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.

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.

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.

They are also needed for fruit leathers. The book that comes with the dryer is good for a starter but not detailed enough.

I’ve made a couple of different things in it and all of them took less time than I thought they would. This is my first dehydrator, and I find it simple to use. For instance, if you want to dry fruit for storage the best pretreatment is a sulfite dip rather than ascorbic acid or honey. Sulfites are not recommended for people with asthma. 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. But overall, since we purchased it primarily for making jerky, we are pleased with this item. My kids have a restless reaction to foods that contain red dye 40.

I have dried mushrooms, tomatoes, strawberries, oh so fast! All racks dry at the same rate.

So I decided to give this do it at home thing a try. I have never seen beef jerky made nor made it myself. I have dried veggies, fruits, made jerky and fruit leathers so far. It is easy to use, has great recipes and works well.

The strips were actually overdone and the sticks were perfect! The strips don’t take as long as the sticks because they are not as thick, we’ll know next time to adjust how long the strips are on there. 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.

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). Recently, they changed their ingredients and so we are left with no options on the snack isle. We figured we could entertain their cravings by making homemade fruit leathers. 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.

We made strips and stick jerky. In 3 hours it was done!

We love that we can dry our own fruit and make our own jerky-important when your husband is a hunter and deer meat ideas are becoming harder to come up with! It has worked well for our family.

We received this as a gift but have already used it many times. KIDS TABLE AND CHAIRS PLASTIC.

I guess a timer would be nice but I can pick up a timer at the hardware store. I really don’t use the clean-a-screens anymore, I just use the dishwasher to clean the tray’s and bottom - you just have to make sure you select “air dry” so the trays don’t get damaged. One thing you should take note of - the trays ARE dishwasher safe, but only if you turn off the heated drying cycle of your dishwasher! Otherwise the heat from the drying cycle will deform and not fit together properly anymore. The temperature settings on the lid make for fool proof dehydrating. I do recommend the mesh tray liners. I immediately sent it back to Amazon. That’s when I ordered this Nesco unit.

Two thumbs up on this one. Way better than Ronco brand.

I’m not sure how it works, but it is very even, without hot spots. The Ronco really needs careful tray rotation.

Be prepared for salivating dogs that are unwilling to leave the kitchen and fantastic dehydrated food. I LOVE this dehydrator! I have five kids and I wanted to use it to stretch our grocery budget by being able to buy foot in bulk and store them by dehydrating them. My main issue is that I can’t seem to store anything because we end up eating the food as soon as it comes out. It’s a great product and very reasonable price. Makes the best dried bananas EVER! I tracked my package and they received it in 24 hours. That was three weeks ago. The only drawbacks are the lack of an off switch and timer - minor but a little annoying. It seems to dry food evenly throughout the racks with the top being dried at the same time as the bottom.

I totally satisfied for what I bought. Great product! This is a 700 Watt unit but remember that appliances controlled by thermostat don’t run at peak power the whole time. I tested mine for 4 hours at 160 degrees and it used 1.68 kWh or an average consumption of 420 Watts per hour. It’s very easy to clean also. Preserving food has always just been a way of life for me, from growing up on a farm to bulk buying at farmers markets and having my own garden. 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.

May try jerky this winter when the hunters in the family have too much venison. Fast Scanner.

The FD-75PR does go up to 160 degrees F, while the FD-60 only goes up to 145 degrees F. Thus the FD-75PR can be used for creating jerky. 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. They make the best snack foods ever! My kids loved the sweet potato chips and the banana chips. Cannot wait to do jerky with my grandkids! Since purchasing this, I’ve dried several items - pears, plums, bananas, tomatoes, thyme, oregano and cranberries.

However, I felt it was necessary to turn the food over on the trays and switch the top and bottom trays just once mid-way through because the top tray was drying just a bit faster than the bottom tray. The unit runs quietly, giving off a low, steady hum that is much quieter than my microwave or a window fan. My only negative is the lack of an on/off switch. I have been very pleased with my Nesco dehydrator.

