Even though canned foods are a pretty healthy option for most of us, the commercial preparations are still including many preservatives that aren’t good for your body. Let’s not forget either that not all foods may be canned.
This is why food dehydration has become a great method to enjoy your foods, with no concerning when it comes to your health.
What is a solar powered food dehydrator anyway?
Food dehydration is no new news and we all know about the raisins, as food has been dried for later storage and consumption for so many years. When you go solar, you just use sun’s energy to realize dehydration. As long as you’re building it right, you’re not going to need any electricity when using a solar one and you should manage to dry your food even in the most humid climates.
When you’re looking for a solar dehydrator, you should have in mind that it needs to be easy to use, as you don’t want to strain yourself while loading/unloading and cleaning it.
The setup should be easy, and you shouldn’t have any difficulties while handling or storing it away either. You also want to be able to carry it around nice and easy, for quite a long time. This brings us to the next aspect: it should be sturdy and solid, taking the use for quite some time.
What’s else to know?
If you want a solar powered food dehydrator, it should feature venting controls, but also a weather resistant build. The design has to be pest proof and the solar dehydrator should dry your food fast no matter where you’re installing it.
Solar powered dehydrators are great and you have to remember that you’re going to need more time when preparing dried food. It may be that the food also tastes different, so you need to give your loved one’s time to get used to the new taste.
Last but not least, you do need sun for a solar dehydrator to work so…plan ahead!
TOP 10 Solar Food Dehydrator Reviews
1). When you like camping and spending time in the outdoors and also want to dry some food before coming back home, don’t hesitate to give it a go with the Hanging Drying Net, 3 Tray Camping Drying Net.
The drying mesh ensures efficient ventilation, whereas the sunshine dries your herbs, plants or bud.
The hanging hook design is great for the outdoor use and the hook is strong. This way it’s a lot easier for you to dry some fish and crabs when fishing.
We also notice the anti-dust and anti-mosquito design as the mesh is very small so not even the tiny flies get inside the dryer. You may safely expose your food as no insects are going to get to it.
You get 3 trays to organize your food and the space is quite generous.
The dryer has a zipper closure so all your food is protected while drying.
Easy to clean, to use and to carry around, the dryer is a reliable asset for your fishing/camping trips.
- The ventilation is great
- It’s anti-dust and anti-mosquito designed
- It’s easy to use and to carry around
- It has a zipper closure
- The layer on top loses a bit of height because of the cone design
- There’s one long zipper for closure which is not very convenient at times
No matter how you put it though, for its reliability and ease of use, the dryer is a good choice whenever spending some time in the outdoors.
2). Lightweight and great for organizing your food, the Apollo Horticulture 2ft 8 Layer Collapsible Mesh Hydroponic Drying Dry Rack Net is a good way to dry your food.
The dry rack includes 8 separate drying chambers with openings, whereas the vertical design makes it so easy to use and hang anywhere. The design allows efficient air circulation and your herbs are going to dry fast and easy.
The build is sturdy and the rack is large enough so that you place and organize very well your herbs or other light elements.
The rack is made with long lasting non-toxic nylon netting, whereas the rings are made with high-quality steel, for offering a sturdy support.
When you’re done with drying your food, you simply fold and store away the rack as it has a collapsible design.
We really like the rack for the organization and its small, compact size once it’s folded.
- The dry rack includes 8 individual drying chambers
- It’s lightweight and sturdy enough
- It’s easy to hang and to use
- It gives plenty of space for separating your herbs
- The material isn’t the most durable out there
- It doesn’t include any zippers
Nevertheless, for the storage, organization and efficiency, the solar hydrator is quite a bang for your buck.
3). If you’re looking for an easy to use dryer for your plants, give it a try with the Herb Quick Cure Hanging Drying Rack Bud and Plant Hang Dryer.
The herb drying net rack is made with mesh and includes 4 layers with a 24” diameter and 7” between each of them, giving it a 28” height altogether.
