Nesco Snackmaster Encore Food dehydrator, Gray review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | NESCO |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | Gray |
| Wattage | 500 watts |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 13.5 x 13.5 x 9.25 inches |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- 500 watts of drying power provides even heat distribution
- Adjustable temperature control (95°F - 160°F)
- (5) BPA Free trays with 0. 8 sq. ft. of drying area per tray - Expandable to 12 trays
- Proudly made in the USA of global and domestic components
- Includes (1) Jerky Gun with three tip attachments, (2) Fruit Roll Sheets, (2) Clean-A-Screens, (5) Jerky Seasoning & Cure samples, and a recipe & instruction book
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
Patented Converga-Flow system ensures even drying
The Best Food Dehydrators in the World.
NESCO/American Harvest has been the leader in food dehydrators for over 30 years! These units feature patented technologies that dry your food faster and more evenly than any of the competing models available, we know, because we've tried them all! Our Converge-a-Flow air flow assures even drying from top to bottom, without the tray rotation required by others.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced 'pro', making beef jerky, drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, or flowers, NESCO/American Harvest offers the best units available.
Nesco Snackmaster Express Dehydrator with Jerky Gun
Model FD-61WHC
Introducing the Snackmaster Express All-In-One Kit. It's sleek, contemporary design features 500 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky.
Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the the heating chamber!
It contains everything needed to dry all types of food including top mounted fan, 5 trays, 5 jerky spices and cures, a jerky gun with 3 tips, 2 Fruit Roll Sheets, 2 Clean-A-Screens, and a recipe book/care use guide.
- Patented Converga-Flow drying system
- No need to rotate trays
- Dries food in hours, not days
- 500 watts of drying power with top mounted fan
- Adjustable thermostat to dry foods at proper temperature
- Dishwasher safe (except powerhead)
product description
Product Packaging:Standard Packaging
The NESCO FD-61WHC Snackmaster Encore Food Dehydrator is designed to be the ultimate kit for beginners or experts. Accessories include a jerky gun with three tip attachments, two fruit roll sheets, two clean-a-screens, five jerky seasoning & cure samples, and a recipe & instruction book. This dehydrator comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once, with no tray rotation needed. Additional Add-A-Trays sold separately. The adjustable temperature control (95°F -160°F) gives you the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying different foods that need varying temperature settings. The quiet, powerful Converga-Flow fan forces heated air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray. The air flow then converges in the center for quick, consistent drying that is four times faster than other dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates liquids dripping into the heater chamber. The NESCO FD-61WHC Snackmaster Encore Food Dehydrator is great for dehydrating fruit rollups, banana chips, apple chips, jerky, and other healthy snacks.
product details
important information
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Questions about Nesco Snackmaster Encore Food dehydrator, Gray
Q:
I find some models proclaim BPA free, and others do not. I am looking for a model that is BPA free. FD-61 Snackmasters Encore Food Dehydrator?
Answer: Is the nesco 1018 bpa free also
Answer: I just called the company and they said all the food contact surfaces are BPA Free.
Q:
what are the dimensions?
Answer: 13x11x13 inches. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the item it has the dimensions and a bunch of other stuff that is helpful.
Answer: Rebecca O. The diameter (distance across) is 13 ½", the circumference (distance around) is 42 ½", the height depends on how many of the trays are used - with 5 trays the height is 10". I set it in a counter corner; therefore, it takes a square space of 13 ½" x 13 ½" of counter space. I hope that this helps to sufficiently answer your question.
Answer: The box is 13x13x11 and the dehydrator in the box in the side. I think while in use it is about 12" high and about 13" wide.
Answer: 13.5 in wide and 11 in tall. Each tray is 1.5 thick.
Answer: 12 inches in diameter, and 5 trays and about 9 inches high
Q:
Is this anodized aluminum ?
Answer: I find this question and the answers very humorous since the product comparisons list the material as aluminum. Should't Amazon remove the product for false advertisement then?
Answer: I dont think so? Its some type of plastic.....but will not melt or rust. Easy to clean with a small scrub brush, soap and water.
Answer: No it is not. It is made of a very hard plastic type of material. I like it and it works well for our family.
Answer: No it is plastic
Q:
what is the jerky gun?
Answer: The recipe book calls for ground beef to make the jerky. Once you mix it together you pack it in the gun and squeeze it. The ground beef comes out a slit in the end. It helps you get uniform pieces so you don't have some done and some not done.
Answer: It if for creating jerky out of ground beef or ground meat of any kind. You load it into the "gun" and you pull the handle and you can make round jerky lengths (like Slim Jims) or you can spread it on the rack in flat strips. It works just like you were using a caulk gun.
Answer: It works sort of like a cake decorator. It is used to extrude ground meat and seasoning on to the trays for making jerky. I use it for extruding fruit pulp for fruit leather when not filling the whole tray.
Answer: You pack your meat into it and it's squeezes it out into nice even stripes to dehydrate just like you buy at the store
Q:
I live now in Europe. Will it work here since it's 220volts?
Answer: You can buy a transformer that steps the 220V down to 110/120V (looks like a block with the standard European plug on one side and 110V outlet on the other side). Look in the electronics section/travel section of stores. These are pretty common and run around $20.
Answer: My guess would be no. It is marketed as 120v. 220 might burn out the motor.
Answer: I wouldn't think so. It isn't like a laptop, which has a power supply that can adapt for the different voltages. I think the motor would just burn up.
Q:
This is the only one that has 'ALUMINUM' listed as material but on the pictures it just looks like the plastic ones. Is it ALUMINUM?
Answer: No aluminum it is just plastic. Maybe part of the motor inside could be but I do not see any.
Answer: it is plastic, the only aluminum I see is the fan blade
Answer: No aluminun that I'm aware of. All trays are plastic, and lid.
Answer: Its plastic
Q:
Is there an adjustable thermostat? Is there automatic on/off timer?
Answer: yes on my FD-61WHC there a adjustable thermostat, but there is not a timer, 95 to 155 degrees F the unit is 500 watts and works great..
Answer: Yes there is an adjustable thermostat, 95 to 155 degrees F. the unit is 500 watts and its works great for beef jerky and veggies. There no auto timer
Answer: The temperature control is adjustable (~95-155 degrees). There is no auto shut off or timer on this dehydrator.
Answer: Yes, there is an adjustable thermostat. No, there is not an automatic on/off timer
Answer: There is an adjustable thermostat. It's a great machine and pretty much foolproof and NESCO is a reliable and helpful company. You won't need a timer for the drier, but if you wanted to you could just plug it in to one of those outlet timers you can buy at any hardware store.
Answer: No to the timer. Yes to the adjustable thermostat. I agree that it makes great jerky and is very easy to use and to clean. I liked it so well that I bought one for my son.
Answer: Yes you can adjust temps. It even tells you what temps to use for seeds, fruits, veggies, spices, jerky, etc. There is no on off timer though. I've never found a need for that.
Answer: Yes ther is a dial to control the temp. No there is not an automatic on/off timer.
Answer: There is no on/off automatic timer on this model. It still works great without it and is one less part to break.
Answer: And yes there is an adjustable thermostat. The machine is very easy to use and clean.
Q:
what is the average length of time for sweet potatoes
Answer: Are you looking to make sweet potato chips, or to dry them as flakes to rehydrate as mashed sweet potatoes later?
Q:
Has anyone dried chicken tenderloins? If so, how did they turn out? My vet recommends using chicken we as humans eat vs the chicken jerky for animals.
Answer: OHHH my little one loves them. I do this every week. I usually buy chicken breast, freeze it so it is easier to slice, then I slice it nice and thin, and use my dehydrator to make the jerky. He goes nuts for it and will actually wait by the machine till its done. Its great for drying liver for treats to!
Q:
can you dry nuts such as filberts in this unit?
Answer: I soak raw cashews for two hours and drain, then I place them in the dehydrator. It takes about 12 hours to dry them properly for the recipe I use to make kale chips. Google recipes will all say 12-24 hours, if I remember correctly.
