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
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
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.
Jackie : Tasty Jerky and Banana Chips
The Snackmaster is a fairly standard dehydrator.
Pros:
* It comes with 5 trays which is nice because I only use two or three at a time, and swap them out between uses so I always have a clean set ready to go.
* It has a heat setting on top so you can set more sensitive items at a lower temperature, however I usually dry things with the top two settings
* I'm drying a lot of veggies so I can make vegetable soup this winter.
* Dried Onions and Garlic are great to use for cooking later.
* The Jerky gun is nice, however it is messy. Make sure you don't overdry your jerky, or you'll literally cut your gums up eating it.
* Banana chips are easy to make- put them on the mesh insert, and half way through, flip the mesh on the tray and they'll dry and peel right off.
* The Jerky mix that comes with it is fairly tasty.
Cons:
* I hate cleaning it. Hate Hate Hate. If you use the platters, and you spill your fruit paste, it'll take forever to clean it off once it dries.
* the base has grooves- if you get drips in those grooves and it gets down to the inside of the feet, you'll never get it out.
* It is dishwasher safe, but the trays don't fit in my dishwasher very well.
* There's no off button, which means you're constantly plugging and unplugging it.
To be honest, you probably won't find a better dehydrator- it gets the job done as well as can be expected. Other than the cleaning grief, it's very nice.
Honest but true : Motor started smoking on very first use ruining all my fruit.
Would definitely give zero stars if possible. When I got the box it looked like it had already been used and returned but I wasn’t sure so tried it anyway. I prepped about $10 worth of fruit, loaded it up, and when I turned it on and it started smoking really bad and ruined all my fruit. The fan never turned on and I could never get a hold of their customer service. At least Amazon is returning it.
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....
J5Family : I love this dehydrator and I also like the jerky maker
I love this dehydrator and I also like the jerky maker.
What I like:
1. The temperature control lets you change it from very low heat to pretty high heat.
2. You can dry just about anything (veggies, fruit, snacks...)
3. It doesn't put out a lot of heat.
4. The bottom tray catches all the drippings.
Yummy things to try:
Eggplant bacon jerky (WOW is this good!)
Zucchini chips (make sure to cut them pretty thick)
Herbs (use the inserts with tiny small holes)
Candied orange peel
What I don't recommend
Meat (unless you use a cure and know what you are doing)
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.
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.
isaytomatoyousaytomahto : Love this!
Been researching dehydrators to make jerky and healthy dog treats, this Nesco was the best rated without spending a fortune.
I have had it for over a month and love it. It takes some time to figure drying times, as with any dehydrator but it does what it is supposed to very well.
PROS:
Faster than the bottom element dehydrators because of the top heating fan.
Comes with jerky gun and atrachments to form ground meat jerky sticks (flat or round).
Comes with 2 easy clean and two fruit roll tray linings.
Not as noisy as most.
Didnt burn or brown my countertops from the heat.
Comes with 5 trays.
Does an excellent drying job for the money and even if I had paid more.
Recipes included are basic but a good introduction if this is new to you.
Temperature settings.
CONS:
No off switch. (That is why I gave it 4/5 stars)
No internal thermometer to check actual tray temps.
All in all, very worth while. Does the job well. Would recommend.
M. Bell : Very worth the money!
We absolutely love this thing. Bought it because we wanted dried fruit and jerky that wasn't packed with sugar, salt, or preservatives.
It is QUIET. A low hum, like a fan (well, that's basically what it is, a heated fan).
It isn't all that easy to clean, but that can't be helped. The air must flow.
It is, however, incredibly easy to use. You put stuff in. You go away. You get stuff out hours later. It's like a crockpot.
