How to Pick the Perfect Food Dehydrator for You!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2023
- Picking the right dehydrator for you out of all the choices out there can be daunting - but I have tips to help you choose the right dehydrator for you!
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I can recommend the NESCO dehydrator. Walmart recently had them on clearance for $15 so I picked up a second one. I am not a canner and have no space for canned goods so dehydrating helps me keep the pantry stocked. I am anticipating the cooler weather so I can run the dehydrator again. I have mostly been dehydrating soup vegetables but this winter I am going to try dehydrating citrus and beans. I get great ideas from this channel. Dehydrating from frozen has made it so simple.
I bought a Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro, 1000 watts, and my first attempt was very thinly sliced apples - I used a potato peeler to get them as thin as possible - on just the top 4 trays. I followed instructions exactly. 4 days later they were still quite damp and not at all done. I have since read complaints and negative reviews and apparently Nesco is not the company it used to be, probably new management, and there is a fuse that keeps blowing out and even if you can find someone to fix that kind of thing - appliance repair seems to be a lost art - the replacement part does the exact same thing within months. It is now beyond the return window but I am done with Nesco.
Love my stackable nesco
Here in Tasmania, I had one choice for a second machine. My main machine is thirty years old, called a Nara. Don't think they are made any more. I wouldn't trade it for the world. ❤🇦🇺
I have a 9 tray Excalibur and I love it. I’m just learning how to dehydrate correctly. Thank you Darcy…you sure make this a lot less intimidating! ❤
i actually have a Nesco Gardenmaster that i have had for a long time. I can easily do 30 trays at a time and rarely do I have to rotate the trays. i do tend to put any herbs on the top trays if I am doing multiple items, however. When I have dehydrated all similar items, such as juicy tomatoes, I have had a little issue with the top couple of trays taking longer, but that's about it. otherwise, I love my Gardenmaster.
I graduated to a seven tray Magic Mill after using a Hamilton Beach for one summer. Over time I've completed it with mesh and silicone trays. Dehydrating has become an essential method for me. Just this week I dehydrated fresh cherries and plums for winter snacking, and dehydrated eight cans of Rotel down to single quart jar! I have been using the Magic Mill for a year now. The price point was good, and I'm very satisfied.
Thank you for sharing. I did some research and I picked the 7 tray Magic Miller. I haven’t used it yet. I was praying I made the right choice. Thank you for confirming I did. Have a beautiful evening
Just bought a nesco. Have tried it now for a few days and it is doing great. My old one was given to me by my aunt in the 80s, way to hot so got the nesco. Also just received your dehydrating book, this a game changer . You are so much help, well keep you in my subscription feed! Thanks, Bonnie
I have the six tray Cosori. The video that Darcy references at the end of this video is what made me make that decision. If you're still undecided after watching this video, I second her suggestion to go watch the one she referenced at the end. The pros of the Cosori are that the trays are stainless steel, as Darcy indicated. That's important to me. It's also very quiet and easy to clean. There is only one "con,"but that relates to my personal experience. I have a fairly large garden, and during harvest time, I find that I would like to have more trays. Having said that, gardening season is only a few months out of the year for me, and the rest of the year, the Cosori meets my needs just fine!! So, I make it work for me. I don't dehydrate my herbs in the dehydrator, thus allowing space for other items from my garden. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase.
So glad you like it!
I watched a few videos comparing dehydrators and decided on the Cosori after watching Darcy. I LOVE IT! I've also been powdering alot of fruits and veg'ts thanks to her videos!
I also have the six tray Cosori. I have a small apartment, and the dehydrator lives on my (longish) 'kitchen' table, which is right by my 'living room'... where my computer and tv are. So when my Cosori runs, I'm usually within ten feet of it. It's not completely quiet, but it's at a very livable level - no problems hearing my tv or distracting me from computer games. I tend to dehydrate veg I either got cheap or in such bulk I won't get through it (as a single person) before it goes bad; the Cosori works great for that. Dehydrated veg works wonders for making ramen better.
