 In this study, the authors examined the effectiveness of four drying strategies using a combined hot air infrared dryer on the drying of apple slices. The first strategy involved only hot air drying, while the second involved both hot air and infrared drying. The third and fourth strategies involved alternating between hot air and infrared drying. The authors found that the second strategy was most effective in terms of drying time and mass transfer, while the third strategy was more efficient in terms of energy efficiency and drying efficiency. In addition, the infrared drying in the first strategy was better than that in the other methods in terms of retention of bioactive compounds. This article was authored by Milaud Taymoury-Aumran, Esatala Asgari-Asliarda, Ebrahim Taganeshad, and others.