Best dehydrator?

[pastryani]

After eating a fruit and veggie dehydrated snack that was pretty yummy and yet pretty overpriced for what it was, I'm considering getting a food dehydrator (an investment that I'm sure will prove its worth after 1000 uses or so!).   Can anyone recommend a really good, reliable dehydrator?  I've heard of the Excalibur and Weston brands, but am not sure what model numbers would be best, or if there are better brands out there. 

 

 

[Darienne]

After using a Salton dehydrator on and off for years, one day I just began using the oven when I had run out of room in the dehydrator.  Now I use only the oven.  Much easier I think.

 

 

[pastryani]

@Darienne - the oven would be the easiest option (and not take up any more space!), but my concern would be leaving it on all night and of course production volume (I'd only be able to do 1 or 2 trays at a time).

[ChocoMom]

I have a Nesco/American Harvest Gardenmaster. Bought it at Fleet Farm, but lots of retailers carry them. I picked that one mainly because it was cost effective, but also due to its potential to stack 30 trays high.  I have 6 trays, with another 2 tray addition sitting around here somewhere. It also comes with the solid trays that you spread fruit filling on to make fruit rollups.  There is a temperature setting, and a guide book as well. 

 There is another model that I believe is a square or rectangular shape, which would be preferable for countertop/space concerns. I was unable to find that when I was out shopping for it though. But, its just another idea for you to consider. 

 

[Okanagancook]

I had a Nesco for ten years then one day last spring it died.  It was pretty good.  Dried fairly evenly.

i bought an Excalibur nine drawer based on recommendations from another thread on Egullet.  So far I love it.  It dries very evenly and has a great warranty.

[Shelby]

Here is another thread regarding dehydrators  .  I have an Excalibur and I love it.  Like I said in the other thread, I know I would use it more if I didn't have to lug it up from the basement.......I just don't have a place to store it in the kitchen.  

[Darienne]

11 hours ago, pastryani said:

@Darienne - the oven would be the easiest option (and not take up any more space!), but my concern would be leaving it on all night and of course production volume (I'd only be able to do 1 or 2 trays at a time).

I do leave the oven on all night at the lowest temperature with a doubled over oven glove in the door opening.  As to production volume...you could have four oven racks in the oven at one time, each with one or two cookie sheets (depending upon the size of your sheets and the size of the oven opening), which is quite a lot of volume. 

 

Mostly this past two years or so what we have dehydrated is apple sauce (with nuts) into apple leather, so the oven is perfect.  I spread the sauce onto those cheap red silicone sheets on cookie sheets.  I do three trays at once, two on the oven racks and a third one supported on a cooling rack on the upper tray.   And Bob's your uncle.  Much easier for me than using a dehydrator.

[Okanagancook]

4 hours ago, Darienne said:

 

16 hours ago, pastryani said:

@Darienne - the oven would be the easiest option (and not take up any more space!), but my concern would be leaving it on all night and of course production volume (I'd only be able to do 1 or 2 trays at a time).

I do leave the oven on all night at the lowest temperature with a doubled over oven glove in the door opening

 

My Miele oven shuts off if left on over night.  Just an FYI, check your oven manual.

[dcarch]

"---- UL states that a gas oven can produce 800 part per million carbon monoxide for 12 hours and still be in rated as safe.  But, levels as low as 5PPM can be dangerous.  A properly tuned oven should put out no more than 50 when door is closed.  But when door is opened it can potentially make dangerous levels.  ---"

 

Today's houses are super insulated, so be careful if you have your oven on all night.

 

dcarch

 

 

[Darienne]

21 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

My Miele oven shuts off if left on over night.  Just an FYI, check your oven manual.

Our stove/oven is connected to the electrical source by a Ovenguard. a wonderful device for mindless types who can forget to turn off burners and ovens.  If I turn off the guard, the oven/burner/whatever will stay on until I reopen the ovenguard.

 

7 minutes ago, dcarch said:

"---- UL states that a gas oven can produce 800 part per million carbon monoxide for 12 hours and still be in rated as safe.  But, levels as low as 5PPM can be dangerous.  A properly tuned oven should put out no more than 50 when door is closed.  But when door is opened it can potentially make dangerous levels.  ---"

 

Today's houses are super insulated, so be careful if you have your oven on all night.

