This dehydrator works well, and it performs as described by the manufacturer. My husband and I have so far only made varying types of beef jerky with it, but it makes them very well. I use this dehydrator mainly to make dried chicken and beef strips for my dog and dogs I board on occasion. I also make salmon strips for them. The trays are difficult to clean. If you have a large dishwasher, and can place the trays safely without them getting stuck in the prongs of the dish drawers, then this would be the best way to clean the trays. The jerky press is a waste and I haven’t used any of the salts that came with either the original or the jerky kit, since reviews have said they are way too strong. It’s an otherwise really, really cool machine.
That may be because I sliced the meat thin but it came out no thinner than the usual size in a store bought bag. The machine was quiet (It sounded similar to a computer fan), and cooked every piece thoroughly even though I didn’t really consider the placement of the meat.
I researched for months and almost got the Excalibur model but they are so money! So I read the reviews here and thought I would try it.
Even the Nesco square dehydrator has a hole in the middle. All the recipes in all the raw food books that call for dehydrating specify using an Excalibur. I bought the Nesco Dehydrator (with the digital temperature control, not the dial) Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator unit last fall based on the positive reviews on Amazon. Worked great the first 12 times we used it. I’m up to 9 trays and for me that’s as many as I’ll probably ever need. It is nice to know I could add 3 more if I needed to and I have no doubt it would work perfectly with 12 racks. I think it will be perfect then. I would recommend this to others, especially for the price, although anyone buying this should purchase the plug-in timer at the same time. This baby has no timer, but it does not even matter, because everything takes forever anyways. But Christmas is just around the corner, and boy, I am ready to upgrade.
It’s a very nice product, and it works great! Much better than the Ronco one we had years ago, and less expensive. It will make beef jerky is about 7 hours. I have used this unit about 5 times and no sign of discoloration or usage. I highly recommend it for the money. I would suggest getting extra trays right from the beginning. I use it 2-3 times a week. All I make is beef jerky.
I can do about 7 pounds of beef or turkey in one load, even when thick. white coffee table.
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