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what are price ranges for food dehydrators?

Oct 01, 2009 by KaylleeS | Posted in Other - Food & Drink

I am currently trying to start a raw/vegan food diet and would like to know some prices or brands on food dehydrators. Any opinions on the best ones? Best price for value?
any information is appreciated.

Prices can range from $40 for entry level units to over $220 for the higher end Excalibur brand. The $220 Excalibur units are larger 9 tray dehydrators and have horizontal airflow - with the fan and heater in the rear side of the unit. Most other dehydrators have their fan and heater on the top or bottom of the unit. Nesco makes dehydrators that are more moderately priced, between $40 to $125. Here are some links that compare Nesco, Excalibur and Ronco dehydrators and things to consider when buying a dehydrator.

http://www.food-dehydrator.com/food-dehy drator/resource-center/a-comparison-of-t he-ronco-food-dehydrator-and-the-nesco-f d-35.aspx

http://www.food-dehydrator.com/food-dehy drator/resource-center/nesco-food-dehydr ator-comparison-chart.aspx

http://www.food-dehydrator.com/food-dehy drator/resource-center/excalibur-dehydra tor-comparison-chart-.aspx

http://www.food-dehydrator.com/food-dehy drator/resource-center/using-a-food-dehy drator-critical-factors-for-successfully -dehydrating-food.aspx

RONCO Food Dehydrator

Shannon Popeil, daughter of Ron Popeil, selling the RONCO Food Dehydrator on Canadian television.

Non-Electric Food Dehydrator

This non-electric food dehydrator is the future of food dehydration, also works great for growing wheat grass or as a sprouter. To learn more ...

Food Dehydrator Plans, a Solar Dehydrator from Encyclopedic ...

by Eric Gunnar Rochow

I’ve been talking about this book Tony loaned me, The Encyclopedic Cookbook, a lot lately. We even filled up most of a GardenFork Radio show about it. Link Here .

This book is truly encyclopedic and while we may snicker at a lot of the recipes, like Stuffed Crown of Frankfurters ( this is a Must Make on GardenFork ) the book does have some really interesting stuff in it.

I stumbled across a few pages of food dehydration techniques that I had not seen before, and I thought a few were pretty smart in their efficient use of heat and simple design.

On the next page was something I had never seen before, and I know my wife would not let me build in the kitchen: A Range Top Dryer . The text was a little vague on this one, but it did say ” Strong flavored foods should not be cooked while food is being dried since odors may be absorbed”  OK.

I’m guessing you have the burners on to dry out your food? Or does the heat from the pilot lights give off enough heat to be an effective food deyhrator? Not sure. Anyone know? A quick web search turned up nothing. Still, its quite fascinating to me.

This design uses heat from the Laundry Stove. I’ve never heard of a laundry stove before, but it looks like you would use it to dry clothes.

This chapter in the book list all the usual vegetables and fruits one can dry, but it also lists some I never considered.

Spinach:

“Steam 3 minutes, Remove excess moisture. Arrange in a thin layer. Start drying at 120F increase gradually to 140F. Stir the spinach carefully from time to time so that it will dry quickly thoughout. … Greens are likely to be of inferior quality if not carefully dried and stored. They dereriorate after long storage.”

Source: Food Dehydrator Plans, a Solar Dehydrator from Encyclopedic ...

Food Dehydrator, Buying a Food Dehydrator, Choosing a Food ...

VN

I have been using a dehydrator for honestly some convenience life. We by a hair's breadth purchased our sec Excalibur ® food dehydrator a few weeks ago. The only fetich I use my canner for anymore is canning beef, chicken and vegetable stock.

Do not procurement a honest dehydrator. They take too much babysitting. I decidedly advisable the Excalibur® with the non-mandatory timer. It is the unexcelled and value every penny. We dehydrate so much. When hatch is on selling at the aggregate, I buy in weight and dry it. When the garden is prolific, the glut gets dried. Drying saves so much rank and you as a matter of fact do not desideratum prominent jars and lids. We spare peanut butter and spaghetti cheekiness jars. If you have Mason jars and lids you can use a vacuum sealer affixing and extraordinarily extend the viability of the dried foods.

You can use a dehydrator to pressure yogurt, assemble bread dough, dry herbs and spices, "bake" crackers and correct granola. Once things are dry, there is no bother if the power goes out. As sustained as you have a dishwater origin, you can rehydrate foods. Louise

I would try a relaxed or tacky avenue first, above all if you're fair-minded testing the waters. Try Freecycle, care shops, yard sales, and ask your friends if they comprehend anyone who has one they don't use. If you end up discovering that dehydrating scarcely isn't for you after all, you won't be out much wealth, if any. And if you do like it, you can always convinced, pledge or give that first thorn in the flesh mock-up away and upgrade later if you so opt.

Another attentiveness is access to unburden or trashy put on. It won't put aside you much spondulicks if you have to buy extravagant, full-evaluation supply. On the other handy, if you garden, have handsome friends with grassy thumbs, or recognize of a trashy inception for fruits and veggies, you're before of the deception. If your blood eats a lot of beef (or other) jerky, that's another benefit. And if you be familiar with a Nimrod, that's even raise. My pater hardened to come to terms his own beef jerky, and it was palatable. Plus, you can button the flavor, the edibles property, and the ingredients.

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