Author: foodcritic98

Dehydrating your own fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, and other products can not only save you money on your food budget, but can provide you with more nutritious and delicious foods and snacks for your family. There is a plethora of options to choose from so finding the best food dehydrators can be a difficult task. However, follow the tips and advice below and you’ll be able to wade through the myriad of options available to find the one that is best suitable for your needs.

One of the first things to consider when shopping for the best food dehydrators is how often you plan on using your dehydrator. If you are going to preserve an entire garden’s worth of produce you may need a different dehydrator than if you are looking to dehydrate an occasional sale at the grocery store. Taking a realistic look at what foods you would like to do and how much will help to point you in the direction of the dehydrator that will accommodate your needs.

Another item to keep in mind when looking for the best food dehydrators is the type of foods you are going to dehydrate. If you are going to dehydrate fruits and vegetables, you’ll want a dehydrator that has a low temperature setting. This will ensure that the enzymes in your produce are preserved to ensure a more nutritious product. If jerky or other meats are your thing, then a high temperature setting is required to get satisfactory results.

Before you actually purchase one of the best food dehydrators, check your home oven to see if you have a drying button. Many new ovens actually provide this feature and it is definitely the cheapest way to go about dehydrating foods. You may also want to consider dehydrating your foods in the sun. If you live in an area that provides several hours of direct sunlight a day, this is also a great option for inexpensive dehydrating.

Consider purchasing one of the best food dehydrators with a motor that provides a minimum of 500 watts. Anything less than 500 watts will simply take too long to complete the drying process. This is not only inconvenient, it is unhealthy as well because it provides time for bacteria to grow. As a general rule of thumb, plan on at least 100 watts of power for each tray that your dehydrator uses.

If you are going to dehydrate different foods at once, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the way that the dehydrator blows. If the air blows upward, the trays on the bottom are going to be hotter and you may need to rotate the trays around to get even dehydrating and heating. The same principle applies to a dehydrator that blows downward. Consider purchasing one of the best food dehydrators that blow air across. These are more efficient for drying and will prevent the mixing of flavors when dehydrating several different types of foods at once.

Lastly, look for a stainless steel dehydrator. This type is much more durable and will last you longer than the plastic options. It is also important to note that square dehydrators will hold more food at once as square trays hold more than round trays. Further, look for a dehydrator that has a timer feature. This will allow you to dehydrate efficiently without running your dehydrator longer than necessary. This is better for your foods and for the life of the dehydrator as well.

With a Nesco food dehydrator, produce is dried at a low temperature across a long period of time thus removing moisture from the food without actually cooking it. The lack of moisture means that bacteria, yeast and molds can’t breed. Dried foods can be stored and kept for consumption later, it’s a method of preservation that has been practiced for centuries.

An electric Nesco food dehydrator uses temperatures of up to 140 degrees F, because higher temperatures will cook the food rather than drying it. A fan assisted air current aids in the drying process by removing moist air. The humid air must be replaced with dry air in this way to assist in the drying process. Featuring good ventilation, many of the Nesco food dehydrator models also offer variable air current speed together with strong fans.

When drying food, it is placed on stacking racks inside the Nesco food dehydrator, the racks are designed to allow the dry, warm air to flow freely around them. All models also have top mounted fans to circulate the air which removes the need for you to revolve the racks to stop mixing of the flavors.

Also called American Harvest, the Nesco food dehydrator is a fantastic addition to any kitchen enabling you to make healthy snacks and dried goodies that you can rest assured are additive and preservative free. So if there are any allergies in your family, you can control them and preserve your general health at the same time with a Nesco food dehydrator.

Normally food would take days to dry out naturally, with a Nesco food dehydrator you can dry out vegetables fruit and jerky in just hours. You will find you will be a lot less wasteful as any excess fruit and vegetables can be dried for later use

There are various models available in the Nesco Food Dehydrator range. The 350 watt Jerky express is the baby of the range and a great gift for the Jerky lover in your family, the kit includes four seasonings to try.

The Nesco food dehydrator Gardenmaster is the daddy of the range. Offering a capacity of up to 30 square feet of drying space with the optional additional trays, in one compact unit and 1000 watts of power. The drying temperature is adjustable for different foods and the drying pressure adjusts automatically depending on the number of trays used. There is also a digital version which is programmable but has a smaller capacity of only twenty square foot.

