I used to struggle to make the right choices between two appliances.
It’s either word of mouth or through blogs which works in most cases but not every time.
It is part of why I’m sharing what works for me when choosing between a food dehydrator or convection oven.
I’ve read other people saying that you could double the convection oven as a dehydrator machine simultaneously, so I plan to address that in this article to clear out any misunderstanding.
Can I replace a food dehydrator with a convection oven?
Yes, you can use the convection oven to start drying up some of the best beef jerky and fruits.
Image 1.1 Cooking a chicken in a convection oven
But there are some caveats to this. Using a convection oven as a replacement will take double the time it would typically take to use a food dehydrator.
“Running a convection oven might be expensive.”
It completely changes things if you are the type of person who plans to save on the electric bill.
To prevent adding dollar signs per hour, you might double-take and check if buying a food dehydrator is a worth-it investment or not.
Extra Note: Best Food Dehydrator with Metal Trays (vs. Plastic Trays)
Should I bother buying a food dehydrator?
A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how many times you place to dehydrate food in a given month.
If it’s between 1 – 2 times, then stick with the convection oven. More than that range will result in a pricey utility bill.
Pro vs. Cons: Convection Oven
| Advantages (Pros) | Disadvantages (Cons) |
| *Doubles as a food dehydrator
*Multi-use from toasting bread to drying fruits |
*Expensive |
For one, it can double as a food dehydrator. In most instances, you wouldn’t need to be purchasing one anymore if you already have a convection oven installed.
You can also use it not just to dry out food but even toast & cook as what an ordinary oven could also do.
Nonetheless, you want to choose a “convection” oven, not the ordinary one.
Image 1.2 Ordinary Oven vs. Convection Oven
An ordinary oven has its disadvantages. It doesn’t have the required airflow that allows you to heat the food evenly.
The drying period also takes twice as long.
You might want to set one whole afternoon dedicated to this preparation process.
Still, we stand by what we said that you could replace a food dehydrator with an ordinary oven as a food dehydrator.
“Ordinary ovens are just 1/4 of the cost.”
For one, ordinary ovens are just a quarter of what the food dehydrator and convection oven combined would cost.
You need to install fans near the slightly open the door to allow even airflow.
It will enable the heat to stay in the machine while constantly circulating simultaneously.
How to check if my oven is a convection oven?
Check if a fan is installed in your oven, in the further back wall. Unlike an ordinary oven, it’s not a metal wall.
Image 1.3 Most convection ovens have a metal wall
Their functionality shines out during the hottest temperatures. Some models can reach 160°F, which is one of the ideal settings to start cooking beef jerky.
Pro vs. Cons: Food Dehydrator
| Advantages (Pros) | Disadvantages (Cons) |
| *Allows cooking at a larger capacity than a convection oven.
*Comes in varying shapes & sizes |
*There are some sketchy brands out there |
When using a food dehydrator, one major thing that is highlighted is how it allows for a larger drying capacity than a convection oven.
It is because of the number of trays used in the kitchen appliance.
At the largest capacity, you can prepare up to 160L of food. It is equivalent to a machine used by a business that sells roughly around 200+ beef jerky per day.
You will never need that large capacity if you only plan to feed the people in your home.
It also comes in varying shapes and sizes whereas, unlike the oven, it’s either big or small, and frequently made of stainless steel.
But for a food dehydrator, they can range from your standard box model to a round see-through appliance that somewhat resembles a dim sum steamer tower.
Image 1.4 Food dehydrator that resembles a dimsum tower
“You want to double-check a brand’s legitimacy.”
However, one recurring issue that our team of full-time researchers frequently encountered is the vast array of brands offering false promises to their customers.
It includes tactics such as inaccurate temperature reading, suspected paid customer reviews, and even trays cracking down after only 2 – 3 uses.
If you want to find out more about this type of dark pitfall and how to avoid them, you can read any of our review articles where we don’t only include the positive reviews but even the negative ones as long as they’re legitimate complaints. It helps you make an unbiased decision before buying anything.
Must-have Tips for Dehydration
If it is your first time attempting to dehydrate fruits in the oven, you don’t need to panic.
We had our fair share of worries when doing this with no one to guide us.
When it comes to fruits, wash your hands first. Then give a rinse to fruits making sure there are no sticker marks, dirt, or any indications that don’t belong originally as part of the food.
Move forward with peeling the skin, following with making thin slices. It should be even for all parts of the food. An uneven cut will result in under-dehydration. You don’t need to rush this step, so take time to put in that effort per slice.
Preheat the oven to the ample temperature time below:
| Type | Drying Temperature |
| Fruits | 125°F – 130°F |
| Vegetables | 115°F – 130°F |
| Meat/Jerky | 160°F |
| Herbs | 95°F – 105°F |
Once done, plug off the socket and cool down the food. Take a bite to test if it’s okay.
Ultimatum: Is a food dehydrator with it?
Besides getting crispy and crunchy food that is not only flavorful but also healthy, these are just some of the benefits of food dehydration:
On the top of the list is family, if you have kids or siblings who don’t usually eat fruits. Dehydrating them could give an illusion of eating a potato chip, making it something to look out for instead of avoiding it at first sight.
At the same time, you can introduce them to your world of baking.
Image 1.5 Dried apple slices for kids
It might be perplexed and confusing about what you have been cooking the past few days, but you can actively show them what it’s like to dehydrate food and how it promotes healthy foods.
Since we’re on this health trend, dried fruits can permanently replace the standard potato chips sold in groceries.
One of the common reasons why people buy chips is convenience. The secondary is the taste.
We want to completely duplicate the process as much as possible for the dried fruit. It might not taste salty, but it is crunchy and has a lower risk of kidney stones.
Dehydrating foods allows them to preserve longer, which is why you can see camping enthusiasts sometimes bring a crunchy snack that is homemade.
Image 1.6 Standard camping food
It gives an immediate boost in energy, especially if you’re feeling drained from walking and hiking for a significant part of the day.
The last thing you want is to gather some wood and be forced to prepare a fire to start cooking. That’s where dehydrated food comes in, a far more appetizing method than eating Meals Ready to Eat (MREs)
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, if you already have a convection oven at home (remember: it’s the one with the fans), Test it out to see how it would go.
In most instances, you won’t need to buy a food dehydrator anymore.
But if you have neither of the two products, we’ll personally go with a food dehydrator as long as you know what red flags to look out for. The reason is that their purpose matches our goal of dehydration and dry fruits—nothing more, nothing less.