The fan does make noise but it’s pretty quiet. I could still watch TV even with the Nesco running.

It will make beef jerky is about 7 hours. I have used this unit about 5 times and no sign of discoloration or usage. You’ll learn to write it down. Along the same lines, the temperature dial is analog, not digital, and it’s surprisingly small and sometimes I wonder whether the temperature I *think* I set it to is the same as what the dehydrator thinks it is set to.

Two thumbs up on this one. Way better than Ronco brand. The only note I can think to make: I read reviews saying that it ran higher than the temp. 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. I purchased extra screens and now find that I don’t use them, the dehydrator is really not hard to clean if you clean it right away, but I do wish I had more trays. I’ve only had this dehydrator for a little over a week and already I’ve been able to make beef jerky, turkey jerky, sweet potato chips, and dehydrated celery to make a salt substitute.

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. Mileage is going to vary on this issue.

We have another dehydrator (FD-60) but the FD-75PR is quieter. water features for pools.

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. The machine is strong and has variable temperatures to choose. I used it to make beef jerky; it turned out perfect and only needed 7 hours to be done. I also dried some fresh pineapple chunks. There’s nothing better than fresh pineapple, but I thought I’d try it dried.

I have not been disappointed. I bought some extra screens for it as well as fruit leather trays and other things - all of which have been great.

I have dried veggies, fruits, made jerky and fruit leathers so far. It is easy to use, has great recipes and works well. The fruit roll sheets and clean screen trays were extremely helpful and I have already ordered more. I would not recommend drying fruit without the extra screens as they do get sticky and hard to peel off of the regular trays. I only rotate trays once during drying, if at all. It doesn’t have an on/off switch or timer. To turn on the dehydrator, you plug it in. To turn it off, you have to unplug it. This was so easy to use and such fun things you can do with it. My husband was so impressed that he asked me to purchase another one so we can have constant sweet potato chips in the house. Do yourself a favor and buy this one instead. Not only are the trays sturdy and dishwasher safe (can’t dry.) The heating element is not exposed, the fan makes the dehydrator more efficient, and the lid contains all the dangerous parts.

I have never used any other dehydrators and found this very simple to use, clean, store, and the price was great. Plus it makes my house smell great when I’m using it.

I would suggest buying more trays. I ended needing more than what came with it. I made jerky using the two tray liners that came with the machine and then just put the rest of the meat on the trays. The liners make for easy cleanup and prevent the meat from sticking. 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.

In short, great value, although I haven’t had it for a very long time yet and will update if it breaks early. I have had other food dehydrators and after a few months the racks will start to crack, this one is durable, the top holds nicely in place.

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. Single Ottoman Bed.

Now my kids, who are on special diets, can share jerky with me that I make. I absolutely love this dehydrator! Hence it must be blended well. I recommend using a sprayer or something to add a fine layer of vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Great product, glad it was my choice, will buy again if this one eventually breaks. This is one of the best food dehydrators I have ever used.

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. 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. I am so glad I did. I love this machine. The Nesco website is also full of recipes, so for those of us who are still new at food dehydrating, it’s a nice jumping off point. The machine and the trays seem very sturdy. I highly recommend this dehydrator. This is my first dehydrator. I’ve made fruit leather, zucchini chips, dried bananas and apples, and I’m going to make jerky this weekend. Drying times vary a lot depending on where you are, so I decided it was unnecessary for me to buy a unit with a timer. I also got the Sylvania SA110 15 Amp Heavy Duty Appliance Timer for an extra $13 since this unit does not have a built in timer. This is perfect for dehydrating fruits or meats overnight or while I’m at work without having to worry about over or under drying the food. The food dehydrates much faster and you don’t need to switch trays around to get an even drying. I use this almost every day and I hope to be hitting the hiking trail, kayak trail and canoe trail very soon and be equipped with light-weight, healthy food!

