door refrigerators with shelves, drawers, and extra storage space on the door. They come with an automatic defrost function that heats the internal coils in regular intervals to avoid frost build-up. This makes them better for short-term storage — even if you open the door multiple times a day, the automatic defrost function will prevent ice from building up.
Pros
Easy to organize and find items
Takes up less floor space
Narrow enough to fit through doorways easily
No need to melt and clean up ice build-up because of automatic defrost
Available in many finishes
Cons
Auto-defrost function can be noisy and consumes more energy
Higher incidence of freezer burn because more air circulates around food
Storage on door tends to be warmer
Less usable space than chest freezer because of shelves and drawers
Pricier than chest freezers
Chest freezers are low-profile box-shaped freezers with a hinged lid that opens from the top. They have a wide open space with removable baskets and dividers, offering more usable space than an upright freezer. During power outages, chest freezers will keep colder for longer. They need to be manually defrosted to clean out built-up frost. This makes them a better option for long-term storage (you aren't opening the freezer door multiple times a day). Opening the lid often will cause ice to build up more quickly. When assessing your space, add a few inches to the depth of the chest freezer to account for the space the lid needs to open all the way.
Pros
Easy to fit large and oddly shaped items
Lower profile allows it to fit under windows
More energy efficient and more consistent temperature than upright freezers
Less prone to freezer burn
Cons
More difficult to organize, find, and reach items buried in the bottom
Takes up more floor space than upright freezer
Manual defrost can take up to 24 hours and can be messy to clean
Both freezers come in a range of prices, dimensions, energy efficiency levels, and with features like manual or automatic defrost, a built-in ice maker, drain plugs, temperature controls, and a flash-freeze function. Here are our favorites:
Retail Online Appliances and Furniture Seller 1847 Goedeker Files for IPO Jon C. Ogg April 22, 2020 3:35 pm /> />
During the peak of the panic selling just a month ago, many investors were in the midst of bracing for the bear market to turn into a full blown stock market crash. There were fears that the window for initial public offerings was going to be closed for quite some time. In the wake of trillions of dollars of economic stimulus, now the stock market has recaptured more than half of its entire losses — and some IPO filings are starting to appear again.
A small home furnishings company called 1847 Goedeker Inc. has filed to come public in an initial public offering. Its common shares will trade under the "GOED" stock ticker without having selected which stock exchange it would use. ThinkEquity is the sole underwriter on its S-1 filing, and the deal may have been too small for most larger Wall Street firms to have joined the underwriting syndicate.
While no details were offered on the number of shares to be sold, nor on the day of trading or on the price range for an indicated stock price, the filing's proposed maximum amount was $11.5 million or $12.218 million after adding in shares for the underlying representative warrants.
1847 Goedeker is a Missouri-based company that is a one-stop e-commerce destination for home furnishings from appliances to furniture to home goods and related products. The company dates back to 1951 and its filing said that it has evolved from a local brick and mortar operator in the St. Louis metro area to a large nationwide omnichannel retailer. The company has maintained its St. Louis showroom, but the filing indicated that over 90% of its total sales come through the goedekers.com site. The company offers more than 227,000 SKUs and the site is organized by category and product features.
The appliance category covering refrigerators, ranges, ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, freezers, washers and dryers is 1847 Goedeker's largest revenue source. It carries about 22,000 SKUs from brands such as Bosch, GE, Maytag, Whirlpool, LG, Samsung, Sharp, Kitchen Aid and others. This appliances category was shown to have accounted for approximately 80% of 2019 sales and 76% of 2018 sales.
1847 Goedeker began selling furniture online in 2015 and it currently offers roughly 148,000 SKUs from over 340 furniture vendors. The furniture category accounted for approximately 15% of 2019 revenues and 19% of 2018 revenues.
Larger online home furnishings sellers cannot afford to ignore any competition, but 1847 Goedeker is still by and large unknown in the country. The company's filing showed a net loss of $2.5 million in 2019, on total revenues of $47.6 million. 1847 Goedeker reported net income of $2.0 million in 2018, with total revenues of $56.3 million.
The company's site allows for live chats or speaking with a representative by phone. Its IPO filing says:
We are focused on bringing our customers an experience that is at the forefront of shopping online for the home. We have built a large online selection of appliances, furniture, home goods and related products. We are able to offer this vast selection of products because our model requires minimal inventory. We specialize in the home category and this has enabled us to build a shopping experience and logistics infrastructure that is tailored to the unique characteristics of our market.