The bottom trays do dry slower than the top; either you can rotate them, or you can just empty them as they dry out. I'm doing apples right now, and have another load to go yet, so when the top tray is done, will be putting in more. I'm pretty sure I could just ignore them until tomorrow and they'd be perfectly fine. Brittle, but fine. (we forgot about the jerky once, and it was like eating meat potato chips, very odd)
We haven't used the jerky gun. Experimented a little, and found that a brisket does better (and is cheaper than the flank steak the manual recommends). Trim off as much fat as possible, half-freeze it to make it easier to slice into strips, marinate it the rest of the day, and then dehydrate overnight. This comes as close to store-bought as we can manage. We've been playing around with jerky marinades, and have come up with one that is wonderfully spicy. The Alton Brown marinade is good as well, but leave off the red pepper flakes. It's alarming to suddenly bite into one. You might also like to know that when you make jerky, the entire house will smell like it after an hour and continue to do so the whole time. The smell goes away again after about an hour. Do not make jerky if someone has to fast for some reason (such as getting blood drawn the next day), they WILL snarl at you.
For sliced fruits, you might want to get a mandoline slicer. Faster, and the slices are more uniform. Watch your fingers with those things, use the guard!
For the money, this is definitely your best option. Extremely pleased with our new toy! And new snacks!
DSL : Decent but two very basic things missing
Only had this for a day. Seems like a decent product for the price. However, I couldn't agree more with one reviewer who said it needs two things, both of which seem very basic. There is no switch to turn it on or off. Instead, you have to pull the plug. I never assumed a product wouldn't have a switch. Every decent electrical product in my house has a switch so this one seems to me like a glaring oversight. Think about having to unplug your blender or hair dryer to turn it off. Also, a timer would be most helpful. Assuming some people go to bed and to work and will be away form their drying food for a number of hours. Both of these shortcomings are likely $2 options for which I think most users would gladly pay.
isaytomatoyousaytomahto : Love this!
Been researching dehydrators to make jerky and healthy dog treats, this Nesco was the best rated without spending a fortune.
I have had it for over a month and love it. It takes some time to figure drying times, as with any dehydrator but it does what it is supposed to very well.
PROS:
Faster than the bottom element dehydrators because of the top heating fan.
Comes with jerky gun and atrachments to form ground meat jerky sticks (flat or round).
Comes with 2 easy clean and two fruit roll tray linings.
Not as noisy as most.
Didnt burn or brown my countertops from the heat.
Comes with 5 trays.
Does an excellent drying job for the money and even if I had paid more.
Recipes included are basic but a good introduction if this is new to you.
Temperature settings.
CONS:
No off switch. (That is why I gave it 4/5 stars)
No internal thermometer to check actual tray temps.
All in all, very worth while. Does the job well. Would recommend.
BarbaraS34 : So glad we bought this one!
We really didn't know anything about a dehydrator or the brand to buy that was best for our needs. This one was perfect! We were afraid it would be another appliance that made its way to the basement for storage. But because it is so easy to use and big enough to make a nice quantity of whatever it is you want to make, we found we use it a lot! Our favorite thing to make is jerky. It came with the neatest dispenser that is so easy to clean, it makes making jerky a pleasure. The grandson's love jerky, too. And it is expensive in the stores, so we feel we got a great deal! Thank you Amazon!! You're the best!
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)
DJsGrl : I'm so happy with this dehydrator and it's a great deal!
I have to admit, this was a bit of an impulse purchase because I suddenly decided that making my own dried fruit and beef jerky was a great idea. After reading tons of reviews for different dehydrators, I went with this one because you got so many accessories included in the great price! So far, we've made dried apples with cinnamon, dried bananas and beef jerky. I made the jerky using ground beef and one of the seasoning packets included. Everything has been great! My family has loved everything I've made and I love the ease of using the dehydrator. Everything is easy to clean, easy to set up, easy to do. Making ground beef jerky is especially easy! The jerky gun works great and my jerky was done in about 4 hours. I'm very pleased with this purchase!
