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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI have a Sweda food dehydrator, which I got for free from my mom’s garage. I don’t have the box or manual or any info about it. This is my first dehydrator. There is no temperature control, nor a timer.
It looks like this: http://allentown.craigslist.org/hsh/523423255.html and this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&i…:1:2v_
SO - is this dehydrator going to work for me? I have this fear that it’s actually getting hotter than it’s supposed to for raw foods. Does anybody know how hot this thing gets? And I could use some tips. Like, the top of it has some vents that I can open or close. When would I want to do it open vs closed? Closing it would just hold in more moisture, right? Would it also make it hotter?
Also, what’s up with the teflex sheets, like I read about in Rawvolution? Aren’t raw foodies concerned with the affects of teflon on their food?
Comments
I recently purchased an Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator after doing as much reading and research as I could. Here’s a link where I got a lot of useful information in helping me make my decision.
http://www.discountjuicers.com/dehydratorcompar…
I absolutely love my new dehydrator and have already made some wonderful spiced almonds, corn chips and flax crackers. This website sells a thermometer if you would like to see how hot your Sweda is getting inside. From what I have read, however, the food does not get as hot as the air around it due to evaporation.
I would be very concerned that you have no control over the temperature.
I’m also wondering about the teflex sheets, though. I will have to say that I like them very much and they are very easy to clean. They are about as thin as paper and seem to have nothing in common with the teflon of the “old days” (meaning the black coating on pots and pans). But I am curious as to whether they transfer any plastic to the food on top of them or decompose over time.
I was going to buy a American Harvester “Snack Master Elite”. There’s a picture of it at this site Website Link
It doesnt have a temperature control either. I called customer service & the rep told me that it dehydrates at 135 Degrees F & gets as high as 140 Degrees F.
Yours could possibly be somewhere close to that. You should call customer service & ask. I’m sure they can even send you another manual.
I just read on some Internet forum that Sweda dehydrators originally sold via an infomercial for $9.99. That person was looking to buy more trays but was unable to find any information about them whatsoever.
When I first went raw, I had an old dehydrator and had to make do with it for a few months. It had no temp or time controls – just on and off. There were vents at the top for letting out additional heat. The trays would rise up a bit if you turned them to further reduce the heat. I used a thermometer to check it – even with everything as open as possible, it went to 175 degrees!!! I found objects around the house to raise each tray up even higher and kept playing with it til I was able to get all the trays to 100 degrees. I probably heated the whole room when I used it. It was annoying and wasted energy, but the recipes kept me excited about staying raw. I really appreciated the new one when it came.
I have a Sweda which I got used also. I can not find a book or instructions for it. On the bottom of the heating unit there is a plastic shield that can be set to allow air flow. I have found that if you leave these closed the temp goes over 135 even with all the top vents open. If you open the bottom vents and top then I can have temps around 110. You have to turn the heating unit upside down to adjust the vent.