The IPO filing also contained its own 'Coronavirus Pandemic' update section. While there are stay-at-home orders impacting its showroom, with over 90% of our sales completed online and with its call center and warehouse/distribution operations up and running the local restrictions are shown to have not yet had a negative impact on the company's operations. That said, the company does warn that its operations could be hurt under certain coronavirus scenarios.
This might not represent a grand re-opening of the IPO market, but as more filings begin to be seen it may represent at least some normalcy for the markets compared to a month earlier.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Read more: Retail, GOED, IPOs and Secondaries
LONG VALLEY, NJ - A fire destroyed the home of gour-time mayor, 46-year resident of Long Valley Tracy Tobin on Monday. Tobin died in February leaving his wife and daughter in the home.
"Fire gutted the home of former Long Valley Mayor Tracy Tobin leaving his wife and daughter with a total loss," Ray Chimileski wrote on a GoFundMe Page. "Everything, clothing, furniture, appliances, and a lifetime of memories burned in the blaze."
Shortly after 8 a.m. Office David Marut was on routine patrol on East Mill Road when he saw dark smoke coming from the area of Mountain View and East Mill Roads. Arriving on scene, Marut saw flames coming from the roof of a residence on Mountain View and he requested that the Morris County Communications Center dispatch the appropriate fire companies as the fire had not yet been reported, police said.
As Fairmount, Long Valley, and Schooley's Mountain Fire Departments, in addition to mutual aid departments from Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren Counties were dispatched to assist in fighting the fire, Marut quickly make contact with the residents on their front porch and assisted them with vacating the property, police said.
The fire quickly spread through the residence and moments later the structure was fully engulfed.
A video posted to social media by the Flanders Fire Co. #1 and Rescue Squad Flanders Fire Co. #1 showed crews knocking down in one of the bedrooms and remaining on scene to assist in overhaul operations:
The Long Valley First Aid Squad also arrived on scene and assisted with rehabilitation efforts, providing firefighters with immediate medical attention and rehydration.The fire was extinguished and does not appear to be suspicious, officials said.
"Fortunately Dottie and daughter were not injured," Chimileski said. "Please help us get them back on their feet with whatever donation you can. God bless you for your kindness."
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While going to concerts, movie theaters, bars, beaches, and other recreational destinations is temporarily on hold, there's one outing that remains a necessity during self-isolation: grocery shopping. If any supermarkets in your area offer home delivery or even store pickup, this is a good time to take advantage of those services.
But if you, like many of us, still need to stock up on food the old-fashioned way, here are some helpful tips for avoiding germs when you venture to the store.
1. Go early in the morning.
Not only will stores be less crowded in the early morning, but they'll probably be cleanest then, too, since the staff often sanitizes the premises at night. Because many stores are devoting their early hours of operation to senior citizens only, Reader's Digest suggests calling ahead to find out when your store opens to the general public.
2. Bring hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, or disposable gloves (and wipe down your cart).
Though many stores are now putting disinfectant wipes near the carts so you can wipe them down, you should bring your own just in case. This is especially important, since studies have found that COVID-19 can live for two or three days on plastic surfaces.
Your cart won't be the only potentially germy place you put your hands during your trip—door handles in the frozen food section, self-checkout screens, and credit card keypads are all risky zones. Be sure to either wipe them down before touching, use hand sanitizer after touching, or just wear gloves that you can toss out at the end of your trip.
3. Don't touch your face.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be especially prone to absentmindedly touching your face while you contemplate which non-dairy milk to choose when your first choice is out of stock.
4. Don't touch your phone either.
Phone screens are a great example of high-touch surfaces where germs can live, so instead of keeping a grocery list on your smartphone, write it on a piece of scrap paper that you can throw away after you're finished.
5. Give yourself more time to shop than you usually need.
Maintaining at least 6 feet between you and every other shopper means occasionally waiting for occupied aisles to clear and moving more slowly so you don't run into people—not to mention the time it takes to use hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes intermittently. If you're trying to fit in a quick shopping trip before an important Zoom call with your boss, you may be less conscientious about shopping safely.