Answer: Why would you "dry" nuts? Raw nuts are fine on their own. Or you can roast them on a pan with the door of the oven slightly open.
Answer: I've never dried nuts, but I don't see why you couldn't. It might take a while though, since thin slicing of most foods makes for timely dehydrating.
Q:
Up to how many trays can you use? I see it comes with 8, can you add more?
Answer: For 2 lbs of meat, I use 4 or 5 trays
Answer: Ours came with six trays then we ordered three extras online. I would also highly recommend ordering liners for the trays. You can add extra trays.... just number them and rotate them during the dehydrating process. We really have enjoyed our dehydrator! Good purchase!
Answer: Mine came with five trays and 2 screen liners. You can purchase extra trays and screen liners, and have a maximum of 12 trays at a time for this unit. (It also says to use a minimum of two trays.) I also highly recommend buying the extra screens. I love this dehydrator!
Answer: The most I ever used was 7 trays and it worked fine.
Answer: do the trays rotate out or do they have to be picked up to check different trays?
Answer: Yes! You can add as many as you like.
Q:
Does it come with seasoning mix
Answer: Yes, it comes with 3 packs seasoning and 3 packs of cure. You will need to order extra seasoning, you use 1 package seasoning and 1 package of cure for each 1 lb of meat. The machine is very nice, I also bought several addtional trays and all together made 3 lbs of jerky. The 93/7 ground beef works great!
Answer: Yes, Mine came with 6 packets of original seasoning, and 6 packets of cure. Tasted really good when I made it.
Answer: can i order extra liners
Answer: can't say for sure but I think it came with 4 packages. Maybe three.
Answer: YES IT DOES A SMALL AMOUNT .
Answer: Yes, it did.
Q:
Can you buy extra trays? Thank you.
Answer: I believe you can buy extra trays. I haven't looked them up myself, seems like somewhere I did see them. Sorry I couldn't be more specific. I do love my dehydrator. I make chicken jerky treats for my dogs.
Answer: Yes, of course! The unit comes with 5, and you cannot use less than 4 or the fan will burn out from the heat.. But you can purchase extra trays and use up to 8 I believe. It is a great unit, makes excellent dried fruit and beef jerky. I'm very happy with it.
Answer: Yes. Search for trays for your model # on Amazon.
Answer: Yes you can. Saw the option when I bought mine. Patricia's right, you can use up to 8 trays. Would take a little longer, have to rotate the ones on the bottom to the top, since the top dries faster (closer to the fan).
Answer: Definitely here on this site
Answer: Not really sure. It would seem like you could add more but I'm not really sure.
Q:
Can you make vegetarian jerky with this, with or without the gun (using TVP, tofu, seitan, etc.)?
Q:
My friend owns and recommended me a Nesco dehydrator rated at 700 watts. I see this one is 500 watts. Does this mean it'll take longer to dry food?
Answer: I dont know if it will take longer than a 700. I'm very happy with the dry time of mine. The average dry time is 8 hours, give or take for food types.
Answer: I'm not entirely sure, but I've filled all 5 trays with meat, and it only took about 3 hours for it all to dry. I've heard of people having to dry theirs for 10+ hours.The instructions said it would take 6 hours and the jerky was burnt.
Answer: It will probably take longer if you are dehydrating a large quantity of food or craft supplies at once, because this one is lower power. I'd check the guide which goes along with each dehydrator (you can google them) and see how long they think items will take. This one was plenty fast for my needs, and a good value for the price.
Q:
What is the highest temperature on FD-61WHC ?
Answer: 160 degrees
Answer: 160 degrees F
Q:
Has anyone made deer jerky and had good luck?
Answer: Yes. We have ground it up and also used strips of the deer sirloin. We used the prepackaged jerky mix, add garlic, soy sauce,Worcester sauce, pepper flakes to taste. It is very good and lean. Healthier than buying beef.
Answer: I myself don't know of anyone who has done that, but I can't see why it wouldn't turn out just as good as beef jerky.
Answer: Yes. I also have ground it up. Used the package mix and added a little hot sauce and it was great. Not as greasy as beef.
Answer: I have it was great!
Q:
How many watts?
Answer: 500 watts
Answer: 500 watts
Answer: 600. Works quickly for beef jerky. 3-5 hours.
Q:
trays are very hard to clean after making jerky, can you spray them with pam first
Answer: If you are using the tray liners with the small holes, stop doing it. We used those those liners once and found they are not needed and were tough to clean after jerky. We don't spray with anything, just soak for a while in hot soapy water and a quick wipe with a brush gets them squeaky clean.
Answer: After Using them to make jerky I try to soak them first then use an old tooth brush or bottle brush to clean them. Seems to work pretty well. Im not sure if I would add more fat(oil) to the tray before Drying. Also the Pam or anny vegetable oil when dried to something is very difficult to remove. Vincent Z.
Answer: I agree with Robert in using a light coat. I have not used any spray on mine and have not found them hard to clean. Hot soapy water and a dish cleaning brush are what I use.
Answer: Directly from the Nesco site, Helpful Hints page:
Answer: I have never experienced any difficulty cleaning the trays, regardless of what I have dehydrated so far. I use a bit of extra warm soapy water on a cloth, and they clean right up.
Answer: It isnt recommended.. I soak them in a sink full of hot water, Dawn dish soap and 1/4tsp diluted bleach (1 part bleach 6 parts water). I turn the trays in that so every part gets to soak. I keep the trays wet while washing them with a soapy non-abrasive sponge. The clean up is much easier this way.
Answer: Yes, you could spray the trays with Pam first.
Answer: These folks say yes: meatprocessingproducts.com/how-to-make-jerky.html
Answer: I spray mine with vegetable oil and it lasts for a few batches of jerky even after rinsing them.
Answer: Instructions say no. I would suggest good soaking in warm soapy water, more than just a few minutes. A brush might also help. Although I've not made jerky yet...
Q:
What is the difference between this 61whc and the 61?
Answer: fd61whc is All-In-One Kit with Jerky Gun
Q:
Are the trays the same as those used in nesco model fd 60 ?
Answer: I think so
Q:
Is there room in this to make yogurt?
Answer: I don't know. I think it might be possible but might take more than one tray! They come two to a pack!
Q:
What is in the box?
Answer: Read the description but I think all the things that are pictured here. My son received it as a gift but I know that the box included a lot of stuff. Reread the description on Amazon.
Answer: It comes with the base, five trays, the dehydrator head unit, the jerky gun and the tips, and instructions/recipes.
Answer: Everything in the pic
Q:
how many watts is it?
Answer: 510w
Q:
Did I cut strawberries too thin? Very difficult to peel them off! How do you slice strawberries and how long do you dry them
Answer: I would not slice thin and can use liner for the racks I think the time length was about 8- 10 hours on 135 temp. I want my the book recommendations if this helps also.
Answer: MICHAEL, i SLICED THE SMALL STRAWBERRIES IN HALF. THE LARGE ONES WERE CUT INTO THIRDS. YES, THE BERRIES WILL STICK IF THEY ARE SLICED THIN.
Q:
Does this have an on/off switch?
Answer: No it does not, but for a couple of bucks I bought in in-line switch at the hardware store and it took me about five minutes to install. Problem solved.
Answer: No, it does not. When you plug it in it turns on. When you unplug it, it turns off. You adjust the temp with the dial on top
Answer: No it does not. It has temperature setting knob but you have to unplug it to turn it off.
Answer: No, the only control on it is the temperature dial.
Answer: No... Once it's plugged in, it's running! It really doesn't cause a problem at all though, in my experience.
Q:
Could you make fish jerky, like with salmon?
Answer: I am sure you can. You just need the right recipe. I made everything from dehydrated pasta sauces, fruit leather, dehydrated chicken, sweet potato flakes, etc. It comes with a handy guide that has a section about fish. Here is info on their website too...
