dehydrator recommendations?

Hi Everyone!

I am new to raw, and have been vegan for about 9 years. So I am looking at getting a few essentials.. namely a food dehydrator! I am only “cooking” for myself, so I am hoping you guys could recommend something relatively inexpensive and suitable for making smaller amounts of stuff.

So gimme some options! I have been doing some research and reading reviews online, but I would rather get opinions from people using them on a regular basis and for similar purposes.. and not, oh I dunno.. Turkey Jerky?

Also, any other essentials you might all recommend for someone new and slowly getting into this? I don’t exactly have a pile of money to invest into new appliances, but I would like to try and go about this properly!

Thanks so much!

loorin.

Comments

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    “properly” means Excalibur dehydrator. You could get the 5 tray. This will take care of most of the cracker recipes etc. On what size you get really depends on how far you are able to get into raw prep. I am the only one at home who is raw. I have a 5 tray and a 9 tray. One is for regular food prep; bread, wraps, crackers, muffins, crusts, softening veggies like peppers (for stuffed peppers) bacon, nut or grain patties, dry cereals etc. Warming recipes when needed. The 9 tray I use for dehydrating fruits, veggies, creamed soup made into leather to reconstitute later,and dried tomatoes.

    I have heard of so many who put the word inexpensive before dehydrators and juicers. So they buy the cheap item and kick themselves for years after.

    Two items I use a lot is a wooden citrus reamer and a spaghetti machine.

  • Thanks, Beany! I have read a lot about the Excalibur, and I am sure you are right, making the investment now would save my grief later. I have been able to find the 4 tray on ebay for about $110 which I don’t suppose is too terrible in price.

    Thanks so much for the insight. I really appreciate it!

  • Benay, just out of further curiosity.. Do you reserve those items for the 9 tray simply because of the time needed for them?

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    One thing to know. The 4 tray, has trays that are smaller than the 5 tray and 9 tray, and see if the sheets come with the dehydrator. Some times they do, sometimes not. The 9 tray is basically used because I need that many trays. I just finished 9 trays of cantaloupe and will soon start on 9 trays of nectarines.

    Two dehydrators are also good for holidays. Most people like raw desserts, and snacks. They go pretty fast.

  • I did notice it was smaller and it comes with a few sheets. I really have no idea how much I will be using it, since I don’t even own one now! I suppose I should figure out how to figure that out first! I think I will get the 4 or the 5 and then just add a 2nd in the future. like in… december? hehe. Thanks beany!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    Loorin, I posted a similar question several days ago. I’ve become more concerned about using plastics in food preperation, etc., and so started investigating stainless steel dehydrators. I’ve not purchased mine yet, but based on my research and the limited comments made on this thread, my current plans are to purchase a stainless unit.

  • Thanks, Emtpdmom.. I like a few others didn’t know Excalibur made a stainless one.. Of course at $6000 that may be a bit out of my market.. Hadn’t come across the Sausage Maker before, and will do some more research! Thanks so much for the link! I love the idea of having less plastic in my life, too!

  • penfoldpenfold Raw Newbie

    I have just a basic Nesco one. http://www.nesco.com/products/?category=300&sub… It does have a temperature control, but I’ve never done any sort of test to see how accurate it is… It’s all plastic, but it’s cheap, so of course it is. Based on your original request of “something relatively inexpensive and suitable for making smaller amounts of stuff” this one would be fine until you’re ready to pay for a really good one. I don’t use mine all the time, but I’ve found it to be adequate: dries evenly, makes about the same amount of noise as a microwave, which is acceptable background noise for me. I use it mainly for fruit leather-type stuff, wraps, sliced fruit, sprouted grains.

  • Penfold, That is great to hear someone that has had success with a relatively inexpensive one. I truthfully have no idea how much I will be using the dehydrator.. so maybe getting a $50 to test it out and figure out exactly how much bigger (or not bigger at all) I will need to go. Thank you!

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    loorin. Just for your information. You cant add shelves to the Excalibur. They don’t stack on top of one another but slide in like an oven.