6. Inspect items for holes in the packaging (or the food itself).
Make sure there aren't any rips or tears in cereal boxes, potato chip bags, or any other packaging—and that goes for produce, too. Give those apples a nice long look to be certain there aren't any holes or breaks in the skin that germs could easily get into.
7. Bypass the free samples.
Surprise snacks at supermarkets are one of the perks of grocery shopping, but Livestrong points out that exposed food is an easy target for germs. So skip the free samples and don't graze on those bunches of grapes; instead, reward yourself with an extra snack at home. Some stores, like Costco, are even suspending their samples during this time, so you won't be so tempted.
8. Don't pay with cash.
While there's a certain satisfaction in counting out exact change, cash has a reputation for being a hotbed for germs. If possible, stick to cards or other automatic methods of payment. Even then, it's not the worst idea in the world to wipe down debit and credit cards after using them.
9. Leave the grocery bags on your doorstep.
Store employees are being extra cautious about cleanliness, but it's still possible that your bags could pick up germs during the checkout process. To avoid the risk, leave them outside and only bring your items into the house.
10. Wash reusable bags between trips.
If you've made the switch to reusable shopping bags, Food Network recommends tossing them in the washing machine or wiping them down with soap and water between shopping trips.
11. Wash produce and wipe down other items.
Per usual, you should thoroughly rinse produce before eating it. Dr. Lisa Larkin, a Cincinnati-based internal medicine physician and founder of Ms.Medicine, told Reader's Digest that you can also wipe down jars, cans, and bottles with a disinfectant wipe before putting them in your pantry for good measure.
[h/t Reader's Digest]
Forget Q-tips — here's how you should be cleaning your ears
The COVID-19 lockdown has left retailers in the electronics and home appliances segment with loads of unsold inventory in their godowns. A few firms have indicated that their employees may have to take a pay cut for a few months, until the situation becomes stable. Retailers say the servicing segment has also taken a huge hit due to the lockdown.
"As an industry, we have missed [out] on three big sales this year – the year-end sale that happens during the last week of March, the Tamil New Year sale and the summer sale. The stocks we have purchased from manufacturers are lying in godowns," said Vijay Vasanth, CEO of Vasanth and Co. "Most consumer electronics dealers build up stock in January and February for the year-end and summer sales. The inventory includes air-conditioners and air coolers which can be sold only during the summer," he added.
March-May is a crucial period for these retailers, as 30-35% of their total sales happen during these months.
Nitesh Giria, Director of Girias, said, "The government should permit us to operate in accordance with guidelines and social distancing norms. Otherwise, all our consignments will remain unsold for another year." The lockdown has wiped out nearly 40% of his business this year.
Vishal Bysani, Vice-President - Marketing, Viveks, said summer-centric products would remain idle for the next one year. "Our industry should be considered essential because for a housewife, buying a mixer, a grinder or a fan is essential," he said. "Retailers will also stop expanding their stores for the next few quarters. On an average, they open three to five stores every three months," he added.
On salary cuts, retailers are evaluating their options. According to estimates, Tamil Nadu has over one lakh people employed in this segment.
Industry representatives said that if the government allows them to resume operations post-April 20, they would get a breather. Some suggested that like e-commerce players, they could allow consumers to place orders online by visiting their website and get the products delivered to their doorstep. The industry is also seeking a reduction in GST rates to enhance affordability for consumers and profitability for retailers.
According to an analysis of the Indian appliances and consumer electronics market by CARE Ratings, the industry is likely to suffer a considerable loss in sales going forward. It may be noted that even if the spread of the pandemic is curtailed, consumer sentiment is expected to remain unfavourable and demand, muted.
Concessions In Lockdown, Mobile Shops & Electronics Stores Opened Today
Trying to stop the spread of germs has come to the forefront recently with the spread of coronavirus, with people going to extreme measures to try and avoid in the infection.
The important thing to remember with coronavirus is that as it's so new, there's very little testing that's been done to show what's the most effective way of combatting it. For that reason, we're focussing on general cleaning tips that can sanitise your home and keep it spotless using technology. (Don't forget to also look at our guide to the best vacuum cleaner).
Where possible we've linked to current advice surrounding generic advice and the latest coronavirus information. For the latter, the picture is constantly changing, so look out for NHS and government guidance on what's best and treat this guide as one for the best ways to keep your house clean.