I’m a newbie and looking for other ways to store my own food for long periods of time. From what I’ve seen (correct me if I’m wrong) dehydrating food only last about a year?
It depends on what you're dehydrating. Most things... if they're kept out of sunlight & put in a dark place.. are good for longer!
I have a Nesco stackable that I have had since 2014. It is still working great and I have had as many as 9 trays stacked. I have found that it works better when the humidity is low and takes longer to process when the humidity is high. The ol girl is in storage now due to a move and once settled I’ll get her going again. I have done no preserving of any kind this year but hope to get back to dehydrating soon with a new unit and saving the ol girl just for herbs & such.
Due to you informative videos I bought the Cosiri six tray. Love it . I also bought the silicon mesh and cut it to fit. I also bought your Dehydrating Basics Journal which I love. Thank you for all the great information.
Glad it was helpful! I appreciate you!
Thank you! I have a Sahara folding dehydrator, purchased last year, so far I really like it and like to fold it smaller for storing. I also have a Medium freeze dryer, which I use most. My freeze drying trays also fit on the trays of the Sahara. So I do use them there for some foods. I did pass my old stackable dehydrators to a friend to get her started!
Oh - that's ingenious about the trays fitting the Sahara! I didn't mention it in the video because it's really on the upper end of what most folks can pay for a dehydrator, but I love mine, too!
I bought my first dehydrator and dehydrating mushrooms first. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊
Thanks Darcy, your opinions are useful and effective ❤
Been using a 5 tray Excaliber for a few years now. And it's harvest season again! LOL Thanks for the video!
Hello Darcy, I have a Excalibur and I am satisfied with it. I bought my first dehydrator for a few dollars and it was broken down after 1 year. So please buy quality and pay more for a good one.Have a great weekend 🎉😊🎉
I have 40 year old Excalibur that I still use and a new cosori.
Perfect timing!!! Thank yo thank you! ❤❤😊😊
I have a six tray Rommelsbacher. Its produced in Germany. This is my third dehydrator (one broke and one is a cheap and cheerful stackable one from Aldi which still works after 16 years! But, alas, only one set temperature) it works fine, not to noisy, which is a bonus.
YOU ARE AWESOME! Thanks so much..best review of dehydrators on TH-cam! Great information, explanations, and so easy to understand. This will be my first dehydrating experience, and I'm in humid SE Florida, so worry about mold all the time. Thanks so much for everything. You have a new fan.
Don't worry about mold Dry properly, store properly, use some moisture absorbers, and you're going to be fine.
Great breakdown of the choices!
Thank you for the information. You're awesome!!!!❤
Figured I'd leave my own personal experience here for anyone curious about the Excalibur. I had the 9 tray unit, bought in 2020. Used typically just once or twice a year to make beef jerky for the holidays. Last year, I began to notice hairline fractures in the outer plastic body of the unit which did cause some heat to escape. In this year, I've had even more severe cracks and chips form on the unit to the point where I'm shopping for a replacement (how I ended up here!). Besides that it was a great unit, just bummed I couldn't have gotten more mileage out of it for the cost.
That seems to be a one-off thing with them - I've never heard that happen before. Did you ever contact them to replace it? I'd still choose Excalibur any day of the week if it was within my budget/space. Cosori's also have their tales of dying in six months (more so the longer they've been around), but they are still great machines and Cosori is quick to replace.
According to their warranty page they only offer an extension for factory direct. But it was from their own Amazon Page so might still be in their valid 10 year. I'll check into that, thanks! Might have saved me a couple hundred bucks then.@@ThePurposefulPantry
I don’t own a dehydrator, BUT I will be getting one soon. I can see so many food items that could save space by dehydrating! I really don’t see a freeze dryer in my future due to cost. Also, as a single grandma, I probably won’t actively use one as much as I might have when my children were young and always hungry! Can’t wait to learn more from you!
Those freeze dryers are expensive! They also require a lot of maintenance! Lol. And it breaks down... you have to pay for shipping... to get it to them to fix it!
