VIVO HOME Food Dehydrator

Important Safeguards

When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always be followed, including the following:

Read all instructions.

Safety precautions are specified into categories as below according to the seriousness of potential injuries.

WARNING: The actions may lead to serious injury or even death.

CAUTION: The actions may lead to personal damages or property loss.

WARNING

• Do not plug the device into a power outlet underneath a desk to avoid fire hazard.
• To avoid an electric shock, short circuit or fire hazard, make sure the plug and power cord are intact and not damaged in any way.
• The device is only suitable for AC120V outlet. To prevent electric shock or fire hazard, do not use any power adapter or converters with this device.
• To avoid fire hazards, never use any power extension cable with the device.
• Do not try to dismantle, repair or modify the device unless you are a professional technician. Doing so could lead to fire hazard, electric shock or personal injury. Please ask the Elechomes Customer Service Team for help if anything happens.
• Never submerge the device or power cable in water, as this may cause short circuit or electric shock.
• Never let your children use the appliance without supervision. To avoid burns or electric shock, children must be supervised closely if using the device.
• Make sure to plug the power plug into the outlet socket completely to avoid any risks of electric shock, short circuit or fire hazard.
• Make sure to operate this appliance with an independent outlet socket rated over 15A, as it may overheat, leading to a fire hazard.
• Stop using the device immediately if abnormal conditions or malfunctions occur.
• This device is strictly prohibited for persons (including children) who have limited physical capability, sensory or mental impairment, and lack of experience or knowledge of the device, without the guidance of an adult or supervisor.

CAUTION

• Do not let the power cord hang over edge of table or counter, or touch hot surfaces.
• Do not operate the device near water or heat sources to avoid the risk of electric shock and leakage.
• Do not use any power cord other than the one included with this device to avoid malfunction or fire hazard.
• Do not set the device in water to cool it, as this may damage the device and may lead to injury.
• Do not use the appliance for other purposes except the intended use.
• Please clean the device after it has fully cooled to avoid being scalded.
• Unplug the device if not in use to reduce the risk of electric shock and fire hazard.
• Do not touch its hot surfaces during operation.
• Do not expose the device to direct sunlight.
• This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade wider than the other). If the plug does not fit fully into the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to plug in forcibly.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Product Illustration

Package Contents:

• 1 Top Cover
• 5 Mesh Tray
• 1 Base
• 1 User Manual

Components:

A: Top Cover

B: Mesh Tray

C: Base

D: Control Panel

E: Power Cord

Control Panel

The control panel features buttons for setting time/temperature, decreasing time/temperature, increasing time/temperature, and power (ON/OFF).

Specifications

Preparing Unit for Use

Install the Lid Knob

First, align the grooves of the lid knob with the 3 square holes of the top cover, then press the lid knob down until it is correctly locked in place.

Adjust the Height Between Mesh Trays

The UH0401 food dehydrator allows you to choose two height settings to accommodate food of different shapes and sizes.

• To set it to a lower height, stack the mesh trays in the configuration shown in fig.1. The height between two adjacent trays is 1.5cm.
• To set a higher height, stack the mesh trays in the configuration shown in fig.2. The height between two adjacent trays is 1.5cm.

How to Use the Food Dehydrator

1. Connect the food dehydrator to a power outlet. The LCD screen will display '-- : --', and the device will enter standby mode.
2. Press the Power button to begin the dehydrating process (default time: 8 hours).
3. Press the '+' or '-' button to increase or decrease the time from 30 minutes to 72 hours (Time adjusts in 30-minute increments per button press).
4. Press the TIME/TEMP button to switch to temperature setting mode (default temperature 95°F).
5. Press the '+' or '-' button to increase or decrease the working temperature from 95°F to 158°F (Temperature changes in 9°F increments per button press).
6. The device will automatically stop working and enter standby mode when the time is up. Unplug the device and let it air cool on the mesh tray before storage.

Note:

• When using for the first time, it is normal for the device to have a slight odor or to make a small amount of smoke. This will clear up after the dehydrator has been working for a period of time. It is suggested to let the device run for a while without placing any food on mesh trays before dehydrating food.
• During the dehydrating process, press the TIME/TEMP button at any time to view the current working temperature and remaining working time.
• When the drying process completes, be sure to unplug the device.