 

dcarch

 

 

The farm is a century plus so we ought to be alright.  Plus, we are old and ya gotta go sometime.  We have electricity only.  Can't get gas out in the deep boonies.  And trust me, we do have CO detectors in the house.  We lost a beloved dog 22 years ago to a combination of Prednisone and CO and it was a terrible lesson.  Ceddie was our first Rottie and he is never forgotten. 

 

Thanks for the replies.

[keychris]

+1 vote for a 9 tray excalibur - I use it for dehydrating, melting chocolate, holding cocoa butter, warming spray guns, making yoghurt, drying kids clothes... the list goes on

[andiesenji]

I've had Excaliburs for many years.  The first one I bought was a 5-tray and it was so successful I then got a 9-tray and then a second one.

I wore out the 5-tray, gave away one of the 9-trays when I was no longer doing as much gardening.  

The thing works beautifully as a proofing box with all the trays removed. If the dough is exposed the surface will dry out but a damp cloth over the top will keep it moist, if it requires a long proof - heavy whole wheat, seeded and fruited breads - I check and spritz the cloth with water one or two times.

I had forgotten just how long ago I got the first Excalibur - it was before I moved up here in 1988.  Not long ago a friend reminded me that we went to the L.A. Country Fair and a vendor was demonstrating them in a large booth where VitaMix blenders were also being demonstrated and in fact they were preparing the fruit for fruit leather in the VitaMix to be finished in the Excalibur.  I had one of the older VitaMix - one with the stainless steel jug that has a spigot at the bottom, but the newer one had a much larger jug and a more powerful motor.  I bought a VitaMix and the 5-tray Excalibur and I think it was about 1983 because I was still driving a Toyota pickup with a camper shell.  

After I moved up here and had a large garden, I found the 5-tray was not adequate and bought a 9-tray - I think in 1990 and a second one a couple of years later from Pleasant Hill Grain - from an ad I saw in Mother Earth News. This was prior to the internet - the phone service was excellent and I have purchased many other appliances and my Berkey water purifiers from them.

 

I used to make large batches of candied ginger - 10 to 15 pounds at a time and putting it in the Excaliburs speeded up the process after the candying so I did not have trays of sticky stuff all over the kitchen.  

Same with candied citrus peel and glacé fruits.  

 

Jerky cures much faster with the air circulating and at the highest temperature.   I also made dehydrated liver chunks when I was still showing dogs, for "bait" while showing them.  

 

[pastryani]

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:27 PM, keychris said:

+1 vote for a 9 tray excalibur - I use it for dehydrating, melting chocolate, holding cocoa butter, warming spray guns, making yoghurt, drying kids clothes... the list goes on

 

Thanks to everyone for their input - I ended up getting the Excalibur but went with the one with the digital display because apparently the newer non-digital ones don't start at 95F anymore, but rather at 105F (though honestly I don't know how helpful it is to have that extra 10 degrees).  I'll update with my experiences once I get it.

[Okanagancook]

Excellent!  Pineapple is cheap here at the moment.  Try some dried pineapple.  I used my mandolin to get thin, consistent pieces.

[pastryani]

Okay so I got the dehydrator and here are pics from my initial tests:  I tried my hand at fruit leathers, apple/pear/orange slices, and kale chips, all at 135F.  Here are the before pics:

 

Pineapple leather

Peach leather

Apple rings

Pear and orange slices

Kale chips

 

And here are the after pics (you can see where I may have snacked a wee bit during the process).  

 

 

 

 

Overall - the Excalibur worked well!  For the leathers, I have to play around with the drying times as they got a little too crispy (but when I went to take them out sooner they were still wet in places).  Lower drying temp maybe?  Thicker layer of purée?

 

The apple and pear slices were chewy and the oranges were crispy and fun to eat.

 

The kale chips were good too, though not very crunchy (which I think is more a function of the fact that they weren't dredged in a coating).

 

Now to see what else I can dry... 

[Okanagancook]

Beef jerky

pineapple slices