The IR D5 Infrared Dehydrator is actually designed by L’Equip Korea but marketed in Europe under the Counter Intelligence brand. It’s no surprise then that this model also has an air filter to remove dust from incoming air before it reaches your food. That is pretty much where the similarity with other L’Equip dehydrators ends though.
While retaining a relatively kitchen friendly size, The IR D5 offers a surprisingly large stainless steel lined drying space with 5 horizontal stainless drying trays. In ‘Solar’ mode the capacity is increased because ingredients can be thicker and closer together since there is less reliance on drying by surface air. At possibly the optimum size for most homes, this dehydrator is also one of the quietest in our range and definitely the most beautiful in appearance. In Solar mode, the infrared heater warms the inside of the ingredients as well as the surface, just as the IR radiation from sunlight would. Flavours of dried ingredients from the D5 do seem more intense like sun-dried produce, colours are more vivid and the aroma is more noticeable than with ingredients from standard warm air dehydrators. It’s also claimed that by heating the inside of the food simultaneously, drying times are reduced by about 20% making a saving on costs, while nutrient preservation is believed to be significantly improved (see pdf below).
If you love ‘set it and forget it’ convenience, there’s a fully auto mode where the infrared dryer will automatically switch off when the humidity inside drops to 3%. Auto mode is very convenient and ideal if you want complete food safety assurance when drying ingredients like meat and fish. Alternatively there’s temperature control between 35 and 70ºC for both Solar and Shade mode drying and as you would expect, there’s also a countdown hour timer for timed shut off. In ‘Shade’ mode the dehydrator works more like a standard model which is better for some more delicate ingredients and is preferred by some raw food enthusiasts.
With the iridescent glow of the LED instrument panel shining out through the glossy black surface of the IR D5 Dehydrator, you’d be forgiven for thinking that if Apple were to produce kitchen appliances they would look something like this. It is absolutely stunning. The clean lines and smooth surfaces also make this dehydrator the easiest in our range to clean, while the quality is apparent as soon as you swing open the precisely engineered door with its heat reflecting polished stainless lining. It’s sat there in the UK Juicers office kitchen now. We all want one.
It’s too soon to say but we think Infrared Dehydrators will probably become very popular in the coming years. They have a premium price tag but they make a lot of sense as well as being easier to live with and giving better results. A new design icon.
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Brilliant!!
Wow, I saved up for ages to get this and i am so glad I did. I have friends with Excaliburs and I must say, they are a bit envious of this beauty now.
I wanted BPA fee and also to avoid plastic trays and having to use parallax sheets. this ticks all those boxes. but far in a way the best features are the infra red option and automatic mode. so just pop your trays in and use automatic mode and it switches itself off when its done.
I tend to find that i need to turn stuff over and then put it back on auto if i want really crunch crackers, but having never used a dehydrator before, it takes all the guess work out.
I’ve used baking paper, coated with a bit of coconut oil, in it if I’m making wraps, but I’m use you could go without. I’m just trying to avoid washing the trays.
I had a few disaster when I first got it and made some truly awful crackers, but I’ve persisted and right now I’m doing raw carrot cake, yummy!!!
Also thanks to UK Juicers, who I have shopped with since 2014. what a great company, their customer service is amazing.
HappyVeggieHead, London (verified owner) –
IRD5
have received this dehydrator a few days ago absolutely delighted both with the design and the quality.
Thanks for excellent service UK>Juicers
delighted!
neil w, Notts (verified owner) –
Excellent
Took a week or two to get used to timings but couldn’t do without it for drying veg from allotment. Apple rings and pear slices excellent. As is yoghourt made with organic UHT milk and powdered starter.
Mary, (verified owner) –
Unessesary for Raw Foodists – but great otherwise!
Item is built well and looks great. But the solar function is really for high temperatures.
If you want to do raw foods dehydration, this isn’t what you’re looking for. I bought one, and it’s okay. but the trays are non standard size.
If you’re not doing raw food, this thing is super cool.
Carl, (verified owner) –
Innovative and perfect.
I had been considering buying a dehydrator for years and I’ve finally been convinced by this one built with good materials and two great features, the innovative near infrared heating and the auto mode. Regarding the price: you get what you pay for. This device helps me to always have a preserved amount of vegetables and fruits in these times of epidemic to minimise the times I do shopping or simply because it’s difficult to find a delivery slot when I need it, and on the long run taking advantage of quantity bargains and hopefully stop having to throw items in the rubbish if for some reason I can’t eat them before they go off.
Francesco, London (verified owner) –
So good !!!
We’ve been using the IRD5 for 2 years now and there is nothing negative to say about it. Thanks to its simplicity of operation, we have experimented and expanded our range of dehydrated food that our family enjoys.
Emilio Viúdez Ruido (verified owner) –