If you invest in a Nesco food dehydrator you will be providing delicious and wholesome snacks and nibbles for you and your family. You’ll also do away with wasting fresh produce and save yourself a fortune on buying a Nesco food dehydrator compared with some commercial models out there.

Nesco Dehydrator Review Benefits

When you purchase fruit it may only last a couple of days. So if you are able to dry your own fruit you will be able to dry it before goes bad and  then use it for several months afterwards. When you a can use everything you purchase and not waste it you are getting the best value for your dollar.

Vegetables can also be dried with your dehydrator Nesco. Dried veggies  are great for soups and recipes. If you have a garden you can make the fruits of your labor last longer. DWhen you dry vegetables they can be re- hydrated easily  with water so you can still enjoy great fresh vegetables.

Many herbs and spices are sometimes get pricey. Being able to  dry your own herbs and spices may help cut down your grocery bill as well. You will be able to dry your own herbs and spices when you have a dehydrator Nesco.

Make beef jerky and fruit rolls at home in your dehydrator Nesco and know  exactly what preservatives and chemicals are added to the food.  This is beneficial  for controlling allergies and for your  general health.  Your  dehydrator Nesco will  dry and preserve food for camping and hiking, storage (surplus fruit, meat from hunting), raw (live) food diets.

Looking to Buy A Nesco Dehydrator?

A great place to do a bit of research before you rush out to buy a dehydrator Nesco is Amazon. With clear and detailed instructions on their products and dozens of customer review, both the good and the bad, these can be very helpful when selecting the right dehydrator Nesco for you.

How a Nesco Dehydrator Can Save You $$$

To dry your food, the Dehydrator Nesco extracts the moisture by keeping your food at a low temperature over an extended term. The lack of moisture means that bacteria, yeast and molds can’t breed. Drying food is an ancient form of preserving food for storage..

With a maximum temperature of 140 degrees, the Dehydrator Nesco does not have the ability to reach higher temperatures as then the food would be cooked and not dried. A fan assisted air current aids in the drying process by removing moist air. This humid air must be removed and replaced with dry air and it then follows that the faster the air current, the faster the food will be dehydrated. This is the reason that most Dehydrator Nesco have adjustable air current speeds, along with strong fans and plenty of ventilation.

Dehydrator Nesco feature food racks that are stacked on top of each other, with space in between for warm air to flow between the racks.Each model has the fan which circulates the air located at the top of the device and this eliminates the need the rotate the food racks.

Also called American Harvest, the Dehydrator Nesco is a fantastic addition to any kitchen enabling you to make healthy snacks and dried goodies that you can rest assured are additive and preservative free. This is particularly good for those who suffer food allergies or intolerances and to maintain general healthy eating patterns.

Normally food would take days to dry out naturally, with a Dehydrator Nesco you can dry out vegetables fruit and jerky in just hours. You will cut back on waste as any extra produce can be dried and stored instead of being thrown out or composted

There are many models to choose from in the Dehydrator Nesco range. The smallest but by no means least in the range is the 350 watt Jerky Xpress, supplied with 4 different spices it makes excellent jerky and would make a great gift for the jerky fan in your life.

At the other end of the scale there is the Gardenmaster which is currently the largest in the Dehydrator Nesco range. With a powerful 1000 watt motor and if you opt to buy the additional trays you will have thirty square feet of drying power. The drying temperature is adjustable for different foods and the drying pressure adjusts automatically depending on the number of trays used. There is also a digital version which is programmable but has a smaller capacity of only twenty square foot.

Nesco Dehydrator Review Conclusion

If you invest in a Dehydrator Nesco you will be providing delicious and wholesome snacks and nibbles for you and your family. In comparison to the commercial equivalents available you will make big savings by buying a Dehydrator Nesco and even more saving s to be made as you will no longer throw out excess fruit and veg from your fridge.

 

 

 

A Nesco American Harvest dehydrator is one of the best appliances you can use in the kitchen for making healthy snacks and meals that taste great.

By using your Nesco American Harvest dehydrator to dry your fruits, vegetables and meats, you can enjoy healthy meals and snacks without ingesting unhealthy preservatives and other additives often found in processed foods.

An American Harvest dehydrator helps you stop waste and to help save money which is a plus for every house hold.

Drying foods is easy with the right equipment and American Harvest dehydrator have great features to help you dry foods even easier. When you dry your own foods you will be able to use leftover fruit and vegetable and not let it waste.

