10 Good Reasons To Buy And Use A Food Dehydrator

Mark

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Hi,

this thread has been started about the article 10 Good Reasons To Buy And Use A Food Dehydrator posted on our sister site Self Sufficient Me.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to discuss it go right ahead here. :Happy earth day:
 
Hey Mark, do you have the almighty 9 draw Excaliber model?

Just wondering if I really need that many draws or would 5 do?
I really need to do a fair bit of research on this buy as the Excalber is pretty expensive.
I've made the mistake of going for a cheaper model in the past and have it come back and bite me. Sometimes it pays off but you just need to research as much as possible and weigh it all up.

Happy to hear your thoughts.
 
Hey Mark, do you have the almighty 9 draw Excaliber model?

Just wondering if I really need that many draws or would 5 do?
I really need to do a fair bit of research on this buy as the Excalber is pretty expensive.
I've made the mistake of going for a cheaper model in the past and have it come back and bite me. Sometimes it pays off but you just need to research as much as possible and weigh it all up.

Happy to hear your thoughts.

I have got the 9 tray Excalibur Dehydrator and I'm really glad I got 9 trays instead of the 5 model because even if not all trays are used you can remove a few for more bulky foods and still have enough tray space. Sometimes (like when I dehydrate a big batch of tomatoes) I need all 9 trays and the other practical reason is cleaning - if I'm doing a lot of dehydrating I can be cleaning a few spare trays whilst it's going.

Have you tried a cheaper dehydrator and if so which one? When I got my Excalibur there were few well designed competitors on the market and my painstaking research finally led me to fork out the $ and buy the Excalibur 9 tray even though the cost seemed too steep. I haven't regretted buying the USA made Excalibur and it is still going strong doing what it said on the box.

However, over the past 18 months I have noticed a Chinese made dehydrator which has a very similar make and same sized motor/fan only the price is heaps cheaper! I've wondered how good these "knock offs" were and going by eBay feedback people seem to be happy with the units. I haven't found any other independent online reviews about this particular brand besides eBay so obviously I can't vouch for how good quality it may or may not be. Still, for the price it could be a bargain :think:

The brand/unit is called Sunfood and they come in 5/8/12/16 tray sizes there's also other very similar units on eBay check this link out and you'll see what I mean.

I also prefer the square unit with the rear fan over the round ones because if you read the directions on the round dehydrators they all say to get best results and even drying you should rotate trays from top to bottom and I couldn't be buggered doing that - I just want to set and forget.
 
I've never had or used a dehydrator ever so my experience level is zilch!
Let the research begin....

Ok, first thing that i see is that some of these cheaper models don't have a timer system. It seems they only have a simple on/off switch. Is this a big deal do you think?
Maybe I could work around this by using a generic timer on the plug in the wall and have it switch the whole unit off at a set time.

What are your thoughts on that?
 
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And I see most of the cheaper models don't have a front door. This surprised me as I thought they would need a door to keep the temp constant.
Is this a concern do you think?
Surely they wouldn't sell these if they didn't work.
 
Hmmm - no timer and no front door... Personally, I don't like the sound of that. Yes, you can use a wall timer etc but really a timer should be on the unit - I mean who would design an electrical cooking device which doesn't turn off? It makes me think about what else they have cut corners on...

The trays acting as a door is fine if you have all the trays in but what if you want to make yogurt in a container - you can't remove the trays to make head room and if you do there will be a gap for the heat and air to escape?

I got my Excalibur from Natures Wonderland which is an online shop based out at Toogoolawah (on the road to Esk). Not that I'm recommending them as a seller or anything but I had no issues with them.

I used to promote Excalibur (I have an affiliate relationship with them 10% commission for a referred customer) but I have removed all direct adverting from my blog because of a few internal issues.

The major problem I have with Excalibur is the price (even though I got one) I still think they are WAY over priced for what is essentially a plastic case with trays, a PC fan, and small element. But, it is a reliable device and possibly that's what you pay for...
 
Yes the price of the Excalibur is just not viable for me. I do like to buy quality but you need to draw the line somewhere.

I have found some on Ebay with a timer, adjustable temperature, but none seem to have a front door if the price is reasonable. Pffff.
I think the timer and temp adjustment is a must but I think i could fashion up a door of some type if need be.
Mark, how does the air escape on your unit? is there a specific hole for it to escape or does it just leak out around the place?
I'm just wondering how much it really matters for the majority of dehydrating jobs. The draws on these cheap units look like they are essentially the door in that they are fairly close together giving a closed front appearance and purpose.
Perhaps the efficiency would be reduced on these cheaper units but you probably have to expect that anyways. I can wait a few more hours if I have an extra $400 in my pocket.
 