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
someonewhoshops : Best on the market for price point
I had an earlier version of this dehydrator years ago and loved it. Finally, it stopped working. I bought another brand to replace it but it didn't seem to work as fast or as quietly. So I sold that one and went back to this brand. Although it doesn't have impressive bells and whistles which may be temping in other brands, it works very well through it's simplicity. The spice pack I received contains only hot spice packs, so buyer be aware...I would have like to have had a variety. But the spices are delicious. Now that it's summer, I fill my dehydrator with whatever I choose, stick it in the garage and let it go all day. No added heat to my kitchen. Easy Peasy!
M. Bell : Very worth the money!
We absolutely love this thing. Bought it because we wanted dried fruit and jerky that wasn't packed with sugar, salt, or preservatives.
It is QUIET. A low hum, like a fan (well, that's basically what it is, a heated fan).
It isn't all that easy to clean, but that can't be helped. The air must flow.
It is, however, incredibly easy to use. You put stuff in. You go away. You get stuff out hours later. It's like a crockpot.
The bottom trays do dry slower than the top; either you can rotate them, or you can just empty them as they dry out. I'm doing apples right now, and have another load to go yet, so when the top tray is done, will be putting in more. I'm pretty sure I could just ignore them until tomorrow and they'd be perfectly fine. Brittle, but fine. (we forgot about the jerky once, and it was like eating meat potato chips, very odd)
We haven't used the jerky gun. Experimented a little, and found that a brisket does better (and is cheaper than the flank steak the manual recommends). Trim off as much fat as possible, half-freeze it to make it easier to slice into strips, marinate it the rest of the day, and then dehydrate overnight. This comes as close to store-bought as we can manage. We've been playing around with jerky marinades, and have come up with one that is wonderfully spicy. The Alton Brown marinade is good as well, but leave off the red pepper flakes. It's alarming to suddenly bite into one. You might also like to know that when you make jerky, the entire house will smell like it after an hour and continue to do so the whole time. The smell goes away again after about an hour. Do not make jerky if someone has to fast for some reason (such as getting blood drawn the next day), they WILL snarl at you.
For sliced fruits, you might want to get a mandoline slicer. Faster, and the slices are more uniform. Watch your fingers with those things, use the guard!
For the money, this is definitely your best option. Extremely pleased with our new toy! And new snacks!
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.
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!
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.
Amazon Customer : one of my favorit kichen gagets yet!
It makes great jerky! It is easy to use and easy to clean. The dishwasher cleans the racks right up. It is a little loud so I just put it out in the garage and set a timer. It is neat that you can just order more racks to expand its capacity. Most dehydrators you are stuck with the size you buy. This one you can add or remove racks to best suite your needs.
MsGrib01 : LOVE this Dehydrator!
This dehydrator is amazing! It was quiet and with two additional trays it made 5 lbs of meat into jerky in less than 8 hours. My parent's old dehydrator took over 12. We knew it was time to replace it, and I am so glad we chose this one. The jerky gun and seasonings made the jerky making process a breeze!! We will definitely be making it again. We haven't done any fruits or veggies yet, but that is next on the to do list. This was an excellent buy for the price! I would purchase this again and have recommended it to my friends and family.
M. Bell : Very worth the money!
We absolutely love this thing. Bought it because we wanted dried fruit and jerky that wasn't packed with sugar, salt, or preservatives.
It is QUIET. A low hum, like a fan (well, that's basically what it is, a heated fan).
It isn't all that easy to clean, but that can't be helped. The air must flow.
It is, however, incredibly easy to use. You put stuff in. You go away. You get stuff out hours later. It's like a crockpot.
The bottom trays do dry slower than the top; either you can rotate them, or you can just empty them as they dry out. I'm doing apples right now, and have another load to go yet, so when the top tray is done, will be putting in more. I'm pretty sure I could just ignore them until tomorrow and they'd be perfectly fine. Brittle, but fine. (we forgot about the jerky once, and it was like eating meat potato chips, very odd)
We haven't used the jerky gun. Experimented a little, and found that a brisket does better (and is cheaper than the flank steak the manual recommends). Trim off as much fat as possible, half-freeze it to make it easier to slice into strips, marinate it the rest of the day, and then dehydrate overnight. This comes as close to store-bought as we can manage. We've been playing around with jerky marinades, and have come up with one that is wonderfully spicy. The Alton Brown marinade is good as well, but leave off the red pepper flakes. It's alarming to suddenly bite into one. You might also like to know that when you make jerky, the entire house will smell like it after an hour and continue to do so the whole time. The smell goes away again after about an hour. Do not make jerky if someone has to fast for some reason (such as getting blood drawn the next day), they WILL snarl at you.
