son.et.lumiere Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I know that Excalibur is the most popular, but I haven't heard many good things about their customer service and they're pricey. I'm looking at a few that are similar in style but I'm kind of lost. Anyone love their dehydrator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Here is the one I bought from Amazon with free shipping. I love love it. http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-75PR-700-Watt-Food-Dehydrator/dp/B000FFVJ3C/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1345919873&sr=1-1 There is also a square version which a friend of mine has. I think that would make laying out beef for jerky a little easier, but I am very happy with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhmomi Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Here is the one I bought from Amazon with free shipping. I love love it. http://www.amazon.co...45919873&sr=1-1 There is also a square version which a friend of mine has. I think that would make laying out beef for jerky a little easier, but I am very happy with mine. I love the square one. Either Nesco would be a great choice. SLW is right, the square one just gives a bit more surface area for what you dry. The square one comes with 4 trays but expands to hold 8 trays. I think SLW's expands to hold 12 round trays. I make jerky, zucchini chips, dried apples, banana chips and fruit roll-ups. Haven't really tried anything else. Need to make some jerky now. It's been a couple weeks since I ran out... http://www.amazon.co...uare+dehydrator SLW - Any suggestions for something new I could make in mine. I prefer my kale chips browned in the oven fyi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 JHMOMI, I totally agree on the kale chips being better in the oven. I found they just shrank too much and almost dissolved in my mouth when I used my dehydrator. I can't think of anything new that you haven't already made. I wonder what carrot chips would be like. Going to go google for some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I just googled and here are some that I hadn't thought of...watermelon...I'm intrigued. http://pinterest.com/cieral/dehydrator-ideas/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhmomi Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Watermelon? Hmmm. Let me know if you try it. How about blueberries? Have you tried them? The only unsweetened dried ones I can find are very expensive. Eden Organics is something like $10.99 for a small package at Whole Foods. Nice for a very occasional treat though. FYI - I ordered some Primal Pacs to have for grab and go mini-meals when things get crazy with after school schedules picking up soon. Can't wait to try them. Just enrolled my third child in taekwondo so that's two additional classes each week. I'm a taxi service Monday-Saturday with all their sports stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I tend to shy away from dried fruit because it becomes too candylike (aka dessert) for my tastes...I am so curious about it though. I may make it and blueberries once. I have some beef jerky going now and I am going to take the scissors to it like you do. I really like that idea. I really want to order some of the whole30 bacon, but every time I go to the website they say it's out of stock. I may call them and see if I can find out when it will be back. I've given up on finding bacon with zero sugar locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I have the Excalibur, I bought it a few years ago and I've never had any issue with it so I've never needed to call customer service. I bought it because it was multi purpose as I could set yogurt and homemade cheeses in it as well as meats and veges and herbs. I had a garden at the time and needed the layers of space. I've had a few other less expensive ones and they never seemed to do the trick for even drying. I've also done very high raw diets and so it was nice for making a bunch of things. You can spice up eggplant and dry it and it's fabulous although I haven't done it in a long time.... I've also done the blueberries, I don't think they come out great unless you treat them with some kind of sugar so I only did it once. It was ok in my granola, but not stellar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttoni Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I bought this one last year when it was a little cheaper from Sportsman's Guide. We've done business with them for many years. Not the cheapest dehydrator in town, for sure. It's about 1½' wide, tall and deep. I keep it on a counter on my patio. It's all stainless steel. I'm actually very pleased with it because it has 10 shelves that won't crack and break over time like my little plastic shelf model years ago did. I put some untreated screening on a few of the shelves so I could dry smaller items without them falling through the grate. http://www.sportsman...r.aspx?a=876424 I don't garden, other than herbs, so I don't use mine as much as someone who large-scale gardens. So far I've dried strawberries, jerky and cranberries in it. I want to try banana slices in it soon. Did six pounds of sirloin jerky (and didn't even use up all the shelf space) in 4 hours flat! Strawberries must be sliced thin. Cranberries take much longer unless sliced in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Now, I love the idea of spiced dried eggplant. I may have to try that. Does it come out chewy or crispy like zucc chips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son.et.lumiere Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Ok, I've been reading reviews like a madwoman and I think I'm leaning towards the Excalibur. They seem to last a long time and I have used one (to dry placenta, believe it or not) and it worked really well. I want to do a lot of drying since