Review of fruit and vegetable dryer Rawmid Classic RCD-06

Rawmid Classic RCD-06 is a six-level dehydrator with a power of 500 W and designed for drying vegetables, fruits, meat and herbs. In addition to the main application, the complete drying manual of the device indicates other possible uses, such as proofing yeast dough, making marshmallows, yogurt and even cheese — thanks to the wide air heating range. The dehydrator has a two-layer body, which promises not only effective drying, but also a reduced noise level.

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not the time limit after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

The dehydrator comes in colorful packaging with bright, full-color printing. The sides of the box contain images of the device itself and dried products, as well as a brief description of the main advantages of the device and its technical characteristics.

To protect against damage, the main box is placed in a simple cardboard shipping package. The outer shell contains the company logo, full model name, list of features and technical specifications in English. Inside, the device is securely secured with foam inserts to prevent damage during transportation. The body itself is wrapped in plastic film. The components are also packed in plastic bags and placed inside the box.

Rawmid RCD-06 dehydrator kit includes:

• frame
• 6 stainless steel trays
• 1 plastic mesh sheet
• 2 flexible pallets with sides
• 3 silicone sheets (optional)
• instructions and warranty card

The Rawmid Classic RCD-06 dehydrator is a compact device that resembles an oven. It is equipped with one operating mode: horizontal convection airflow with heating. The width of the dryer is 29 cm, the height is 27.5 cm, and the depth is only 40 cm.

The device body is made of black plastic. The sides and door have a matte surface that is rough to the touch, and there are glossy inserts on the edges.

The case is equipped with double walls, which are designed to reduce the noise level during operation of the device and ensure longer retention of heat inside the chamber.

The built-in window is made of transparent but darkened plastic. The lack of lighting inside the camera makes it difficult to view content through the window.

The door opens through a special cutout above the window. It opens smoothly and locks securely in any position. At the same time, a tight fit to the body and the absence of gaps ensure reliable closure.

The upper part of the dehydrator housing houses a touch control panel. Above this area where the buttons are located, there is a sticker with recommendations for choosing parameters and a QR code that redirects to the page of the official Rawmid website. There, the user can get detailed guidance on drying various foods.

The side walls of the case are equally empty.

On the back wall there are screws for fastening the fan motor, ventilation holes, and a nameplate with technical information about the device. A 115 cm long power cord comes out at the top.

At the bottom of the device there are four feet with rubber inserts.

On the back wall, behind the grille, there is a large fan for blowing, equipped with a heating element. There are guides along the walls of the chamber for convenient installation of six grid trays.

The distance between the trays is almost 3 cm. If you need to dry something larger, you can install fewer grids.

The main six trays are strong-feeling metal grids made from twisted wire. Lattice size — 25x27 cm.

Products can be dried either on the racks themselves or on trays, sheets or nets placed inside. To prepare marshmallows, the kit includes three plastic trays with sides.

For a review of the purchased dehydrator, a bonus will be added — three branded sheets of food-grade heat-resistant silicone.

There is a special plastic mesh sheet available for drying small items such as greens. Only one such sheet is included in the package, but if necessary, it and other accessories can be purchased from the official Rawmid online store.

The assembly of the structure, the quality of all its elements and additional accessories are excellent. We did not find any defects during the visual inspection.

The instruction manual is presented in A5 size brochure format, consisting of 19 pages with high-quality glossy printing. Most of the text is printed in Russian, but the last four pages contain information in English.

The instructions describe in detail the structure of the device, provide recommendations for choosing temperature modes for drying various products, provide a description of the control panel, and also give tips on the safe operation and care of the device.

In addition, the set of documents includes an interesting and useful brochure with recipes and tips for drying a wide variety of products.

Everything about operating the Rawmid Classic RCD-06 is so simple that if you have to look at the instructions, it’s definitely not for this reason.

To start the dehydrator, you must press the Start/Stop button located in the center below the display. By default, the device is set to dry at 70 °C for 10 hours.

The clock button on the left allows you to set the time using the “+” and “−” buttons on the sides of the display. The time can be set from 30 minutes to 24 hours in 30 minute increments. The button with the image of a thermometer on the right is responsible for setting the temperature in the range from 35 to 70 °C in steps of 5 °C.

To start drying, press the Start/Stop button. You can turn off the device using the same button. At any time during drying, you can change the time and temperature parameters. When the drying cycle is complete, the dehydrator will beep five times and turn off the heat. Sound signals cannot be turned off. In the event of a power failure, the current cycle settings will be reset.

Before using the dehydrator, it is recommended to wipe all its parts, walls and door with a damp cloth, as well as wash the grates and trays. Then run the device for 19 hours to remove any possible odor. We spent an hour warming up at maximum temperature, and did not notice a smell either when we first turned it on or subsequently.

To install the dehydrator, select a solid, horizontal surface, leaving at least 10 cm on the sides and behind the back wall for ventilation. It is recommended to leave even more space at the top to access the buttons and view the timer. A low humidity environment is preferable for operating the device.