Answer: I've never tried fish jerky, but apparently you can make it. The NESCO booklet provides some tips, including the advice to use fresh fish. Salmon is not mentioned specifically.
Answer: Sorry we can't help you there. We have not yet tried the jerky equipment. We've only done fruit and mint. We love the heat settings that allow excellent drying of various things.
Answer: do not know never tried it, sorry could not help you.
Q:
is there any dehydrator that is stainless steel?
Answer: Yes, but they're much more expensive, and all the ones I've seen are front loading and thus not expandable. TSM has a 5-tray one for around $400. LEM has a 10-tray one about the same price. Unless you're using it for industrial purposes, I would stick with the plastic ones. This Nesco says it's BPA-Free, which is why I chose it, even though other manufacturer's *claim* the low temperatures mean BPA doesn't leach out even when they do use it.
Q:
Does this make dried fruit similar to that of freeze dried fruit?
Answer: I would say dried fruit is more like a prune or a raisin as opposed to being dehydrated, kind of chewy with some moisture and softness to it.
Q:
Can I use trays from my old dehydrator - model FD50/30 with this dehydrator? After many years of use, it died
Q:
se pude usar con 220 volts?
Answer: No, es para 120V
Answer: No es para110v
Q:
Does the jerky need refrigerated after you make it with this machine or is it shelf stable like what you purchase at the store?
Answer: Don't honestly know about open shelf life...we vacuum seal ours
Q:
What is the total amount of recommended trays? I have 6 or 7 now and wanted to add more
Answer: For this size of motor/space it is not recommended to go over 8 trays. Anything over 8 and the food does not dry well and can have wet spots or issues.
Answer: I believe the maximum number of trays for proper drying would be about 11 or 12, but this is perhaps a question better asked of the NESCO company itself. If you are willing to rotate the trays (not hard to do), the maximum would be higher.
Answer: RTFM (Read the Fine Manual): there you will find it says should use a minimum of two trays and can have a maximum of 12 trays.
Answer: You can stack as many trays as needed, but once you get over 5 or so it really starts to affect the drying time.
Q:
I'd love to make some dried veggies in this. Does anything come out crispy? (Think kale chips) Or is this best for just fruit and meat?
Answer: Yes. My kale chips come out super crispy if I leave them in for a little longer. Same for fruit but you need to slice it thin. I'm not sure about other veggies thou
Answer: can't see y any vege wouldn't work ,make sure you cook it long enough.let us all know how it comes out ekd
Answer: stuff can get dry and possibly crunchy but you could do most of kale in dehydrator and then put in oven to finish
Answer: Yes,
Q:
how long do the dehyraded foods last?
Answer: It depends very much on what food you have dehydrated, of course. I have a jar of apple slices that I dehydrated back in April - it's September 1 tomorrow - and they are in great shape and still tasty. Follow the directions and check to make sure your items are really "dry" and most of the time a little bit crispy. If you have already stopped the process I have found that you can put foods back into the dehydrator if you decide they aren't quite ready yet without any problems.
Answer: I googled the question, it said meats last up to three months, fruits and vegetables up to a year.
Answer: We only use the dehydrator for beef jerkey and it usually lasts two weeks.
Q:
What is the difference between this and the nesco model fd-75a (excluding the extras like the jerky gun)?
Answer: I do have but never try it yet don't know
Q:
Do you find having the jerky gun makes a big difference?
Answer: I don't know. We bought the dehydrator to make chicken jerky for our dog. My husband just uses 100% chicken tenders, he doesn't add any additives, preservatives or liquids to marinate it.
Answer: Yes, especially if you make healthy jerky. By removing all saturated fat from the meat.. Be healthy & creative add sea salt
Answer: Its good for marking the pieces the same size. Also good for making the jerky sticks.
Answer: We have never used the gun.
Q:
Is this unit noisy and does it generate heat if used indoors?
Answer: "Noisy" is a relative term. You can hear the fan, but I run it all night occasionally in the kitchen, and it doesn't affect my sleep. As for heat, yes, it does generate some heat. The trays are gently warm to the touch, but certainly don't put out a lot of heat in the room.
Answer: It's not very noisy--about the loudness of a portable fan set on low. I keep it in the living room on a table while I watch TV and it's fine. The heat is minimal. It does produce some, but not enough to really affect the temperature of a room.
Answer: I keep mine in the kitchen, which is open to my living room. It is not at all noisy. It produces a low, white noise, not even at the decibels of a bathroom ceiling fan - much lower sound. The walls of the counter around the unit do not get warm or if they do, it's not really noticeable.
Q:
What is the range of temperature that this dehydrator has?
Answer: Hello,
Answer: 95-160F
Q:
how much electricity does it use
Answer: Not as much as your bathroom lights. It is very efficient and quite fast. The other day I made some jerky and it took only about 4 hours.
Answer: It use 110 v
Q:
How much drying space
Answer: The FD-61WHC comes with 5 trays that are 13.5 inches in diameter, but can be expanded up to 12 trays (extra trays sold separately) for additional drying space.
Answer: You have 5 trays that are 13" diameter with a 2" empty circle in the center of each one. I've only used mine for making beef jerkey out of hamburger and it will hold 2 lbs of hamburger meat laid out in strips which results in several strips of great jerkey.
Answer: Have used mostly for jerky and my only rule is do not allow touching. The few times I have done fruit or vegetables the same rule would apply. As far as I can tell the Nesco Dehydrator provides good air flow / circulation and that is what I think is critical.
Answer: Doesn't appear to be an issue, with food touching at least mine does good. I fill all the trays with vegetables.
Q:
Can you use the included spice without the cure for the jerky?
Answer: My opinion is, that besides not lasting as long without the cure, the cure itself has salt in it, so the jerky may not be salty enough
Answer: You can cook the meat slices in a brine or marinade to an internal temp of 160 and then dehydrate or dehydrate and refrigerate. if you are storing at room temp, use cure. Botulism is bad news...
Answer: Using a cure is important if you are going for long term storage. Otherwise, there really is no need. I use my own marinade without a cure...jerky doesn't last long in our house.
Answer: The cure is to prevent bacterial growth during dehydrating. So there may be alternatives like salting, etc. The spice mix and cure don't necessarily need to be used together, spice just adds flavor, but you will want to research and make sure your cure-alternative is safe so you don't risk food poisoning.
Answer: Sure can, it just won't stay good for as long. No harm in not use the cure
Q:
Can you make bacon jerky in this.
Answer: I am not sure, I did smoke some ham and slice it thin and make jerky with it. This came out real good. If I was going to try it I would cook the bacon some first to render as much fat as possible. Also for long term storage keep it in the fridge or freezer. Thanks for the idea! I will have to try it now.
Answer: You could, although there is too much fat in bacon. Fat is what spoils the meat. The best jerky is made with the cuts of meat with the least fat marbling...the cheap cuts of meat actually make the best jerky.
Answer: we've only tried venison and beef
Q:
What comes in the box? How many fruit roll sheets and clean-a-screens? This answer seems to be from zero to a few. Thanks to all that answer.
Answer: Sorry for my slow response. Been away. :) I think that there is one fruit roll sheet and 2 clean-a-screens. I am not sure of your names for the items, but I receives one smooth tray with no holes and two trays that had holes, but were closer together, like a net. The drying trays have wider spaces. Hope I could help!
Answer: If I'm not mistaken, i got 2 fruit roll sheets and one flexy screen (currently away from home otherwise i'd check box). I guess the flexy is the clean-a-screen? I have used the dehydrator very successfully for a bumper tomato season (4 times - full drying screens) and I have made jerky once using sliced beef (not needing the gun). I use fruit roll sheet as a drip pan.
Answer: The description of it is what comes in the box.
Answer: I'm not sure what "clean a screen" means. I got 2 solid sheets and 2 tightly meshed screened sheets and 5 shelves that are somewhat loosely screened.
