ElectrIQ EDFD04 User Manual

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Digital Dehydrator with Timer

EDFD04

USER MANUAL

Thank you for choosing electriQ

Please read this user manual before using the dehydrator

and keep it safe for future reference.

Visit our page www.electriQ.co.uk for our entire range of Intelligent Electricals

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Contents

Features 3

Safety Instructions 4

Parts and Assembly 5

Operation and Dehydrating Guidelines 6

Drying Fruits 9

Drying Vegetables 12

Drying Herbs 15

Drying Meat 18

Recipes 20

Cleaning and Maintenance 22

Troubleshooting 22

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FEATURES

This advanced digital dehydrator was specially designed for easy use, convenience and easy storage.
The electriQ dehydrator has adjustable trays allowing a large variety of foods to be dehydrated.
Turbo vortex technology: fan circulates the hot air producing evenly dried foods in less than half the time of
standard dehydrators.
Digital Temperature control which allows accurate temperature control to match the food, providing
consistent results every time. Digital Timer removes the need of manual intervention and ensure that your
food will be dried according to the recommended time. Digital LED temperature and timer displays makes
the operation of this appliance very easy.
Your electriQ Food dehydrator brings a new dimension to ancient food preservation processes. It allows you
to enjoy a simpler and more rapid drying process in the convenience of you own home. Now you can have
the satisfaction of preparing healthful and delicious treats in the comfort and convenience of your own
home and save money and have fun at the same time.

Dehydrated food was always part of the human diet and is a better way to preserve food than adding
chemical additives. Our ancestors sustained themselves on natural dehydrated foods and later used heat
from the sun or their fires to preserve food harvested between seasons.

Why Dehydrate…?

Your dehydrator is a tool that uses relatively low temperatures and a turbo fan to dry food. It essentially
removes the water from food, but it keeps the enzymes of your food intact.
You can now create foods that will have same texture as cooked or fried dishes while keeping all the
goodness of raw food.
Dehydrated foods are a great way to transition to raw food, and even as a great gluten-free treat maker.
Most of the dehydrated foods can replace the textures and tastes of the most addictive foods like bread,
cookies, and chips. Who would not want that?
If you are dehydrating to below 50℃ your food can still be considered raw. Note that meat or fish should
always be dehydrated at maximum dehydrator temperature to prevent bacterial growth.
You can also use a dehydrator to preserve excess produce. If you are lucky enough to have an abundant
garden (or just a great deal of fresh local produce) then you can use a dehydrator to preserve your pick.
Simply clean and cut your fruits or vegetables and place on your dehydrator trays. Depending on water
content you might need to dehydrate for a longer time.

Dehydrated fruits and veggies make great snacks, or can be used to top salads, sauces and soups.
You may also consider that many of the supermarket dried food will still contain preservatives like sulfites or
other substances, so is better to dehydrate yourself knowing that nothing else was added.
Dried food is easily stored, popular with backpackers, hikers, campers, boaters, cooks, gardeners, dieters,
and health food enthusiasts. Also a great way to make tasty snacks for kids.
Dehydration is one of the easiest and most efficient methods of food preservation. Food is exposed to gentle
heat and circulated air in order to remove moisture. Lacking moisture, bacteria and micro-organisms are
inhibited so dehydrated foods can be preserved for long periods without refrigeration and they have far less
weight and bulk.
You can also use a food dehydrator to dry flowers, herbs and grains.

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Important

• Carefully read the instructions before operating the unit

• This appliance is for indoor use only.

• Rating: This unit must be only connected to a 220-240 V / 50 Hz earthed outlet. Always check the

rating label against your electrical supply. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of your electrical
supply have it checked and, if necessary, retested by a qualified electrician.

• This dehydrator has been tested and is safe to use. However, as with any electrical appliances - use it
with care.

• Disconnect the power plug from socket before dismantling, assembling or cleaning.

• Do not clean the base of unit by spraying it or immersing it in water.

• Never operate this appliance if the cord or plug is damaged. Ensure the power cord is not stretched

or exposed to sharp object/edges.

• Do not pull the mains cable to disconnect the mains plug from the mains.

• Do not use the appliance if any part or any accessory is damaged or defective.

• A damaged supply cord or plug should be replaced by the manufacturer or a qualified electrician in

order to avoid a hazard.

• Avoid touching any moving parts of the appliance. Avoid touching any hot parts of the appliance.

• Make sure unit is assembled correctly before use.

• Never insert fingers, or any other objects in the appliance while is in operation.

• This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory

or mental capabilities. It is also not intended for use by those with a lack of experience and knowledge,
unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning the use of the appliance by a person
responsible for their safety.

• Do not leave children unsupervised with this appliance.

• Any service other than regular cleaning should be only performed by an authorized service

representative. Failure to comply could result in a voided warranty.

• Do not use the appliance for any other purposes than its intended use.

• Always place the unit on a dry and stable surface.

• Do not use the appliance in places with high humidity (>80%RH)

• Do not immerse the appliance in water or other liquids. If the appliance is immersed in water or

other liquids by mistake, do not touch the appliance with your hands. Immediately remove the mains plug
from the wall socket. If the appliance was immersed in water or other liquids, discard it.

Unit Safety Protection and Performance Tips

• Make sure the unit is correctly assembled before using it

• The maximum continuous operation of the dehydrator must not exceed 48 hours. After this period

you must turn off the machine and unplug the power cord.

