Dehydrators

[jessicanorris]

Hi all!

I'm growing a list of items I want to buy for my kitchen, and one of them is a dehydrator, because it sounds a lot more useful than I'd previously imagined ...

Can anyone suggest a good model to start out with that won't break after two years, and doesn't cost a fortune? I'm hoping for a reliable brand, or even a tried and true model that a few of you may use.

Any hints on a large bowl food processor along the same lines, too? I have a Sunbeam Oscar which has a teeny tiny bowl, and processing can be very slow when I have bulk work to do!

Thanks in advance
-jess

[ellengray]

Well, it depends on what you want, cheap ... or quality. They generally don't combine the two qualities.

The most important thing you need in a dehydrator is one that has a variable temperature control - and most of the cheap ones don't. Most dehydrating should be done fairly cool - say at about 40 - 43 C - because if you do it much higher than that you will kill all the live enzymes in your fruit and veg, and then the food is worthless. Those cheaper dehydrators with no variable temperature control are usually set to dry at 80 C. *shudder*

I bought an ezidri dehydrator about 4 years ago and it is still going after 4 years of constant use 6 months of the year. I like it because it has the variable control, plus it has the ability to expand to 30 trays. I now have the 30 trays and I often use them all. I love this dehydrator, but I think the excalibur is also good, if unable to handle as much food.

This is the one I bought:

http://raw-pleasure.com.au/Ezidri-Dehyd ... tra-FD1000

Just please get one with a variable temperature control.

PS re food processors. I don't have one (although I do have a kitchenaid mixer which is indispensable when making sausages!) but what I do have are a series of HUGE ceramic bowls without which I'd never be able to do all my bottling as I tend to do large batches. I mean huge - the largest is about 80 cms in diameter. I don't think you can buy them new now, but I got all mine off ebay Australia in the collectibles/kitchenalia section.

[jessicanorris]

Thanks for your great advice! I have been looking more towards the quality side than the cheap side (on the principle that when you buy something cheap and nasty it just makes you feel bad, and costs you more when it breaks, or you need to get a better one later anyway). I had previously seen the Ezidri range and thought that looked about right, but I hadn't twigged to the necessity for having a variable temperature setting!

My DH is getting a little excited about drying our own tomatoes, now!

Thanks
-jess

[possum]

i have got a fowlers vacola dehydrator
have used it once. I don't seem to have enough to put in it, but am loath to get rid of it because......
one day - sigh

[ellengray]

Dehydrators are great to dry out socks and underwear! LOL

[greenfarmers]

Hi Jess,

We have an excalibur which I wouldn't trade for anything - to us it was worth the money. We believe the same as Ellen re the temp regulation and live enzymes. As I understand it, some of the cheaper ones can also be very uneven with their drying so some food can even get burnt. Ours also has a timer, which is useful if you want to go out or go to bed at night and leave it on for a while.

That said, I friend recently asked me about deyhdrators and power consumption. She had acquired the super huge version of the excalibur (so this could be the problem) and excitedly used it for days ... with noticable increase in her power bill. Might have just been the almost commercial size of the machine though!

We live on solar power, so I cut my tomatoes very thin to get them finished in a short time. Not quite as tasty, but a good compromise. You can also make yummy crackers, fruit leathers and even pizza bases and thin breads. Very yummy and still full of enzymes because they have not been heated too much.

Buy the best you can afford and enjoy!

Heidi

[greenfarmers]

Excaliburs are cheapest bought direct from the Aust wholesaler on the net ... ie not through an onseller.
http://www.excaliburaust.com/

lots of recipe ideas here :
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/recipe.php

h

[Hausenview]

Hi Heidi,

Do you have the 5 tray or 9 tray excalibur? If you have the 5 tray do you find it is big enough to do large batches?

Jodi

[Hayhay]

We have an ezidry. My mum bought it for me a few years ago and the first batches of things I dried didn't really work well. In fact they tasted awful.

Now we have our own fruit trees I got it out again this year and not sure what I did wrong last time (perhaps the wrong temp setting?) but it worked great. I dried literaly MASSES of tomatoes, and they are fantastic. It worked on apricots tho it did burn some (will have to put it on lower setting next time) and did peaches really well.

Will have to get some more tray inserts. Still haven't got the hang of rollup things or anything yet.

No idea on food processors, I don't have one!

Hayley