Answer: When I ordered this package deal I also ordered additional items, but, if I'm not mistaken two fruit roll sheets/liners were included. I simply love this little machine and when I see produce on sale I dehydrate the extra vegie's as soon as I get home - you will really appreciate having this machine around too! It's a good machine and price! Love it! :0)
Answer: The description says it comes with one of each, but mine came with two of each.
Answer: You're welcome and I can assure you that you will really enjoy using this machine.
Answer: One of each.
Q:
What is the voltage of this air dryer
Answer: This is run on 120 Volts
Q:
does this have a timer on it
Answer: No, it does not have a timer. You have to time things yourself. It's not a big problem, however, as I like to check periodically for readiness. Sometimes things are done long before the time on the recipe.
Answer: No. It doesn't have a timer. It varies so much as to how long it takes to dehydrate any particular type of food. I've used mine 4 times now, I realize that the 4-8 hour drying window can be much longer depending on how much I load the trays and how thick I slice the pieces. You really have to get to know it first. It is the fastest, easiest dehydrator I've ever used. I don't have to move trays around. I love it
Answer: No Linda it does not have a timer. That is one thing I have notices I would have liked.
Answer: No timer
Answer: No timer
Answer: I bought this updated version for a gift to my daughter-in-law because I love my old one. I don't believe it has a timer. I don't think a timer would be beneficial because if you cut slices too thick it could change the amount of time required. I have
Q:
what are Clean-A-Screens? do you use them with lets say apples or any fruit I should ask?
Answer: Yes you can. They are different than the the hard plastic round trays that have bigger openings. The screens are cool. They have small diamond shaped openings and are flexible.
Answer: A trays is what u place whatever you want to dehydrate
Answer: I truthfully don't know.
Q:
Where can I get replacement trays for Della dehydrator , the 9 tray blue trays ?
Answer: You can purchase them from the manufacturer.
Q:
Is this BPA free? TIA.
Answer: I just checked Nesco's website and it indicates that it is BPA compliant. Hope this helps. I am really enjoying mine and gave beef jerky away with our Christmas cookie plates we give to friends and neighbors every year. I plan to order two additional trays.
Answer: I have no idea. I'd check the Nesco website first. If the answer isn't there, call customer service. They're very helpful.
Answer: My best friend Google told me it was
Answer: Sorry, unsure. I would assume that it would be. I guess you could contact Nesco.
Q:
Any idea why this won’t ship out for over 2 weeks?
Answer: No essential things seem to be taking longer due to covid
Product reviews of Nesco Snackmaster Encore Food dehydrator, Gray
Kix DeCat : Love this dehydrator!
I bought this a while ago, I didn't want to leave a review until I had owned it for at least a month...I have owned it longer than that by now.
I have not used the jerky gun or the jerky spices that came with it so I cannot speak to that.
The settings on the top make everything a lot more easy than my old machine, there are settings and temps for herbs, fruits, meats and other treats. Comes with the jerky gun, spice mixes, two of the trays for making fruit roll up type items (which I have used and love) and then one plastic screen for smaller items. So far we have done just fruit; strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, fruit roll ups and coconut. Kiwi is soooo good! The mandarin oranges we used were the canned ones, fresh oranges come out very, very bitter, but the canned ones are like candy. Cleaning is a snap, the fact that the fan/heating part is the lid so on top not on bottom keeps things a lot more clean. If you are thinking about buying this one, just do it, it is a great unit.
I have not used the jerky gun or the jerky spices that came with it so I cannot speak to that.
The settings on the top make everything a lot more easy than my old machine, there are settings and temps for herbs, fruits, meats and other treats. Comes with the jerky gun, spice mixes, two of the trays for making fruit roll up type items (which I have used and love) and then one plastic screen for smaller items. So far we have done just fruit; strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, fruit roll ups and coconut. Kiwi is soooo good! The mandarin oranges we used were the canned ones, fresh oranges come out very, very bitter, but the canned ones are like candy. Cleaning is a snap, the fact that the fan/heating part is the lid so on top not on bottom keeps things a lot more clean. If you are thinking about buying this one, just do it, it is a great unit.
Frogflier : Great Product!
This was a Christmas purchase for my family of four sons that love beef jerky and dried fruit snacks. It came well packaged and with instructions that were fairly well written. Here are our observations:
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
RandomSybil : It has been very easy to make healthy all natural dog treats instead of ...
This dehydrator stays out of the box and ready for use in our house. With a 13 year old chocolate lab and a neighborhood full of dog friends, we use this dehydrator for making lots of dog treats. We buy the bogo bags of chicken tenderloins and make jerky for the pups and lots of other flavor varieties of jerky using the extruder. It has been very easy to make healthy all natural dog treats instead of buying mystery ingredient products for our dog and his friends. I have recommended this product to friends and neighbors.
Reyhan Westbrook : Works for a few years then fails; hopefully it won't burn your house down.
This product worked fine for 4.5 years then it overheated and melted the trays and would not work again. I remember growing up with the same toaster for 25+ years. I've had my 'Air Crazy' popcorn popper for 10+ years. This has a pretty short lifespan for something with such a simple job. The fact that it overheated is alarming because it's a fire risk. Ultimately this is a cheaply made product with planned obsolescence woven into the design. They use internal rivets and other engineering that was not designed to be serviced, so with no safe repair options, Nesco is shamelessly selling hunks of plastic trash to quickly end up in the landfill.
PermanentMarker : Great Product
I used this product for my recent camping trip. I used it to prepare food for my jet Boil cooking stove. The product literally ran for about 2 weeks straight, 20-24 hours a day and helped me prepare food for a 9 day trip. While I did like the attachments that came with it, I did not use them all. The jelly/fruit leather plates are nice, but i think for sauces and fruit purees that parchment paper worked better. The parchment paper items where always dry before the items on the jelly/fruit leather plates. I would actually have to peel items off the fruit leather trays and flip them over to completely dry. That is my reasoning for 4 stars.
Diana M. : Great dehydrator for our first...husband was happy with the first batch of jerky he's ever made!
Bought this for my husband to make jerky. He's made one batch so far and is making his second batch as I write this review. He's never made jerky before nor has he ever used a dehydrator. The beef jerky took about 6 hours and it was done...which was much faster than we thought it would take. We really didn't know what to expect since we don't have any previous experience with a dehydrator but he was happy with the way the dehydrator worked and really enjoyed the jerky. Can't compare to others since this is our first. It was pretty quiet too...low hum/fan sound...nothing bothersome.
Lisa : Received the Nesco dehydrator pretty fast. I have used it and it seems ...
Received the Nesco dehydrator pretty fast. I have used it and it seems to do a good job. Like all dehydrators it's dependent upon the a lot of conditions on how fast your item of choice drys. I sliced potatoes 1/8" thick and they dried well and did not turn grey or black. I chose bananas and sliced then from 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. They were a little ripe and did not dehydrate as well. They tasted really good though and can't say they went bad because they were eaten fast. My husband has only two concerns... that is it takes so long to dehydrate and how much is our electric bill going to raise. He doesn't seem to think this is going to be cost effective over already dehydrated backpacking food. I guess we both will have to see since I just started using it.
Jane E. Smith : Making Beef Jerky & Dried Fruits for the Family - Loving it!
We will never be out of jerky again! My Grandkids love the dried fruits, apples, strawberries, cantaloupe, & pears. It's been a learning process, figuring out how thick or thin to slice the fruits, but having a great time making healthy snacks for the Grandkids. And it's fast! If I make something that requires longer time, I start it in the evening and leave it overnight. By morning it's done and we're on to the next thing. Made ground beef jerky, and it was very tasty, but I also bought an eye of round roast, sliced it really thin, and made great jerky from that too. We will use this kitchen "toy" for a very long time.