I have the nesco 7 tray stainless cabinet style and I really love it. Not only does it work well, it is SO QUIET - which was an important feature for me when researching which machine to buy since my only option for its placement is in the open kitchen/living room area.
Thanks for sharing!
It was spendy, but my 10-tray Cosori was worth every penny. We're a multigenerational household of 8 with a huge garden, so I knew I wanted to be able to have plenty of tray space.
Yep - I love mine, too!
Great information as always. Thank you.
I've had a Gourmia digital food dehydrator for probably 5 or 6 years now. Don't really use it much lately. We've made jerky, dehydrated fruits & vegetables, even marshmallows, & 1 batch of scrambled up eggs. I bought the green silicone liners from amazon, they work really well. My biggest issue with it is the plastic trays, they get caught up or sometimes don't like going in properly. I've been debating on buying the Cosori, with stainless steel trays.
Ive owned a nesco for many years and it does fine
I have a 6 tray Cosori love it when it works. Purchased mine in February 2023 and I’m on my second one I will say that costumer service was very easy to work with. I’m looking at getting another one as a backup because it definitely wasn’t fun having the trays full when it just stopped working.
why did it stop working? Your comment was only 10 months ago - how long before it broke down?
@@buckethyacinth9598 no clue why it stopped working it was only a few months after I purchased it . They just sent me a new one and thank goodness all is good.
Thank you for the tips! About to purchase a new dehydrator. 🤗
Also, I got a “Nevertheless, she preserved” shirt for Christmas! Love it!
That is awesome! I'm glad you do!
I have 3 dehydrators. The 1st is a Nesco, but I've "loaned" it to a friend permanently. I prefer the cabinet style because it's easier to check on the progress of your dehydrating. I love my Excalibur very much and it does a great job, but it's quite big and rather loud when running, so I keep it on the porch. I still use it, just not in the house. I recently bought a 6 tray Cosori to keep in the kitchen. I haven't used it yet, but the garden harvest is coming and I'll put it to the test soon.
You'll love it - it's SOOOOOOO quiet!
I have a Nesco stackable I have been using very often the last 3 years. I love it since I keep it out during harvest season then it goes back in box in closet the rest of the time.
Ahh - it's lonely! You can use it all year long!! But I understand!
I have the same machine and that's pretty much what I do to! LOL
I started with the Nesco stackable dehydrator and I loved it until I went to plug it in and it made a very strange sound. I unplugged it gave it a few minutes and tried it again, it did work that time but took much longer to work. It worked like a work horse for about 2 1/2 years so I guess I just wore it out.
After that I no longer trusted it. I want to fill my trays and plug it in and start dehydrating. So I found a good deal on an Excalibur 9 tray and I love it! I use it all through the year. I have been dehydrating parsley like crazy because I foolishly planted 6 plants and they just keep growing! It does a beautiful job on herbs. I’m thinking I’m going to put parsley in Christmas stockings this year! Its like zucchini, it keeps on giving!
I do love my Excalibur dehydrator!
I have the 7 stainless steel tray Magic Mill which is very similar to the Cosori and love it. I’ve used it constantly for 2 years and it works flawlessly. I chose it because of the 7 trays, it was a cabinet style, it is very quiet, which was very important to me, and it looks good on the countertop. I didn’t have to pull it out of storage when I wanted to use it so It was always out and ready to be loaded which made me use it more often. The last reason was value for the price.
Thanks for sharing!
I just saw a review for the Magic Mill and the review was very good. Can you tell me the dimensions of your machine and does it give off a lot of heat. We have an air fryer that we use constantly but the cabinet gets really hot. Sounds silly maybe but the one we had before and we wore it out didn't get hot to the touch and was metal. We bought a bigger one. I know the temp usage is very different so of course it is not like using an oven but just wondering if that is true for a metal cabinet dehydrator.
Thanks 😊
Thank you for sharing. I'm considering the Magic Mill myself. Your information really helped me.
