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Login Here Signup Here Signup using Facebook..and tell me what u think please, its a good price of only $50.00 (im not fortunate enough to have the funds right now for the more expensive ones) and looks great, and its made by Sunshine Valley .. im just not sure if its good enough? my main thing is to be able to make crackers and bread .. im not into the dried fruit as much .. would rather eat it fresh and juicy, so thats really all i would need it for…
here are the links: Thanx in advance!!
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....ok not too many oppinions i see … perhaps u guys could answer this question, does a cheaper dehydrator do the same thing as a more expensive one? would i be able to make just crackers with this thing?
Hi magdi,
I just got my first dehydrator (found it on ebay) and it’s one of the less expensive round kind. I was looking specifically for one with temperature control vs. just “on” and “off,” and this one goes from 95F on up so that works for me. I don’t really know anything about the big squarish ones like Excaliburs, except that they’re WAY out of my price range so they must be good! Heh…
I’m sure you’d be able to make crackers and such with the dehydrator you’ve shown here. The thing I would check for is whether or not it has temperature adjustability so that you can control how hot your foods get during dehydrating. I’ve seen differing numbers, but generally I think that dehydrating at 115F or less keeps the enzymes intact.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, anybody! I’m still learning the basics. :o)
Jen
thanx Jen … does ur “less expensive” dehydrator make crackers and breads ok? how do u like urs? which one do u have?
I just got it yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but I’m itching to! It’s a Nesco American Harvest, model number FD-60. Here’s a link with a description: pid260803843/compareprices__keyword-american+harvest.html”>http://www.bizrate.com/fooddehydrators/nesco-sn… (I hope that works)
I might be losing it but where is the the link magdi? I don’t see anything I could click on.
First off just so you guys know that you can normally NOT make any breads or crackers in those round cheaper dehydrators – you need one that has a mesh screen and can fit a teflex sheet in it.You might be able to use wax paper.But the the fact is – you need a dehydrator where the fan it at the back not at the bottom. What is probably going to happen is that your items on the bottom might dehydrate but the ones at the top won’t. Those round dehydrators are only for dehydrating fruits and meats. Sorry. :(
Hmmm… well, darn. Oh well, I’m going to try it anyway and see what comes out. It could be interesting. ;o) At least it was a good price and if nothing else I can dehydrate soaked nuts and fruits & stuff like that.
I’m in the same boat jenergy..i just ‘won’ an el cheapo round dehydrador on ebay and mine doesn’t even have an adjustable temperture dial. eegads…but I will use it for carrot and other veggie chips until I’m ready to get one of the better ones,,,I REALLY want to make some raw cookies..yum!
jenergy – don’t fret it! my dehydrator came from harbor freights and it cost me a mear $25 bucks. talk about cheap, ey?! it’s the round, 5 tray kind with the fan at the bottom… and like forrestlyone, mine doean’t even have an adjustable temperature dial.
i’m not much into dried fruits myself… but guess what?! i’ve been able to make both cookies and bread (as well as dried sprouted nuts). no problem. i don’t use the 5 trays at a time – only one (actually what I do is, i leave the bottom tray empty, and then use the second tray for my actual drying)... i honestly don’t have that many things to dehydrate anyway… since most of my meals are raw, and done on the spot. My dehidrator included a plastic round sheed that works very well as a teflex substitute – which i use for making bread and cookies… when not, it works wonders to catch little pieces of food that fall through the cracks, keeping the fan and bottom parts clean. as for the device not having a temperature dial… not too much of a big deal… i just check on my food every few hours (sometimes i’ll leave it drying over night and check it in the morning, then decide if it needs to be left longer or not.. and so forth). i can’t gage timeframes yet… but eventually i’ll get to know my dehydrator enough to be able to estimate how long things will need to dry.
i might want to invest in a fancier one in the future… but for now, it does what i need it to do.
I use a round one (with much sucess) for crackers, breads, and chips. Mesh and Teflex sheets are available for round dehydrators. You just need to get creative with cutting out the wax paper if you want to avoid buying sheets for it. The dehydrators with fans and thermostats are $30-40 on ebay, plus shipping. Its a pretty good deal. The air circulates just fine, throughout all of the trays.
Its only with some of the older, REALLY cheap electical dehydrators that only have a heating element and no fan that people experience problems (my friends mom had a round one with NO fan and her crackers got mildewy cause they didnt dry for days). If you’ve got a round one with a fan, it will circulate the air, and you won’t need to rotate the trays, and your food should dehydrate within a few hours.
When ordering a dehydrator, make sure there is a thermostat, so that you can set it for under 105 degrees, though! (also if you’re buying one used, make sure that is hasn’t been used for meat, and that it comes from a smoke free home if you care) Be sure that it is the kind with the fan, so that you will be able to use it for bread and crackers.
Jenergy,
Have you had a chance to try out your new FD-60? I’ve been looking at that one too so I would love to hear your feedback.
i use my oven for dehrydrating, which may seem odd, but it works fabulously. it is gas, so it is always warm as the pilot is always lit and when i turn the oven light on, it holds at 110. i haven’t found a better dryer yet. with the light out, it holds temp at 95. i may just be lucky to have this, but if you have a gas oven, stick your thermometer in and see what temp it holds at! I also dry outside in the sun using 2 old window screens. i’ve used that to do fruits and crackers.
I bought a cheapo Nesco American Harvest and I have done everything in it from the onion bread to the banana crepes. It takes a bit longer but for 30 dollars at wal-mart, it has been very good. It has a temp range of 95-155. I checked the temp with a thermometer and it holds true. It came with 5 trays and a fruit leather tray.
yes me too I have a nesco from walmart and it is doin good for now i have been useing for a year now I got some onion bread in it right now it has the temp. gauge on it and that is the main importance when buying one but it would be nice to have the square trays it would make the bread and crackers look more like bread and crackers. But does fine, don’t use wax paper though please parchment paper. mine came with one plastic sheet for spreading things out on, but then i use the paper on the other trays, I am holding out for a excaliber someday soon. enjoy.