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Monday, February 28, 2011

Questions - Dehydrator

You all are such a good source of information - that I can't help but ask another question.

I'm thinking of purchasing a dehydrator. I have borrowed my mom dehydrator a few times but if I owned one myself, I'm sure I would use it much more.

What brand or style would you suggest? Why? My mom's was just a simple version. Is it worth the extra money to get a deluxe style like an Excalibur?

I'd love to make this purchase before the preserving season hits.

Thanks for you help!
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12 comments:

  1. BekkiFebruary 28, 2011 at 8:36 PM

    I have the Nesco brand with stackable trays and it works fine for my needs. I have also been eyeing the Excalibur as it is supposed to dry things faster. I also like the fact that the trays are rectangle, which is only an issue when making fruit leather. I think the tray slats are also a bit smaller and I sometimes loose things to the bottom if I make them to small.

    At Kitchenstewardship.com she did a review of both dehydrators and how they compare. I would link it for you but my computer is not letting me for some reason. I found it very helpful. Just search her blog for Excalibur.

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  2. NikiFebruary 28, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    I have owned an American Harvester dehydrator for years. I think I purchased mine at Walmart. It does alot of drying for me every year and has held up well. I dry apples, zucchini, and herbs. I've never tried fruit leathers or meat jerky's but the manual says it does do that as well.

    hope this helps,
    Niki

    Here is a link to one of the posts where I am drying a few herbs....if you search dehydrator in my searc bar, you should see other posts.

    http://ruralwritings.blogspot.com/search?q=dehydrator

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  3. KatieFebruary 28, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    I have one of the round stackable dehydrators and my mother has the Excalibur. Which one is "better" is based on your needs. The Excalibur definitely holds more and does stuff a bit faster. But I can still do a lot with my round one, and it is a lot easier to store when I'm done with it. Given the significant price difference, I think I might start with a cheap one and see how much you use it. Then, if you think it is justifiable, you can upgrade to the Excalibur.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    I have two of the Nescos, and in the fall they have six trays each and run flat out for weeks. We dry apple rings, fruit leather, tomatoes, you name it. I cut the leather into wedges, and nobody complains.

    I picked up my second dryer on craigslist for $15, and got the extra trays and inserts at Amazon; it was sure a lot less expensive than a brand-new Excalibur. Not that I'd turn one down if it fell in my lap, mind you. But the Nescos are working for me...

    -Miz Carmen-

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  5. MargoFebruary 28, 2011 at 10:54 PM

    I have an Ezidri ultra dehydrator and I love it. I got extra trays and it does 10 no problem at all (I like to save power by only using it when it's full). I think it will take up to 30 trays at one got (you can buy extra trays as needed/ I couldn't justify the cost of excalibur and I've not regretted my decision. Plus it's great for making fruit roll-ups and I've even made my own dried soup mix! Not sure if it's available in the US though

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 11:19 PM

    I had a Nesco dehydrator, but it ran so hot that after a couple of seasons the trays started to deteriorate and melt. I have a Bosch dual fuel stove/oven with a dehydrate function, so I've been using that till I get a new dehydrator.

    I recently became a dealer for L'Equip, which is the exclusive distributor for Bosch mixers and Nutrimill. They have some really nice-looking dehydrators and one even has a filter on it. That's what I am going to buy for myself. Online they run from $100 to $170, but if you know a Bosch dealer, they can get it cheaper for you and get you free shipping. You can make yogurt in these too.
    Here's a link if you want to check them out: http://www.lequip.com/catalog.php?ctgy=Dehydrators

    I do not have any personal experience with this dehydrator, but if you want, I can let you know what I think of it when I get mine. I do some heavy-duty dehydrating, so this summer will really be a test for my dehydrator. :)

    Tina

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  7. Kids and Canning JarsMarch 1, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    Chiming in on this one! I am a big dehydrator. I own four of them One from hand me-downs and two from yard sales but the Excalibur is so worth the money. It is way easier to roll out things like fruit rolls. I rise bread in it. I can take out the trays and put four quarts of milk with yogurt and culture yogurt in it. Just set the temp and let yogurt culture. I cannot do those things in my round one layer dehydrators. I also dried out a huge stack of wet coupons in it. Crazy but efficient. I would say to have one is better than to not. Yard sales and second hand stores are a good resources to pick up a cheap price but, good dehydrator. But, the Excalibur is worth the investment. Just saying, Melissa

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  8. frugalredneckMarch 1, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    I just have the basic round one, The cheapest one on Amazon I bought with my SB gift cards. I am more then happy with it. It does exactly what I want and has not let me down. I have also been eyeing the excalibur just from what I have read others say about it. Michelle frugalredneck.blogspot.com

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  9. Monica March 1, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    My cousin who does a lot of preserving with dehydration has the Excalibur with 9 trays. She says it is excellent quality, very easy to use. It was her first dehydrator.

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  10. GinaMarch 1, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    Thanks so much for all your suggestions! Now I want to check out the specific brands you all recommended!
    Gina

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  11. Jami @ An Oregon CottageMarch 1, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    Gina, I want to mention to check ebay for used dehydrators. I had used my MIL's 1970s Excalibur for years before she "took" it back :-) and I needed to get a new one.

    I loved the Excalibur, it was what I was used to, but I couldn't pay the money for new and nothing was coming up on Craigslist or locally. I found one on ebay that was almost exactly the same model I'd been using for about $50 and I don't recall the shipping being too much.

    I don't mind it being old- it was in really good shape (a lot of people just don't use them much!) and I knew from my MIL's that these last a long time.

    So you might want to check it out- actually for any brand you decide you want. I think dehydrators are one of those things people buy thinking they will use and then don't, so they sell them in almost new condition.

    I'll be looking forward to hearing what you end up with. :-)

    -Jami
    An Oregon Cottage

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  12. LindaNovember 10, 2017 at 9:37 AM

    I'm sure you already purchased dehydrator by now but i'm leaving comment if any visitor looking for suggestion then it could be helpful.

    I recommend you to buy Excalibur dehydrator. If budget is a concern then do check our best food dehydrator buying guide on my blog. I'm sure that guide will be helpful for many users.

    -Linda
    Food Dehydrator Blogger

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