I have the same one and it’s almost always running with things from my garden and foods bought that are going to go bad before being used. I just tried buttermilk that was about to expire and made powdered buttermilk and I’m very happy with the machine and saving money! Well worth the investment!
Thank you for this video!💕
Thank you for this wonderful information!!😊
Glad it was helpful!
Very happy with my Cosori 6 tray!
❤️my 6 tray Cosori 😊 …. Fantastic informational video!
Wonderful!
Thanks Darcy~! I specifically asked TH-cam, which dehydrator to buy and got your completely informative video and now I’m off to buy one of the two that I had been looking to buy (Magic Mill or Cosori) Cosori wins~! Thanks again💕
Enjoy!
I have Nesco I found at Aldi a few years ago. I don't like the jelly roll trays either because of the warping but they do come in handy for dehyrating pumpkin or anything that isn't runny. I have stacked up 15 trays at a time but it takes longer because of rotating the trays. That said I really like the machine. I can move it easily and i keep it all in a tote when not in use. Drawback is having to buy all of the extra trays but worth it if done gradually according to budget and needÿ.
I am shopping for one I can keep on my counter all of the time so most likely it will be the Cosori. For now I will wait and maybe I can find it during the black Friday sales. Great idea to look online for a used one. When I bought my Nesco I bought it because my husband wanted to make jerky. He did that once and it sat for several year😮s. I came across this channel maybe 2 years ago and thought I should take my nesco out, dust it off and give it a try. It has been in constant use since then. I just need to find the machine that can handle it all including liquid for making boullion
Thanks Darcy
You can get it from my website at the price it usually is on Black Friday ;) We have a special deal with them! thepurposefulpantry.com/cosori
Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom. I have one stackable one temp, and one stackable adjustable. But I really think I will get one more, and get the cabinet style with metal trays. I make my own cotton liners, anyway, and I can do that again. I do like the plastic mesh, also, but they cost more than they are worth to me.
$13 for the mesh is too much? (I'm not a fan of the cloth lol)
Thanks for the video, you really know what you are talking about. I’m sick of using my oven at 170
Well, I’m just starting out in your TH-cam is the first one. I watched very informal .
A clone of the Nesco snachmaster jr. Great for a small batch, but a bit slow. "RV/caravan" friendly size. It seems to be made fairly solidly. Your review says it all.
What a the best one to use for making spices. Paprika and garlic primarily
Any of them will work.
Omg thank you!
I had a Samson chest dehydrator, 8 trays. Worked great until it didn't.
Only lasted less than two years. We did have some area electrical brown outs during the extreme Texas heat and from experience I know that brown outs can be hazardous to electronics.
Do not know if that was the cause of the dehydrators failure or not. Will definitely use a better surge protector next time. Dou t I will buy the same brand again.
Very interesting and helpful😊
I found a Presto Dehydro 06301, 750 watts at Goodwill yesterday. Six trays plus fruit leather and mesh insets. Eight dollars. Why yes, I did do a happy dance. You can set it for time and the heat is adjustable. Unfortunately while mine seemed to be pristine in the box (still had the plug guard on it), it does not have a cover. I'm presently using one of the fruit leather trays as a lid. It is louder than I expected, but that could be due to the lack of the lid. You can add up to a total of twelve trays and it seems to be doing well so far.
I’m new to this dehydrating thing. I’m trying to dehydrate in my oven on cookie sheets with low temperature to see how that turns out but I would like a nice square style dehydrator to be able to do fruit and other things
You're Awesome 🎉😊
Thank you ✌🏻
Thanks for the information!
Any time!
I love my American dehydrator. It is the size of an office refrigerator, is stainless steel and gives me 27 feet of drying space. Its trays are large, plus I ordered additional smaller mesh trays, and mats. It was not inexpensive, but worth the cost with all its features. I can make elk and venison jerky for my dogs in six hours and it is an awesome machine for air drying herbs!!!
