Good food dehydrator?

[mamagardener]

I am looking for a food dehydrator, and there are so many of them out there. I was wondering if somebody could recommend a good one that doesn't cost too much. I basically want it for jerky and dried fruit.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, I have a round plastic one--don't know the name of it, but I have had it for 15 years. It did the trick for a very long time. Just recently, several of the trays have cracks, and I am now getting an excalibur for Christmas. For all intents and purposes, the cheap plastic one served me well for years. I have done practically everything in it, but not jerky. I think 15 years ago I paid $25.00

 

[FarmerDenise]

I have three of those round plastic ones. SO makes great jerky in them. I have dehydrated fruits and vegetables and occasionally herbs. My DD borrowed one once and made fruit leather, that she said turned out great.
I got all of mine at Goodwill for about $5.00 or less.

 

[sparks]

I have a large Excaliber..9 trays. Probably 20 years old. Works great and holds alot! Have to rotate the trays for even drying. Not cheap though. I love it.

 

[keljonma]

I have an old Ronco 5 tray without fan. I got it at a community Trash and Treasure sale a couple years ago for $2. I use it a lot and it works great for herbs, fruits and veggies. I have not used it to make jerky.

I think dehydrators are one of those gift items like the bread machine. People give them as gifts when they don't know what to give. The person receiving it doesn't really want or use it, so they put it in the "garage sale" box. There are great finds out there at thrift stores....

 

[ORChick]

I have an American Harvest Gardenmaster (Nesco nowadays) - the round, white plastic dehydrator. I got it almost 30 years ago - had been using the pilot light in my gas stove, but then replaced the stove . I got one for my mother at about the same time - she dried rose petals and herbs. Over the years we both bought extra trays over and above the 4 that come standard. When my mother died I kept the better of the two, and most of the trays, and gave the rest to Goodwill. Mine has 12 trays now (12 sq. ft.) (can theoretically go up to 30), and still does its job well. It has a fan and a thermostat, both of which I consider essential, though sometimes in this climate in the summer I can put the food on the trays, and never even turn it on, and still have things dry well (never meat, of course, but bread cubes or mushrooms, which dry well anyway as long as it isn't humid) - saves both counter space and electricity