OUR RATING
TEMP. RANGE (°F)
95 – 155
WATTAGE
400
TRAYS
6
TIMER
No
PROS
– Comes at a reasonable price
– A versatile and efficient dehydrator
– Horizontal airflow results in even drying
– Automatic fan prevents overheating
– Precise temperature control
– Simple controls – exceptionally easy to use
– Spacious, height-adjustable drying shelves
– Trays, door, and mesh sheets manufactured from BPA-free materials
– See-through door allows easy monitoring
– Includes a drip tray
CONS
– Comes without a timer
– Inadequate instruction manual
If you’re in the market for a new dehydrator, you’re probably confused by the sheer number of brands out there. You’ve probably heard about Aroma – their models always pop out here and there. What about their dehydrators?
You can also find a large number of digital dehydrators that we’ve reviewed [ON THIS PAGE]
An excellent example of this company’s desire to make great products is undoubtedly their Professional 6-Tray Dehydrator. With advantages such as six removable trays, 8-step temperature control, and the included drip tray, it’s a model that deserves anyone’s attention. Let’s check out its features:
Specifications
POWER: 400W
TEMPERATURE RANGE: 95 – 155°F
AIR FLOW: Horizontal
THERMOSTAT: Adjustable
NUMBER OF TRAYS: 6
DRYING SPACE: 5.5 square feet
WARRANTY: 1 year
TIMER: Yes
Features
Design
One of the first things to notice about Aroma Housewares Professional is undoubtedly its attractive design. The model looks appealing, stylish, and sleek. As it can be purchased in both black and white, it’s pretty easy for this dehydrator to fit with the interior of any kitchen.
An important thing to mention here is the difference between the black and the white version. The white version (NFD-815D) includes a 10-hour digital timer, a digital 8-step thermostat control, and has stainless-steel drying shelves. All of this makes it significantly pricier than the model we’re reviewing here – AFD-815B, or Professional 6-Tray Dehydrator.
The unit weighs 11.7 pounds and has the dimensions of 18″ x 14″ x 12″. It’s a square-shaped dehydrator, which makes it relatively more durable than its circular counterparts. Furthermore, both the trays and the door (which is transparent, allowing easy monitoring of the drying process) have been manufactured from BPA-free plastic. This is now a standard with the vast majority of dehydrators on the market, but it’s still something that has to be mentioned.
Performance
This model utilizes horizontal airflow – the heat goes from the rear to the front of the appliance. As you can already guess, the result of this is even heat distribution throughout the dehydrator. An added benefit of horizontal airflow is that there’s no need to rotate the trays. The only thing you need to do is to arrange the food and turn the power on – it’s up to the machine to do the rest.
The unit comes with an adjustable thermostat, whose range stands at 95°F – 155°F. Rated at 400 watts, Aroma Housewares Professional operates on 120V AC 60Hz. This makes it suitable for use in North America.
Another excellent thing about this model’s performance is that its rear-mounted fan provides quiet operation. For people who usually leave their food to get dehydrated over the night, this feature will be invaluable. Both the fan and the heating coil turn on and off automatically – you just have to use the on/off switch.
The unit is capable of drying a wide selection of foods with reliable and dependable results. It can dehydrate spices, herbs, tropical fruits, domestic fruits, as well as beef jerky and many different vegetables. It can also be used to make art projects and create signature potpourri. You can rehydrate your dried items in tagines, goulashes, stews, and soups.
Capacity
This model’s spacious, front-mounting drying shelves can be loaded by simply sliding them along the guides. The whole process is very similar to that of sliding racks inside a conventional oven. There are six trays total, and each of them is height-adjustable, spacious, and sturdy.
These are medium-capacity shelves since each of them has a usable surface space of 11″ x 12”. This provides the user with the total drying area of approximately 5.5 square feet. Each of the shelves can hold up to one pound of food. We were particularly pleased to see additional trays in the package. Besides an extra plastic tray, the deal also includes a mesh sheet, which comes in very handy for drying smaller foods, such as herbs, spices, seeds, and nuts.
Aroma Housewares Professional
Controls
As we said, the unit’s flexible temperature choice allows the user to dehydrate items between 95°F – 155°F. This will let you set the machine to 95°F when drying fruit, to 155°F when making jerky, and anywhere in between. All of this is done by using the simple control center that’s located on the top-back part of the unit.
The interface is as simple as it gets – there’s just the on/off switch and the temperature knob. Between these is a simple chart that shows the ideal temperatures for some types of food, such as jerky, vegetables, granola, yogurt, etc. There are eight temperature settings in total, and choosing any one of them is effortless – you just have to turn the knob selector.
Unfortunately, Aroma Housewares Professional doesn’t have a timer. This means that the user needs to use an external timer or simply monitor the food contents through the transparent window. The lack of the timer is the model’s most significant disadvantage and a real inconvenience for those who already owned a dehydrator with this feature.
Conclusion
All in all, Aroma Housewares Professional is a versatile, efficient, and attractive dehydrator that you can get at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for a reliable mid-level model, this one should be among your top contenders.
Its only major downside is the lack of the timer. It’s a standard feature on most modern dehydrators, and the fact that this unit doesn’t have one is a real inconvenience. However, it makes up for the lack of it with ease of operation, quietness, large trays, and the adjustable thermostat. Its value for the money is pretty hard to beat, as it offers efficient, reliable, and steady operation at an affordable price.