review – I like dried fruit and nuts. When the Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 Food Dehydrator was reviewed, I thought it might be an opportunity to see if homemade is really better. I have been testing various foods and am now ready to report my findings.
What is it?
The Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 food dehydrator is an electric food dehydrator with six metal shelves, a plastic mesh for finer items and a tray for fruit leather
What’s in the box?
- Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 Food Dehydrator
- Grill (6)
- Fruit Leather Plastic Tray
- Plastic sieves for fine food
Hardware Specifications
From product website
- 🍓【360-degree circulating air, more uniform and efficient air drying】Adopt the latest air circulation technology, high-efficiency air circulation path, improve drying efficiency, rear fan, upper air outlet, circulating air evenly passes through each layer of trays, better lock in freshness
- 🍄【Drop-down door with transparent observation window】The drop-down door is easier to insert and remove the tray without getting stuck, and the observation window is convenient to observe the air-drying process
- 🌿【30-degree inclined LCD screen design】No need to bend down to observe the operation directly, the humanized upgrade design for kitchen lovers comes from French brand-PARIS RHÔNE
- 🌞【Precise temperature control upgrade time setting】Temperature 95ºF to 158ºF, time setting 1-72H, upgraded temperature control, time range to meet the individual needs of kitchen enthusiasts, better maintain the nutrition of items, countdown and automatic shutdown function Also perfectly integrated into this food dryer
- 🍉【Multifunctional Accessories】: The dried meat and fruit food dehydrator includes 6 stainless steel trays for regular food such as fruits, vegetables and meat; a mesh for small food such as nuts and herbs; a fruit roll paper available On fruit rolls or catching falling crumbs
Design and Features
The Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 Food Dehydrator is a stainless steel box measuring 12.5″ x 13.25″ x 17.875″ with a glass door on the front. The door opens downwards and is sealed with a magnetic lock. Above the door on the 30º tilt panel are four buttons and a 0.875″ x 2.5″ LCD display. When plugged in, the panel lights up and displays the time and temperature. The “+” and “-” buttons on the left side of the panel allow you to adjust parameters. On the right side of the panel, the time/temperature button toggles between the two readings. The fourth button is the start/stop button.
At the back of the box is a very quiet big fan, about 7.5 inches in diameter. Behind it are several air intakes cut into the rear panel. At the top are vents that allow warm, moist air to escape. The vent area is approximately 3″ x 5″. (You will need to keep both areas clear during operation.)
set up
No hardware setup – just wash and dry the grid, put in the food, insert the Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 Food Dehydrator, and turn it on.
Performance
This is where hardware supports art rather than engineering. Time and temperature control, combined with your preparation, will determine the quality of your results, and, like all things in life, preparation and planning seem to result in a better product. Experimentation also improves your product over time.
For example, in the first batch I ran (herbs – basil, parsley, and cilantro), I found that the cilantro needed to use a fine mesh tray because the leaves would dry out so small. The basil and parsley weren’t as bad, but all the herbs did better with mesh.
While the manual covers the basics of timing and temperature for common foods, there are more nuanced preparation steps to use with this tool. (How thick are the slices? Do I use vinegar water or ascorbic acid water to keep the apples from browning? Should I dip the banana slices in the honey water?) I really like it (and the results!) and am continuing to experiment with how to best Good to get the result I want. The simplicity of operating the Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 food dehydrator encourages experimentation, as there is little cleanup required, and at such low temperatures, cooling is almost instantaneous. However, drying food does take time.
what do I like
- extremely quiet operation
- big reading
- Wide range of drying times for a variety of foods
what would i change
- There is no on/off switch. If plugged in, the LED and button will remain lit.
- There are illogical presets for temperature ranges. I thought it was set to work in full Celsius, but the display was converting to Fahrenheit.
final thoughts
Somewhere in our distant past, it was discovered that drying foods quickly in a fairly dry environment allowed them to retain most of their flavor without rotting or being eaten by pests. As we moved indoors, discovered electricity and perfected other methods of food preservation, we continued to improve the tools we used in the process. Today, food dehydrators can preserve everything from spices and nuts to citrus, stone fruits and vegetables.
As with anything in the modern world, there is a ton of knowledge (as well as misinformation and blatant sales tactics) online about how to use a food dehydrator. I’ve only covered the hardware and found this through my testing: The Paris-Rhône PE-FD001 Food Dehydrator does what it says it does quietly, without taking up a lot of space or requiring a lot of tedious assembly or cleaning.
price: $149.99
where to buy: Amazon
source: This product sample is provided by Paris-Rhone.
