eta 5301 Freya Electric Hot-Air Food Dryer Instruction Manual

Electric hot-air food dryer
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Freya

Electric hot-air food dryer
eta 5301

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Drying is one of the oldest methods of food conservation. Most common kinds of fruit, vegetables, forest berries and meat are processed by drying. In this way, you can process
even small fruits (e.g. currants, gooseberries, strawberries). You can also dry herbs, flowers or leaves perfectly in the dryer that will keep their healing properties and their original colour. It dries mushrooms very well and quickly and they keep their colour, taste and flavour. Unlike common long-term preservation of food (e.g. conservation, freezing), up to 80 % of vitamins, minerals and trace elements are preserved and aromatic substances are concentrated, which makes dried food more tasteful. The best way to be successful is to use these instructions for use as a guide and then change the drying technique according to your previous results. It is useful to make notes about the activity and the results. Records of the amount of food before and after drying, the time of drying, the result of drying etc. can be useful information for reaching the good quality of dried food.

SAFETY WARNINGS

• Consider these instructions to be a part of the appliance and provide them to other users of the appliance.

• Check whether the data on the type label corresponds with the voltage in your socket. The power cord plug has to be connected to the properly connected and grounded
  socket according to the national standard.

• This appliance can be used by children aged 8 years and above and persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge if they have been given supervision or instruction concerning the use of the appliance in a safe way and understand the hazards involved. Children shall not play with the appliance. Cleaning and user maintenance shall not be made by children without supervision. Children younger than 8 years must be kept out of reach of the appliance and its power cord.

• If the power cord of the appliance is corrupted, it has to be replaced by the manufacturer, its service technician, or a similarly qualified person so as to prevent dangerous situations.

• CAUTION – Do not use the appliance with a program, time switch, or any other part that turns the appliance on automatically as there is a risk of fire if the appliance is not covered or placed properly.

• Never leave the appliance unsupervised and check it during the whole time of preparing meals!

• Do not use the appliance for heating a room!

• Before replacing accessories or accessible parts, which move during operation, before assembly and disassembly, before cleaning or maintenance, turn off the appliance and disconnect it from the mains by pulling the power cord from the power socket!

• Always unplug the appliance from the power supply if you leave it unattended and before assembly, disassembly or cleaning.

• Never use the appliance if its power cord or plug is damaged, if it does not work properly, if it fell down and was damaged or if it fell to the water. In this case, take the appliance to a special service to check its safety and proper function.

• When the appliance is in operation, prevent pets, plants, or insects to get in contact with it.

• After finishing work and before cleaning, always switch off the appliance and disconnect it from the power supply by taking the power cord connector out of the electric socket.

• The appliance is intended for home use and similar (in shops, offices, and similar workplaces, in hotels, motels, and other residential environments, in facilities providing
  accommodation with breakfast). It is not intended for commercial use!

• Do not plug the fork of the supply cord into the power outlet and do not unplug the cord with wet hands or by pulling by the supply cord!

• Never submerge the drive unit underwater and do not wash under running water!

• It is not intended for outdoor use.

• Do not place any objects on the appliance.

• The appliance must not be used in damp or wet environments and in any environment with the danger of fire or explosion (spaces where chemicals, fuels, oils,
  gases, paints, and other flammable or volatile materials are stored).

• Do not place the appliance on unstable, fragile, or flammable surfaces (e.g. glass, paper, plastic, wooden varnished boards, and various fabric/table cloths).

• When the appliance is switched on for the first time, short and slight smoke can come out that does not mean any defect and it is not a reason for claiming a defect of the
  appliance.

• Use the appliance in the working position only at places with no risk of turning over and insufficient distance from heat sources (e.g. heater, stove, cooker, oven, grill), flammable objects (e.g. curtains, drapes, etc.), and wet surfaces (e.g. sinks, washbasins, etc.).

• It is not permissible to adjust the surface of the extra attachment (e.g. self–adhesive paper, foils, etc.)!

• Do not use the dryer for other purposes (e.g. for drying textile products, footwear, etc.) than those recommended by the producer.

• Check before every connecting of the appliance to power supply whether switch A1 is in the 0 positions (off) and after drying always disconnect the appliance from the power supply.

• When handling the dryer and the accessories (meshes), be careful, they can be hot!

• Do not carry the dryer if it is hot.

• Holes for air ventilation must not be covered. Do not insert or throw any objects into the holes.