Using Your Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator

Never waste excess fruit and veg or fresh herbs from your fridge or garden again, drying with an American Harvest Dehydrator is a great way of storing excess fruit and vegetables for later use. Making fruit rolls and beef jerky at home with an American Harvest dehydrator means knowing exactly what is in the food you are preparing and avoids unnecessary chemicals and preservatives which are added to processed foods. This is especially good for controlling allergies and for your general health.

Nesco American Harvest Review – Keep Your Snacks Healthy

To dry your food, the American Harvest dehydrator extracts the moisture by keeping your food at a low temperature over an extended term. Mold and bacteria are not able capable of growing without the moisture. Drying food is an ancient form of preserving food for storage.

The American Harvest dehydrator has a top temperature of only 140 degrees, if it was able to reach higher temperatures the food would end up cooked rather than dried. A fan assisted air current aids in the drying process by removing moist air. The humid air must be replaced with dry air in this way to assist in the drying process. Most Nesco food dehydrators offer changeable air current speeds and together with a fan and good ventilation, your food will dry much quicker.

When drying food, it is placed on stacking racks inside the American Harvest dehydrator, the racks are designed to allow the dry, warm air to flow freely around them.With the positioning of the fan at the top of the dehydrator, the necessity to turn the racks and avoid the mix of flavors is reduced.

A Nesco food dehydrator, or American Harvest dehydrator as it is also known, is one of the best appliances you can use in the kitchen for making healthy snacks and ingredients that not only taste fantastic, but which you also know are free from the preservatives and additives usually added in commercial foods of this type. This is particularly good for those who suffer food allergies or intolerance’s and to maintain general healthy eating patterns.

Fruit, vegetables and jerky would take days to get dried and preserved but in an American Harvest dehydrator this is cut down to a few hours. You will cut back on waste as any extra produce can be dried and stored instead of being thrown out or composted

There are various models available in the American Harvest dehydrator range. The 350 watt Jerky express is the baby of the range and a great gift for the Jerky lover in your family, the kit includes four seasonings to try.

At the other end of the scale there is the Gardenmaster which is currently the largest in the Nesco food dehydrator range. With a powerful 1000 watt motor and if you opt to buy the additional trays you will have thirty square feet of drying power. The drying temperature is adjustable for different foods and the drying pressure adjusts automatically depending on the number of trays used. If you tend to forget things, you could opt for the digital version which has a smaller capacity of 20sq.ft but it is digitally programmable for up to 48 hours.

Conclusion

By adding a American Harvest dehydrator to your kitchen, you will be able to provide your family with tasty and nutritious snacks and meals for years to come. In the process, your Nesco food dehydrator will be both saving you a small fortune on commercial products of this kind and also help to eliminate food waste from your life.

 

There are many brands and models of food dehydrator available in the market so which one should you choose? Basically, food dehydrator should serve the most basic function- it should allow you to preserve food (i.e. vegetable, fruit, and herb) to be used later. It should also be practical in size and economical. Also, consider its performance and durability. Here are 5 quick tips on how to choose the best food dehydrator:

1. Always choose high quality material

High quality plastic makes the dehydrator durable and long lasting. Low grade plastic tends to dissolve or melt over time and the fumes emitted can be dangerous as it seeps into food. Whenever possible, go for brand names like Nesco, Excalibur, and L’Equip. Trusted brand names are usually tested for safety and will usually last longer.

2. Choose dehydrator with smooth air flow and even heating

Air flow (vertical or horizontal) used to be a major concern because it affects heat and air distribution. But, I have seen improvement in recent models in terms of design and air flow. Most models today are designed to give you even heat distribution. Some of the people I know are worried about mixture in taste of food if you choose a dehydrator with vertical air flow. If you’d ask me, I’ll say that’s not really a problem because the manufacturers have done their homework and they try to come up with better designs to minimize taste mixture during heating.

3. Shape is a matter of preference

Should you go for a round-shaped or square-shaped dehydrator? That’s the question I get asked very often. Well, I’m sure you’ve read different reviews about how square shaped seems to be better than round ones. Well, I’d say yes; and no. In a way, square-shaped dehydrators have larger surface and you can dry more food at any one time. But, if you are not planning to use dehydrator to make large batches of fruits or beef jerky, then shape doesn’t really matter. A round model can work just fine. Choose a model that you like and don’t let the shape be the main eliminating factor.

