dehydrators Any Input on Cosori, Hamilton Beach and Excalibur Dehydrators?

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NJChilehead

My wife would like to get me a dehydrator for Christmas! She was asking about types of dehydrators and I know absolutely nothing, so I poked around and it looks like Hamilton Beach, Excalibur and Cosori dehydrators are all good brands. One of my biggest considerations is that everything is food safe for the family (no BPA or PFAS in the materials), otherwise I just want something that works well and can help me dehydrate peppers, figs, etc.

I'm starting off with the Excalibur 2400 as a possibility: https://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-24...ehydration/dp/B0047WOWHE?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

I don't have a huge garden and don't get thousands of figs (yet!) so I'm not looking for something very big. This is about the top of my price range but I don't want to get something cheap and pay the price for it later. Can anyone weigh in on these brands and what they like about them, and if they think I'm in the right ballpark as far as size of the model? Many thanks for your help!
 
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NJChilehead said:
One of my biggest considerations is that everything is food safe for the family (no BPA or PFAS in the materials
Click to expand...
Stainless

BigBite 10-Tray Stainless Steel Dehydrator | LEM Products

Making your own jerky and other dried snacks saves you money, lets you control the ingredients, and ensures the results you want. With a temperature range of 95 degrees F to 176 degrees F, this workhorse stainless steel dehydrator is ideal for drying all foods, including jerky, and the 10...
www.lemproducts.com www.lemproducts.com
 
@NJChilehead - We bought the Excalibur 9-tray as well, about 15 years ago. No problems whatsoever with it. I like the temperature control and the 24hr timer knobs. I also like that the functions are "manual" dials vs electronic programming. I know, I know, I'm showing my age but, I still have "manual" stuff that works perfectly that's older than I am. Electronic stuff lasting 20 years seams to be rare. As far as size, I've never looked at the 9-tray and said "Gee, I wish this thing was smaller", lol. During harvest season, I routinely have all 9 trays full, with more stuff waiting in line to be dehydrated. Also, when I make jerky, I definitely need all 9 trays. I will say the Excalibur is pricey, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for. Great machine.

Now, having said all that, I will say if I hadn't bought the Excalibur, I would have bought a LEM product like Boss pointed to. It is less expensive, and I haven't heard bad things about it. But, I have no practical experience with it, so I can't comment on its performance.
 
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LEM used to have a list of scratch-n-dent/open box items you could ask for by email. Not that that's a good idea for a gift, but just FYI.
 
For your dehydrating inspiration...
salsalady

drying Thread 'Overstuffed Dehydrator- 2016 PersonalBest stacking trays'

When faced with the task of processing about 80 pounds of jalapenos, I had to speed things up a bit.   
 
Solution-
Overstuff the Dehydrator! 
 
I ran the jalapenos through the food processor slicer and then just piled them on the trays.  Wrap around the trays with plastic wrap (or foil) making sure not to block the air flow on the bottom or top.  I wasn't worried about color darkening up on these chiles, so I put the heat up to about 115F.  I think they were pretty well dried after 24 hours, but I was busy and didn't get back to check on things for 48 hours.  By then....All Dried!
 ...
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Scroll to post #17 to see the additional mods. This round style allows for adding way more trays than having a fixed cabinet with (xx?) number of trays.

Have Fun!
salsalady
 
Also, there is a funny post somewhere by Bigcedar, when it was getting a little 'spicy' in the apartment, he taped a dryer hose to the top of the dehydrator and vented it outside. I couldn't find it, maybe Boss can find it~~~
 
yeah i just have a cheap round one like what salsalady shows, under $50 canadian and have used for 4+ years with no issues.

i thought i was having an issue earlier this summer, it was making a clicking noise while running.

turns out a seed had gotten into the fan, a quick shake-out and we're back in business.

BUT if you are getting it as a gift, might as well ask for a more premium one :P
 
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