January 20, 2012
Very Good Product - Industrial Food Dehydrator Review
I couldn’t keep my hands off the dried pineapple, it was like candy! It works great for making your own dried onions, too. I have made jerky both with the sample of curing spice the unit came with and without it (just using my own marinade concoction) and they both came out great. Sliced very thin, we can do a 3 pound piece of beef in about 4 - 5 hours which makes about a large Ziploc bag of jerky. My wife and I limit their exposure when we can. An example is a particular fruit snack that did not contain this dye. Very quiet and has a large capacity. There are obviously a couple things that I would improve, but I would never expect a product that works this well for this price to be perfect.
Works great! We absolutely love this product. The thermostat is a great feature with which you can dial up any temperature you want. Also, having the heating element, fan on the top makes clean up a breeze.
This dehydrator does everything I would like a dehydrator to do. It’s versatile and provides very even heating throughout all levels. I haven’t tried any of the recipes in the book yet but I plan to try some of their fruit roll and dog treat ones. The jerky seasonings provided were pretty good but I added some of my own seasonings to it for my personal liking. I gave some of my friends’ kids some dehydrated strawberry leathers and “jerky granola” (if you dehydrate ground beef until it gets a granola crispness, it’s actually really great). They unanimously adored it. Also, it comes with a smaller grated tray that sits inside the real trays in order to keep small pieces from falling through the grate. It also has a couple fruit leather, yogurt trays which are solid instead of grated. 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.
It says in the manual “firm but not brittle” that is just not enough info for me. Regardless, even with a few pieces under-dried, this has kept me well fed on my backpacking trips and in the office. The seasoning and cure that comes in the box is really good stuff! The only thing I added was a tiny bit of liquid smoke and pepper.
This is my third dehydrator and by far the Best one. This unit does the job and reasonably fast.
We have another dehydrator (FD-60) but the FD-75PR is quieter. Quiet Source Generator.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Elijah Kelly
January 19, 2012
Excellent Value And I Love It - Sunbeam Dehydrator Review
You will see what I mean when you get it, this is not enough wrong to cause you not to buy one. Apples were ok, jerky took a long time to clean up, so you have to make a trade off, either mop up excess marinade off of surface of meat before putting in hydrator (which takes away flavor) or plan on a long clean up after words. I have read on some different sites about some of the cons being, too noisy, no on/off switch. As for the noise, I thought it was extremely quiet, I think my dishwasher is much louder, it was on the kitchen counter and the noise was no bother at all. My only hesitation was the 700 watt power rating. That is a lot of electricity over a 24 hour period. Cannot wait to do jerky with my grandkids! Since purchasing this, I’ve dried several items - pears, plums, bananas, tomatoes, thyme, oregano and cranberries.
They will lose their crisp unless you vacuum pack them. I purchased the food saver brand based on its reviews & have been happy with my choice. It had advertised features that suggested it would work faster and more efficiently than the “cheaper” models, including a fan to force heated air more uniformly through the drying trays without constant rotation, and a thermostat to set the temperature settings. Actual experience varied, however, as the unit did not seem to dehydrate the food contents any faster than the 120W RONCO convection dryer. To turn on the dehydrator, you plug it in. To turn it off, you have to unplug it.
I chose the Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator because of the power, the size and the temperature controls. So far, I have dehydrated onions, red and green peppers, bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes and have been very pleased with the process and outcome. I don’t know how long the other reviewers have owned theirs, but after 19 months and 1 warrantied repair (we paid shipping one way), we now own a broken dehydrator. The very nice people at Nesco told me that at this point it would be more cost effective to buy a new one that to pay to have it repaired.
It generates little ambient heat, so you don’t have to worry that it will overheat and burn the house down. When I bought the dehydrator, I thought it wouldn’t matter, because the long 8-12 hour drying times just meant that you have to plug the machine in before bedtime and your jerky will be done in the morning, right?
I can honestly tell you that for the price, with this dehydrator, you get exactly what the average person needs for effective and efficient small to medium sized batch drying. of course, I wish it had an on/ off switch and a timer, but you can get a timer/ power control (similar to what you’d use for Christmas lights) and use that so it’s not a deal breaker for me- especially at this price.