Mark, how does the air escape on your unit? is there a specific hole for it to escape or does it just leak out around the place?

The door is just loosely hung over the front on a lip and comes off completely when accessing the trays. There is also a large gap in the sides (about 1/4 inch) when the door is on for air to escape. (see pics)

I agree, the door may not be a war winner as long as you get one with a timer. And, if you ever wanted to do large jars of yogurt etc I would imagine some type of front cover (bit of stainless bent over) would cover any gaps left by removing draws.

10 Good Reasons To Buy And Use A Food Dehydrator
10 Good Reasons To Buy And Use A Food Dehydrator
 
So I've done as much research as I can handle.
The price of the Excaliber is simply crazy IMHO.
Honestly, there is more technology in my wrist watch then in one of these dehydrators. I could buy a mobile phone or laptop or a TV for less and they definately have more materials and engineering that goes into them. I just don't get it. Perhaps economy of scale is the only answer.
Anyway, I put an offer on a 10 draw unit on eBay and won it today. It's a no-name brand but seems to have the exact same parts as some of the named brands. It's got a timer and thermostat but no door (at least from what I can see). That's the problem with eBay you don't get to touch and feel the product and judge its quality. Oh well time will tell. At least I should be able to buy 3 or 4 of these units for the price of a named brand.

Looking forward to cooking, or drying, up a storm pretty soon. I have a week off work before I start a new job so I'm hoping they send it straight up as it is only coming from Brisbane.
 
Looking forward to cooking, or drying, up a storm pretty soon. I have a week off work before I start a new job so I'm hoping they send it straight up as it is only coming from Brisbane.

A dehydrator is an extremely valuable piece of kit and I highly rate them. We use ours all the time and there's still so much more I want to try. One of the simple but amazing uses for a dehydrator is the basic art of drying standard vegetables cut into small pieces. Carrots, capsicum, onions, peas, broccoli, etc... etc, can all be dehydrated with little preparation into tiny remnants and placed in containers then in the pantry to last for years. Chuck them in soups, or sit them in water for 20 minutes to be revived as good as new - it still amazes me!

I'm excited for you :)

It would be great if you could feature your dehydrator in our Showcase and review it (good or bad) so we can see what these eBay dehydrators are really like?
 
I'm excited for you :)

It would be great if you could feature your dehydrator in our Showcase and review it (good or bad) so we can see what these eBay dehydrators are really like?
Thanks Mark, I'm excited too. Lets hope its not a dud!

And I will surly knock up a showcase review for it.
 
The Eagle has landed......

My new dehydrator is in my possession. Now I just need to whip up some biltong and I'm in business.
It looks like a dehydrator so thats a start and it runs ok by the look of things.
More to follow soon......
 
Homeart stores around Brisbane have a dehydrator for $29. Small price commitment if you want to try dehydrating for the first time. So far it has worked well with tomato, banana and carrot. If it dies at least I know a bit more about dehydrating and wont be so worried about spending money on a good one.
 
Homeart stores around Brisbane have a dehydrator for $29. Small price commitment if you want to try dehydrating for the first time. So far it has worked well with tomato, banana and carrot. If it dies at least I know a bit more about dehydrating and wont be so worried about spending money on a good one.
Good one! Another person who didn't fork out the money for a ridiculously overblown price on a dehydrator... wish I could say the same :oops:

What's the brand of the one you have btw?
 
I tried to upload a photo but the file is too large. COOKWELL is the brand. Comes with a twelve month warranty and is $29. So far it has run for two days and no problems. I can recommend banana chips. Thin sliced and cooked until leathery. 60 C for about 7 to 8 hours. No treatment and they didn't go brown. It consists of five circular plastic trays with a lid. Similar look to a steamer. You can use from 1 to 5 trays depending on how much you are drying. I will let you know how other things go in the dehydrator.
 
I tried to upload a photo but the file is too large.
Max image size is limited to 1000 (KB) or 1 MB and dimensions no more than 2000 x 2000 pixels (still pretty big really). If your image is smaller than that and you're still have trouble uploading let me know please and I'll see if there's an issue my end.

COOKWELL is the brand.

I've got a rice cooker in that brand and it does cook pretty well :)

That's good value for a 5 tray dehydrator and it is obviously doing the job. Banana chips are so much better home made than the supermarket rubbish with all that oily stuff over them YUK!
 