Muriel A. : Great Dehydrator
I have ordered three others of these, they are my favorite dehydrators.. I got rid of all the other brand name ones I had and only use these nesco ones, they are fast without over heating the fruits, vegetables or other foods I put in them. We grow big gardens and I love to dehydrate a lot of it so we have it during times when we aren't growing any. These are perfect. :)
Bernard E. Bradley : versatile product
Great tool to prepare and store foods for later use without having the food spoiling so easy. It is good for foods used in hiking, storm related problems when power goes out. You can dry a large jar of spaghetti sauce, and store for later use or send to a college student without having the cost of shipping break you. It is also useful in preparing leaves for people that collect leaves as a hobby.
If anyone has someone in the peace corps overseas this is a great way to send food in a lighter package, The cost will be a quarter of what it would cost sending the same food undehydrated, and overseas postal rates are way too high to send much over four pounds. I know from experience
If anyone has someone in the peace corps overseas this is a great way to send food in a lighter package, The cost will be a quarter of what it would cost sending the same food undehydrated, and overseas postal rates are way too high to send much over four pounds. I know from experience
Daquan J. : Came with nothing it advertised
I ordered this item and it didn't come with the jerky nozzle, clean-a-screen, instructions, or recipe guide. The dehydrator was packed in a bag in a box that had already been opened. I literally got an incomplete set and have had no way to contact the manufacturer. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT AT ALL. Spend your money on another brand that you trust - this is not it.
Happy Brosnahan : If it had an off button, would have gotten 5 stars
So much better than my ronco. I love that it actually circulates the air and that it has different temperatures (the low worked wonderful for drying flower petals. They always ended up brown with my ronco). Only thing that is a real hassle is having to unplug every time I'm done using it. I have it set up on a "dresser" in my back room, and needing to reach behind the dresser to unplug is a major pain.
RandomSybil : It has been very easy to make healthy all natural dog treats instead of ...
This dehydrator stays out of the box and ready for use in our house. With a 13 year old chocolate lab and a neighborhood full of dog friends, we use this dehydrator for making lots of dog treats. We buy the bogo bags of chicken tenderloins and make jerky for the pups and lots of other flavor varieties of jerky using the extruder. It has been very easy to make healthy all natural dog treats instead of buying mystery ingredient products for our dog and his friends. I have recommended this product to friends and neighbors.
Jetta A. : Snack possibilities are endless!
You can dehydrate so much! I love dehydrating with this machine. The many trays allows you to really use your time wisely and get a large quantity done in a small space. It is very quite and easy to use. This was my first dehydrator and so far I am loving it! I have made dehydrated honey banana chips, cinnamon apples, jerky, raisins, dried tomatoes for salads, and my favorite, zucchini, garlic, parmesan chips! Those are fantastic and could easily cost you $6 or more a bag at the store for only a little! These are great to make nice, healthy snacks for your entire family, kids and adults!
Lady glitter sparkles : Loved it for a year then it stopped working
I was really excited about this dehydrator when I first got it a year ago and tonight it just stopped working in the middle of dehydrating jerkey...these things should last more than a year. Not acceptable. I was also becoming skeptical about the #7 plastic. Maybe bpa free, but doesn't mean it's not toxic. I will be replacing with a different brand and hopefully one that is stainless and will last more than a year.
CaptainBlackton : It's very easy to load up
This product seems to work fairly well, although it's the first time I've used a food dehydrator, so I don't have much to compare to. It's very easy to load up, and it fits a lot of food at once. You just load the food on, stack it up, set the temperature, and turn it on! Then just let it sit there until it's done! I haven't used the meat accessories yet. The only two downsides I can say are that It can be a little annoying to clean because there are so many tiny slats for the food to fall into and get dried on to, and the drying times have always seemed to be about half again as long as the manual says. But I usually try to run it several times in a row, then just wash it once.
Amazon Customer : Great product..
The shelves stay stacked securely and offers several temperature ranges with drying suggestions right on the lid. I use this for drying mushrooms and spices such as cayenne peppers and it works wonderfully. The only rather silly thing about this dehydrator is that it doesn't have an "off" setting. It starts running right when you plug it in and the only way to turn it off is to unplug it which is slightly annoying, but not enough to deduct a star. This is my first dehydrator and am pleased with the purchase. I recommend it.
Jess : Good quality at good price
It is quiet and very, very easy to use. I haven't made jerky yet but I have made tons of yummy Apple chips, banana chips, and grapes. The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is that the dehydrating times in the guide book should be longer. If I would have removed the fruit at the suggested times they wouldn't have been done. I just 'eyeballed' and they turned out great.
machine_punk : Wow! Who knew jerky could be this good?
I've only had this a couple of weeks, but the jerky you can make with this machine is absolutely amazing! I haven't had as good of luck with fruit leathers yet, but I didn't particularly follow any tried-and-true recipe, either.
This unit is well built. It is a bit annoying that they supply an 'odd' number of trays (5) with this unit. You can only buy add-on trays in units of 2, so you have to either max out at '11' trays, or buy an extra (it recommends you don't use more than 12 trays at one time).
I actually just went ahead and bought another dehydrator and a couple of extra trays (5 + 5 + 2 = 12). So, I can either max out one unit, or run both units at the same time for quicker results. I got the whole extra machine and two trays for the same price it would have cost to add 4 more sets of trays.
Anyway, I'm wondering why I waited so long to get a dehydrator. I love the jerky it makes and I cannot wait to figure out what else it can do.
This unit is well built. It is a bit annoying that they supply an 'odd' number of trays (5) with this unit. You can only buy add-on trays in units of 2, so you have to either max out at '11' trays, or buy an extra (it recommends you don't use more than 12 trays at one time).
I actually just went ahead and bought another dehydrator and a couple of extra trays (5 + 5 + 2 = 12). So, I can either max out one unit, or run both units at the same time for quicker results. I got the whole extra machine and two trays for the same price it would have cost to add 4 more sets of trays.
Anyway, I'm wondering why I waited so long to get a dehydrator. I love the jerky it makes and I cannot wait to figure out what else it can do.
Wanda : Small but powerful
I’m so excited about this. The name is one that I truly trust too. Our last dehydrator was so big, bulky and heavy! We live in a little house and this is stored up in the attic and the size and weight is so great to get up and down the ladder. It works amazing, but we’ve only used it for jerky.
Chrissy : I love it. Easy to use
I bought this to make Jerky. I love it. Easy to use. Easy to clean. Jerky Came out great.
It actually comes with seasoning for your jerky. There's a lot of room so you can make a lot.
I haven't dried any fruits yet but I plan on doing that next. Over all, very happy with my purchase!
Would definitely recommend.
It actually comes with seasoning for your jerky. There's a lot of room so you can make a lot.
I haven't dried any fruits yet but I plan on doing that next. Over all, very happy with my purchase!
Would definitely recommend.
Seahorse007 : A must-have if you have fruit trees.
I love this machine! Great investment. instead of tossing older mealy apples into the worm box, now I dry them and then the slices last a long time. In the summer I will be drying the apricots and plums from the tree. We can never keep up with all the fruit, even if we make jam. But now we can! I have also dried strawberries, kiwis, pears and apples that were mushy or too ripe. If I have a large stock of ripening fruit, I keep the machine going for days, and I don't worry about cleaning the racks. I just keep loading the up with slices of fruit. I takes about 24 hrs for 1/4 inch slices to reach a dry but chewy consistency.
I bought the dehydrator b/c I have a persimmon tree that does not quit and we absolutely can't keep up with the hundreds of fruits it produces now. If you know anything about Hachiya persimmons, they have to be completely ripe, to the point of being like jelly, before eating them. If you eat them too soon, the tannins will make your mouth feel weird and unpleasant. But they can be dehydrated before they are ripe and the heat breaks down the tannins. I have dehydrated several hundred partially ripe persimmons since early Nov and almost everyone who visits will nosh on the slices because it is like candy.
I have not tried to make fruit leather or jerky, so cannot speak to the effectiveness of the dehydrator for those tasks. But I have to say the if you have fruit trees of any sort that give bumper crops year after year, this little investment will help you reap the benefits of your harvest without having to give away more than you want or spend hours making jars of jam and pies and whatever else you can think of. The dried fruit has a really long shelf life.