Now my kids, who are on special diets, can share jerky with me that I make. I absolutely love this dehydrator! While it was said to dry foods in a fraction of the time that a cheaper unit would require to do it, our experience has not been consistent with this expectation. The Nesco is an attractive unit with seemingly nice features, but our experience with its performance suggests it is about the same as any other similar unit. I’ve been drying things for a year or so. I have a cheap “as seen on TV” Ronco dehydrator which I do not love, and felt it was time to step up. I tried it two days ago drying the 600-800 persimmons I have each year from one tree. A friend discouraged me from drying food because the fruits he dried (with a dehydrator) turned out to be so discolored that he did not want to eat them.
I do not like having to unplug an item while it is running, but the design offers no other choice. landscape design photos.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Sophia Davis
I saved more than that making my first 1 pound of jerky! As others have said, clean-up is a piece of cake especially with the clean-a-screens - I recommend going ahead and getting enough of these to cover each tray.
I’m not sure how it works, but it is very even, without hot spots. The Ronco really needs careful tray rotation. I highly recommend it for the money. I would suggest getting extra trays right from the beginning. As others have said, this machine suffers from a lack of not only a timer, but the simple addition of a power switch. Odd that something, which requires careful timing, would not have a built in timer. The temperature settings on the lid make for fool proof dehydrating. I do recommend the mesh tray liners. The fan makes a little noise but overall it has worked well for us. I like that it has the temperature adjustment on top and the fan is on the top. I recommend this for anyone who likes to cook by using intense flavors - I have used the dried tomatoes on salads, in sauces, casseroles, etc. It is worth it if you’re just doing tomatoes.
The mesh design of the drying trays (think air circulation) gives a lot of surface area for things to stick to so they just require a little more work. Be warned, when you use this, your home will be filled with the delicious aroma of whatever you are making. It will make beef jerky is about 7 hours. I have used this unit about 5 times and no sign of discoloration or usage.
The Nesco beef jerky spice is really great and so easy to use. I use my dehydrator at least twice a month and had no problems so far. The second jerky method is to use ground meat. The major advantage is that it is much easier to make consistent ’strips’ and the jerky is a lot more tender. This works perfectly for all of these items. I was prepared for drying times (about 1 1/2 days for bananas to become chips and crackers to harden).
We’ve dehydrated beef jerky and fruits. It was trial and error at first but once we realized you need to cut the fruit in large slices, they came out nicely.
One lady said they tasted like the cinnamon twists at a fast food Mexican restaurant, another said kind of like cotton candy. They come out crispy and sweet!
I am very pleased with this product. This is my first food dehydrator and I only wish I would have bought one sooner.
They were too gross to even be pet treats. Pink Recliner Slipcover.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Justin Jenkins
January 18, 2012
How Salter Kitchen Scales Can Help With Your Diet
When embarking on a new diet, it is extremely important to have the right tools in your kitchen. After getting rid of the unhealthy foods in your house and stocking up with fruits and veggies, the best thing you can do to keep you on track is invest in a kitchen scale. The Salter Company is dedicated to making high quality scales that are very easy to operate. These scales display vital information about your food, and can keep you inspired every day of your new diet. Weight loss is about changing your daily habits, and it is hard to stay motivated every day. That’s where your kitchen scale comes into play.
There is one basic rule when it comes to losing weight: you must burn more calories than you take in. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, figuring out the amount of calories in your food is a lot of guesswork. Salter kitchen scales take all of the guessing out of dieting. The Salter Glass Top Nutritional Scale calculates calories for you, as well as the amount of protein, carbohydrates, and much more. It has nutritional facts for 900 foods stored, so all you have to do is type in the name of the food!
If you’re looking for a simpler option, Salter carries a mechanical diet scale that weighs food in very precise increments. The weighing container is dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to do a lot of cleaning up. This is a great investment for those who want a simple, straightforward scale for every day use.
Some of the scales in the Salter collection have a memory function, to keep track of your food over a period of time. This makes goal setting very easy: you can challenge yourself to take in less calories than the previous day. You can very easily calculate whether or not you have achieved your personal goals with a kitchen scale!
These scales will bring a new standard of accuracy and quality to your meals. Measuring spoons and cups are standard, but often are not very exact. With a kitchen scale, you can replicate meals easily and bring a sense of professionalism to your dishes. When you’re losing weight, it’s important for your food to taste good, so you stay on track with your diet!
Many diet plans involve getting food delivered to your house. This can be very expensive and doesn’t train you to cook for the long run, as you won’t always have food prepared for you for you. If you can learn to cook using precise measurements with a kitchen scale, you’ll be on track to change your eating habits for good!