For sliced fruits, you might want to get a mandoline slicer. Faster, and the slices are more uniform. Watch your fingers with those things, use the guard!
For the money, this is definitely your best option. Extremely pleased with our new toy! And new snacks!
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.
Leslie : Great product
We use this to dehydrate garden veggies and it works great. We put the shelves in the dishwasher to clean them with no problems.
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).
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!
My 3 and me : Good bang for your buck
This is a fantastic dehydrator! We made venison jerky the very day it arrived and it was wonderful. I've read the other reviews about not receiving the jerky gun, mine came with everything stated. The jerky spice packets have a really good, mild flavor. I like mine with a little more bite so I think I'll add some cracked pepper to the next batch. My husband and I prefer the strip-type jerky and our kids prefer the Slim Jim-style so we made both. The gun is extremely easy to use and switched between both tips easily.
The recipe book is a great resource as well. It gave me lots of ideas for our next go at the dehydrator. I can't wait to try it this summer when our garden is overflowing with far too much produce to use immediately.
The only criticism I have is that there is no on/off switch. You must unplug it to turn it off. No biggie, we really should unplug appliances when they're not in use anyhow.
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....
Mike D : Good dehydrator for the money
1st time user and I had no idea that it takes forever to dry whole jalapeños (even small ones). No where near the hours in the guide that shipped with the unit. They make an accessory tray that's deeper than the very shallow trays provided, but that's an additional $20. it was not possible to dry whole hatch peppers (even the smallest ones) on the standard trays.
I had mixed results dehydrating strawberries & bananas following the instructions exactly
I called customer service with a few questions and they were outstanding.
Overall it's a good unit with a lot of rave reviews. I guess my expectations left me a little underwhelmed.
Plant Lady : A perfect way to preserve herbs
Owning this dehydrator is like making a slower, less exciting (but certainly more fruitful) episode of “Will It Blend?” You will root through your produce wondering to yourself “Can I dehydrate this?” The answer is yes. The answer is always yes. Even if your whole reason for buying this is to decrease the amount produce in your kitchen by dehydrating your garden harvest, you’ll soon find yourself at the store buying even more things to dehydrate.
From my own garden, I dehydrated: chili peppers, tomatoes (Roma, beefsteak, and cherry), herbs (mint, basil, oregano, sage), squash (yellow and zucchini), and beans. I also bought apples, sweet potatoes, and eggplant to slice and dehydrate.
Some tips:
1. You may benefit from a mandolin slicer. Test your slicing thickness on only a few pieces first, though. I sliced zucchini as thin as I could, but the dehydrating process essentially disintegrated them. I tried again with a thicker slice and was rewarded with beautiful zucchini chips.
2. Dehydrate herbs and veggies on a lower temp than is recommended. This isn’t necessary at all, but lower temps mean brighter colors. I included a photo of some chili pepper flakes. The brighter red ones on the left were dehydrated at 95 deg F, and the darker ones on the right were dehydrated at the suggested 135 deg F. They taste the same, but the ones dried on the lower temp are more colorful. The trade-off is that it takes substantially longer to dry things at lower temps. One way around this is to dehydrate at the higher temp for a few hours and then lower it.
3. Keep things spaced out. Airflow is key. All the trays have a gap in the center that lines up with the fan, but leaving some gaps does help speed up the drying process.
4. For herbs with many small leaves on each large stem (like oregano), remove the leaves after they’re dry. It’s much easier to just run your finger down the stem and push the leaves off into a container than it is to remove them from the stem, put them on the trays, and move them to a container one by one.