4. Go for a suitable size- neither too big nor small

Again, size relates to shape and as I’ve said above, it’s a matter of preference. Usually, you don’t need really large dehydrator if you are planning to make family-size snack portions. Bear in mind that the larger the area, the more heat or energy you’ll need to dry food evenly.

5. Choose a dehydrator with temperature control

Different types of food need different temperature to dry fully. A thermostat allows you to adjust temperature accordingly. Also, you got to consider the food quantity (the larger the quantity, the higher the energy capacity you need). As a rule of thumb, 500 watt should work well with 4 to 12-tray capacity.

Generally, a good food dehydrator should have all the qualities above. I’ve reviewed some models and you should check them out (Best Value for Money Food Dehydrator and Best All-In-One Food Dehydrator).

Here are also other tips for you: 6 Reasons Why You Need a Food Dehydrator and Simple Tips on How To Use Food Dehydrator.

We can hardly find healthy foods right now, even vegetables and fruits sold at the supermarket contain chemicals that are hazardous to our health. To avoid compromising your health, you need to have a food dehydrator such as the Excalibur dehydrator – the popular food dehydrator more than 35 years. It is a kind of appliance that you really need in your kitchen.

Spoilage happens easily in moist foods. And of course there is a negative aspect in food spoilage such as microbial growth. With the help of food dehydrator, like the Excalibur dehydrator, you can wave goodbye to those harmful chemicals that might harm you and your family. If you are a gardener, you can preserve your products for long periods of time without worrying about bacteria. If you are an active person who loves hiking or camping, you can easily dehydrate your foods to have a tasty nutritional meal anywhere you go.

The Excalibur food dehydrator is highly recommended by many experts to hikers, climbers, fishermen, hunters, or for almost everyone who wants to preserve the nutritional value and tastes of fruits, vegetables and meat. It comes with a horizontal drying system, so it dries evenly without having to rotate trays. But the trays are removable so you can take them out if you want extra space to put something big

With its capacity of 10x faster, the Excalibur dehydrator can provide you quick snacks and other appetizing dishes in just few minutes. If you want dry yet fresh vegetables, you can have it as well as the nutritional value including the vitamins and minerals without affecting its original tastes.

There are lots of Excalibur dehydrators available – from the ED 2400 series up to the ED 3900 series. They have been around for almost 35 years as not only as the best jerky dehydrator but an excellent fruits and vegetables dehydrator as well. The different Excalibur dehydrators are the same in design and functions, but they are different sizes. So whether you are looking at a food dehydrator for your small or big family, you can always get what fits to your needs.

You can find the Excalibur dehydrator at retail stores and in online stores. To serve fresh and healthier foods, you can purchase this dehydrator at Amazon where they are offering a great 18% discount as well as free shipping. Once you have your own food dehydrator, you can easily start to dehydrate vegetables, fruits and meats. With that, you and your family can enjoy healthy and fresh meals every anytime you want.

What’s So Good About Excalibur Dehydrators?

Shopping for a food dehydrator is not a dilemma anymore for there are many models available on the market today. They came in different designs, sizes, and features – depending on its manufacturers. Some of the brands of food dehydrators are American harvest, Living Food and Excalibur dehydrators.

But the most popular of them all is the Excalibur brandfor it works 10 times faster than other brands. You don’t have to wait that long anymore for your tasty dehydrated food thanks to the Excalibur dehydrator.

By simply adding an Excalibur dehydrator in your kitchen can help you prepare healthier foods that really taste great. If you want to add food dehydrator now for a more healthy lifestyle then you should consider getting the Excalibur brand at Amazon where you can get one at 18% off the regular price and get it shipped to your home for free.

For a family that is health conscious, a food dehydrator is a must. You can dry all your fruits, vegetables and meats for future use. To preserve nutrients of your fruits, vegetables or dried meats – dehydration is a great choice. I can also make delicious beef jerky.

Most of the experts love and recommend the Excalibur dehydrator because of how fast it works and because its horizontal drying system in the rear of this unit, dries meats, fruits and vegetables evenly on all trays.

This great kitchen appliance comes with different benefits. One is it reduces various contamination from growing and spoiling foods. Since this is applicable to everybody, you can have unlimited time in drying different foods even it is meat, fruits, and vegetables. Having an Excalibur dehydrator in your kitchen means you can easily cook beef jerky, mouth-watering Pemmican, Prosciutto and many other healthy and delicious foods.

