Food Dehydrator Reviews & Guide
There are large selections of food dehydrators in today's market with various models and each is unique to its own design. Finding the perfect food dehydrator has been proven to be a tedious task; however, the tradeoff results in a fun, healthy way to eat savory meats and delicious fruit. Our food dehydrator reviews will provide you an accessible way to locate the food dehydrator that you have been searching for.
Believe it or not, a food dehydrator will actually save you money. Dried fruits are often expensive in stores with a high price per pound. Purchasing you own food dehydrator will not only save the expenses but also you can add your own touch. There are certain features needed to be considered when purchasing a food dehydrator: total tray space, thermostat, air flow, and wattage.
For total tray space, choose a food dehydrator with a maximum drying area because with foods taking up to 32 hours of drying time, you want to dry in bulk using as many trays as possible.
Having the precise temperature is key when drying your food. Without an adjustable thermostat, case hardening may occur which is a hard, crusty outside layer of the dehydrated food and a moist possibly bacteria filled inside.
The module's method of air flow will determine the quality and effectiveness of the dehydrated food. The ideal method is horizontal air flow but most models will use a vertical heating system where air flow is directed from the bottom up or from top down.
Food dehydrators require a certain amount of wattage, or how many individual watts the unit uses. Larger dehydrators require a greater amount of wattage; therefore, keep in mind when purchasing your food dehydrator that higher wattage units result in faster drying time.
Believe it or not, a food dehydrator will actually save you money. Dried fruits are often expensive in stores with a high price per pound. Purchasing you own food dehydrator will not only save the expenses but also you can add your own touch. There are certain features needed to be considered when purchasing a food dehydrator: total tray space, thermostat, air flow, and wattage.
For total tray space, choose a food dehydrator with a maximum drying area because with foods taking up to 32 hours of drying time, you want to dry in bulk using as many trays as possible.
Food dehydrators require a certain amount of wattage, or how many individual watts the unit uses. Larger dehydrators require a greater amount of wattage; therefore, keep in mind when purchasing your food dehydrator that higher wattage units result in faster drying time.
After having a round variety of food dehydrators, such as the Gardenmaster, I decided to save and spend my money on the Excalibur. This food dehydrator exceeds that of the round variety due to the adjustable thermostat, quick clean-up, large layout, and the horizontal heating system. The side fan is more effecient which means you rarely have to rotate the trays, slicing the drying time in half. If you are serious about dehydrating, I recommend the Excalibur 3900 Deluxe as being the best on the market.
Less expensive than the Excalibur, the Nesco Harvest FD-1018P (also called a Gardenmaster) is a more popular choice of the food dehydrator ethusiasts. This food dehydrator offers a perfect price as well as excellent features including impressive 1000 watts of drying power in addition of 8 drying trays and of course an adjustable thermostat. From my experience I would say the unit is noisy but will praise it for sizable amount of tray space.
List Price: $189.99
Amazon.com Price: $149.99
