Food Dehydrator?

therealklane
therealklane Posts: 2,172 Member
in Recipes
Alright, I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, so - sorry if it's in the wrong place.

Just curious how many of the members here use food dehydrators? I'm interested in buying one..but I don't really want to buy anything blindly. I've looked at some and they don't seem to be overly expensive - but still. I'd like other people's input.

What brand do you have/have you found works the best? Where did you get it from? What do you (personally) dehydrate in it? Any "tips" for using one or things to use it for that have been really tasty to you?

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    I have the Nesco American Harvest dehydrator. I love it. I also bought extra trays which I recommend.
    I pretty much use it solely for kale chips and also for tomatoes. I've had absolutely no problems with it and it makes kale chips in like 20 min which is great.

    http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-61WHC-Snackmaster-Dehydrator-All-In-One/dp/B0002WSQHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403119093&sr=8-1&keywords=american+dehydrator
  • nicolen160
    nicolen160 Posts: 197 Member
    I so interested in this also, I was jut looking up food dehydrators this afternoon. I really want one to dry fruit in. I will keep watching the thread!
  • sewerchick93
    sewerchick93 Posts: 1,438 Member
    I have the Nesco as well, received it as a Christmas gift. I use it for many things, kale chips, jerky, dried herbs, fruits and veggies.

    Overall, I like it, it's simple and easy to use and clean..however for me the fan is a little on the noisy side.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    Yes, it is a bit loud.... but I have 2 small loud children so I barely notice it :wink:
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    I've been looking at food dehydrators too! Growing up, my mom used our non-stop. There are so many uses for it! Dried fruit and veg aside, you can use it to make jerky, granolas, crispy nut mixes, and fruit leather. If you're going to use it, it's definitely worth it.
  • Sedna_51
    Sedna_51 Posts: 277 Member
    Jumping in because I'm really interested in trying this too! I love dried fruits and I'd like to try making my own lower-sodium jerky if I can. (And I didn't even think of kale chips- that would be great!)

    What are folks' experiences with the beginner models? I've been browsing around and the Nesco Harvest 400 seems to have reasonably good reviews.
  • wziemer
    wziemer Posts: 3 Member
    We bought my father-in-law a dehydrator for christmas and he loves it, but he only uses it to make Jerky, don't think he's used it for anything else yet.

    Not cheap or small but he's extremely satisfied with the 80L unit he has.

    http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Commercial-Food-Dehydrators/714059.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=dehydrators&x=0&y=0&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products&Ntt=dehydrators&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

    He uses all of the Cabela's jerky seasonings as well and they're all tasty.
  • krambow
    krambow Posts: 8 Member
    I have a excaliber and its a little loud but I put it in my laundry room, not so bad. I make jerky with the nesco jerky shooter and use ground turkey I get from costco and the nesco jerky shooter flavoring packets. I like the excaliber because it has a timer.
  • therealklane
    therealklane Posts: 2,172 Member
    I love kale chips so I am looking forward to making those. I'm hoping I can make my own trail mix as well with fruits that I don't like so much fresh, but love dehydrated. Fruit leather is also something I'm interested in making. I hadn't thought about making jerky. Yum.
  • KerryITD
    KerryITD Posts: 94 Member
    I love my dehydrator. I first had a very cheap round one that had no fan, and nothing dried consistently--I kept having to rotate the trays. And the center hole and round trays limited how much you could put in. Then I got a nice Excalibur at a yard sale (for $15!) and that's what I've used for the past 20 odd years.

    I mainly dry our home-grown fruit (apples and figs), tomatoes, and a lot of herbs.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone else wants to discuss dehydrated healthy snacks.

    We have a Cabella’s 12 tray and we adore it.
    One of my favorites is tomato chips.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,970 Member
    I have a cheap one that cost maybe £20 on amazon. It has a fan and does temperatures 40C to 80C and is good enough for me. I use it for beef and turkey jerky, melon slices, tomato slices, spiralized sweet potato and turning thin slices of chicken luncheon meat into a crisp snack. The cheap round ones have a footprint the size of an LP, so have a think about storage.

    My tip is to buy some silicon mesh sold for preventing small items like asparagus and shrimp falling through BBQ grates. Cut to fit your dehydrator trays. Nothing sticks to that silicon mesh (very handy if you dehydrate sugary foods such as fruit). Also allows you to dehydrate small items like frozen peas without food falling through.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,970 Member
    I also use mine to make duck and goose prosciutto. Cure skin on duck/goose breasts in salt mixed with a little sugar for two days to a week in the refrigerator. Larger goose breasts will need the full week. Rinse and dry in the dehydrator at the lowest temperature around 10 hours to get a firmer texture without having to hang and air dry.

    Nice thinly sliced as charcuterie but I also use this to make spaghetti carbonara for guests who don't eat pork.
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Been thinking about getting a dehydrator to recreate these awesome cauliflower bites I’ve become addicted to. Kale chips also a plus!

    Tomato chips sound awesome by the way.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    Safari_Gal_ wrote: »
    Been thinking about getting a dehydrator to recreate these awesome cauliflower bites I’ve become addicted to. Kale chips also a plus!

    Tomato chips sound awesome by the way.

    They really are.

    Another good one:
    Onions. Chop coarsely. Oven blast until caramelized, or caramelize in your Instantpot if you have one.
    Then dehydrate.

    Soooo good. And awesome on salads.

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