Dear oh dear,.... try thinking outside the square! Any fan-forced oven with a timer....jam something in the door and set it as low as possible. A probe thermometer may be useful for fine adjustment. In the dry season, just place you stuff on a tray in the shade. That has worked for thousands of years, so it will probably work now. How long do you think it will be between checks? A timer is not needed unless you are going away for a couple of days anyway. Yes, various foods take different times, but this is like saying you need a tablet when a desk-top will do the same job. The whole idea of self-sufficiency is NOT to rely on new-fangled, expensive, pieces of technology. Nor the technicians who service them. I had my last gas oven worked out to a tee even. Just set the thermostat halfway between 100c and zero, with the door slightly ajar. Never cooked tomatoes nor banana chips. Rather than try to do the lot in a 9-drawer machine, just do the ripest first. Lateral thinking people.
A rice cooker is a saucepan full of water, tended by a rice COOKER..........Not a device along side the Breville, the Mixmaster and the Hoo-Flung-Dung machine.
Technology should be your friend, not your master. It is the design of us Hoomans for betterment, not to be the over-riding be-all and end-all. God-forbid if we couldn't even grow our own vegetables without Thrive or Super-phosphate, vermiculite or even seed-raising mix.
As a hunter-gatherer I regularly stalk the aisle of supermarkets for over-ripe produce at discounted prices, to be de-hydrated. Mushrooms are a regular windfall. Mushroom chips I eat straight, but they also make the best soups, stews or whatever else, due to the intense flavour.
Don't be hijacked by the capitalist regime of false need, or you will ultimately pay top-dollar to keep up with the Jones' s.
 
Any fan-forced oven with a timer....jam something in the door and set it as low as possible. A probe thermometer may be useful for fine adjustment.
It costs more to run a large oven but...

In the dry season, just place you stuff on a tray in the shade.
That might be OK for SA's climate but not here, it's too humid most of the year!

The whole idea of self-sufficiency is NOT to rely on new-fangled, expensive, pieces of technology.
Ahh, but that's your view of self-sufficiency - I have a more broader take on the subject (you could say contemporary view of self-sufficiency) :)

A rice cooker is a saucepan full of water, tended by a rice COOKER..........Not a device along side the Breville, the Mixmaster and the Hoo-Flung-Dung machine.
Now you're pushing the boundaries Tim... I love my rice cooker, and before you say something, my dear mother give it to me.

As a hunter-gatherer I regularly stalk the aisle of supermarkets for over-ripe produce at discounted prices, to be de-hydrated. Mushrooms are a regular windfall. Mushroom chips I eat straight, but they also make the best soups, stews or whatever else, due to the intense flavour.
I agree, and I think you've just gave me the subject for my next blog post ;)
 
A broader take on the subject??????Contemporary? Try temporary.Oh Marky.marky,marky. I'll put you out in the sticks with your shirt on your back- no,...no shirt either...and see how you fare:hysterical: Your post regarding your survival training was proof enough. You walked ignorantly past hundreds of opportunities for sustenance without realisation, due to a complacent upbringing and lifestyle, and the false belief of superiority.Your eye was not trained to the right sight. The skinny little blackfella out there would have run rings around you, yet you profess a link to nature. Humility is part of the journey to understanding, as is acceptance of shortfalls. The mozzies and sandflies eat me alive in the tropics, but as old-mate Leo pointed out to me-"you eat-im that one" and they left me alone once the juice got through my system. However, he let me suffer for days first, before realising my genuine discomfort and stubborn one mindedness in the goanna hunt. It is not about relativity, rather worst-case-scenario. The knowledge must be available. Even if it is not used daily. This is another facet of my inherent hatred of our capitalist political system. I detest the standard by which men are measured. It is not representative. I detest the shallow and egotistical vanities that prevail over common sense. Objectiveness is gained through acceptance, not ignorance and denial. Not through zealotry or forced thinking. The Aboriginal psyche is what it is for a reason. It has developed with the country. It shall remain when whitefella ways have passed into history with Roman values. Capitalism will be historically viewed as despicable like the Roman use of babies for sexual pleasure. Certain religious denominations still refuse to accept their part in the continuance of such despicable practices, whilst condemning the ritual consumption of enemies. The holy bread replaces this. I limit my use of expletives and now censured expletives at your request Mark. But I will make my point clear. Whatever the situation and wherever the disparity lye, I shall not accept it. No matter the consequence.
 
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