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Idaho Bob 
Group: Members
Posts: 744
Joined: Jun. 2003
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Posted on: May 05 2012, 9:46 pm |
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My big homemade dehydrator fell apart from being out in the weather too many years. I am considering a countertop commercial dehydrator. What kinds do you folks use, and how long would it take to dehydrate 10 small apples?
I bought a super cheap Ronco dehydrator at a thrift shop, and I'm testing it out. It doesn't have a fan, but I put a decent sized fan under it and I'm giving it a test drive. I sliced 10 small apples, and filled its 5 trays fairly lightly.
What brands and models do others like?
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| Post Number: 2
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Deborah
Deborah - 18 months
Group: Members
Posts: 15710
Joined: Feb. 2002
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Posted on: May 06 2012, 5:05 pm |
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I think you will find that Nesco is recommended frequently. If you do a search in this forum on the word Nesco there are several older threads asking for suggestions and Nesco is mentioned often.
That's what I have and I like it.
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“What we need is production by the masses, not mass-production” Gandhi
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” David Russell
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| Post Number: 3
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MsDoolittle
Don't mess with a girl and her shovel
Group: Members
Posts: 13316
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: May 06 2012, 6:02 pm |
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Yep, I like my Nesco. It's the Snackmaster and I sort of wish I had a more powerful one.
It takes me about 8-10 hours to dehydrate chili and pasta sauce.
I did 5 apples in it last week (fills about 3 trays) and it took about 8 hours to get them where I wanted them.
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| Post Number: 4
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Idaho Bob
Group: Members
Posts: 744
Joined: Jun. 2003
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Posted on: May 06 2012, 11:57 pm |
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My 10 small apples were not done in the evening, so I let it run overnight. They were dry in the morning, at about 4-5% moisture and breakable when bent, in the morning, so a total of 22 hours. That is OK for apples, but for things that take a long time to dry, like cherries or berries, or for veggies where you want a quick dry time, that seems way too long.
I guess the Ronco goes back to the thrift store.
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| Post Number: 5
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eyebp
Moderator
Group: Members
Posts: 9622
Joined: Dec. 2007
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Posted on: May 07 2012, 7:34 am |
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I have a 9 tray Excalibur, 600 watt. Fan forced.
I've only dehy'd a some fruits a few times and jerky once but I have been very happy with it.
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Of all the ridiculous things to micromanage. Even for a lunatic megalomaniac.
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| Post Number: 6
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dude608
Group: Members
Posts: 458
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: May 07 2012, 10:03 am |
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Started with a ronco myself. It worked but like you said it took forever to dry things. Was always worried when drying meat. Then I went to a nesco 750? Great dehydrator. When I started my own food biusness I needed something bigger. Went withe the Excalibur 9 tray with timers. Man I love these things superior to the nesco and I think the nesco kicks but
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| Post Number: 7
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Mudinyeri
Group: Members
Posts: 774
Joined: Sep. 2010
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Posted on: May 07 2012, 11:04 am |
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I have a five-tray Excalibur. Very happy with it.
The problem with most non-commercial, counter top dehydrators is that the heat source and fan are in the bottom of the unit. Of course, this poses more of a problem as you place items on the higher trays. The Excalibur units have the heat source and fan in the back of the unit. This results in much more even drying than a comparably-powered unit with the heat and fan in the bottom.
I just did 8-10 Granny Smith apples in my Excalibur this weekend. It took about 14 hours to get them to the point where I wanted them.
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"History is strewn with the wrecks of nations which have gained a little progressiveness at the cost of a great deal of hard manliness, and have thus prepared themselves for destruction as soon as the movements of the world gave a chance for it. " Walter Bagehot, Founder of the National Review
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| Post Number: 8
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Idaho Bob
Group: Members
Posts: 744
Joined: Jun. 2003
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Posted on: May 14 2012, 4:08 pm |
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I got an early fathers day and birthday gift: a 9 tray 3900 excalibur. I got the refurbished model from the website, for $200. It seems to work great. I'm ready for some cherries and apricots now. I dried some bananas in it and was pleased that they popped off the tray without leaving a residue when they got dry enough.
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| Post Number: 9
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Mudinyeri
Group: Members
Posts: 774
Joined: Sep. 2010
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Posted on: May 15 2012, 11:38 am |
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Let us know how the cherries turn out. I tried blueberries and some of them simply would not dehydrate.