Cleaning vs disinfecting
The first thing to understand is what the difference is between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning concerns removing germs from a surface but doesn't kill them. Disinfecting means to kill the germs.
For example, washing your hands with soap for 20 seconds or more under running water will wash a virus away; using a hand sanitiser that is at least 60% hand gel can "help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others", according to the CDC.
Health organisations recommend a two-part process, starting with cleaning and then disinfecting. For cleaning, you should use disposable cloths that can be thrown away, otherwise, washable cloths, sponges and mop heads need to be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected after use.
Bleach, mixed to the right quantities as shown on the instructions is a good disinfectant, although you can buy premixed disinfectant that's designed to kill most common germs. Don't assume that these will kill coronavirus: Dettol has put out a statement explaining how existing products have been effective on existing strains of coronavirus:
"Specific Dettol products have demonstrated effectiveness (>99.9% inactivation) against coronavirus strains from the same family as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in third party laboratory testing when used following the directions for use. These products are Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser Spray, Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser Wipes, Dettol All-In-One Disinfectant Spray, and Dettol Disinfectant Liquid."
Using a steam cleaner
Heat treatment has proven effective in killing past viruses, particularly in areas where you may not be able to use detergent, such as for soft furnishings. The Government advice on cleaning COVID-19 says, "When items cannot be cleaned using detergents or laundered, for example, upholstered furniture and mattresses, steam cleaning may be used."
This sentence also points out a useful element of steam cleaners: they don't require detergent to work. Instead, they use water that's heated and turned to steam, so can be used anywhere you have a tap and running water, which is handy if supplies of cleaning fluids are running low, or you simply can't get new cleaning products.
Steam has often been highlighted as a good way to decontaminate areas. After the norovirus outbreak, the UK produced a guide on cleaning cruise ships to prevent infection, including cleaning carpets and upholstery using steam at a temperature of at least 70C.
Note that the advice mentions upholstery and mattresses, but doesn't talk about hard surfaces. This is because the advice is that hard surfaces should be cleaned with detergent and then disinfected with chemicals to fully clean them. That's not to say that steam cleaners can't be used on hard surfaces, as a way to kill germs and to clean without using detergent.
However, if you want to follow best practice, it makes sense to clean your floors and other hard surfaces using detergent first, and then to follow up with the steam cleaner as a second option. Just remember that there are no official guidelines on this as a cleaning and sterilisation routine, although this technique will give you a deeper clean than just using detergent or just using steam.
There's also a big difference on how effective a steam cleaner is depending on whether you're using a standard accessory or a steam mop (or mop accessory). One of the reasons that steam cleaners are so effective is because the full steam temperature output is directed at the cleaning surface, and can penetrate and access gaps and cracks in surfaces. However, this is only true if you're using a regular steam cleaner, where the steam output is directed out of the nozzle. These types of steam cleaners (cylinder and handheld), often have cleaning attachments, such as brushes, but these don't typically affect performance, as you get a shot of steam first, and the attachment is then used to remove dirt.
The most important thing with these products is to use the steam cleaner close to the surface that you're cleaning. Steam loses temperature fast as it moves through air, so if you're a long way from the surface you make the cleaner less effective.
Using a steam mop is different, as the steam is directed into the microfibre cleaning cloth, which absorbs much of the heat, preventing it from transferring to the floor. As such, you're not getting the full disinfecting effect that you would if you could use steam directly. Steam mops aren't a lost cause, though. The heat generated helps loosen dirt and germs, which are picked up by the microfibre cloth.
Not that microfibre merely collects germs, rather than killing them. There's a good chance that the steam from the cleaner will disinfect your cloth, but you should wash all cloths at the highest temperature they'll take after use to disinfect them. Remember, don't use fabric conditioner with microfibre.
In all cases, it's important to use the steam cleaner for the right amount of time, as you must kill germs thoroughly. A simple swipe through will most likely not provide enough of a clean. How long you clean for depends on the temperature of the steam that you're using, with higher temperature steam cleaners able to do a job faster. The advice from WebMD for cleaning up after an illness is to expose upholstery to steam for at least five minutes at 70C or one minute at 100C. Our selection of the best steam cleaners can help you find a suitable model.
What is it safe to use a steam cleaner on?
