Dehydrators..

babynew
babynew Posts: 613 Member
I haven't purchased one yet,and would love some feedback,...like..... Pros & Cons of what you have,.. Ease of Opperation, ...Additional Equipment & Space needed ?... & most of all, Frequency of Use. I think that covers most of it for now. I really appreciate your help. Thank You!

Replies

  • vegansara
    vegansara Posts: 192 Member
    I have a 5 tray excalibur. It does take up some space, that's for sure. But I love it. I've been slacking on raw food so I only use it maybe once every few months. But it is definitely worthwhile. The main things I make with it are flax crackers, raw teriyaki almonds, and kale chips. My husband loves to dehydrate fruit on it too - pineapple is amazing in there.

    It is super easy to operate - I just plug it in, place the food on the teflex sheets, and I'm good to go. Hope that helps!
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    Thank You Sarah!!!
    ....and so goes it. .....
  • DevotedWife
    DevotedWife Posts: 29 Member
    I'm here w/another vote for Excalibur. My only con would be that it's large, but I don't really mind since that's why I bought it. I have a 9 tray model. I've had it for 6 years, but like Sara I go back & forth to raw food so it hasn't been used regularly. I don't find the fan noise too loud, but others might...something to consider when deciding where you'll place it. I started out with a circular dehydrator from Walmart, and I would suggest something similar to start out unless you know for sure that you'll use it enough to get your money's worth or if money is not an issue.
  • VeganDawn
    VeganDawn Posts: 21 Member
    I just have a cheap circular dehydrator, I think it cost me $40.. doesn't take up much space and works fine for anything I've wanted it for.. a good starter I guess.. would love a big fancy expensive dehydrator some day.. awwww but for now if price is an issue like it was for me a less expensive one i feel is better then nothing and a good way to see if you will utilise it :)
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    Thank you so much :flowerforyou:
    I. Never gave it a thought to start with a smaller model. ..daah
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    ..so now thoughts would be
    Other than Production #'s....pros & cons
    I m not a fan of Exta work, so Ease of Op. & Clean Up
    Did you still get the Teflex ?
  • DevotedWife
    DevotedWife Posts: 29 Member
    I did buy Teflex sheets. They are needed for some recipes, but parchment paper (usually found near aluminum foil) can be used instead. I found ease of operation and clean up to be the same for both my circular and my Excalibur...very minimal. Trays for both are/were easy to remove and clean. You can turn your dehydrator on briefly to dry the trays and Teflex sheets after washing them. Some people rotate their trays while dehydrating so that all trays dehydrate evenly. I never had any issues, so I forget to do that. One thing I wanted was a timer for when I wasn't home, but you could always buy an appliance timer that you can plug your dehydrator into if it doesn't have a built-in timer. I think most dehydrators start out at temperatures low enough to be w/in the raw food range, but you might want to pay close attention to that just in case.
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    Thank you so much for the input.I have to look into this as a Birthday is nearing ,and Kitchen Ideas Always are Welcome little Mind Ferries. ..
  • Tall_E
    Tall_E Posts: 182 Member
    I just got a Nesco Gardenmaster hydrator and jerky maker which I got at Sam's Store for $60. My first experience with something like this so I'm reading the instructions and plan to try it out this weekend. I look forward to being able to make crackers, dried fruits and veggies, etc. so I can try out some raw food recipes I've been seeing that look delicious. I'm glad to learn about the parchment paper so I'll try it out.

    Wish me luck!
  • I'm obsessed with the Excalibur. Haven't got it yet, but I think about it every single day. Read a bunch of reviews. Most are good, but many complain about faulty fans that stop working. So........I'm a bit leary to spend $300 on something that seems to break easily. Thinking about waiting until something a bit more reliable is on the market.
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    I Did recently make jerky, albeit at 165( my oven )
    Tall E, thanks for the heads up on your purchase GOOD LUCK! & do keep us updated!!