What To Look For In An Excalibur Food Dehydrator

Are you one of the numbers of housewives who are looking for a food dehydrator that works fast? This is not surprising because no one wants to wait too long for their foods to cook. This could be the reason why products like the Excalibur food dehydrator have become so popular. Using food dehydrators are great for families that are health-conscious. One of the common functions of a food dehydrator is to dry all fruits, vegetables, meats and more. It is a healthy option because it preserves the nutrients of the fruits and vegetables. It is also great with meats, especially in making delicious beef jerky.

There are many food dehydrator models available on the market today. The top selections are: L’Equips Model, Nesco/American Harvest’s Gardenmaster, Living Food’s Jumbo dehydrator and the Excalibur dehydrator.

 

Nesco dehydrator has gathered high rank in terms of consumer report and this comes with good reasons. It all has to do with its superb features brought about by its cutting edge technology capacity.

Packed with all the convenience and efficiency, you are sure to make the most out of this Nesco food dehydrator. Here are some of the features that helped this dehydrator gain world wide popularity.

The best benefit of having your own food dehydrators is ensuring the safety of the processed food that you serve at the table. The whole process from washing the produce, to the cutting, and from drying to storing can be supervised by yourself, to make certain that it goes through the cleanest and most hygienic method that conforms your standards. Canned foods have been one of the causes of many botulism outbreaks since its inception. And processed meat may contain substances that are harmful to the human body through long term consumption. Also perfect if you have Breville Juice Fountain Elite for easy fruit extracting and fruit juice making.

There is absolutely no limit on what foods or produce you can slice into pieces and pile up the tray. You can dry all sorts of fruits, flowers, lean meat and granola to your liking. Which are space efficient, this easy to store and can also be kept for a long time without the use of any refrigeration. With how the economy is running today, drying foods is most definitely helpful in terms of saving money.

Designed for optimum food drying delivery

The main feature that the Nesco dehydrator showboat is its capacity for quick and impressive drying of foods. Its 1000watts motor fan is the main reason for this effective cutting down of processing time to more than half, making a normal process of days into just hours. This is most beneficial in terms of stacking up food whether for home consumption or for camping purposes, not only for your but also your family members.

There are four trays that come with the dehydrator but it is expendable to up to 30 trays. But you don’t have to worry about the preparation on top not able to get the same amount of dehydration as those at the bottom. It has a patented system pressurizes heated air to go through each and every tray.

The Nesco dehydrator have a thermostat that adjusts from 95 up to 155 degrees for your choice of food drying. It also comes with a 64-page recipe book that includes everything there is to know about drying foods, from proper peeling to pretreating of candies and jerkies. With all these features, another great food dehydrator is the Excalibur Dehydrator, a best selling product in Amazon, powerful, easy to use and durable

Nesco Food Dehydrator For Easy Food Drying

Having your own automatic food dryer has many benefits, especially if you want to give your family a treat of nutrition and astronomy for most of their daily meals. You know that there is no better technology that can give you a superb job than your Nesco food dehydrator. Since that’s the case, you need to give you dehydrator proper care and maintenance to lengthen its cuisine services.

Since this device is in contact with food it is with full necessity that you keep it clean at all time – before and after use. There are three basic components to a Nesco dehydrator and these are; the motor, the trays and the cover. Taking care of the motor is the laborious of the three, since you have to use pressurized air to clear it of accumulated dust and dirt. But it’s a job that you have to once in a while, say in a month or two, so you don’t have to worry about getting all worked up every time you use the dryer.

For the trays and the cover, make sure you rinse it with soap and water before use to take out the remnants of the produce or meat products you dried the last time, or even the dust that might have amassed during the time stacked inside the cabinet. This simple routine deters any spoilage and contamination with the produce and foods to be dried.

The Nesco dehydrator comes with a splendid quality that is backed up by the famous brand of kitchen appliances maker, Nesco. Although this is the case, it is still important to let the device take rest once in a while if you have a heavy volume of foods and produce to be processed. Say you are to dry foods for the whole year, and it should take you several days to achieve, make sure to let the drier cool off once you feel the motor is all heated up.

