Great dehydrator!
raw foodists will go for an Excalibur dehydrator (expensive)...just because all their raw book authors tell them it's the best. A dehydrator is not exactly a high tech machine, so I bought this less expensive brand instead. (Also because I already splurged on a good blender) It had qualities that the Excalibur also has: fan in the back instead of the bottom and a thermostat so you know you're not destroying enzymes. I've used this for 3 months now and it does just about everything I want it to do. If you're making raw crackers, you will need 13.5 x 10.5 nonstick dehydrator sheets. You can use plastic wrap at first but it gets messy. The sheets fit pretty well on the trays except for that rounded indented shape in the front of the tray . This did not bother me since those crackers don't turn out perfectly square anyway, they will sort of shrink when dry.
cons (that I can live with):
-The excalibur has a door that covers all the trays at once, so if you want to dry...
Solved the Problem!
I've tried dehydrators before, the cheapies you find in thrift stores, but they never worked. I finally did a little research and learned that the horizontal airflow type is best, and I looked for something inexpensive. Knowing "you get what you pay for," I was a little nervous that the Weston 6-tray dehydrator was so cheap, but I bought one. Wow! I am delighted! It dries sliced tomatoes perfectly. Sliced bananas become little bonbons. I even tried drying potato slices--blah, they're not potato chips, they're crumbly and bitter. But that wasn't the dehydrator's fault. Everything I have put in, it has dried perfectly. I couldn't be happier.
Really nice, but I still like my older one better...
I purchased this dehydrator to use side-by-side with my Nesco. You can view my review for the Nesco for additional info on that one. The main reason I went for having a second one was because I make different flavors and didn't want to make them at the same machine, getting the aromas mixed up. Here's my take:
First and foremost, IF YOU ARE USED TO A DIFFERENT DEHYDRATOR, keep an eye on the timing with this one. This is a very powerful machine, which is a great thing! But if you're used to something that is not as powerful, keep that in mind. The first time I used this dehydrator, I calculated that, if my Nesco took about 3 hours, this one would probably take about 2. When I checked after 2 hours, my beef jerky was crispy like potato chips. It's not bad, but not the end product I was looking for.
PROS:
- Very fast drying
- Huge drying area, approx. 10 sq ft
- Nice looking for a dehydrator, doesn't look bad on the counter, even if it's huge
-...
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