The design is practical and the drier is collapsible, turning into a 0.5” thick pack that is easy to fold and to carry in its own carrying bag.
You may use the dryer for your herbs so that you may turn them in to dried spices. It gives you plenty of space for drying all sorts of plants.
The dryer is well made and is an inspired gift for any passionate gardener.
- The dryer has 4 layers
- It’s large and easy to use
- It’s foldable and easy to carry in its own carrying bag
- It dries well and looks good
- It has a chemical smell in the beginning
- It doesn’t have a cover for openings
Regardless of the minor flaws, the dryer is a good solution for turning your herbs into nice spices for your food.
4). As long as you have the right tall place to hang it, we don’t see any reasons for which you shouldn’t go ahead and try the Growsun 2ft 8 Layer Black Mesh Hanging Herb Drying Rack Dry Net.
The 2 ft. diameter and the 8-layer design give you plenty of space, larger than you’d expect, to organize and use for your food.
You don’t need any setup for the solar dryer as it’s ready to use right out of the box and you only need to hang it.
The solar dryer has a semi-enclosed design so it’s easy to use. the air circulation is great and you may rely on it for drying your food. You may confidently use it for drying hydroponic plant, bud, herb and so on.
The rack is made with high quality nylon and the stitching is reinforced, for durability and strength.
The 8 compartments are huge and the rack is well made.
- The 8 compartments are large
- The air circulation is efficient
- It’s lightweight and easy to use
- It’s well made and has a durable build
- Some would have liked an enclosed design
- The compartments may take you by surprise with their large size
All in all, as it’s efficient, well-made and easy to use, the solar food dryer is a good option for many.
5). The 4 layers of the Docooler 40 * 40 * 65cm 4 Layers Vegetable Fish Dishes Mesh Hanging Drying are large enough to give you the chance to dry a good amount of foods, vegetables and fish mostly.
The dryer is made with very fine mesh that keeps at distance and protects your food from cats, dogs and even the tiniest flies.
The design is well thought out and the zipper closure gives you easy access to your dried food all the time. Additionally, it increases the protection against the animals too.
The dryer is easy to fold and becomes quite compact, making storage and carrying a breeze. You shouldn’t worry when it comes to cleaning it as steaming it from time to time solves the cleaning problem.
Your food dries fast when using the dryer that makes your food safe and as natural as it can be.
The dryer is well made, easy to hang and may take the use for quite some time.
- The dryer has a 4 layers’ design
- The zipper on the front makes opening and closing a breeze
- The food dries well
- It’s easy to hang and to use
- Some may not go for its blue color
- The hanging system may be improved
Like it or lump it, we still think the dryer is efficient and reliable for many situations
6). Easy to set it up and to use, the Magarz 4 Layer Drying Rack Net Hanging Collapsible Solar Dehydrator comes with many good things that you need to consider when in need for a solar food dehydrator.
The solar dryer is made with environmental mesh and presents a solid build, with steel wire ring. The diameter of each layer is 24in, which is quite large.
You don’t need any electricity nor solar panels for drying your food, as this solar dehydrator dries your plants, herb, lavender and so on in a natural way.
The enclosed design protects your food from flies, whereas the mash fabric and zipper features make the dryer easy to access and breathable. We also notice the collapsible feature of the design, which makes the dryer so easy to store and carry around.
The top of the material is waterproof so you may confidently use it outside.
The 4-layer herb drying rack is bigger than expected and very easy to clean. You just need to make a quick rinse with a hose while it’s hanging.
- The mesh fabric is breathable
- The top is made with waterproof material
- The enclosed design keeps flies away
- It’s foldable and bigger than expected
- The zipper opening is a bit awkward
- The material isn’t very thick
Regardless of the minor problems, if you’re looking for a solar food dehydrator that is simple, yet efficient, this one is a good choice.
7). The iPower 3 Feet Diameter with 6 Layers is made with non-toxic nylon netting and 3-in steel rings that are quite thick, giving the solar dryer the durability you’d want.
