IR D5 Infrared Food Dehydrator By CI

Shorter drying times, better energy consumption and improved flavours are just a few of the advantages of the IR D5 Infrared Dehydrator. Add to that an auto mode with humidity sensor plus bags of other handy features, and you can see why it should be on the shortlist for anyone who’s looking for a premium quality food dehydrator.

The IR D5 Infrared Dehydrator was actually designed in Korea by the makers of the Filterpro 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 kitchen friendly size, The IR D5 Dehydrator offers a surprisingly large stainless steel lined drying space with 5 horizontal stainless drying trays. In the powerful ‘Solar’ infrared mode the capacity is increased because ingredients can be thicker and closer together, since there is less reliance on drying by surface air circulation.

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. This sends moisture to the surface of the ingredients for quicker drying.

Flavours of dried ingredients from this dehydrator 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. 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.

If you love ‘set it and forget it’ convenience, there’s a fully auto mode where the infrared aspect of the dehydrator will automatically switch off when the humidity inside drops to 3%. Auto mode is also ideal if you want complete food safety assurance when dehydrating ingredients like meat and fish. Alternatively, there’s manual 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 top, 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.