Hi all,

Does dehydrating food heat up your house/kitchen?

I have considered starting to dehydrate for trips. I've never done it and don't even know this basic question. I have seen that sometimes the dehydrator is left running for over 12 hours at a time.

Is it kind of like running an oven at low temp? Will it be working against the air conditioner in the house by acting like a mini space heater?

Does it generate such a small amount of heat that it isn't noticeable/worth worrying about?

Thanks,
rdg

It does generate some heat but I'd say not too noticeable. The sound may be more bothersome to some. Some set it up in the basement or garage. I leave it running on the kitchen counter overnight.

Okay, here's the deal on dehydrating-

It's like running a hair dryer, that's all it is.

I have a smallish Nesco dehydrator that I bought from some guy on Craiglist for $20. It has six trays and I can dry all my food in one or two drying sessions on my kitchen counter. Mine is not a fancy one, it's either on or off. It takes about 4-6 hours to dry stuff.

I think some people over-think drying food. Just do it. Hamburger and eggs come back like they were fresh. Actually everything comes back. My bananas sometime come back a little mushy.

Drying food is almost as fun as re hydrating it in camp. Just do it!
Tom

To get an idea of how it compares to a space heater, just compare the power specification of a particular dehydrator to that of a typical space heater (the dehydrator will tend to be less).

For both, the power in watts is the rate at which electricity from the wall outlet is being converted into heat and dumped into the room (through your food in the case of the dehydrator).

It depends on what settings you use of course, and whether it's on constantly or cycling on and off, but the power specs would give you an idea.

My home-built dehydrator's output is 350 watts max, which is pretty insignificant with regard to heating up the house. It normally resides (and operates) in the garage, but in colder weather we bring it inside when dehydrating camping meals.

TZ

We put ours out on the deck when we use it. Unless it's mid January.

The aromas can be more distracting than the heat.

I'm with tumblehome on this. Simple Nesco (mine has a thermostat) and go at it.

Here is an excellent guide to start you on dehydrating anything: meat, veggies, fruit, sauces, you name it: https://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html

I do all my dehydrating in the basement and the only thing that really stinks up the place is anything onion. The dehydrator doesn't kick out that much heat either.

Making your own dehydrated meals is the best.

Best advice I can give you about dehydrating is just like paddling: plan, buy the gear, prepare, then go for it!

I am making thin strips of beef jerky right now - it doesn’t heat the kitchen. If I dry some complex tomato sauce in the peak of July, I do it on the porch because it takes a long time and it does add heat to the kitchen.

You can read and read and read but until you actually try it, you won’t know how it works for you.

In general, uniform slices and parts are key. Initial moisture is key (tomatoes don’t hydrate the same as pieces of corn), and no-fat is key. Of if you do fat (like ground pork sausage), rinse well before dehydration and use it sooner in the trip, not later.
The BWCA Recipes thread had a terrific dehydrated food section.

Does it generate heat? Yes. Is it enough to worry about? No. You probably won't even notice the heat in the same room, much less the whole house.

Dehydrating seems to go better when the humidity is low. So I dehydrate in winter/early spring. Its not the best July activity.

Agree with NotLight, it is best done before summer. This eliminates any worry about wasted electricity used to cool house back down as well as making dehydrating easier and faster due to drier air. Ours is large enough that you can definitely tell that you are adding heat and humidity to the room the dehydrator is in, but it isn't all that bad. Dehydrate when the extra heat and humidity is a plus.

The more water in what you're drying the longer it will take. I just tried grapes for the fun of it to make some raisins. It took about 30 hours.

Stuff with a skin takes a lot longer to dry - like grapes take forever. It also takes stuff with a skin a lot longer to rehydrate. If you split the grapes, they'll dry way faster. But sometimes you don't want that.

I just dried some beans. The kidney beans had cooked until the skin cracked a bit. They dried fast - 4hrs or so. My chickpeas were undercooked and not split. After 18 hours I'm still not 100% convinced they are dry.

I used to make tomato powder out of tomato puree. The top surface would dry, but the bottom wouldnt so I had to scrape it off the tray when half dry so the air could get to the bottom. Now I just buy bulk tomato powder from Harmony House.

Strawberries I thin slice, and they dry fast. Taste incredible.

The 1st time I made a batch of dehydrated Chili (meat, sauce & beans) it took forever for the beans to dehydrate and when fuzzy little hairs started growing on the still damp beans I knew I did something wrong.

The next time I put the beans in the microwave for a couple of minutes before adding them to the Chili and the skins cracked open. That time everything dehydrated very well and the rehydrated Chili was a big hit.

Thanks for all that replied.

It is helpful to hear about your experiences.

The smell issue was not something I had considered. I have made home made stock before by boiling chicken bones for extended periods of time. After a few hours the smell is bothersome.

I think dehydrating my own recipes would save money and allow better control of taste and nutrition of the meals.

I started out knowing absolutely zero about dehydrating, but I knew I wanted to save money & make meals & snacks that I like. With a little help from people here & a few books & recipes listed in the camping food thread I now make whole meals & snacks & components for meals. I have an inexpensive nesco garden master with 8 trays. I just went to it & tried cinnamon applesauce made into fruit roll ups for my first try. Great learning experience & fun & delicious outcome. Then I went on to fruits, vegetables, beef & venison jerky, ground beef & whole meals. Bought a vacuum sealer & off I went.

I tend to plan for the process because sometimes it is involved. I am drying 4 lbs of beef jerky right now for a friend. I started the process of partially defrosting & slicing & marinating the meat yesterday afternoon on my day off. My marinade take 12-24 hours in the fridge & I usually just do 24 hours as it gives the best flavor. I planning to get home from work today & place it in the machine to dry. Just now I flipped the meat & rotated the trays after 3 hours & have about 2 to 3 hours left to go. Then it cools while on the trays & into ziplocks for my friend, so I know it’s going to be done later tonite.

My first floor is a mostly empty space so I place the dehydrator there on a fold out tray table, this way it has plenty of space & circulation around it. I had the door open to my second floor & closed it after flipping the meat as the smell wafting up the stairs was getting a little much. It’s a bit noisy too, so now I can’t hear it at all. Fruit & veggies & other meals don’t smell as strong. I wouldn’t consider my garage for drying. My friend gets his jerky tomorrow, he is thrilled & I love being able to do that for him. The moment that meat came out of the freezer, it’s a commitment. Good luck and let us know how you make out.