What Types of Dehydrators are You Using?

[Elkoholic87]

I'm looking to invest in a dehydrator to start perfecting the art of dehydrated fruits and meats and was wondering which types of dehydrators some of you recommend.

 

[mtswampfox]

Lem

 

[Ray]

excaliber 5 tray with timer and thermostat. You will want to have these adjustments. Some cheaper models do not have a timer and you end up having to watch the unit.
Since you want to perfect the art you will require the most advanced systems available. The $60 great harvest unit will not allow for perfection. It will just dry stuff out as best as it can.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Im running a cabelas commercial model with the glass door. I have nothing but good things to say about it. Excaliber seems to make a great unit as well.

 

[Corbo74]

Excaliber is top of the line. Best of the best.

 

[Richard Manley]

Excaliber is nice. If you are looking to dehydrate a lot of food regularly, look out for the tray capacity. Usually, stackable units offer more dehydration space because you can stack up as may trays, as you need to.The best food dehydrators come with a fan and thermostat.I recommend that you stay away from food dehydrators that do not come with a fan and thermostat.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I have the Cabelas 160-Liter Dehydrator

View attachment 20520

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

When you guys make jerky do you cook the meat first in the oven, to bring the temperature up and kill bacteria or do you just put raw meat into the dehydrated and cook it that way? Everything I read says you should bake the meat before dehydrating, but I'm just starting the whole jerky thing so I don't really know much about it.