  • I also have a inexpencive dehydrator that is called Stockli Dörrex, one where you can set the temperature. I think that it works like a charm. And it only cost half as much as ex. the Excalibur. it costed me about $144

    It is a round dehydrator with the fan at the bottom, so yes you might need to rotat the trays. But of you make lets say flaxcrakers they need about 10-12 houres in the mashine. So after about lets say 7 houres you check on the crackers and rotate the trays that takes about 3 seconds. Maby they need to be turned as well so rotating the trays wont take up much extra time ;-)

    Im new to rawfood too, and I dident want to spend a fortune on mashines. What if I neve got to use the dehydrator ?? then I would feel bad spending so much money on it. Many long time rawfooders also dont use their dehydrator as much anymore. Dryed food is more of a transhision kind of food :-)

    So I feel that my littel dehydrator totaly lives up to what I need and can afford. But ofcoures if you are several people in your household eating dehydratet food or you want to dry a lot of fruit, berries, herbs, crakers a.s.o. then ofcourse a bigger and more expencive mashine would be perfect. I gues that you have to look at what you needs are and what they might be in the future.

  • ShantiLove, that is very good to know. At this point I have been so focused on just eating raw fruits and veggies i haven’t really seen awhole lot of NEED for a dehydrator, other than I am interested in trying a few recipes. I do have a much bigger veggie garden than I expected this year tho.. So I think it might be a wise investment just so all my produce doesn’t go to waste. I am still researching and am so appreciative of all this feedback! I love how everyone is so devoted to the same raw diet.. but approaching it in so many different ways. Thank you!

  • I am pretty new to raw. I’ve made some simple raw recipes with food processor and blender but I just bought myself a simple dehydrator at a thrift store to start with and try out. It did not come with an owner’s manual so I have no idea how to use it? Plus since I have never used any kind of dehydrator before, I’m REALLY in the dark!

    It is white with 4 or 5 trays and it does not have temperature settings, but on the bottom it has a 1,2,3,4 that you can switch to (I think that may be the adjustable vents, I have NO clue!?). It looks kind of like this:

    Can anybody help me out please? :)

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Being an honest person. If you want to be raw then take your dehydrator purchase back. If possible. If not,than give it to some one who is SAD. Then save your money and maybe you can find a used Excalibur on Amazon.

    Maybe someone knows how you can stay raw with your dehydrator, but I know of know way….Sorry.

  • greenghostgreenghost Raw Newbie

    SunnyVegan Before bringing it back I would try to dehydrate something in it BUT place a kitchen thermometer inside it to keep an eye on the temperature.
    You don’t want it to go above 116 degrees….. I believe that is the temp. that is deemed the max that food enzymes can withstand before becoming denatured and destroyed.
    If it works alright then you can use it while you save for a better dehydrator.
    I also suggest using parchment paper to line the trays…
    Good Luck!
    PS: Nice job inserting that photo!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    SunnyVegan, I have to agree with Beany. I borrowed one that looks just like yours. It took DAYS to dehydrate anything and I couldn’t regulate the temperature. I even tried wrapping the sides in foil to keep in the heat. It wasn’t worth the trouble. I’m just going to do without until I’ve saved the money to get my stainless SausageMaker dehydrator. I know, I know . . . the name is a big turnoff, but everyone I’ve talked with who has one loves it.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    I believe the stainless steel is the best way to go… No polycarbonates to breathe and with the Sausage Maker you can buy fiberglass sheets instead of telflex (teflon coated) (Sp) that you use on top of the shelves for wet items like crackers or bread or small things… It works really fast, I was drying tomatoes and all 10 shelves were full, so I borrowed a friends Nesco… It took almost 48 more hours to dehydrate in the Nesco… It also was difficult to clean those plastic trays… Was afraid they would break easily and they did stain… I wouldn’t trade my Sausage Maker for another brand, but wish it had another name… LOL

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    I love the excalibur 9 tray. But I kinda wish I got the sausage maker – to avoid plastic. My Excalibur dries thinly sliced tomatoes in 9 hours, and tomato chunks in 24 hours.

  • Thank you very much for your suggestions/recommendations. I bought the cheapo dehydrator just to try out. It was only $4 and went to a good cause so I guess I’ll just try it out and practice with it. emtpdmom and waterbaby, which model of the SausageMaker dehydrator do you have? I just want to make sure I put the right one on my wish list.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    SunnyVegan~ I bought the StainlessSteel Model W32706-SS D10 (S/S price $399.95 and (6) #32735 Standard Non Stick Shelf Liners at $6.99 each for $41.94 There was no tax but there was $44.00 freight so my total was $485.89 (Too Much but worth it)

    I used the company called Fern’s Nutrition and have seen this dehydrator cheaper after mine arrived, so google it and search for a better price if possible… Also don’t know why the liners were called Standard Non Stick because they are Fiberglass…

    Hope my info helps and Happy hunting!!!

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I haven’t purchased a dehydrator yet, but am 99% sure it will be the same model waterbaby has.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Hey emtpdmom~ hows the wind blowin. need any help buttoning the hatches???

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