I found a plastic one on sale at academy. I have not idea what I'm doing but I got bananas and strawberries on it right now for the first time. I was going to get a more expensive one from bass pro but I wanted to try it first to see if we will get into it. I'm excited to do a garden next summer.
As long as it gives you a good temperature range, it will work just fine!
I have a six-tray Cosori that I purchased in December 2022. While dehydrating is the primary function, I culture soy yogurt and proof bread dough with it. So far, I don't have any cons. @ThePurposefulPantry, in one of your shots, I thought I saw a freeze dryer. Have you done a video on freeze dryers that I can reference? Thank you.
I do have one - but it's new, and I've not used it enough to do a lot with it on video. My last video about zucchini was it.
Thanks lady
I am so glad I have found your channel! You are so knowledgeable and down to earth. Great information! I don’t own a dehydrator … yet! ❤
I have a Wartmann with 10 trays. It's 800 watt. I live in europe the netherlands. Aldo i'm a beginner i choose for the 10 tray's and i'm verry glad i did. 😂
I have a Nesco which I can expand up to 15 plus trays and I love it. I have no problem rotating the trays. I used to have a Excalibur and I hated the clean up. With my Nesco after I'm done using it I take all the trays and put them in the sink, fill it with soapy water put the trays in and let them soak and then take a brush and scrub them. I then rinse and let them dry. The Excalibur I put the trays in the water like I did with the Nesco and scrubbed them. Now I have to clean the inside of the Excalibur Cabinet. I make a lot of Teriyaki Jerky and I marinate the meat in the sauce I make and then after soaking in the Teriyaki Sauce for a few hours I add some crushed red pepper and then I put in the dehydrator and the the dripping from the meat inside the case leaving it a real mess which takes a long time to clean. Bottom line is it takes to long and the machine to me is over priced.
Use some parchment paper or a fruit leather sheet on the bottom of the Excalibur and it will help clean up a lot.
I just bought a magic mill 10 tray dehydrator on Amazon. So I will see how it goes when I get it
Have fun!
You are the best! I would love ur opinion between choosing the an excabilur vs the new and bigger cosori. (Im going to dry certain mushrooms at around 45c for abour 20-40h if this info would help)
Im btw reffering to the newer model of excalibur.
Do u know if they either one has a ”better”/ more evenly distributed fan than the other? Also if assume price difference dont matter.
Love any input! Thanks you
I haven't used a newer Excalibur, so I can't give you that specific - but I use the C-10 and the Excalibur 3900 - they are both great machines. The C10 is considerably quieter than my Excalibur, but again, I've not used any 'newer' Excalibur - I'm assuming you mean the digital version, so I can't speak specifically to it. But for anything - price would be the doorbuster - Cosori's are much less expensive.
Nice vid! I’m gonna make me some spices
Hi, Darcy! I don't have any knowledge about dehydrating yet, but I am starting to research about it and came across your page. I want to ask if is there any particular season you should be dehydrating food for efficiency or cost-saving reasons? Thank you!
I dehydrate year-round. If you have a big garden, your main time will likely be when you are in full harvest.
I love my nesco stackable,
It is a cabinet six tray.❤🇦🇺
I have a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 that has a dehydrator setting. Have you tried this machine? I plan to dry mushrooms, fruit, and make beef jerky. This will be my first time dehydrating anything.
No - but it will work ;) You may not be able to get a ton of bulk done at one time, but it will be a first great machine for you!
I have a nesco. Tried drying apricots several years ago, but they weren't great... probably uneven sizes. Found your channel a few weeks ago and got it back out. So far done frozen veg, strawberries, celery, spinach. Question: what tray liners work for the Nesco since it is round?
Yes = there are made specifically for round trays - it depends on your machine. amzn.to/3KmbLhf (amazon affiliate link).
I took 14x14 sized mesh sheets and cut them down for my Nesco.
Nestco Is what I have 2 of them
I'm just starting to research dehydrators. What do you think about the Magic Mill dehydrator if you have used it before?