During use there were no problems with operation. Drying of products occurs evenly regardless of their location in the chamber. We didn't have to swap trays or mix the contents even once.

During operation, even at maximum temperature, the case does not heat up. The maximum duration of continuous operation is 24 hours. After this, it is recommended to disconnect the device from the power supply and allow it to cool for at least two hours.

The included accessories turned out to be convenient to use. Metal gratings easily fit into their grooves, and plastic trays and nets fit on the gratings without problems due to their small size. If the food pieces are more than 3 cm thick, you can remove the metal grid and increase the distance between the levels.

During testing, we determined that on average one level can accommodate:

• 400-450 g tomatoes
• 200-250 g turkey
• 250-300 g mango
• 200-250 g bananas
• 450-550 g of fruit and berry puree for marshmallows

These are just approximate figures, since the final result depends on the shape of the cut and the distance between the pieces. We tried to arrange the products tightly and in one layer for optimal use of space.

Caring for your dehydrator includes regular cleaning of the trays and inner chamber. The trays can be washed by hand under running water, and the inner chamber can be wiped with a soft cloth or sponge soaked in water and a neutral detergent. The outer part of the case can be wiped with a damp cloth. It is important to avoid the use of abrasive and chemically aggressive products. The manufacturer also allows you to wash the trays and grids in the dishwasher.

We used a wattmeter to measure the maximum power of the dehydrator during operation at 70 °C, which was 495 W. For 10 hours of operation at 35 °C, our electricity consumption was 0.968 kWh, and at 70 °C — 3.520 kWh.

We also measured the actual temperature in some modes 10 minutes after turning on the dehydrator.

The noise produced by the device during operation can be described as moderate: depending on the set temperature, on average it ranges from 50 to 55 dB.

The stems and seeds were removed from Slivka tomatoes, cut into halves and quarters.

We prepared a mixture of salt, sugar and Provencal herbs, which we sprinkled on the tomatoes. After the excess juice had drained, we placed the slices on metal trays in one layer. The dehydrator was operated for 9 hours at 55 °C.

During this time, the tomatoes dried well, while remaining flexible. Drying at all levels proceeded evenly; there was no need to swap racks or mix the slices on each tray. The uniformity of the process can be seen in the photographs below. The first, third and sixth levels above show the drying results.

As a result, from fresh slices with a total weight of 2.6 kg, which occupied all six levels, we received 220 g of sun-dried tomatoes.

The tropical set that went into the drying chamber consisted of thinly sliced mangoes and bananas.

On one of the levels we placed the ingredients for the future marshmallow. First, we coated a plastic tray with sides with a small amount of vegetable oil. Then spread banana and kiwi puree, weighing about 500 grams, on it in an even layer.

The fruit was dried at 60 °C to the state of chips in just over 5 hours. For greater plasticity of the lobules, the time can be reduced by an hour.

Glossy, flexible and not cracked anywhere, the very tasty pastille was ready in another hour.

Result: excellent

Thinly sliced juicy tangerines, limes and lemons were placed on metal mesh levels and sent to dry at 65 °C.

After 6 hours, the fragrant rings became completely dry.

When drying the greens, we used a minimum heat of 35 °C.

Dill dried the fastest: we removed it from the grid after 11 hours. The greens did not turn yellow, completely lost moisture and crumbled easily when rubbed with your fingers.

The parsley leaves and green onions became crispy and brittle after 18 hours.

10 seconds in the chopper — and we have a fragrant seasoning.

The turkey fillet was kept in the freezer for a while and cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and chopped dry garlic and place on mesh trays.

This time we set the dehydrator to 70 °C. After 4.5 hours the jerks were ready. The meat was easily split, slightly bent, and chewed without effort, although it probably should have been taken out a little earlier, about half an hour.

With the Rawmid Classic RCD-06 dehydrator, perfect drying becomes simple and worry-free. You just need to properly prepare high-quality raw materials, cut them and put them on pallets. You don't have to make thin slices—this six-level model offers enough flexibility to dry food of different shapes and sizes. Thanks to this drying process, there is no need for constant monitoring, agitation of the contents or rearrangement of trays.

In addition to fast and uniform drying, the Rawmid Classic RCD-06 dehydrator provides comfortable operation due to the ability to adjust parameters during the drying process, low noise level and excellent thermal insulation of the body. Additional pluses include the double-layer body and flat bottom, which allows it to be used for a variety of purposes such as fermenting yoghurts and storing jars. Minor shortcomings include a too dark viewing window and non-switchable sound signals. However, the beep is of moderate volume and generally does not cause irritation.

Pros:

• spacious chamber in a compact body
• uniform drying at all levels and along the plane of each tray separately
• Timer up to 24 hours in 30 minute increments
• temperature adjustment in the range from 35 to 70 °C in steps of 5 degrees
• Quiet operation and cool case
• opportunity to purchase missing accessories

Minuses:

• viewing window too dark
• non-switchable sound signals