The solar dryer has 6 layers and each of them has a 3ft. diameter, giving you enough space for organizing and displaying your herbs and veggies.
There are many good features on the dryer and we like it because it’s foldable and portable. It also comes with its own carrying bag so no worries about carrying it around.
The shelves are easy to remove and to adjust as they feature good, sturdy clips.
The design is functional and the topless tiers give you 360degree access to your contents. You snap the buckles together to easily put on or remove shelves.
Each level features an adjustable center strap that adds more weight support. The hanger is heavy duty and comes with hook and loop fastener.
The dryer is very quiet and it’s great to use for drying your tomatoes.
- The dryer has 6 tiers and 3ft. diameter
- The shelves are removable and easy to adjust
- The dryer has a topless design
- It’s foldable and easy to carry around in its own carrying bag
- It needs to be made better
- It could use more straps on top for more support
All in all, the food dryer is a quiet, portable and foldable option that does exactly what you want: dries your food.
8). Giving you 3 levels to organize and display your food, the 3 Tray Hanging Drying Net, Food Dehydrator checks all the boxes when it comes to efficiency and reliability for drying your food.
You may dry different food and you may also store it at the same time with the food dryer. It’s made with fine mesh net that protects your food against flies and insects, while ensuring good air circulation.
It’s easy to use the dryer that features zipper for opening/closing. It features a string for easier hanging, whereas its folding design allows easy storage and transportation.
The food dehydrator is well-made and the material has a durability feel to it. It dries well your food and it’s large enough for drying a good amount of food.
- The dryer is well-made
- It dries your food
- It has a 3 level design, with zipper closure
- It’s foldable for easy and compact storage
- The mesh is a tad large so drying some grains is a bit more challenging
- Some find it a bit difficult to remove the dried food as the zipper is placed only on one side
Nevertheless, the solar food dehydrator dries your food, it’s easy to store and use so it’s a good choice when in need.
9). Drying your food in a natural way, the Solar Food Dehydrator – Hanging Food Pantrie Dehydration System is an efficient and dependable solar food dryer to use around the house.
It dries your foods nice and easy, retaining 95% of the enzymes. The dryer is versatile also as you may use it as a seed sprouted or a wheat grass growing tray.
The design includes 5 trays that are made of plastic that is BPA free. The trays are easy to wash and easy to put in/take out.
You may zip the solar dryer for protecting your food and the zipper work nice and smooth every time.
The solar dryer is environmental friendly choice that is reliable in many cases.
- It dries food naturally
- You may use it as a seed sprouter and wheat grass growing tray
- It includes 5 trays that are easy to remove and clean
- It comes with zippers
- The top lid isn’t removable
- It’s a bit messy when drying anything else but herbs
All in all, the solar food dehydrator is reliable, easy to use and efficient, which is enough for many.
10). As long as you’re willing to pay the extra buck for it, the Food Pantrie Solar Food Dehydrator – Hanging Dehydration System is a good solution for drying your fruits and veggies.
The solar dehydrator features 5 drying trays that are easy to remove and that give you enough space for your food to dry. The trays are squared and 13” large. The dryer comes pre-assembled and the design is solid, with heavy-duty straps.
You don’t need any electricity to use the solar dehydrator that uses no fans and is so quiet too.
The build of the dryer allows you to use it both indoor and outdoor. The dryer folds down easy for storage and you shouldn’t worry about the cleaning matter since it’s dishwasher safe.
The versatility of the dryer is great and not only you can use it for all sorts of fruits and vegetables, but also for jerky or to sprout seeds and wheatgrass.
The design is smart and the build is sturdy. The mesh is fins so no small flies get inside. The zipper closer works fine and keeps foods protected.
- The solar dehydrator has a good build
- The mesh is fine so the flies don’t get inside
- It has a zipper closure
- It’s easy to use and versatile
- The zipper goes only one way which some customers don’t like
- The attachment system could be better
For what it’s worth, the solar dehydrator is a great choice for drying all sorts of fruits and veggies.