Dehydrate Jerky

1. It's best to use lean meat to make the best beef jerky. Remove any fat from the meat, wrap the meat with preservative film, and freeze until the meat is hardened, then slice it into smaller amounts.
2. The meat slices should not exceed 0.25 in /0.6 cm (thickness), 3.5 in/9 cm (length), and 1.5 in /4 cm (width).
3. Marinate the meat slices with a marinade of your choice and store them in a durable, sealable plastic zipper bag. Do not use a metal pan as it can change the taste of the jerky and the marinade may also react with the metal.
4. Drain and discard the marinade before drying and dehydrate the dried meat according to the general dehydration directions.
5. Check the dehydration status of the dried meat after 4 hours and once every 30 minutes after that.

Pretreatment before dehydration:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Drain and discard the marinade. Gently pat the meat dry with paper towels, and place the meat onto the baking tray of the oven (do not overlap the meat slices) to bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until its internal temperature reaches 160-165°F.

Treatment after dehydration:

Heat the oven to 275°F. Cover a large baking tray with tin foil. Place the beef jerky on the foil, leaving room between pieces. Bake the jerky for 10 to 13 minutes and let it cool down completely. Gently pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove any fat on the surface before storing.

Note:

• Do not dehydrate meat with fruits or vegetables together since they will contaminate each other, and the dehydrating temperature is different.
• To ensure food safety, do not interrupt the dehydrating process in the first 5 minutes of the process. You can directly check the dryness of the food through the transparent mesh trays.
• Do not marinate at room temperature and do place the meat slices in the refrigerator.
• Label and date all dehydrated food containers.

Dehydrate Fruits and Vegetables

Why should fruits and vegetables be blanched?

Blanching can break the skin of some fruits to help shorten the drying process. Some fruits and vegetables need to be pre-treated before drying, such as blanching or adding a color protectant to prevent loss of color and flavor during drying and storage.

Blanching

1. Boil water in a large stockpot.
2. Place the washed fruits or vegetables in a strainer.
3. Soak the strainer in boiling water for the recommended time to ensure that all fruits or vegetables are covered with water.
4. After the blanching process is finished, put the food in a large bowl filled with ice water.
5. Drain the fruit or vegetables and pat dry before dehydration.

Protecting the Color

1. You can protect the color by immersing the fruit pieces in a 1:1 solution of lemon juice and water, then drain and dry.
2. If using commercial fruit preservatives, follow the packaging instructions for color pre-treatment.

Note:

• Wash your hands before preparing food. It's highly recommended to use fruits or vegetables that are in season since they taste the best.
• Do not dehydrate bruised or moldy fruits and vegetables.
• Cut the food into pieces of the same thickness, size or shape before dehydrating to ensure even dehydration throughout.
• Some foods, such as garlic, onions and broccoli emit a strong smell during dehydrating to ensure even dehydration throughout.
• There are many factors that may affect the drying time, including moisture content, type and quantity of food, shape and size of food pieces, ambient temperature and humidity, and your personal preference for food texture.
• The fruits and vegetables dehydrated in the food dehydrator may look different from those sold in the store because homemade dry foods do not use preservatives, artificial colors or additives.
• The following dehydrating chart is for your reference. Time and temperature may vary from food type to food type. Please begin checking the food from the minimum recommended time on the chart. If the food is not listed, select a similar food for reference.

Fruit Dehydration Chart

Note:

• Dehydrating temperature: 112°F/55°C; blanching time: approx. 2 minutes.
• Refer to the section on dehydrating fruits and vegetables as instructions for blanching and color protection.
• The dehydrating time may vary based on fruit ripeness and quantity.

Vegetable Dehydration Chart

Note:

• Dehydrating temperature: 140°F/60°C; blanching time: 2-4 minutes.
• Refer to the section on dehydrating fruits and vegetables for blanching instructions.
• The dehydrating time may vary based on the water content of the vegetables.

Troubleshooting