I bought the dehydrator b/c I have a persimmon tree that does not quit and we absolutely can't keep up with the hundreds of fruits it produces now. If you know anything about Hachiya persimmons, they have to be completely ripe, to the point of being like jelly, before eating them. If you eat them too soon, the tannins will make your mouth feel weird and unpleasant. But they can be dehydrated before they are ripe and the heat breaks down the tannins. I have dehydrated several hundred partially ripe persimmons since early Nov and almost everyone who visits will nosh on the slices because it is like candy.
I have not tried to make fruit leather or jerky, so cannot speak to the effectiveness of the dehydrator for those tasks. But I have to say the if you have fruit trees of any sort that give bumper crops year after year, this little investment will help you reap the benefits of your harvest without having to give away more than you want or spend hours making jars of jam and pies and whatever else you can think of. The dried fruit has a really long shelf life.
Mad Jenny Vane : Excellent Way to Make Prep Food for Emergencies!
You will never buy beef jerky in a store ever again! I only use ground turkey when I make jerky, and it's perfect. Only lasts a few days in my house! Warning: it will make your house smell wonderful as long as the dehydrator's on. I have yet to dehydrate vegetables, but it works so well with jerky, that I'm sure it does wonders for everything else. Get the extender pack if you plan to make a lot of any 1 thing, as 1 pound of turkey can take up all five racks depending on which attachment you use (flat, round small or round large).
Elle Emme : This dehydrator is just what we needed.
I bought this because I have a child with allergies who like to do backcountry camping. He can't eat the premade dehydrated foods that most people eat on the trail, so we make our own! We dehydrate everything with this thing, even enchaladas and spagetti sauce. I'm so happy we found this so he had the same oppertunities that other kids have.
I have no complaints about this at all. We use it a few times a month and have for a year now.
I have no complaints about this at all. We use it a few times a month and have for a year now.
PermanentMarker : Great Product
I used this product for my recent camping trip. I used it to prepare food for my jet Boil cooking stove. The product literally ran for about 2 weeks straight, 20-24 hours a day and helped me prepare food for a 9 day trip. While I did like the attachments that came with it, I did not use them all. The jelly/fruit leather plates are nice, but i think for sauces and fruit purees that parchment paper worked better. The parchment paper items where always dry before the items on the jelly/fruit leather plates. I would actually have to peel items off the fruit leather trays and flip them over to completely dry. That is my reasoning for 4 stars.
Kix DeCat : Love this dehydrator!
I bought this a while ago, I didn't want to leave a review until I had owned it for at least a month...I have owned it longer than that by now.
I have not used the jerky gun or the jerky spices that came with it so I cannot speak to that.
The settings on the top make everything a lot more easy than my old machine, there are settings and temps for herbs, fruits, meats and other treats. Comes with the jerky gun, spice mixes, two of the trays for making fruit roll up type items (which I have used and love) and then one plastic screen for smaller items. So far we have done just fruit; strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, fruit roll ups and coconut. Kiwi is soooo good! The mandarin oranges we used were the canned ones, fresh oranges come out very, very bitter, but the canned ones are like candy. Cleaning is a snap, the fact that the fan/heating part is the lid so on top not on bottom keeps things a lot more clean. If you are thinking about buying this one, just do it, it is a great unit.
I have not used the jerky gun or the jerky spices that came with it so I cannot speak to that.
The settings on the top make everything a lot more easy than my old machine, there are settings and temps for herbs, fruits, meats and other treats. Comes with the jerky gun, spice mixes, two of the trays for making fruit roll up type items (which I have used and love) and then one plastic screen for smaller items. So far we have done just fruit; strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, fruit roll ups and coconut. Kiwi is soooo good! The mandarin oranges we used were the canned ones, fresh oranges come out very, very bitter, but the canned ones are like candy. Cleaning is a snap, the fact that the fan/heating part is the lid so on top not on bottom keeps things a lot more clean. If you are thinking about buying this one, just do it, it is a great unit.
Christine Nichols : I have to say this is the nice addition to my Kitchen
I have to say this is the nice addition to my Kitchen. I can core 4 apples and slice them up, sprinkle with Cinnamon and 4 hours later I have 6 trays of apple treats for my grandchildren. I have done Jerky and my family and friends say it tastes better than any store bought......If you like your food natural and know what you are eating, give this a try.. I barely give it a rest, and it is not noisy at all. I did buy 4 additional trays and 4 additional Fruit Roll up trays too....
Little Miss : Super fast transaction! Great product! I will order here again!
Super happy! This is my second one. My garden and herbs went bonkers this year. So one dehydrator was not going to keep up. I have had my first one for I'm guessing ten years I use it all the time. I save so many foods that would have gone to waste otherwise. I have not mastered the perfect fruit roll up yet. But jerky, tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries, celery, onions, and orange peel are so so so very easy! Herbs are fantastic! I save about $300 a year dehydrating my own spices and vegetables. I love this dehydrator and can not say enough good things about it!
Amazon Customer : Great product..
The shelves stay stacked securely and offers several temperature ranges with drying suggestions right on the lid. I use this for drying mushrooms and spices such as cayenne peppers and it works wonderfully. The only rather silly thing about this dehydrator is that it doesn't have an "off" setting. It starts running right when you plug it in and the only way to turn it off is to unplug it which is slightly annoying, but not enough to deduct a star. This is my first dehydrator and am pleased with the purchase. I recommend it.
Frogflier : Great Product!
This was a Christmas purchase for my family of four sons that love beef jerky and dried fruit snacks. It came well packaged and with instructions that were fairly well written. Here are our observations:
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
machine_punk : Wow! Who knew jerky could be this good?
I've only had this a couple of weeks, but the jerky you can make with this machine is absolutely amazing! I haven't had as good of luck with fruit leathers yet, but I didn't particularly follow any tried-and-true recipe, either.
This unit is well built. It is a bit annoying that they supply an 'odd' number of trays (5) with this unit. You can only buy add-on trays in units of 2, so you have to either max out at '11' trays, or buy an extra (it recommends you don't use more than 12 trays at one time).
I actually just went ahead and bought another dehydrator and a couple of extra trays (5 + 5 + 2 = 12). So, I can either max out one unit, or run both units at the same time for quicker results. I got the whole extra machine and two trays for the same price it would have cost to add 4 more sets of trays.
Anyway, I'm wondering why I waited so long to get a dehydrator. I love the jerky it makes and I cannot wait to figure out what else it can do.
This unit is well built. It is a bit annoying that they supply an 'odd' number of trays (5) with this unit. You can only buy add-on trays in units of 2, so you have to either max out at '11' trays, or buy an extra (it recommends you don't use more than 12 trays at one time).
I actually just went ahead and bought another dehydrator and a couple of extra trays (5 + 5 + 2 = 12). So, I can either max out one unit, or run both units at the same time for quicker results. I got the whole extra machine and two trays for the same price it would have cost to add 4 more sets of trays.
Anyway, I'm wondering why I waited so long to get a dehydrator. I love the jerky it makes and I cannot wait to figure out what else it can do.
Lady glitter sparkles : Loved it for a year then it stopped working
I was really excited about this dehydrator when I first got it a year ago and tonight it just stopped working in the middle of dehydrating jerkey...these things should last more than a year. Not acceptable. I was also becoming skeptical about the #7 plastic. Maybe bpa free, but doesn't mean it's not toxic. I will be replacing with a different brand and hopefully one that is stainless and will last more than a year.
Allen : Works Very Well
If you are into dehydrating, this unit works very well. There is a bit of a learning curve. I attempted to make fruit roll-ups and left it in too long. I used Apples and Pineapple blended into a sauce and then dehydrated. Leaving them in until they are very dry makes them crispy as chips! The best tasting chips EVER too! Imagine crispy chips with intense apple pineapple flavor. Yumm.