Salter scales are extremely easy to operate. They consist of a weighing platform, and either a digital or mechanical display to show you information about your food. They are reasonably priced, come with great guarantees, and will look aesthetically pleasing in any kitchen.
Crafters, professional cooks, dieters, amateur cooks, and those with diabetes all use diet scales. Salter scales are affordable, functional, and very easy to use. They are a great tool to inspire you in your new diet, or as a gift to inspire someone you love!
Looking to start your diet today? Visit Salter Diet Scales! To learn about the whole Salter collection, visit Salter Kitchen Scales
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Jerry Goulet
And that definitely causes the drying times to be unpredictable as well. Actually, it’s not *that* noisy, but after twelve hours, you might feel differently. In the end though, I listened to the reviews and purchased it. I have been so pleased. This works perfectly for all of these items. I was prepared for drying times (about 1 1/2 days for bananas to become chips and crackers to harden). I have no comparative analysis as this is our first and only dehydrator. You may want to get more solid tray liners as anything saucy, syrupy, or juicy can be dehydrated as a “bark” or later bagged-up for reconstitution. Therefore you have to check the jerky and after a while, you have to take the jerky that’s done out and move the jerky from the middle and move them to the edges. It’s a slight pain, but worth it.
All of the meals I made fit just fine inside my 700 ml titanium mug with some room to spare for stirring. It was great to be able to pack these meals in small, lightweight, reusable craft bags instead of the great big seal-a-meal bags, for what it’s worth. I recommend this for anyone who likes to cook by using intense flavors - I have used the dried tomatoes on salads, in sauces, casseroles, etc. It is worth it if you’re just doing tomatoes.
We purchased this dehydrator specifically to make chicken (and other meat) jerky for our dogs, as we have already lost one dog due to feeding the jerky that is made in China. Also I feel much better knowing what is going into their jerky treats, which is meat only, no preservatives.
Can’t beat the price, and my dehydrator has had only a few days’ rest since I got it. It’s been humid here so most things have to dry longer than usual. It can be kind of hard to hand wash, especially if you have nowhere to soak it. I find it helps to lay soaked, soapy rags over the trays for a while before washing.
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 highly recommend it for the money. I would suggest getting extra trays right from the beginning. I had to pay for shipping to send it in, but they did replace the power head under the 1-year warranty and send it back to us. Now, after almost another year of less frequent use (mostly for jerky and occasional tomato drying, at a lower temperature) it has stopped working again (during a low-temp tomato drying). I dehydrated food for a canoeing trip once as a kid and hadn’t dehydrated food since then. I’m such a terrible cook that anything I try to make can set the house on fire (seriously).
This is wonderful for making beef jerky. We use their Nesco homemade beef jerky spices, variety pack, and mix the flavors to our taste.
And if the kitchen is near the master bedroom and you’re planning on leaving the dehydrator going overnight, you may find that the constant “whirr” sound disturbs your sleep. windshield crack.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Logan Taylor
The unit performed flawlessly. We were able to dehydrate everything in less time than expected. I can’t wait to get started. I never thought jerky made out of hamburger would be good. The dogs LOVE these healthy treats, it takes little over 5 hours if fully loaded to get them all ready, and I know that there are neither preservatives nor other unhealthy additives that could cause allergies or even worse. Works well for drying apples, bananas, sweet potatoes and herbs as well. I’ve been drying things for a year or so. I have a cheap “as seen on TV” Ronco dehydrator which I do not love, and felt it was time to step up. That averages 178.33 watts per hour. Much better than the 700 watts I thought it would be. It comes with a booklet that gives you an idea about drying time. Suggested times might vary though, depending on how thick you slice the items.
After about 8 hours most were done and after 12 all were complete. The thin fruit leather from puree was the big hit better than the commercial version, and the fruit was all eaten the next day at the lake. The Brinks makes using the Nesco a set and forget appliance. Nesco is very well made, and I cannot add any further comments to those already posted.
But I used the spice & cure packs that came with the dehydrator and in about 5 1/2 hours, the jerky was done, and it was excellent! I made one-pound batches, and they just disappeared!
As for the dehydrator itself, it’s fine as long as you realize that most things take many hours to dry, and the blower makes some noise. We put ours out on the covered porch so the sound is muffled. Ease of operation and simplicity to clean make it a regularly used item around my home. This was a noticeable step up from the cheap-o dehydrator I started out with.