I haven't because I only have so much space or budget when buying new machines to review. However, the smaller one is just like the Cosori with less space between trays, and the larger Magic Mills are fine, too.
Are the vevor machines as good as the cosori ones? I was looking at them on the Home Depot website before I found your video. I noticed you have the vevor listed in the description, but didn’t mention it in your video.
This is the first video I’ve seen of yours and it’s packed full of information. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your content!
I don't have Vevor listed in my description or on my dehydrating machine page. I have never used them so have no way to compare them.
I’m sorry. I could have sworn when I clicked the link in your description it opened to the vevor one on the Home Depot website. Maybe it’s just because I was bouncing between them looking at the specs I got confused. Thanks for your quick response!
Oh - you know - I bet that was the shopping thing that YT does that isn't a description link, but is linked in the video screen? But I don't recommend them, so I wonder if it was because the one I recommended was out of stock so it went to the next best thing?
That could have been it. I did order the 6 tray cosori based on your recommendation and it got here Saturday. I’m setting it up today and can’t wait to try it out! My husband bought a 40lb box of bananas to make banana chips. With that and our garden starting to produce I may be wishing I had bought a bigger one before too long 😂. I’ll be watching your zucchini video for sure!
I have a sedona dehydrator. The first thing I did was asparagus was great! Next was pineapple , was still chewy. It started getting brown and I stopped it. Jared it put in refrigerator.
Next was sweet corn. 38 hour and some were black and some were not done. Went 48 hours and hope it's done. Next green beans. 14 hours several still soft. Put them in a jar will start agian when I get. 125 degrees, was space between. What am I doing wrong? I want to give up. You make it look so easy!
You're not giving things long enough time to dry. Don't go by time. Go by if they are actually dry or not. Ignore the times given everywhere. You can also test your dehydrator to make sure it's coming up to temperature correctly. th-cam.com/video/ojC7UNv9gNM/w-d-xo.html
The sweet corn wasn't crispy . And some were turning dark brown. Put it in jars and it started sticking to sides of jar. I put it back in dehydrating at 115 so it doesn't turn all black. Not sure how long it will take it's been 6 hours and still chewy. Green beans are not crisp.
So, I’ve been doing research and landed on purchasing a Cosori, but keep ping ponging between the 6 tray or 10 tray. Or maybe just purchasing 2- 6 trays.
I do plan to dehydrate a lot. I have a big family and am wanting to sell at our local farmers market. Plus lots of friends/family with dietary needs that ask for the things I make. What do you suggest?
I do already have a Nesco stackable that I use a lot.
I wish I could tell you - but I can't. 2 gives you more options, but you need space. But if you plan on using it commercially - I would go with a better brand like Excalibur or the Garden Master Nesco that can expand to 24+ trays.
Hi! I am seeing people talking mostly about the old Excalibur Dehydrator which was made in the US. Have you tested or tried the new stainless steel electric Excalibur Dehydrators which is made in China? I have seen mixed reviews for these. I have space for a big machine. I am drawn towards the workhorse Excalibur but wanted to get the newer model. Thanks for your videos!
I use the Performance 6 tray now and love it. You'll have to see my newer videos to see it in use, but I haven't done a review on it, yet. I've relegated my Cosori to the garage for overflow or stinky projects. I have no complaint about it at all. It's quieter than the old models, but the older models are on sale right now on Excalibur's site: excaliburdehydrator.com/?rfsn=6655726.d52af9 (affiliate link)
@@ThePurposefulPantry Thanks! Your videos are helpful and informative. Do you have an Amazon affiliate link for the performance series? I can purchase from that.
You have a freeze dryer?? I'ma have to see if you do anything with it on your channel.
Yep - I've got a few videos up so far, but I've just started using it.
I have a nesco found on a mom's site
What do you think of the Magic Mill Commercial Dehydrator? I've been looking at this.
I don't own one so can't give a good opinion of it. But I hear it's good. I only have so much money per cycle to buy a new machine to review, so it'll be a while before I get to it. And there's really nothing that makes it 'commercial' with a smaller machine like that. It's basically just like a Cosori.