• Do not put the dryer in operation on soft surfaces (e.g. on a bed, mats, carpets).

• Prevent entrance of impurities into the appliance (e.g. clouds of dust, hair, etc.).
  If impurities are sucked and settled inside the appliance, clean it (see par. IV. MAINTENANCE).

• When the appliance is overheated, the automatic heat fuse is activated and it disconnects the power supply. If it happens, switch off the appliance and unplug it from
  the power supply. Then remove possible visible obstacles preventing airflow and let the appliance cool down.

• Let the appliance cool down before maintenance or storing it.

• Never put the power cord on hot surfaces or do not let it hang over the edge of a table or a worktop. Plugging or pulling the power cord e.g. by children can result in tilting over or drawing the appliance down and serious injury!

• The power cord must not be damaged by sharp or hot objects, open fire, it must not be sunk into water or bent over sharp edges.

• If you need to use an extension cord, it has to be uncorrupted and it has to comply with the valid standards.

• Check the condition of the power cord of the appliance regularly.

• In order to ensure the safety and proper function of the appliance, use only original spare parts and accessories approved by the manufacturer.

• Use this appliance only for the purpose for which it was designed as specified in this user‘s manual. Never use the appliance for any other purpose.

• All text in other languages and pictures are shown on the packaging, or the product itself, are translated and explained at the end of this language mutation.

• WARNING: There is a risk of injury in case of incorrect use (not in accordance with the manual) of the appliance.

• The producer does not undertake any responsibility for damage caused by improper use of the appliance (e.g. deterioration of food, injury, burning, scalding, fire, etc.) and
  its guarantee does not cover the appliance in the case of failure to comply with the safety warning above.

APPLIANCE DESCRIPTION AND ITS FUNCTIONS (fig. 1)

Drying (dehydrating) is a method of heating food and subsequent water evaporation. Most food releases humidity quickly in the first stages of drying. This means that they can
absorb a lot of heat and create a sufficient amount of steam. Air is absorbed through suction holes at the bottom of the base unit, it is heated to the preset temperature and then blown to the inside of the individual meshes. Moist air is driven out of the food dryer through the central hole in the meshes and through the hole in the lid.

A – base unit
A1 – 0/I button off/on and temperature regulator
A2 – hot air output
A3 – supply cord
B – drying meshes
B1 – lid
B2 – herb drying rack

Note. The recommended number of drying meshes is 10.

PREPARATION AND USE

Remove all adhesive foils, stickers, or paper from the appliance. Before the first use, wash all parts, which will be in contact with food, in warm water with a mild detergent, thoroughly rinse in clear water and wipe dry or let dry. Remove lid B1 and screens B from base A. Spread the pieces of food on individual screens in a way that they do not overlap, just touch each other. Place the first screen directly on base A.
Then put the screens in a necessary amount (2-5 pcs) on the first screen and cover with the lid (pic. 2). The distance between the individual meshes (15 – 25 mm) can be adjusted by their mutual turning by 180°. Plug the power cord A3 into a socket. Set the desired temperature (40 °C – 70 C°) with the turning regulator A1. For more even drying of food, you can change the order of individual screens (upper for lower) and at the same time, I turn the sieve by 180°. After finishing drying the food turn the regulator A1 to the off position “ 0 “ and disconnect the power cord from the wall socket.

Advice for drying

• If the temperature is too high, the food may become “cemented”, which means that they are dry on their surface, but still humid inside. If the temperature is too low, the drying time is longer, and electric power consumption is higher.

• Place the dryer in such a way that you do not have to move it during drying. Do not forget that there will be a smell of dried food in the room and some people may find it oppressive.

• You will achieve the best results with fresh and ripe fruit (not overripe) that is not spoilt and remove possible spoilt places on the food.

• Clean the food thoroughly before drying. Keep your hands and workplace clean. The process of drying will be even when you cut food to slices of the same length. Slices
  that are too thin are dried more quickly but do not forget that their size will be significantly smaller as a result of drying. The amount of food for one drying should not exceed 3/4 of the mesh area and the thickness of the slices should be between 0.5 cm to not more than 0.8 cm (except for e.g. apricots, nectarines, peaches, cherries, grapes, currants, plums, and other small fruits with soft pulp that can be dried after cut into halves or quarters). The meshes should not be too full so that air can flow freely through them.