I highly recommend this dehydrator. This is my first dehydrator. The thermostat is a great feature with which you can dial up any temperature you want. Also, having the heating element, fan on the top makes clean up a breeze. I’ve never owned or used a dehydrator before now. I asked a friend whose father owns one to ask about his and he recommended the Nesco Company. I think the Nesco brand is the best on the market and hopefully I just got a lemon. Whenever, I get my replacement and use it, I will follow-up this review.
It does take a while to dehydrate the product. windscreen chip repair.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Gavis Young
Amazon is so much cheaper than everywhere else, even Walmart. And with free shipping on a lot of things here, who wants to go to the store anymore and burn gas.
We dried apples, bananas, pineapple, apple puree, cherries, kiwi, and strawberries. The puree was poured onto the fruit leather inserts one thick, one thin, then the fruit intermingled. It works great and makes as much noise as a small fan. I totally satisfied for what I bought. Great product! I really like this thing. I ended up getting the Nesco meat gun a couple days later. If you want to seriously go raw, buy a square Excalibur instead. I was saving money, and this one is highly rated, but now I am going to end up having to buy another dehydrator to get one that does what I really need mine to do. I’m very pleased with it, though, as others have said, I wouldn’t have minded an on/off switch. I’ve also used it to dry out stale saltines.
My wife and I limit their exposure when we can. An example is a particular fruit snack that did not contain this dye. I love the dried fruit and jerky - it is better than anything store bought and a lot healthier without all of the preservatives. I would recommend this product to anyone wanting a dehydrator for their personal use.
When I call I get the same nice lady and I ask when I will get my replacement. On Monday of last week it was “in the distribution center”. I can see how they might warp during the dry cycle in a dishwasher. They hand washed and air dried just fine. It is tasty and easier. I recommend putting wax paper in between each slice which makes it a bit more trouble but is worth it.
My wife and I love the Nesco FD-75PR; it does everything it is supposed to do. One thing we learned, the 5 trays that come with it are not enough.
If it only had a timer, it would be ideal. I bought the Nesco FD-75PR food dehydrator to replace my old dehydrator (which is no fan and very low).
I loved the adjustable temperature settings. Dried tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and made jerky.
I would recommend this to others, especially for the price, although anyone buying this should purchase the plug-in timer at the same time. windshield scratch repair.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Allison Perry
I’ve dehydrated several batches of garden vegetables so far this season with great success using this machine. Not to mention the high sodium contents and many use monosodium glutamate (MSG)! I found this one to be a good mid-priced dehydrator - it would allow us to make meat jerky, dehydrate fruits and vegetables, as well as make our own fruit roll ups. And if you leave it on anyway and come back later, the jerky will be OVER-dried and inedible. There needs to be a way to program “30 minutes more” so you can go on with your life. The batch was done in 6 hours. I just put a ball of meat in my hand and flattened it into thin circles.
After some research, I settled on this model as the best combination of size, flexibility and price. I’m glad I did — this little powerhouse has been doing a great job since day one. The only reason I would upgrade is to be able to have a tray where there isn’t a hole in the center (for making raw pizza dough and raw wraps). Before I could only buy what I needed at time so they did not go bad. The dryer didn’t work; it had never been dropped or mishandled. Amazon told us to contact the manufacturer; we did.
The manufacturer did not seem to address this aspect of the dehydrating lifecycle. They should make a special cleaning brush with the bristles wide enough to fit in the openings but tight enough to scrape and clean the surface. With all the problems with dog foods and dog treats we were so worried about what to give our dog! No longer an all-day process it’s quick and easy from start to clean-up!
This appliance is easy to set up and work. The recommended temperatures work great but the drying times are a little tricky since some say 4-12 hours.
Purchased this a few weeks ago and dehydrated everything in sight. I did peaches (very good), cantaloupes (different), and lots of ripe local tomatoes.
As for the dehydrator itself, it’s fine as long as you realize that most things take many hours to dry, and the blower makes some noise. We put ours out on the covered porch so the sound is muffled. Amazon is so much cheaper than everywhere else, even Walmart. And with free shipping on a lot of things here, who wants to go to the store anymore and burn gas. It has no on/off switch. Minor to me because I have mine plugged into a timer. If storage space is an issue, be sure to check the dimensions. This is a great product.
