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Dehydrators

Hi all,

I’m saving up for a dehydrator and was wondering about the l’equip dehydrators (Amazon specs: “Sensor checks temperature 60 times per second for stable drying conditions. Thermostat adjusts from 93 degrees up to 150 degrees F”) Does anyone have one? Do they work well for raw food or should I get an Excalibur?

Comments

  • I can’t speak to that brand, but most raw foodists pretty much swear by the Excalibur. They cost more, I think, but they’re workhorses, and the folks there are really rather nice. I’ve only seen two other brands of dehydrators, but they were both quite cheap.

    One nice thing about our Excalibur is the timer. I think it’s priceless, but I’ve heard of some folks saving the extra money for that model and just putting one of those timers on the plug.

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    I’ve only used the Excalibur – I have the 5 tray with a timer. It is just fantastic and the folks at Excalibur are really nice (they’ve added Teflex sheets to my orders, sent more than I paid for, etc). The timer is key for me because I often make items that finish in the middle of the night.

  • Jenny-keep an eye on craigslist.com, thats where I found one for cheap (and it was barely used).

  • KristensRawKristensRaw Raw Newbie

    Get the Excalibur and get the 9 tray! You WILL USE IT!!!!

  • Thanks everyone! I have decided on the Excalibur 5 tray. (We have a very small kitchen!)

  • What’s the deal with a dehydrator? I’m just confused since I’m trying to go raw, I don’t understand… I thought the whole idea of being raw was that all the food was pretty much un-processed… Not trying to be smart, just asking ;) And also, if you dehydrate the food, doesn’t it also lose alot of nutrients, or no?

  • and by the way OHMIGOD how expensive are they?! Shit! Do they use electricity? Or… I don’t understand! Haha

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    what a dehydrater does is circulate warm air on your food. Here is the rule with raw food. Anything fruit or veg that is placed in an environment over 118 degrees is not raw. It is at 118 degrees where our foods enzymes begin to break down. I myself do not use a dehydrator because I enjoy the refreshing water in fruits and vegetables. That reminds I don’t have a dehydrator anymore. I bought for $30 and it broke down on me. I don’t think I used it that much! If you you do decide to buy one, make sure there is a knob where you can control the temperature.

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    I was pretty shocked by the price of my dehydrator as well, but it has become a replacement stove and microwave, so I suppose that makes sense. I mostly use mine to make bread and cracker recipes. Lately, though, I’ve been using cucumbers instead of crackers because it is just so easy! Dehydrated recipes are also great for bringing raw snacks along with you when you are traveling or just out for the day.

    As far as temperature, recently read items have suggested that there is a difference between the temperature of your dehydrator and the temperature of your food. In Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine, Gabriel Cousins sums up temperature by stating: it is actually better to begin the dehydration process at 145

  • Yeah, it’s still unfortunate that they use electricity… but probably very little. Which is good, because you leave them on for a long time. Still, they’re a lot better than an oven in the summer!

  • I see.. That’s very interesting… So it’s sort of like putting stuff out in the sun? I’m finding this facsinating like crazy!

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