we've got tons of veggies going bad right now, and I love the shape of the trays. I really appreciate all of the advice and the yummy ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 You won't be sorry, it truly is worth it:) and so much more versatile than the other ones on the market. But make sure you have space for it, it's bigger than you think it is:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judybot Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I was happy to see Nesco get a couple mentions, because I just ordered the round 700-watt version from Amazon a couple days ago! I considered getting an Excalibur, but I was turned off by the use of polycarbonate for the shelves. Even if it doesn't directly touch the food, I would rather just not have it anywhere near my noms. I saw confirmation online somewhere that Nesco is BPA free...plus, it's a lot cheaper! Just ordered a juicer too, so I'm getting pretty stoked about the idea of making veggie chips and crackers from the pulp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I was happy to see Nesco get a couple mentions, because I just ordered the round 700-watt version from Amazon a couple days ago! I considered getting an Excalibur, but I was turned off by the use of polycarbonate for the shelves. Even if it doesn't directly touch the food, I would rather just not have it anywhere near my noms. I saw confirmation online somewhere that Nesco is BPA free...plus, it's a lot cheaper! Just ordered a juicer too, so I'm getting pretty stoked about the idea of making veggie chips and crackers from the pulp! That is the one I have Judy and I love it. I use it a lot and after 13 months, it's still going strong. The only thing I don't like is cleaning the shelves after making beef jerky. The plastic really hangs onto the bits of spices etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristen Bridge Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I am trying to sell my juicer so I can use the money to buy an Excalibur!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertsd Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 We have an older version of the NESCO 1018 gardenmaster and it works pretty well (and has for the past 10 years or so) The round trays are not as convenient as the Excalibur trays, but you can add a lot of trays if you like. Here's a pretty good dehydrator comparison table. Not that many listed, but the info is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Simpson Thumann Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Has anyone tried to make chicken jerky?? I mainly want to try it for my dogs, they love chicken jerky and the store bought junk can get expensive. I already cook their food, so if I can start making their treats, that would be awesome too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Hi, I have an Excalibur, had it for 3-4 years now and I absolutely love it. I got it when I was on a raw diet and it was invaluable then. I've dried loads of veggies. Once they're done, I keep them in a big jar and they're so handy for soaking overnight and throwing into soup. You can get a 5 tray or a 9 tray. I got the 5 as it's just for me and it does hold a lot. It's amazing how things shrink in it Sharon, I've frequently sliced chicken thinly and dried it as my cat loves that as a treat. I just turn the heat up higher than I use for veggies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I got a cheapy Laser 200 model gifted to me by my lovely sister in law. I have it on mow for the first time - jerky, kale, and lemon slices. I wasn't sure whether to oil the kale or not...I didn't, so we'll see. I was wondering about sweet potato, would that work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulucandoit! Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I am loving my newly acquired Ecaliber. I have used it for about a week. We have red kale coming out of our ears, so I have made chips almost every day and love them. If you set it on a lower setting, they are just divine and do not take long to make. I have made beef jerky and am planning later this week to try a pork jerky. Last night, when I was not feeling well but hungry, I ate pieces of jerky with guacamole. It was fast and gave me such much needed nutrition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Derval, I haven't succeeded with sweet potatoes yet. Once they were too thick and once too oily. I think the key is super thin with a little oil but I haven't had the time to try again. The BEST thing we've done is superthin slices of apple. They come out crunchy and sooo sweet. They are like heaven! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Thanks. I had it going the other day so threw in some left over sweet potato fries and they turned out yummy & chewy. Not like potato chips though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 I have my Nesco round going right now with purple kale in EVOO and apple cider vinegar, canned beets, blanched carrots, and blanched sweet potatoes. Some of the beets and carrots are in a bit of balsamic, as well, just to see. Finding info about drying veggies to eat, not to cook later, is not so easy. Later, we will switch to elk and beef jerky. My husband makes shorter strips and there seems to be plenty of room on the racks. We're testing recipes and new to it all. He has a business trip coming up and we want something like a primal pac, but with veggies included for his very busy days. I'll let everyone know how they turn out. Oh, and the kale is just because I love it. It probably would not travel well. Our pups also love the sweet potato, but it was too crunchy when we did it raw. Chewing is really good for their teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Blanching the sweet potato! Why didn't I think of that! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.