@@ThePurposefulPantry Yeah. I was wondering what business would have 8 of these things when one or two large ones would do. Thanks a lot!
I need something to make dog treats. Definitely prefer metal vs plastic. Which do I choose? Is the Excalibur good?
Any machine will work. Excalibur is good, Cosori, Magic Mill, etc. all good.
@@ThePurposefulPantry thank you
I remember the dehydrator of yesteryear. Are they safe to run overnight? Or when leaving the house for a bit?
I do - but that has to be up to you. If you h ad one of those old ones, I'd never run it when I wasn't there.
I gave a question.. I dehydrated a ton of onions and powdered them up and put them in a jar with a tight lid and a few days later the powder was hard and packed.. I know they were completely dry. What did I do wrong?
Onions are notorious for it. Did you condition it after powdering it? Here are some other ways to stop the clumping: th-cam.com/video/9IfYEaGnQv8/w-d-xo.html
@@ThePurposefulPantry. Yes I did for 6 hours, turned and rolled the jar and everything seemed to free flow. Maybe didn’t condition long enough? I’ll check your suggestions about other ways to fix clumping! Thank you!
I bought an inexpensive Magic Mill Dehydrator that is 480 watt last week, will be delivered tomorrow, should I return it?
No- it's fine!
Have you tried the one that collapses for storage?
Yes - the Sahara - I own it and use it - it's just on the high end of the spectrum, so I didn't mention it. It's a great machine, has an air-only feature perfect for herbs, and it can be stored flat!
Hey there! I was wondering if you’ve ever done the math on us buying frozen vegetables like broccoli and carrots and dehydrating them at home versus buying dehydrated food in canisters.
No, because freeze-drying (which many of those vegetables are freeze dried) and dehydrating are two different processes. You're paying for convenience and longer shelf-life with freeze dried foods (plus, the equipment is a lot more expensive) than dehydrating at home which will always cost less, but you have to do the work and the long-term shelf life is not there.
I'm very confused by her statement of long-term shelf ..not being there for dehydrated vegetables! If kept in a cool dark place... dehydrated vegetables and fruits can last up to anywhere from 5-10 years!
Do some research on the shelf life of dehydrated vegetables and fruits. I think that you will find the answers that you're looking for! 😁
@@Sunny-jz3dy not necessarily. Dehydrating doesn't get the material as completely dry as freeze drying, so freeze drying will always last longer. As in meats, if done correctly, 15 - 20 years. Pack in Mylar with antioxidants / O2 absorbers.
Starting out with a small cheap one off Amazon, about 35.00, if I like it, I will continue doing it, eventually, I will move up to something better…….
Make sure you just give everything plenty of time to try - ignore times. If it's one of the ones I'm thinking of, it's lower power, which just takes longer. Good luck with it - hope you love it!!
@@ThePurposefulPantry ….yep, only 350 watts, small, enough space to do two packs of strawberries, what I’m trying now…….I’m starting with about eight hours. Elite Gourmet EFD319 Food Dehydrato
I have a 9 tray excalibur, i got it 50% off. Cons: the trays are quite close together, which makes greens a challenge to get it. Honestly, i love it besides that, but my previous dehydrator was hamilton Beach, so I'd probably love anything.
My trick: Put a piece of mesh on top as you load it, and it will help a ton! Smuches down the greens and you can just leave it - load the other trays like it and you don't have to remove any to dry.
@@ThePurposefulPantry thanks! I'll give that a try
How about the air fryer dehydrator feature?
It works, but I still prefer a dedicated dehydrator for more than snacks.
I bought a really cheap dehydrator. 9 inch round trays. I picked it up for $33. I find it challenging to find accessories.
Sorry - what accessories do you need other than trays? And those can often be hacked from off brand teflon fruit leather sheets.
@@ThePurposefulPantry I just ordered 9 inch round silicone cake mats. I just will have to cut a hole in the center. That should work. I realized that I will have to customize some things.