The next to have to remember is to keep your Nesco dehydrator in a safe place away from reach of small children and pets, most particularly you dogs. Children and their colorful imagination can transform this kitchen appliance into something more it is, and most of the times, the result are not pretty especially to your dehydrator. Puppies having their teeth tested on whatever they can get their fangs on are exceptionally devastating to any appliance in the house. Keep in mind to place your Nesco dehydrator inside a cabinet or a elevated rack to curb any dangers the aforementioned agents can wreak.

 

Food dehydrators have become an important appliance in the kitchen of the modern homes. It is convenient and saves you time when it comes to drying foods and produce of sorts. But buying your own food dryer can prove to be an overwhelming task. Here are some tips to help you with on selecting the perfect dehydrator.

Although quality might not necessarily be dependent on the brand of appliance, purchasing a known brand guarantees you the security when it comes to durability and efficacy. It should follow that the first thing to look for when purchasing food dehydrators is getting brands known for quality. Nesco is among the trusted brands of food dryers for reasons of innovation and cutting edge drying technology, which is backed up by their strong adherence for durability and product efficiency.

Another thing to look for is practicality. Since drying up foods and produce does not come in small volumes, the Nesco dehydrator has an expandable set of up to 30 sets. Making it possible for you to dry a great volume of foodstuff all in one sitting, no need to wait for one batch to finish to proceed with another.

The Nesco dehydrator is also designed for speed. It comes with a 1000watt motor which ensures the effective cutting down of drying time. A process that can now be achieved within a matter of hours, that which usually takes days with traditional drying. It has also has a patented system that draws heated air through every single tray for uniform and consistent dryness of every piece or slice of meat or produce.

The last thing to look for in a dryer is that it allows you the freedom to do whatever you want. Along with the actual Nesco dehydrator is a 64 page recipe book that does not only give you great recipes for the myriad of dried foods, it also lets you in on the effective techniques for drying. This knowledge lets you experiment to come out with your own recipe and techniques that suits you and your family’s taste buds.

Purchasing food dehydrators like Nesco dehydrator is not as easy as it seems, especially if you want to get the perfect food dryer that suits all the categories for quality, durability, practicality and efficacy. A sizable amount of research should ensue if you want this done, but with the tips laid above you should be able to run along just fine.

I have my own garden and small orchard. After my harvest a few years ago, I decided that I was tired of bottling and freezing everything and what I really need is a food dehydrator. Canning or putting food into bottles is really very time consuming and costs a bit of money for all of the supplies. After a few days of jamming or bottling, my legs and back were acking so bad. With freezing fruits and vegetables, you always run the risk of freezer damage and there is also the matter of space.

It’s taken me quite a bit of time, but I have been experimenting and trying different brands of food dehydrators and different ways to accomplish my goal. I have tried the Excalibur food dehydrator and the Nesco food dehydrator. Both are equally great machines, but after reading all of the food dehydrator reviews, I got thinking that I needed a commercial food dehydrator to accomplish what I really needed to do. I just have way too much food that needs processing.

One other thing I tried was a homemade food dehydrator. Where I live, the summer temperature easily gets to 115 degrees during the summer, and sometimes hotter than that. I went by my local hardware store and bought a board. They will cut the board to any length you want for free, so i got it cut in 2′ sections. I then came home and drilled 1″ holes all around half of the boards. I nailed them together and stretched a piece of mesh over the top and tacked it in place. Voila! I now have my own homemade food dehydrator!

This worked really well except for making food dehydrator beef jerky. For this reason, I still needed to purchase a commercial food dehydrator. Food dehydrator beef jerky is much easier than trying to make it on my own homemade food dehydrator. Insects were drawn to the meat and it didn’t dry as fast I would like.

One other great reason for buying a brand name food dehydrator was that each machine comes with great food dehydrator recipes and food dehydrator instructions. These are things that you wouldn’t be able to get on your own by having a homemade food dehydrator. You would be spending hours online searching for the same information that comes with a commercial food dehydrator which is all packaged.

The bottom line is that my homemade food dehydrator is really great for thin sliced fruits and vegetables. In the end, I had to get another board cut in the same lengths with mesh over the top, but without the side holes for ventilation. I placed this 2′ x 2′ square over the top of the other square. This was ideal for keeping flies and other insects off of the food I was trying to dehydrate.

A dehydrator such as the excalibur food dehydrator or the nesco food dehydrator is great for everything else. If you life in a climate that isn’t as hot as where I live, then this type of commercial food dehydrator would work better for you.