DSL : Decent but two very basic things missing
Only had this for a day. Seems like a decent product for the price. However, I couldn't agree more with one reviewer who said it needs two things, both of which seem very basic. There is no switch to turn it on or off. Instead, you have to pull the plug. I never assumed a product wouldn't have a switch. Every decent electrical product in my house has a switch so this one seems to me like a glaring oversight. Think about having to unplug your blender or hair dryer to turn it off. Also, a timer would be most helpful. Assuming some people go to bed and to work and will be away form their drying food for a number of hours. Both of these shortcomings are likely $2 options for which I think most users would gladly pay.
MsGrib01 : LOVE this Dehydrator!
This dehydrator is amazing! It was quiet and with two additional trays it made 5 lbs of meat into jerky in less than 8 hours. My parent's old dehydrator took over 12. We knew it was time to replace it, and I am so glad we chose this one. The jerky gun and seasonings made the jerky making process a breeze!! We will definitely be making it again. We haven't done any fruits or veggies yet, but that is next on the to do list. This was an excellent buy for the price! I would purchase this again and have recommended it to my friends and family.
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.
another reviewer : After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays
After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays. I was drying some jerky and after it was done, I noticed the plastic trays were warped. Don't feel I can trust the temperature control anymore.
I used this machine a few times in the summer and fall. It was not like I used it every day. Previously it did seem be the temperature it was set on. Overall pretty good, but not great.
Amazon Customer : Great Starter Product
First time user of a dehydrator. Great product. It can hold 3 Lbs of ground beef at a time. Have made Dehydrated vegetables and fruit. Great healthy snacks for the family. The Gun provided is really small, have to reload it several times. I invested in a better quality and a bigger capacity, It is worth it. This product has saved us a lot of money. I think it has paid for itself in savings in just 5 months. example of savings 3 Lbs of ground beef will make a pound of Jerky. Beef Cost $15.00. A pound of beef jerky cost approximately $29.00. I saved $14.00. It is also healthier because I do not use any chemicals to preserve it.
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.
Just me : Lots of Fun!!!
I have wanted a dehydrator for years! Finally, I purchased this one. The worst thing I can say is that it takes up a good amount of space in my tini tiny NYC apt. Everything else is great!
I don't like the idea of using a "cure" to make jerky, and am afraid to just use raw (yep, I'm a bit of a dehydrator meat coward). But I have had some various successes when using previously cooked meats (cooked just to the 'safe' temp in the oven and then dried out in my Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster). It's all trial and error, and totally a matter of personal taste. It really is fun to experiment.
It you purchase one... try dehydrating watermelon! (it's like candy!). I can't make enough of the dried veggies (kale chips are so good!).
My favorite thing so far (and I'm really surprised that this is my fav) is dried cabbage leaves. Yes! really!!! it's crazy! Wash the cabbage leaves, pat dry, toss with a little oil and seasoning, set in the trays and let the machine do the magic. I can't make this stuff fast enough. Talk about guilt free snack time!
Clean up is really easy, just follow the instructions and it's a snap. After use, I fill my kitchen sink up with soapy water to soak the trays overnight. In the morning just give em a good sponge down and a rinse, then you're ready to go again.
I love this machine! I wish it were smaller for my space, and yet I wish it were bigger so I could make even more cabbage chips at one time.
Amazon Customer : Love the American harvest brand!!
I grew up with this brand. My father had gotten the one I had grown up as a wedding gift to my mother and it never fultured. I recently had to throw it away because it was in storage and mice had peed in the bottom heating coil but still it worked. I looked up the American harvest brand and found this one!! I'm in love with the top heat instead of it being on the bottem! It's got quick temp checks for everything you could need right on top and it's so easy to use!! I just hope it lasts as long as our older machine!!! I deffinetly recommend this brand and give it a good 5 stars confidently!! I've already done bannana chips that turned out great!
Annette : Try it out!
