Excalibur

If you're drying ingredients in-house — herbs, mushrooms, citrus, meat or anything fermented — the dehydrator you use makes a real difference to the end result. Excalibur machines are a go-to for operators who want even airflow across every tray without constant checking or rotating.

Chefs Depot carries the Excalibur 4948CDIB: nine trays, a 48-hour digital timer and a black finish that sits neatly on a prep bench. The programmable timer means you can set a long overnight run and come back to a finished product, which suits cafes and small restaurants running lean on labour. It's a straightforward piece of kit for kitchens that take their house-made components seriously.