Evaporators are used for reducing product volume, remove water prior to drying, and to improve product storage life.

Evaporation is a highly energy-efficient way of removing water or other liquids and thus the primary process for the production of concentrates. Process time can be shortened by distributing the liquid to a greater surface area, or by using a higher temperature. Higher temperatures combined with longer residence times can, however, cause degrading of many foodstuffs.