• Please unplug the unit before you remove the food from the dehydrator.

• Do not cover the dehydrator while in operation.

• Always clean the dehydrator immediately after use. Trays are only designed to work in your electriQ

dehydrator. Never use them in any other appliance.

• Incorrect usage will damage the machine. Only use in dust free and well ventilated environment

• The Food Dehydrator should be exclusively used for drying food, herbs or plants. Do not use this food

dehydrator for any other domestic or commercial drying process.

• Always unplug the power cord after use and store safely away from reach of children.

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Parts and Assembly

Open the package and account for all parts before disposing packing. Safely dispose of all plastic bags and
other packaging components. They may be potentially dangerous to children.
Before use please clean the lid and trays. Please clean with warm water mixed with a small quantity of mild
detergent. Clean the base of the unit a wet cloth or a sponge. Never immerse the base in water.

The drying trays are nested for easy storage. Please lift them and
turn them to full height before use so the hot air can freely flow
among each tray.
Load each tray individually and make sure they are not
overloaded, allowing air to move around.
If you want to dehydrate more liquid type like fruit leather we
recommend to cut parchment paper rounds or Teflon sheet (you
can reuse them) and lay them on the tray or half tray.
Most of the trays must be built onto the food dehydrator when
the food dehydrator is working even if some trays are empty.
Always put the tray with food onto the bottom of the food
dehydrator first and add empty trays above. Always have the lid
on when the dehydrator is in operation.

Notes:

Never put water in the dehydrator. Size the food to match the dehydrator trays. The size and thickness of
the food will influence the length of the drying process. Use the special optional mesh and solid trays for
liquid or semi liquid mixtures.

Do not run the appliance for more than 48 hours in one single use. After 48 hours, press the “START/STOP”
button twice. Unplug and let it cool down for at least 2 hours before operating again.

Don not run the unit with less than 3 trays even some of them are empty.

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Adjustable Trays
Trays are adjustable offering maximum flexibility in drying different food. For drying thick food, you can
adjust trays to 50mm height. For drying fast thin food, you can adjust trays to 25mm height. Also the unit
occupies less space when stored as in the pictures bellow.

When stored In use

OPERATION

Turn on the food dehydrator by pressing the
“START/STOP” button. The unit will default to 70oC and
10 hrs dehydrating timer. When entering standby mode
the unit LED display will stop flashing.
Select the timer and the desired food temperature. Press

the “TEMP” button to set the temperature. The

temperature can be set from 35oC to 70oC in 5oC
increments. Press the “TIMER” button to set the timer. The timer is selectable with 30 minute increments
up to 48 hours. After the timer lapsing fan will continue to run for approximatively 10 more seconds than
will go in standby.
If the food is dried and timer still working turn off the machine by pressing the “START/STOP” button twice,
than unplug it and store it in a safe and dry place.
Notes: Set the temperature / timer and then press START button to start the dehydrating cycle. During
operation you can increase or decrease the timer settings using + / - keys. To change the temperature press
the TEMP key first than use +/- keys. Pressing the START/STOP key twice will pause operation. Press
START/STOP key once again and operation will resume on last settings selected. Keep and press START/STOP
key for more than 3 seconds and all the settings are reset to default.

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General Dehydrating Guidelines

Certain varieties of produce, the humidity in the air, and even methods of food handling make quite a
difference in the drying time and quality of the dried product.

Experiment with different drying temperatures, thickness of produce, pre-treatment versus no pre­treatment and different re-hydration methods. You will determine what works best for your particular needs
and preferences.

Loading Trays and Selecting Produce

To save nutrients and produce a quality product, it is necessary to work fast preparing foods to dry. When
placed in your dehydrator, they need to dry continuously at the recommended temperatures and times. Do
not turn off your dehydrator or leave partially dried food on the trays as it may spoil or develop bacterial
growth.

Spread all foods evenly to dry in single layers. If slices overlap, the areas that are covert will not dry properly.

Do not add fresh produce to a partially dried batch. It will slow the rate of drying for both products. It is
possible, however, to combine partially dried foods.

Select the best fresh produce at the peak of ripeness and flavour. Wash carefully to remove debris, dust and
insects. Cut away bruised or damaged sections.

Lay food pieces evenly on trays. Do not overlap food pieces, as this will inhibit drying time. As each tray is
loaded, place it on the dehydrator to begin drying. Please change the position of the trays during drying
process if you find that certain trays are dried unevenly.

Because of the unique design of your electriQ vortex system dehydrator, you will be surprised at how quick
is the drying process.

Drying Times

Drying times indicated in this user instructions are for reference only and they may vary a lot, depending on
the type and amount of food, thickness and evenness of the slices, percentage of water in the food,
humidity, temperature of air, altitude. Drying times may also vary greatly from one area to another and from
day to day, depending on the climatic conditions. Keep records to help you predict drying times for specific
foods.

Drying Temperature

Fruits, fruit rolls (fruit leather) and vegetables should be dried at 40 - 60℃. By drying foods in this
temperature range you will minimize the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins A and C. All foods sweat when they
begin to dry, the temperature may be set higher at 60℃ or 70℃ during the first couple of hours of drying.
The actual temperature of the food will remain to around 5o to 6o℃, lower than the air temperature for the
first couple of hours.