Mesh is really good for it, too - I prefer it over anything else unless I'm doing something liquid.
I've just ordered the NESCO FD 41B SNACKMASTER JR
Should I be concerned about its 400 watt output?
If so, what should I expect?
Thank You! 🙏
It means things will take longer to dry than average.
@@ThePurposefulPantry
Thank you! 🙏
I have had/have three nesco. I loved my first one and used it till it died after about 10 years, I replaced it with the same and it has never worked as well as the first and the trays changed and were not as nice. The third one I got works worse than the second and again they changed the trays and I have never used them! They are cheap and already warped when I took them out of the box. I also find that these two newer ones dry very unevenly. The outside of the trays will be totally dry while the middle is totally still barely started to get warm. I got an excaliber about 7 years ago, used it three or four times and had to get a new motor for it. The co. sent me one free of charge but we had to install it, I have not been impressed with it at all and its been packed away for about 6 years! I should sell it cause I dont like the fact that is is so big and needs a permanent spot. I have been thinking about a cosori so that may be my next purchase. Still on the fence about a freeze dryer here too! I see you have one and would love some info on what you have used it for and how you like it! Thanks for all the info you share!
I just got it - so only one project so far! Zucchini is awesome in it!
I bought my first dehydrator, a Nesco Gardenmaster Pro, and it did not work from the get-go. Used to be a good brand, not anymore.
How many pounds of round jerky do you think we could fit in a 6 tray consori?
Sorry - I'd have no idea. But I googled it for you and found this: amzn.to/4c9bvhH
I subscribed when I heard 20+ years experience and “chicken jerky”!?!
What is better. Dehydrater or freezedrying
For what food? It depends ;) And it's also a personal preference. I've found very few fruits that I prefer freeze dried over dehydrated, but freeze dried last longer. You can do proteins in the freezer dryer that are reliably shelf stable that you can't have in dehydrated. But there are foods that dehydrate just fine, and it's a lower cost of entry point.
What about the multiuse dehydrator, air fryer toasters?
I see a Costway - air fryer toaster and dehydrator
Like any multi tool - it can do things, but doesn't do one thing well. But if you're not sure you want to dehydrate, it may be good for small jobs. I don't know the particular machine, though, so can't comment.
Are small ones best for mushrooms?
Are small dehydrators? No - any dehydrator will work with mushrooms!!!
Does anyone know a good not so expensive one for candy
You can't do candy in a food dehydrator the way you can in a freeze dryer - and there are no inexpensive freeze dryers, unfortunately.
2 years ago I had no idea what to get. I ended up with a Cuisinart. It's awful. It doesn't completely dehydrate. Whereas veggies should snap when fully dehydrated, the Cuisinart makes veggies "bend". It's so frustrating.
My thought is you're not drying long enough. If it's getting up to close temperature, it will dry - you just may need more time. Have you checked the temperature? Don't go by the time, go by whether the food is dry or not.
@@ThePurposefulPantry There is no temperature. Low to high. After drying for 48 hours and the veggies still are not dry, I give up.
Can you make jerky in the dehydrator?
Of course!
@@ThePurposefulPantry So sorry I did not see your reply !!! Thank you so much! i am very excited, I really wanted to try and was afraid!:)))
I got a nestco. It is so noisy. Is your nestco noisy?
This Nesco is not overly noisy, no. It is less than the Nesco stackable.
How about brands like Honghai?
God bless.
Never heard of it.
I looked it up - and I wouldn't recommend it unless you have no other options. It's 250watts in a stackable machine which means it will take a long time to dry anything.
I'm guessing my Electric Fan Forced Oven will do the same job maybe.
It does have the available temperature range that you mentioned.
Thnx So Much for your Informative Video.
It also costs a lot more to run and ties up your oven for when you need to cook. If you're looking for just snacking and occasional beef jerky - it'll probably be just fine. If you're looking to create a well stocked pantry with dehydrated foods, a dedicated machine is more efficient and cost effective.
Thnx Darling 🙏