• Before removing pits and cores, first, dry the fruit to 50 %; this will prevent excessive dripping of juices from dried fruit. In the case of juicy food, we recommend using clean fine crepe paper to prevent dripping juice to lower sieves. Maintenance is then easier too. Put unpeeled fruit with the skin down on the mesh and with the cut surface up. Also, put uneven shapes with the edge with the skin on the mesh, not on the flat surface. Vegetables should only be put in one layer and distributed evenly.

• For foods such as pineapple, kiwi, papaya, coconuts, bananas, turnips, and sweet potatoes, first, remove their indigestible peels and skins.

• Dry herbs carefully! Remove the stalk; do not cut herbs. Leaf herbs have to be turned during drying to prevent the sticking of leaves. When herbs are dried for a long time, their flavor substances are lost.

• Drying meshes should be filled with a thin layer of dried food. If necessary, put a clean fine baking paper on meshes so that small pieces of food do not fall through and stick to the surface of the mesh.

• The time of drying is mostly dependent on the following facts: the type of fruit /vegetables, food humidity, air humidity, sizes of cut pieces, distribution on the mesh.

• Meat that can be dried includes beef, poultry, fish, or game. Cut the meat into pieces /slices thick less than 0.5 cm, and remove the redundant fat before drying. The higher the fat content in the meat, the shorter is the meat’s durability after drying. For better tenderness and gentleness, cut the meat across the grains; dried meat sliced along the grains will be tough. For longer durability and better taste, you may sprinkle both sides of the meat slice before drying with a spice mix or apply a marinade, and put the meat in the refrigerator for about 6 – 12 hours. Then let the meat drip dry. During the drying process, occasionally remove the fat drops that may appear on the meat surface.
  Caution: Game should always come from a legal source with the guarantee that the meat has been inspected by a veterinary doctor. We also recommend storing the meat
  before drying for 60 days at the temperature of -18 °C (i.e. frozen). This should eliminate any harmful bacteria that might cause a disease.
  Marinade: Use any combination of the following ingredients: soya, Worchester sauce, tomato, barbecue sauce, garlic, onion, curry, seasoned salt, or pepper.

• Fish to dry must be as fresh as possible to prevent perishing before the drying itself. Beware of the oil contained in fish. Fat or oily fish, such as tuna, may quickly perish, and unlike other types of meat, there is no way to simply cut off the fat. Therefore certain fish species are not recommended for drying (see the table below). For longer durability and better taste, you can souse the meat before drying in a salty dressing for 30 minutes, then rinse and let drip dry. Thereafter sprinkle the fish on both sides with a mix of various spices, or even salt. Now store the fish in the refrigerator for about 6 – 10 hours. During the drying process, occasionally remove the fat drops that may appear on the meat surface.

• The time of dehydration depends on the number of dehydrated ingredients. The more drying screens you use, the longer the time of drying.

• Before tasting food that is being dried, take out several pieces and let them cool down. Hot pieces are softer and more humid than those that have cooled down. Dry food for sufficient time so that their decay and microbiological production of bacteria is prevented. Properly dried vegetables must be hard and crispy and prone to cracking. Duly dried fruit should not be overdried, it must be leathery and smooth. The meat may crack when bent, but will not break. Fish meat should never be brittle or fragile. Fish jerky should and no moisture should be visible on the surface. Smell and taste the meat, it should have just a slightly fishy taste and aroma. For short-time storage, dried fruit does not have to be dried so much as in a shop. In drying food, we recommend following the instructions in the professional literature.

