dehydrator?

[munchh]

Ive been looking on the bay and you can get them for about £25, can anyone recomend a good one?

[Jamesey1981]

I have a cheapie VonShef one that I got from Amazon for about the same price, certainly works ok, but I don't think it'll last very long to be honest, it's already paid for itself in savings on beef jerky, but if you know you're going to use it a lot I would say to spend a bit more and get a better one, it'll work out cheaper in the long run, that's the only cheap one I've had though so other cheap ones may be better.
Do make sure you get one with a temperature control though, meat and fruit and veg need different temperatures to dry nicely.

[nickdutch]

8 tray stacking relatively affordable ones cost around £60 and there is NO need to buy an excaliber

[Plymtom]

8 tray stacking relatively affordable ones cost around £60 and there is NO need to buy an excaliber

I'd agree although I did but I was spending a bit of inheritance, I'm with Nick on the do things as inexpensively as possible front and yet in this case I wanted something which had a good chance of standing the test of time in memory of a loved one.

[munchh]

I notice from youtube that you can buy insets for fruit leather and such, so are they all pretty much the same size, i also saw that you can add layers to some models?

[Jamesey1981]

I notice from youtube that you can buy insets for fruit leather and such, so are they all pretty much the same size, i also saw that you can add layers to some models?

The fruit roll trays don't fit in mine, (even though it came with one) they only fit in the bottom, but I just use baking paper.
Most of the Americans I've seen on YouTube seem to have the Nesco one from Walmart which looks pretty nice to be honest, I've not seen them for sale here though.
If you can get one that isn't made of clear plastic then I think it would be to your advantage, it's the clear plastic trays that I think will let mine down, it feels fragile and I think they will eventually craze and then break, like I said though, it's already paid for itself and will last a while yet.

[Deeps]

I've got sheets of baking parchment cut to shape and with 'slits' cut into them (like an inverted wagon wheel) for dehydrating small things to stop them falling through the trays. I don't know what brand mine is, its just a cheap one but it does the trick. You'll need plenty of storage if you get into it, Kilner jars or the Ikea 'copies' are good although anything airtight will do.

[pseudonym]

I've just won an auction for a 9 tray Excalibar.

The slippery slope of dehydrating begins this weekend.

[nickdutch]

Just a tip. A dehydrator can be noisy and does produce heat.
It can be easier to use one if you can have a different room for it then the one that you work in and is best to use in the winter.
Mine has an 800 Watt heater so you can imagine it almost puts out the heat of an oil filled electric radiator (8/11's worth to be more precise).
So maybe if you kept dehydration own to the late autumn, winter and early spring you can use the dehydrator as a form of supplemental heater.... that makes the flat smell nice.

[Deeps]

I've just won an auction for a 9 tray Excalibar.

The slippery slope of dehydrating begins this weekend.

I find it quite therapeutic, not sure why. Its been a few days, I'll maybe need to get my fix. Oh and congrats on winning it, those excalibur's look the biz. Welcome to the Borg collective.

Just a tip. A dehydrator can be noisy and does produce heat.
It can be easier to use one if you can have a different room for it then the one that you work in and is best to use in the winter.
Mine has an 800 Watt heater so you can imagine it almost puts out the heat of an oil filled electric radiator (8/11's worth to be more precise).
So maybe if you kept dehydration own to the late autumn, winter and early spring you can use the dehydrator as a form of supplemental heater.... that makes the flat smell nice.

It depends on what you're dehydrating, pineapple and banana, braw, onion and garlic ? While I quite like it, Her Maj isn't so keen so ours is consigned to the garage.