As steam cleaners use pressured steam to clean, they can be used on a surprising number of surfaces, but not all. If you've got anything that's sensitive to heat and/or water, then you may not be able to use a steam cleaner. For example, avoid using a steam cleaner on anything that can be damaged by water or heat, such as painted surfaces; delicate items, such as silk; and porous surfaces, such as brick or marble. Also be careful using a steam cleaner on oiled wooden floors, as this can damage the surface protector and cause water to enter the wood and make it expand.
That all said, you can use steam on pretty much all other surfaces, including laminate floors, tiles, grout, sealed worktops (quartz, etc), sinks, baths and glass. You can also use steam on carpets and upholstery, although it's worth testing on a small area that's out of sight to see if there are any detrimental effects before you carry on. Just remember that you should steam for the suggest time, based on the temperature of your cleaner, and that hard surfaces should still be thoroughly washed with detergent in order to give you the deepest clean.
How to clean a hard floor or carpet
Cleaning your floors is an essential part of keeping your home clean. For hard floors, rather than simply mopping, which can spread germs around, using a device such as the Karcher FC 5 Hard Floor Cleaner is a better option. This product sucks up the dirty water into a separate tank, removing dirt from the floor, so the clean water is never mixed with the dirty. This process also leaves the floor almost dry.
In comparison, when using a mop, it's recommended that you have two buckets: one with detergent and one for rinsing, so that you don't contaminate the cleaning bucket and further the spread of germs. Mopping also leaves a floor much wetter.
Remember that using the FC 5 with detergent won't kill viruses. However, you can use this product with any cleaning solution, including disinfectant, provided it doesn't contain ammonia or bleach. To avoid damage to the machine, you may find it easier to clean with general detergent and then to mop afterwards with a disinfectant.
For carpets and upholstery that can be cleaned with liquid, you can use one of our best carpet cleaners. Again, carpet cleaners are good, as they pump out clean water mixed with detergent from one tank, and suck up the dirty water into a separate tank, preventing cross-contamination. To kill viruses, you should use them with a carpet shampoo that has anti-viral properties, or clean once and then use a carpet-safe disinfectant afterwards once the carpet is dry.
Washing soft furnishings and clothes
For clothes, curtains, washable sofa covers and the like, the current government advice for coronavirus is to wash items at the highest temperature that they will take. You can also use steam if you have a washing machine that lets you add this to a cycle but still wash at the highest temperature that you can. Our list of our best washing machines will help you find a new model if you need one.
The more generic NHS advice on how to stop germs spreading says to wash items at 60C to avoid germs, or at 40C with bleach. Check your care labels carefully before washing to avoid any damage.
Washing dishes
Current advice for dealing with dishes is to use a dishwasher where possible. Using one of our best dishwashers means that you don't have to physically handle anything while you're washing, and the machine will do a more thorough job, rinsing at the end of the cycle. In terms of coronavirus, there's no specific information on the setting to us, but given that general NHS advice for clothes is to wash at 60C, it would make sense to use the same or higher temperature setting in a dishwasher. Typically, dishwasher eco settings will be lower than this (often around 50C), so use one of the standard or higher programmes where you can.
If you can't use a dishwasher (or don't have one), you can wash up by hand. Wear rubber gloves and wash dishes in hot soapy water, leaving them to air dry before use.
Related: Whirlpool WIO3033 DEL
Dealing with glass
Our homes typically have a lot of glass surfaces, from shower screens to mirrors and windows. Standard window cleaner with a cloth has the same problems as using a mop on the floor. A window vacuum, such as the Karcher 10 Year Window Vac Anniversary Edition is effective a wet vacuum cleaner that sucks up the left-over dirty water off of glass and into a separate tank. This makes it faster to get good results, with dirt more easily being removed from the glass surface.
As with other surfaces, the advice remains to clean first and disinfect second, and this goes for cleaning windows. In the absence of disinfectant that you can use, windows can also be cleaned with a steam cleaner following the advice above. Remember, any cloths or squeegees that you use on a window should also be disinfected, either with sprays and chemicals or, for cloths, using a washing machine.
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Apple chips, dried mango and beef jerky are all foods you can make in a food dehydrator, which dries foods at a low temperature over a long period of time. The lack of moisture intensifies the food's flavor, which makes fruit taste sweeter and herbs more pungent; it also allows it to store well for a long time.