Blanching
Blanching (enzymes deactivation) is used to eliminate disturbance of look and taste by cooking vegetables for a short time in the water or in steam. Put the prepared food into a wire basket or a mesh and sink it into a container with boiling water. Count the time necessary for blanching from the time when water starts to boil again (see table). Then let the water drip off from the food, or dry it.
Soaking
Many kinds of light fruit (e.g. apples, apricots, peaches, nectarines, pears, plums) tend to turn brown during drying and storing. To prevent this, soak the cut pieces of fruit into
a solution of pineapple or lemon juice (one tablespoon of juice/0.25 L of water, see the table) and then let the water drip off the fruit, or dry it with clean kitchen crepe paper.
Fruit can also be soaked in honey, spices, orange juice. You can also try your own tasteful solution for soaking. You can also use a salt solution or fruit syrup. Fruit like plums,
grapes, cherries, sour cherries can be soaked in water so that the skin cracks, which will speed up dehumidification during drying.
Time of drying
The time changes according to the type of dried food, its contents of water, ripeness, and thickness. It also depends on the temperature and humidity of the air in the room where the dryer is used (we recommend using the dryer at usual room temperature). When herbs and similarly aromatic foodstuffs are dried for too long, a lot of aromatic
substances will leak. Fruit intended for snacks, or fruit to save place, does not have to be soaked before drying and it should be dried until crispy, but chewable at the same time.
Using in kitchen
If you want to use dried fruit and vegetables in the same way as fresh ones, you have to soften them – return humidity to them that was removed by drying. If you soak them for
more than 1 or 2 hours, we recommend storing food in a fridge so that you maintain the nutrition value of the food. Use the remaining water from soaking (e.g. from vegetables) for further food processing. Do not forget that food increases it size when soaked ( fruit 1.5 times, vegetables 2 times ).
Fruit
It can be consumed in a dried state. Soak the required amount of dried fruit in the same amount of water and leave for about 4 hours.
Vegetables
We always recommend soaking before further processing. Soak the required amount of dried vegetables in about the same amount of water. But do not add more water than necessary for the preparation of the food. Do not let the softened vegetables stand for too long before further use. The time of heat treatment of vegetables is about the same as in frozen vegetables.
Herbs
They do not need further processing besides crushing or grinding and removing hard parts. Do not crush dried herbs before storing, thus they will keep their taste and aroma for a long time. Crush them right before use.
Mushrooms
The procedure is the same as for vegetables. Mushrooms can be ground before use, e.g. into soups or sauces.
Packing and storing
Dried food can be stored packed in a foil (not aluminum foil) for a long time, or in various properly sealed containers and boxes intended for storing food. Peppers and hot
peppers can be cut or ground in a kitchen food processor and then stored in glasses as spices. Let food cool down before packing or storing. Pack them in smaller amounts as
close as possible to one another and store them preferably at a cool, dry, and dark place. At temperatures lower than 10 °C, the time of storing is extended about 2 to 3 times. Use all the contents immediately after opening if possible. Check stored dried food at least once a month. When food is infested with mold, this means the food was not dried enough. Discard moldy food. Do not use metal containers or containers with a metal lid for storing.
Table
Please consider the following tips for processing as examples and inspiration. They are not intended to provide instructions, but to show the possibilities of various food processing. The times provided in the tables are approximate only, they range in hours and they can be very varied according to the properties of the food being dried. If the air humidity is very low the day you dry the food, the drying time will be close to the first value. On the contrary, if the air humidity is very high, the drying time will be closer to the second value.

Food

| Water content (%)|

Preparation

| Blanching (min.)| Temperature (˚C)| Time of dehydrating (hours)
---|---|---|---|---|---
artichokes| 87| clean, cut to halves| 5-10| 52| 12-18
beans (green)| 90| cut off both ends, cut crosswise| 3-4| 52| 9-12
peas| 88| | 2-3| 58| 5-8
cucumber| 95| cut to slices| –| 52| 4-8
kale/cabbage| 92| clean, cut to slices| 2-3| 52| 8-11
parsnip/carrot, beet| 88| cut askew| 2-3| 52| 6-11
cut to slices| –| | 9-12
bell pepper/chilies| 93| cut to strips| –| 55-60| 4-8
celery| 94| cut to slices| 2| 52| 3-10
onion / leek| 89| cut to slices| –| 52| 4-8

garlic

|

88

| separate to cloves, peel, and cut to slices|

–

|

40

|

8-10

asparagus| –| cut to slices| –| 52| 4-6
parsley| 85| remove stems| –| 52| 6-8
tomatoes| 94| first heat up, then peel and quarter| 30-45 sec.| 52| 5-9
pumpkins| 92| peel, cut to slices| –| 52| 10-14
mushrooms| –| cut to slices/halves| –| 52| 4-7
herbs| –| remove stems, do not pound| –| 46| 14-20
meat| –| cut to slices| –| 70| 4-12
fish| –| cut to slices| –| 70| 5-14
corn| 70| peel| –| 52| 7-10
broccoli| 90| clean, cut to slices| –| 52| 10-14
eggplant| 95| clean, cut to slices| –| 52| 4-8
potatoes| 80| peel, cut to slices| 4-5| 52| 7-13
zucchini| 80| peel, cut to slices| –| 52| 7-11