I tried making Turkey Jerky. I didn't properly read the directions and made it by grinding up the turkey in the blender and using the shooter. NOT the way to do Turkey! That only works with beef or pork apparently. The Turkey dried up crispy and who wants their Turkey crispy? Well, buy it and play with it. It's a fun learning experience.
I tried making Turkey Jerky. I didn't properly read the directions and made it by grinding up the turkey in the blender and using the shooter. NOT the way to do Turkey! That only works with beef or pork apparently. The Turkey dried up crispy and who wants their Turkey crispy? Well, buy it and play with it. It's a fun learning experience.
Kristina M Weltzin : Broken on arrival
Unfortunately, I didn't even get to use this product ONE time before it broke. I was so excited to receive this and spent time prepping raw meat and pressing it out via the jerky gun (which honestly was a pain to use). Then plugged it in, saw a dim light in the top piece on but no noise was made and walked away.
Came back 1 hour later as instructed and all the meat was still COMPLETELY raw. I tried adjusting the temperature dial and looking to see if there was an on/off switch I missed...nothing. The light in the top was not on and the dehydrator did not work at all. I did a lot of research and really want this dehydrator to be the one but am very skeptical after this terrible first experience.
Came back 1 hour later as instructed and all the meat was still COMPLETELY raw. I tried adjusting the temperature dial and looking to see if there was an on/off switch I missed...nothing. The light in the top was not on and the dehydrator did not work at all. I did a lot of research and really want this dehydrator to be the one but am very skeptical after this terrible first experience.
Old Vermont Hippy : Worked fine for tomatoes and garden seeds for storage. Wish it had a timer.
I purchased this dehydrator near the end of the gardening season. I've only used it for dehydrating tomatoes. I've developed a taste for sun-dried tomatoes and have read that hot air drying gives an identical product. That is true. Hopefully I now have enough dehydrated tomatoes to last the winter's pizza making.
I also used it to finish up the drying of saved seeds. A couple of hours at 105 and I'm confident they are completely dry and ready for storage.
An on/off switch and a timer would be a nice addition and if it cost $5 more I'd have gladly paid it. But this deficiency is not quite enough to take off a star. Next season there may be times when I want to leave the house for the day, but only have the unit run for a few hours. Then I may need to find my timer to plug it into.
I also used it to finish up the drying of saved seeds. A couple of hours at 105 and I'm confident they are completely dry and ready for storage.
An on/off switch and a timer would be a nice addition and if it cost $5 more I'd have gladly paid it. But this deficiency is not quite enough to take off a star. Next season there may be times when I want to leave the house for the day, but only have the unit run for a few hours. Then I may need to find my timer to plug it into.
4MyMoney : Why only three stars? Read on...
Background: My brother has had one of these for a few years and it works great. I decided to buy one since I have a large garden and didn't want to tie his up all season. I wanted a slightly larger model so I purchased an FD75 from Amazon (also reviewed) When I got it I loaded it up with bananas. They took several days instead of 12 hours. Thinking I might have done something wrong I sliced up some onions and garlic nice and thin. Again, several days... I asked my brother if I could use his to run some performance comparisons between the two. His heated up fast (10-15 minutes) and stayed reasonably well within the thermostat setting. Mine never got up to max temperature and consistently stayed 10-15 degrees cooler than whatever setting I had it on. Fine, a defect. Amazon made it easy to return and sent me a replacement. The replacement FD75 did the same thing, though it was even a little worse. Boxed up and sent back the same day, and Amazon gave me a refund since they didn't want to chance sending a third defective unit.
I ordered the FD61 the day I returned the second FD75 and tested it upon arrival - again using my brother's as a benchmark. His heated up to 155d in about 15 minutes, mine took over an hour and struggled to get past 150d at all. Both FD61s... What changed?
Will this work for what I bought it for? Sure, but not in the way it was designed. I'll need to determine what setting will achieve the desired temperature rather than use the reference settings on the machine. Since it doesn't seem capable of reaching the 155d necessary for making jerky I probably can't use it for that at all. Useable and does do a nice job, but the quality is questionable.
Like my review of the FD75 says: Test it BEFORE you put food in it. (the other review explains how I tested and what the results were)
I ordered the FD61 the day I returned the second FD75 and tested it upon arrival - again using my brother's as a benchmark. His heated up to 155d in about 15 minutes, mine took over an hour and struggled to get past 150d at all. Both FD61s... What changed?
Will this work for what I bought it for? Sure, but not in the way it was designed. I'll need to determine what setting will achieve the desired temperature rather than use the reference settings on the machine. Since it doesn't seem capable of reaching the 155d necessary for making jerky I probably can't use it for that at all. Useable and does do a nice job, but the quality is questionable.
Like my review of the FD75 says: Test it BEFORE you put food in it. (the other review explains how I tested and what the results were)
David : It would still take a while for those savings to pay for the unit but at least you can enjoy your own marinades and rubs in the
Made tons of jerky, dries quarter inch slices in 4, sometimes 5 hours (3lb undried spread over 2 trays). The spice and cure packs are very salty, you can probably use half what they say though it might shorten jerky storage life. Usually not a problem since it's gone in less than a week. I used lean roast from butcher at $5/lb and this still comes out way cheaper than buying jerky in store. It would still take a while for those savings to pay for the unit but at least you can enjoy your own marinades and rubs in the meantime.
Also did some dried strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, filing all trays at once; did the deed in 17 hours which seems long, but not really considering it was jammed full of high water content food.
Also did some dried strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, filing all trays at once; did the deed in 17 hours which seems long, but not really considering it was jammed full of high water content food.
Vic : Easy peasy!
Having never done any dehydrating i choose an inexpensive way to get started. The packaging is easy, the shipping was fast, and the instructions are pretty clear.
What's missing is the time needed for each type of dehydrating. This is probably left out because there are to many variables for each item that can be dehydrated. Thickness and sizes of the pieces being the major variable. My advice, fruit takes a long time 10 hours or more and still ends up gummy...probably because i am a beginner but it does take longer than expected. Jerky can be done in 4 hours for a good result.
What's missing is the time needed for each type of dehydrating. This is probably left out because there are to many variables for each item that can be dehydrated. Thickness and sizes of the pieces being the major variable. My advice, fruit takes a long time 10 hours or more and still ends up gummy...probably because i am a beginner but it does take longer than expected. Jerky can be done in 4 hours for a good result.
MotherHen : Starting smoking first use.
The top started smoking and it didn't work. I read all instructions and made sure I was doing it "right". Nope. First use and didn't get to use it. I'm just glad I tested it out before prepping my food.
Lisa : Received the Nesco dehydrator pretty fast. I have used it and it seems ...
Received the Nesco dehydrator pretty fast. I have used it and it seems to do a good job. Like all dehydrators it's dependent upon the a lot of conditions on how fast your item of choice drys. I sliced potatoes 1/8" thick and they dried well and did not turn grey or black. I chose bananas and sliced then from 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. They were a little ripe and did not dehydrate as well. They tasted really good though and can't say they went bad because they were eaten fast. My husband has only two concerns... that is it takes so long to dehydrate and how much is our electric bill going to raise. He doesn't seem to think this is going to be cost effective over already dehydrated backpacking food. I guess we both will have to see since I just started using it.
Kristina M Weltzin : Broken on arrival
Unfortunately, I didn't even get to use this product ONE time before it broke. I was so excited to receive this and spent time prepping raw meat and pressing it out via the jerky gun (which honestly was a pain to use). Then plugged it in, saw a dim light in the top piece on but no noise was made and walked away.
Came back 1 hour later as instructed and all the meat was still COMPLETELY raw. I tried adjusting the temperature dial and looking to see if there was an on/off switch I missed...nothing. The light in the top was not on and the dehydrator did not work at all. I did a lot of research and really want this dehydrator to be the one but am very skeptical after this terrible first experience.
Came back 1 hour later as instructed and all the meat was still COMPLETELY raw. I tried adjusting the temperature dial and looking to see if there was an on/off switch I missed...nothing. The light in the top was not on and the dehydrator did not work at all. I did a lot of research and really want this dehydrator to be the one but am very skeptical after this terrible first experience.