I read reviews and researched which dehydrator I thought would be the best. LOW CARB PROTEIN BARS.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Savannah Hayes
They will lose their crisp unless you vacuum pack them. I purchased the food saver brand based on its reviews & have been happy with my choice. Thanks for making such a great product! I was looking to expand my business (Pawfectly Healthy all natural homemade dog treats) into dehydrated fruits and vegetables. The documentation is basic but good enough. It shows you drying times and has tips & tricks for different foods, recipes included. Not only is there no timer to set, there’s no counter to note how long the dehydrator has been running. You may think you’ll remember that you put the jerky in at 8 pm, but sometimes you won’t. The book does not provide very much detail on blanching vegetables, which is necessary to destroy enzymes in the tissues and also enhances the destruction of harmful bacteria. Different vegetables have different blanching times and over or under blanching may have an undesirable result as far as loss of color and flavor during drying or storage. For the cost of one-way shipping, NESCO replaced the defective item. We are happy that NESCO stood behind its product.
I’ve dehydrated tons of different stuff on it including carrots, corn, apples, bananas (the only thing my kids haven’t liked), bell peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, onions and lots of jerky. I’ve even tried dehydrating some leftover soups and stews which worked remarkably well. We made strips and stick jerky. In 3 hours it was done!
Then we used the unit and realized it MORE than makes up for the size with its quality and speed in drying foods! The unit was tested making “hamburger” jerky first, in 12 hours we had Slim Jim quality meat sticks, while creating the Slim Jims we marinated the 1/4 strips of beef roast in a teriyaki style homemade marinade.
Lastly, the entire unit is made of plastic, including the trays. Food will stick, especially if you marinate meats. I absolutely love this dehydrator - I have not stopped using it since I bought it a week ago. So far I have made banana chips, sweet potato chips, dried cranberries, fruit rolls, and beef jerky.
I’ve done this two or three times when drying large batches of water-heavy things like tomatoes. I really like this dehydrator. Wondering if anyone else has had this issue” Now I am afraid to use it (besides, the trays don’t really fit together anymore). Because drying times vary, I don’t feel having a timer would have been helpful. The heater/fan unit feels sturdy, and the trays are lightweight but sturdy too. One lady said they tasted like the cinnamon twists at a fast food Mexican restaurant, another said kind of like cotton candy. They come out crispy and sweet!
The only reason I would upgrade is to be able to have a tray where there isn’t a hole in the center (for making raw pizza dough and raw wraps). girls sleeping bags.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Ava Alexander
January 17, 2012
Extreme Disappointment - Stainless Steel Dehydrator Critique
I couldn’t keep my hands off the dried pineapple, it was like candy! It works great for making your own dried onions, too.
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.
This machine takes about 5 hours. The fan built into the top of the machine circulates the air so there is no need to switch trays from top to bottom like the RONCO. We made strips and stick jerky. In 3 hours it was done! They are also needed for fruit leathers. The book that comes with the dryer is good for a starter but not detailed enough.
Furthermore, you do NOT marinade with this method. Instead you add a packet (or whatever recipe of spices, salt) straight into the meat.
It generates little ambient heat, so you don’t have to worry that it will overheat and burn the house down. When I bought the dehydrator, I thought it wouldn’t matter, because the long 8-12 hour drying times just meant that you have to plug the machine in before bedtime and your jerky will be done in the morning, right”
I would also recommend purchasing extra trays. The machine comes with 5 but I had to do two batches because all the meat did not fit in one go around (about 3 pounds of beef). The documentation is basic but good enough. It shows you drying times and has tips & tricks for different foods, recipes included. This is more than enough to get started. The machine is very easy to use, no explanation necessary.
I am not sure if this is even possible to improve but it takes some practice to know when your jerky is done. I immediately sent it back to Amazon. That’s when I ordered this Nesco unit. The book does not provide very much detail on blanching vegetables, which is necessary to destroy enzymes in the tissues and also enhances the destruction of harmful bacteria. Different vegetables have different blanching times and over or under blanching may have an undesirable result as far as loss of color and flavor during drying or storage. Just poor it on your fruit sheet and spread it with your fingers. If you make the layer of fruit thin it will dehydrate with cracks and not peel up as easy.
Otherwise, the trays can get caught on the prongs and if stuck, may break when trying to remove them. Typically, I soak the trays in very hot water and dish detergent for 24 hours and then wash them by hand using a sponge and a vegetable brush.
I have found out you can’t really “over-dehydrate” most foods so if you accidentally leave it running for a few hours, no big deal. REPLACE AUTO GLASS.
Filed under Kitchen Appliances by Brandon Washington