Food

| Water content (%)|

Preparation

|

Soaking

| Temperature (˚C)| Time of dehydrating (hours)
---|---|---|---|---|---
pineapple| 86| peel, cut to slices| no| 58| 10-18
bananas| 65| peel, cut to slices| yes| 58| 6-13
peaches| 89| cut to slices/quarters| yes| 58| 8-16
apricots| 85| cut to slices/quarters| yes| 58| 21-29
oranges| 89| peel, cut to slices| no| 58| 16-19
tangerine| | cut to slices/quarters| no| 58| 16-19
citrus fruit| –| skin in strips for aroma| no| 58| 16-19
kiwi| | peel, cut to slices| no| 58| 8-15
watermelon| 81| peel, pit, cut to slices| no| 58| 8-10
pears| 83| event. peel, cut to slices/quarters| yes| 50-55| 8-16
apples| 84| cut to slices/quarters| yes| 58| 8-15
plums| 87| cut to halves (with or without pit)| yes| 50-60| 22-30
cherries / wild cherries| 82| cut (with or without pit)| no| 58| 3-21
strawberries| 90| cut to slices, possibly whole| no| 58| 7-15
blueberries| 83| whole| no| 50-55| 30
cranberries| 79| chop or leave whole| no| 58| 10-15
grapes / raisins| 81| snick (best is the kind without pits)| no| 58| 22-30
dates| 23| well ripe| no| 58| 11-19
figs| 78| halve| no| 58| 22-30
rhubarb| 90| cut to slices| no| 58| 6-10
Raw food (fish/crustacean)| Fat content (%)| Raw food (fish/crustacean)| Fat content (%)
---|---|---|---
Brown trout | 11,1| Shrimp| 1,6
Mackerel | 9,9| European sea bass| 1,6
Salmon | 9,3| Angler| 1,5
Grass carp | 7,2| Common sole| 1,4
Rainbow trout | 6,8| Ocean perch| 1,4
---|---|---|---
Thinlip mullet | 6,0| Flatfish| 1,4
Catfish | 5,2| European pollock| 1,3
Shark | 5,2| Roach| 1,3
Tuna | 5,1| Perch| 1,1
European plaice| 4,3| Snapper| 1,1
Sea trout| 3,8| Grouper| 1,0
Greenland halibut| 3,5| Codfish| 0,5
Herring| 2,8| Alaska pollock| 0,5
Meager| 2,5| Black scorpionfish| 0,2
Smelt| 2,0| Meat not suitable for drying

MAINTENANCE

Unplug the appliance from el. outlet before any handling with the appliance! Do not use any rough and abrasive cleaning agents! Clean the base unit with a damp cloth and soap. Clean all screens immediately after use in hot water with soap. Some foods may discolor the screens. This has, however, no effect on the functions of the appliance and this discoloration will usually disappear with time. Never dry the plastic die-cast over a heat source (e.g. stove, el./gas cooker ). After use, store the appliance in a safe, dustless, clean, and dry place, out of reach of children and incapacitated people.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

If the dimensions allow, there are labels of materials used for the production of packing, components, and accessories as well as their recycling on all parts. The symbols specified on the product or in the accompanying documentation mean that the used electrical or electronic products must not be disposed of together with municipal waste. For their proper disposal, hand them over at special collection places where they will be accepted free of charge. Suitable disposal of the product can help to maintain valuable natural resources and to prevent possible negative impacts on the environment and human health, which could be the possible consequences of improper waste disposal. Ask for more details at the local authorities or at the nearest collection site. Fines can be imposed. for improper disposal of this type of waste in agreement with the national regulations. If the appliance is to be put out of operation for good, after disconnecting it from the power supply we recommend cutting off the power cord and thus it will not be possible to use the appliance again.

More extensive maintenance or maintenance requiring intervention in the inner parts of the appliance must be carried out by professional service!
Failure to comply with the instructions of the manufacturer will lead to an expiration of the right to warranty repair!

TECHNICAL DATA

Noise level: Acoustic noise level of 60 dB(A) re 1pW.

WARNINGS AND SYMBOLS USED ON THE APPLIANCE, PACKAGING, OR IN THE INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL:

HOT. DO NOT COVER. HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY. DO NOT IMMERSE IN WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS.
TO AVOID DANGER OF SUFFOCATION, KEEP THIS PLASTIC BAG AWAY FROM BABIES AND CHILDREN. DO NOT USE THIS BAG IN CRIBS, BEDS, CARRIAGES, OR PLAYPENS. THIS BAG IS NOT A TOY.
The symbol indicates a WARNING.
material designed for contact with food

© DATE 8/3/2018
e.č. 15/2018

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