In the market for a Food dehydrator , Did some Internet searching found a 10 rack for $250 ,
Any recommendations?
Any recommendations?
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Recommend a descent dehydrator
- Thread starter Gargoyle91
- Start date
I have this model. On my 2nd one in 3 years, but I run them like 2-3 weeks at a time during harvest. Have purchased multiple extra trays - will regularly do like 8-10 trays worth of peppers and/or jerky at a time. I don't like that there's no on/off switch - just plug it in and go, but I do like the temp control at the top. I know JHP uses a bigger Excaliber if memory serves - but he's dehydrating far more than I am at any given time.
I highly recommend the brand SmokenFire uses, as I use it, too. However, if you have any quantity of grow I would recommend you up it to the square FD80 model, as it holds more due to its shape. Note that with either of the models you can purchase additional trays (they usually come with 4 trays), but the square holds more than the round, even without extra trays.
I've got two Nesco American Harvest, and two whose brand eludes me at the moment. Just bought the second NAH. Reliable machine, and precise.
My hubby bought a Nesco American Harvest that came with 3 trays so I could make him jerky. I purchased 4 more trays to do bigger batches, and also purchased the "fruit roll-up sheets" for every tray. Stuff dries fine on the sheets and they can be popped into the dishwasher. It's a long process to scrub dried food off the nooks & crannies of screens of the trays, otherwise.
I dry ghosts with it so we can have pepper flakes. You must dry this outside or your house will fill up, effectively, with mace and everyone will choke (just like when making sauce inside). I dry them on the porch for as long as it takes for them to become very dried & crackly (usually about 24 hours). Weirdly and wonderfully enough, the ghost peppers, when dried low and slow like that take on a fruity sort of pineapple aroma. I love it!
Then, I double zip-lok them and again, outside, smash up the peppers and decant them into some large plastic containers. Wearing gloves and usually a painter's dust mask. Breathing fine ghost pepper dust is not fun.
I dry ghosts with it so we can have pepper flakes. You must dry this outside or your house will fill up, effectively, with mace and everyone will choke (just like when making sauce inside). I dry them on the porch for as long as it takes for them to become very dried & crackly (usually about 24 hours). Weirdly and wonderfully enough, the ghost peppers, when dried low and slow like that take on a fruity sort of pineapple aroma. I love it!
Then, I double zip-lok them and again, outside, smash up the peppers and decant them into some large plastic containers. Wearing gloves and usually a painter's dust mask. Breathing fine ghost pepper dust is not fun.