I have used it a few times since I bought it --and let me just say--it does the job! I haven't made the beef jerky as of yet. However, my son made banana chips, and they came out so good. If you want your banana chips crunchy -slice them thinly. If you want them a little crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside, cut them about an inch thick....I also dehydrated some apples, and they came out good as well. I will go ahead and try to make the beef jerky this coming weekend, and experiment with other fruits and vegetables.
The only thing is --there is no power button. You have to disconnect when you are done, and plug it in when you want to use it. But other than that, no complains.
another reviewer : After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays
After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays. I was drying some jerky and after it was done, I noticed the plastic trays were warped. Don't feel I can trust the temperature control anymore.
I used this machine a few times in the summer and fall. It was not like I used it every day. Previously it did seem be the temperature it was set on. Overall pretty good, but not great.
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.
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
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.
another reviewer : After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays
After 10 years mine freaked out, got too hot and warped the plastic trays. I was drying some jerky and after it was done, I noticed the plastic trays were warped. Don't feel I can trust the temperature control anymore.
I used this machine a few times in the summer and fall. It was not like I used it every day. Previously it did seem be the temperature it was set on. Overall pretty good, but not great.
Lillian T. : Sturdy, great product
Was very pleased with this dehydrator. The construction is great, all trays and pieces are made of a very sturdy plastic. Very happy with the ability to adjust temperatures to a fine degree. The unit can get very warm to the touch, but I haven't yet had a problem with burns or anything of the sort. I wouldn't call the machine whisper-quiet, per se, but it is much quieter than other dehydrators. The jerky gun is kind of cool, I haven't yet had a need for it, but I may try making soy jerky with it someday.
I've had the unit for almost a year now and have used it two to three times a month - it's still working great, and I imagine it will work well for years to come. Very happy with this purchase.
M. Bell : Very worth the money!
We absolutely love this thing. Bought it because we wanted dried fruit and jerky that wasn't packed with sugar, salt, or preservatives.
It is QUIET. A low hum, like a fan (well, that's basically what it is, a heated fan).
It isn't all that easy to clean, but that can't be helped. The air must flow.
It is, however, incredibly easy to use. You put stuff in. You go away. You get stuff out hours later. It's like a crockpot.
The bottom trays do dry slower than the top; either you can rotate them, or you can just empty them as they dry out. I'm doing apples right now, and have another load to go yet, so when the top tray is done, will be putting in more. I'm pretty sure I could just ignore them until tomorrow and they'd be perfectly fine. Brittle, but fine. (we forgot about the jerky once, and it was like eating meat potato chips, very odd)
We haven't used the jerky gun. Experimented a little, and found that a brisket does better (and is cheaper than the flank steak the manual recommends). Trim off as much fat as possible, half-freeze it to make it easier to slice into strips, marinate it the rest of the day, and then dehydrate overnight. This comes as close to store-bought as we can manage. We've been playing around with jerky marinades, and have come up with one that is wonderfully spicy. The Alton Brown marinade is good as well, but leave off the red pepper flakes. It's alarming to suddenly bite into one. You might also like to know that when you make jerky, the entire house will smell like it after an hour and continue to do so the whole time. The smell goes away again after about an hour. Do not make jerky if someone has to fast for some reason (such as getting blood drawn the next day), they WILL snarl at you.
For sliced fruits, you might want to get a mandoline slicer. Faster, and the slices are more uniform. Watch your fingers with those things, use the guard!
For the money, this is definitely your best option. Extremely pleased with our new toy! And new snacks!
Lien : Awesome purchase
This is a fantastic dehydrator. Bought this in conjunction with the apple peeler to dry fruits. We had apples, pineapples, peaches, bananas, strawberries and tomatoes in this.
All turned out fantastic and was full of flavor. I did my fruit both natural and covered with a cinnamon and sugar mix and they were wonderful. Much healthier and fresher homemade. You control the thickness of your fruit as well as how crispy you prefer.
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.
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.
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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