Ty : Had I realized it would work this well, I would have bought one years ago! I also reviewed the jerky gun
Dubious at first, but wow it really works!!! Immediately out of the box I put in some marinated beef strips, plugged it outside, and within a few hours I had perfectly delicious beef jerky. This is my new favorite toy!
I plugged it in outside in the shade, as I wanted to minimize the heat and smell inside the house. I live in southern California, and I think the heat outside helped to speed up the process as it was done much faster than I thought it would be. We did some veggies as well, and it was also much faster.
About the jerky gun: I thought it was a very silly thing until I read another reviewers comment about how it really worked, so I tried it. And it does work! I was amazed. I put in the seasoned ground beef, squeezed it out onto the trays, and in a few hours I had beef sticks! This comes with a few packets of seasoning, and I found them to be delicious.
I highly recommended this, especially for the price. It is easy to clean and easy to store. I'm thinking about buying some more for Christmas presents.
I plugged it in outside in the shade, as I wanted to minimize the heat and smell inside the house. I live in southern California, and I think the heat outside helped to speed up the process as it was done much faster than I thought it would be. We did some veggies as well, and it was also much faster.
About the jerky gun: I thought it was a very silly thing until I read another reviewers comment about how it really worked, so I tried it. And it does work! I was amazed. I put in the seasoned ground beef, squeezed it out onto the trays, and in a few hours I had beef sticks! This comes with a few packets of seasoning, and I found them to be delicious.
I highly recommended this, especially for the price. It is easy to clean and easy to store. I'm thinking about buying some more for Christmas presents.
Humphrey : Was going to use this dehydrator for the second time today and it wouldn’t even come on.
I intended to use this dehydrator for the second time today. While using the gun, I decided I was going to buy a different one. With this gun, ground meat backs up behind the plunger, it holds a small amount and the trigger mechanism is difficult to use.
THEN... I had all the trays loaded with jerky.. and the dehydrator doesn’t even come on!
I have never written a review before, but this item required one.. a bad one. $80 thrown in the garbage.
THEN... I had all the trays loaded with jerky.. and the dehydrator doesn’t even come on!
I have never written a review before, but this item required one.. a bad one. $80 thrown in the garbage.
BR : Best way to get your jerky fix.
the noise is very minimal, sounds like a bathroom fan
fits about 1.5lb of jerky on all supplied trays (using ground meat and gun) . My timings were waaaaaaay off from what the instructions and reviews say. Id be able to throw 1.5 lbs in and have it done in 3 hours tops. The product is great, ive used venison, beef, turkey, pork and bison. the best combo ive done so far is Berkshire ground pork, Nesco original seasoning, red pepper flakes to taste, and a couple shots of pure Grade B maple Syrup. its insanity, you gotta try it....maybe one day ill try dehydrating something healther. but till then, thank you Nesco Meat Jerky Machine.
fits about 1.5lb of jerky on all supplied trays (using ground meat and gun) . My timings were waaaaaaay off from what the instructions and reviews say. Id be able to throw 1.5 lbs in and have it done in 3 hours tops. The product is great, ive used venison, beef, turkey, pork and bison. the best combo ive done so far is Berkshire ground pork, Nesco original seasoning, red pepper flakes to taste, and a couple shots of pure Grade B maple Syrup. its insanity, you gotta try it....maybe one day ill try dehydrating something healther. but till then, thank you Nesco Meat Jerky Machine.
Alan : Excellent Machine for Jerky!
Quick Shipping. I also ordered two additional trays so that I would not run out of tray space. I made my first batch of delicious Beef Jerky using the seasoning that came with it. I used 93/7 lean ground beef and dried it for 15 hours occasionally blotting the grease off of each piece. I could not be happier. I took some to work to share and everyone said it was better than the stuff you pay through the nose for. The machine works well, just the fan is a little noisy, and the smell of the jerky drying takes over the house. The wife said next time, plug it in outside on the patio.
The gun works well and I also made some sticks using the stick attachment. I look forward to experimenting with more items, fruits, vegetables.
The machine is well made and I think it is a quality product.
The gun works well and I also made some sticks using the stick attachment. I look forward to experimenting with more items, fruits, vegetables.
The machine is well made and I think it is a quality product.
Shilo : The right choice for me.
Very happy with this unit. Only using it to make beef jerky, though will likely branch out at some point and try drying fruit, etc. Works perfectly. Well-made. Now that I've used it several times, I do agree that a timer would be a nice feature, though as others have pointed out, you can buy an external timer for $10 or so. Jerky is pretty forgiving regarding how long you dry it (I like mine very dry) but for other foods, a timer would help fine-tune how long you dry your stuff. (The option is to set your alarm clock for 2am and get up and unplug it then). Which brings up another feature that I would enjoy having (though again, not a deal breaker). An on/off switch would be nice, since I try to never unplug an appliance when it is on, especially a heat-producing appliance, because sparks jump from the outlet to the plug and can be a safety hazard. All of that being said, I'm glad I bought this item, definitely worth the price and works beautifully. I also bought a separate 2-pack of extra trays, and the batch of jerky I made using all 7 trays came out beautifully. Good product.
GD : Do not buy cheap and doesn’t work
This does not work do not buy I purchased 2 months ago in May 2020 I just opened it on yesterday September 11, 2020 and it does not work.., It Seems like it wants to catch on fire and the air that came out of the top smells burnt... it’s a cheap and flimsy product Do not buy
Frogflier : Great Product!
This was a Christmas purchase for my family of four sons that love beef jerky and dried fruit snacks. It came well packaged and with instructions that were fairly well written. Here are our observations:
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
- Good capacity that is scaleable to the amount of food you are dehydrating. The trays all stack so you can leave out ones you aren't using.
- Fairly easy clean up - the trays are fairly non-stick. However, I imagine the mesh can get some messier foods stuck in-between to make cleaning more time-consuming.
- Easy to use temperature control.
- Accessories like jerky gun seem to work well, but we'll see how long the plastic tool lasts.
- Unit's fan is a bit noisy and will produce a fair amount of heat (like a blow-dryer on low). Not a real issue in the winter, but may add unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
- As indicated in the manual, food drying time depends on factors such as the thickness, moisture content, surface area, etc. The best way to determine drying time is to experiment and keep a log of how long certain foods take so you don't have to keep checking in the future.
Overall, we're very happy with this appliance. It definitely but a dent in our jerky expenses!
S : Wonderful & works well - it's NOT loud + Update
People have been complaining about the noise it makes - I think you're being over dramatic. It's not even as loud as a hair dryer, maybe you got a lemon. Mine sounds like a low fan, but what else do you expect? It works well, easy to clean, food always comes out wonderful tasting! I've done fruit spreads, pineapples, apples, strawberries, beef, peaches, and apricots. It works well, packaged well, shipping was fast, doesn't take 5 days to do anything, and this was a present for my brother - I am super pleased with my purchase!
Update: May 23, 2013
My brother used this the other day for Kale chips - still works like new, still not loud, still delivers beautifully! I ordered this in 2010 for my brother. He doesn't use it everyday, maybe that's why it still works phenomenally, but still... fantastic product and I'm SO glad I got it for him!
Update: May 23, 2013
My brother used this the other day for Kale chips - still works like new, still not loud, still delivers beautifully! I ordered this in 2010 for my brother. He doesn't use it everyday, maybe that's why it still works phenomenally, but still... fantastic product and I'm SO glad I got it for him!
Cameron W : Great Dehydrator!
Works great! I make beef jerky in my dehydrator all the time! Has plenty of room, and holds about two pounds of meat comfortably! The jerky gun works great too! Easy to assembly, and clean. The only thing they could add to this product is an on/off switch (you have to unplug and plug it up to turn it on and off). Stop paying ten dollars a bag for a half of pound of jerky at the store, and get this dehydrator and make your own how you like it for a fraction of the cost! Overall, I highly recommend this item!
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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