In addition to being more flavorful and shelf-stable, homemade dehydrated snacks tend to be healthier than the ones you buy in a store; they typically feature one whole ingredient that has simply been dried with no additives, preservatives, or calorie-laden ingredients, like oil or sugar. They can also be customized exactly how you like (you can add extra salt or none at all, for example).
Dehydrating also retains the nutrients in food better than some cooking methods. When an ingredient like kale, which is full of water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamin C, is boiled, it loses some of its immune-boosting potency. Dehydrating it at a low temperature preserves its nutrients and vitamins better.
How does a dehydrator work?
Dehydrators dry foods out by circulating air at a very low temperature. The foods must be arranged in a single layer without touching so they can dry fully and evenly. Different temperatures are recommended for different foods based on water content:
Water-dense ingredients, like fruit, usually benefit from a higher temperature, like 135°F, so they can dry quickly without becoming too crisp.
Vegetables can be dehydrated at a lower temperature, like 125°F.
Delicate foods, like herbs, should be dehydrated at even lower temperature, like 95°F, to prevent over-drying and discoloration.
For meat, the USDA recommends cooking it first to an internal temperature of 165°F and then dehydrating between 130°F to 140°F. This method is suggested to kill any potentially harmful bacteria and encourage the cooked meat to dehydrate quickly and safely.
Here's what else you can do with your dehydrator:
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Dry homemade pasta
Ferment yogurt
Make fruit leather, granola bars, dog treats, and more
Make potpourri
Recrisp stale foods like cookies or crackers.
DIY art projects, like dehydrated flour and water molds that can be painted
What kind of dehydrator is best?
There are two main types of dehydrators: Dehydrators with shelves that stack and dehydrators with pull-out shelves. The main difference between these two styles is the placement of the fan, but in our dehydrator tests, we saw minimal difference between the two styles when we dried apple slices, parsley, and beef for jerky. We also found that both styles offer models with wide temperature and timer ranges, an important feature to look for so you can control your results with precision.
Dehydrators with stacked shelves have a small fan is on the base and circulate air upwards. Stacking dehydrators often take up less space and are less expensive. Some are round and others are more rectangular in shape; we prefer the rectangular ones that create more surface area and accommodate different-shape ingredients better. Stacking dehydrators are ideal for dehydrating newbies or infrequent users.
Dehydrators with pull-out shelves have a large fan in the back that tends to circulate the air better and more evenly, which results in more consistent results. Dehydrators with pull-out shelves are typically made of more solid materials to better control the temperature. Some have metal shelves instead of plastic for those who avoid cooking on plastic.
Can you use the oven as a dehydrator?
Like ovens, food dehydrators work by circulating air at very low temperatures for an extended period of time. But instead of cooking with heat, dehydrators draw moisture out of foods so they dry out and can be enjoyed for a long time.
Most ovens do not offer the same low temperatures that a dehydrator does. Some new models offer dehydrating as an option, but it is still not ideal due to the limited amount of racks and accessories most ovens come with. We do, however, like dehydrating in a toaster oven, especially large capacity ones like the June Smart Oven and Breville Smart Oven Air, which allow you to buy additional air frying/dehydrating racks to dehydrate more ingredients at once.
Is buying a dehydrator worth it?
Dehydrators are a useful appliance for mindful eaters. They encourage eating real, whole ingredients and are a good aid in eliminating food waste. They're particularly great for parents who try to feed their kids healthy snacks, those who suffer from allergies, and those have a hard time finding additive-free snacks in stores.
Dehydrators are also very cost-effective in the long-run. They allow you to buy produce in bulk, especially when it is in season or on sale, and store it to use later on. They're also a great tool for gardeners who often have a surplus of ingredients on hand.
The downside of dehydrators is they take a long time to dry out food and their yield is often easy to devour in one setting. If you buy a large one with a timer, however, the process is quite hands off and rewarding.
Tips for dehydrating
Cut foods into even pieces before dehydrating. The thinner the food, the quicker it will dehydrate.
Arrange food in a single layer, with at least 1/8 inch of space in between.
For a chewy texture, dehydrate foods for less time.
Turn dehydrator off when foods are flexible but still dry. They will be come less flexible as they sit.
Foods must be fully dehydrated before storing for long periods of time. Y0u can check for this by placing dehydrated food in a sealed plastic bag. If any moisture droplets accumulate over the coarse of a day or two, the food is not fully dry. Dehydrate again.
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