Ex-Display IR D5 Infrared Food Dehydrator By CI

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.