This great little machine did exactly what I wanted it to do…It dehydrated my homemade lasagna for backpacking trips. Three trays of very cheesy lasagna dried in 7 hours.

I’ve also done apples and beef jerky and it works exactly as I’d hoped. I read all the Amazon reviews and felt fairly confident in purchasing this particular machine.

I didn’t have to do any rotation and the jerky was done evenly throughout. The fan is quiet - like white noise and the unit puts off a little heat but only right around where it is sitting (where else is the air passing around the food at 160F going to go). While it was working, it was great. The temperature settings are the best feature by far, but, I used this just under a month and was so pleased with everything I had dehydrated to that point.

Dehydrating seems to concentrate flavors. Chipped Windshield.

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.

I have one of those little outlet adapters to turn the thing off when I want. I couldn’t be happier with this model. I bought this just to make jerky on the easy clean screens but the fruit screens worked so well I ordered more and everyone demands my fruit bags. I just use my ninja blender to liquefy fruit, add a little water as needed to get the fruit to blend smooth and be a thick runny (apple sauce) texture.

Sure enough, it’s 5 degrees hotter than what it’s labeled. I love this dehydrator. This one came with 5 trays, 2 screens, and 3 fruit roll up trays, I was expecting two roll up trays and had bought enough of the inserts, expecting only one roll up tray. I guess I will have to max this out to 11 trays (12 isn’t possible unless you want to have an extra tray laying around) I’ll update the review once I have all the trays I need. I tracked my package and they received it in 24 hours. That was three weeks ago. However, I am happy with this buy. A lot of research went into my decision to purchase this dehydrator; the reviews and price were the determining factors. 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. 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. I upgraded from my parents big brown Ronco food dehydrator and what a difference! The RONCO used take over 24 hours to dry jerky. This time I bought 8 packs of them used my dehydrator, and then vacuum sealed them. I use them in all kinds of dinners. I wasn’t going to buy this one because of the price, but you really get what you pay for and this is worth the money. It does make a little noise but not bad.

They are also needed for fruit leathers. The book that comes with the dryer is good for a starter but not detailed enough.

The FD-75PR does go up to 160 degrees F, while the FD-60 only goes up to 145 degrees F. Thus the FD-75PR can be used for creating jerky.

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. Lastly, and probably most obviously, is the price.

The drying racks are dishwasher safe and fit into our dishwasher quite easily for easy cleaning. KITCHEN STORAGE CABINETS.

Hence it must be blended well. I recommend using a sprayer or something to add a fine layer of vegetable oil to prevent sticking. While it was working, it was great. The temperature settings are the best feature by far, but, I used this just under a month and was so pleased with everything I had dehydrated to that point. So I decided to give this do it at home thing a try. I have never seen beef jerky made nor made it myself. 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. I have dried mushrooms, tomatoes, strawberries, oh so fast! All racks dry at the same rate.

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.

I also dried some fresh pineapple chunks. There’s nothing better than fresh pineapple, but I thought I’d try it dried.

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 have not used any of the 3 packets of jerky seasoning which came with this unit since l was using my own recipe for beef teriyaki. The book said 8-12 hours for jerky l believe 4 hours was all l needed because l was only using two racks, and in the future anything l dehydrate for first time will be closely monitored. I had to replace a very old dehydrator and am so glad I chose this one. I would definitely recommend this. 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 plan to grow tomatoes, peppers and dill this summer to dehydrate. I will be hitting the farmers market for other fruits, vegetables and herbs. I bought this product to make jerky for my husband since he is on a low-carb diabetic diet and is thus very limited on what he can snack on. We are very pleased with the result. One caution I have is the outer edge of the trays dry faster than the middle. I put thicker pieces of meat at the outer edge to accommodate this.

I’m glad I did — this little powerhouse has been doing a great job since day one. black and white damask ottoman.