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"History is strewn with the wrecks of nations which have gained a little progressiveness at the cost of a great deal of hard manliness, and have thus prepared themselves for destruction as soon as the movements of the world gave a chance for it. " Walter Bagehot, Founder of the National Review
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| Post Number: 10
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thegriz1
Will hike for beer
Group: Members
Posts: 1076
Joined: Aug. 2008
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Posted on: May 18 2012, 7:55 pm |
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Nesco
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Life is too short to drink cheap beer
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| Post Number: 11
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rayestrella
Group: Members
Posts: 6411
Joined: Nov. 2004
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Posted on: May 18 2012, 11:24 pm |
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http://www.nesco.com/product....6de6095
I have that and now have 12 trays for it. I really need to use it more for hiking meals.
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I measure happiness with an altimeter
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| Post Number: 12
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Drake
Group: Members
Posts: 1068
Joined: Jul. 2007
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Posted on: May 30 2012, 7:59 pm |
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Open Country 700 (now they call it the Sportsman's Kitchen). It's a Nesco brand. Excellent drier, does it all, very happy with it, about $80 at Open Country Dehydrators
Though you can pick one up on Amazon for about $65.
Highly recommended.
Drake
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| Post Number: 13
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Woodswoman
Group: Members
Posts: 6440
Joined: Aug. 2002
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Posted on: May 31 2012, 1:40 pm |
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I have an old (20 year old) Harvest Maid dehydrator with 4 trays. I've always been happy with it 
Mudinyeri, when I dehydrate cherries, I cut them in half (remove pit, of course), and "pop" them (kind of like turning inside-out). I've never had a problem getting them dried that way.
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"Ah, Colorado: the one place in America where people wake up earlier on weekends than workdays."
~Mark Obmascik
"In the high country that we love, trails are steep.
We climb each mile, breath by breath,
and at the threshold of pain, bliss overtakes us.
~Michael Hannon"
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| Post Number: 14
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skik2000
Group: Members
Posts: 165
Joined: Apr. 2010
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Posted on: May 31 2012, 4:14 pm |
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Recently bought a Nesco 75 from Amazon. Think it was $60. It's my first dehydrator and I'm happy with it. My main complaint is that it is circular and the trays look like donuts. When you're done dehydrating it is difficult to bend/fold the trays and slide all your food into a bag or container. You've got to do something with the food at the top or it just falls through the hole.
The fan is also on the top so you've got to grab hot trays to look at the food drying closer to the bottom.
The Excaliburs seem to avoid these two problems but they are also 3-4x as expensive.
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| Post Number: 15
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jimbo
Group: Members
Posts: 20
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Jun. 03 2012, 11:50 pm |
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I have had my Nesco for year and it still works great..
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| Post Number: 16
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| Post Number: 17
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drober
Group: Members
Posts: 1
Joined: Sep. 2012
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Posted on: Sep. 24 2012, 3:27 pm |
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Late reply, but there's a pretty good dehydrator comparison table here: http://www.dehydratorreview.net/compare-dehydrators
We've had a NESCO 1018p for a long time (when they were still american harvest) and had good luck with it.
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| Post Number: 18
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AggieHiker92
Hiking with kids in tow adds a new dimension to the Wonders of Nature
Group: Members
Posts: 1283
Joined: Nov. 2006
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Posted on: Sep. 26 2012, 11:53 am |
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Another Nesco fan; bought mine at a Goodwill for 7 bucks on "Half-off Saturday." I'm all for using second-hand stuff that's still functional, especially when it's half off.
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"Though I've belted you and flayed you / By the living Gawd that made you / You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din." - Rudyard Kipling
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| Post Number: 19
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montymontana
Group: Members
Posts: 28
Joined: Jun. 2008
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Posted on: Oct. 16 2012, 10:38 pm |
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I had an Open Country (it was just pointed out that it's a Nesco product) that I was very happy with: dried lots of stews and pasta meals for my hikes, also kiwi fruit (tangy!) and lamb jerky (yum!). My brother just gave me an American Harvest, so I'm eager to try it out.
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| Post Number: 20
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Fester
Group: Members
Posts: 18
Joined: Aug. 2012
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Posted on: Nov. 05 2012, 1:45 am |
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Just joined the forums , new to backpacking, kind of new to dehydrating, and have a question. . . Can someone explain to me how you dehydrate stew, spaghetti, ect? We have a Open Country 7 tray we bought at Basspro. . . . Thanks and sorry for the high jack
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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
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| Post Number: 21
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treelinebackpacker
Group: Members
Posts: 407
Joined: Aug. 2011
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Posted on: Nov. 05 2012, 12:28 pm |
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This video will get you started. It's easier than it sounds.
dehydrating pasta
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
