Nesco American Harvest FD-1040 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator review and price compare 2025- fishinghub

Brand	NESCO
Material	Plastic
Color	White
Wattage	1000 watts
Item Dimensions LxWxH	15 x 15 x 9 inches

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1000 watts of drying power provides even heat distribution
Adjustable digital time & temperature control (90°F - 160°F)
(4) BPA Free trays with 1 sq. ft. of drying area per tray - Expandable to 20 trays
Proudly made in the USA of global and domestic components
Includes (1) Fruit Roll Sheet, (1) Clean-A-Screen, a sample of Jerky Seasoning & Cure, and a 52-page recipe & instruction book

Product Description

The NESCO FD-1040 Gardenmaster Digital Pro Dehydrator is ideal for drying and preserving large amounts of fruits, vegetables, herbs and jerky. 1000 watts of drying power means you can dry more, faster. This dehydrator comes with four (15 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 20 trays so you can dry large quantities at once, with no tray rotation needed. Additional Add-A-Trays sold separately. The adjustable digital temperature control (90°F -160°F) gives you the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying different foods that need varying temperature settings. The digital timer is programmable for up to 48 hours of drying time. 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-1040 Gardenmaster Digital Pro Dehydrator provides the drying power that generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating your favorite foods.

Manufacturer's Notice

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11104.html

Manufacturer Remedy Information

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11104.html

Q:

What is the product made out of? Plastic, Aluminum, stainless steel, or something else?

Answer: It is made of light weight plastic.

Answer: Plastic

Answer: Don't know, but I would think so.

Q:

What increments is the thermostat increased by what is the lowest setting and what is the highest?

Answer: The thermostat ranges from 90-degrees F to 160-degrees F with 5-degree increments.

Answer: The thermostat increases by 5* at a time. It goes from 90*F - 160*F.

Q:

Is this product BPA free?

Answer: yes

Q:

I have the excalibur one with 440 watt. which is quiet the motor. Since this one is 1000 Watt, would it very noisy during the operation ?

Answer: They are quiet I run two of them and you were hardly notice them

Answer: I don't notice much noise during operation. A slight humming at best.

Answer: This is the only dehydrator I've had, so I don't know how it compares to others noise-wise. It does make noise, but I didn't find it to be annoying. It's like a constant white noise in the background. I usually turn mine on shortly before going to bed and let it run through the night, so it really doesn't matter anyway.

Answer: No it is not.

Q:

Can somone please compare the 1018 and the 1020 models?

Q:

What is the difference between the fd1020 and the fd-1040?

Q:

What comes with the dehydrator? Does it come with fruit roll up trays and mesh trays?

Answer: Mine came with one of each trays

Q:

What is the difference between this and the FD-1010?

Answer: FD-1020 has a digital timer that will stop the dehydrator and digital temp settings. FD-1010 does not so you will have to monitor and turn off the dehydrator manually and the temp settings are a dial. They both work perfectly fine. Just have to decide if you can always be around when your food is done to shut it off. I upgraded to the 1020 so I could set it and leave the house.

Q:

Is this made in USA?

Answer: i bought this well over ten years ago, the box says assembled in USA with parts from who knows where.

Answer: Made in the U.S. with American & Global components. As stated on the box. Not quite 100% U.S. made.

Q:

Are the trays in Nesco food dehydrators dishwasher safe?

Answer: The trays are sturdy plastic but I preferred to hand wash as I didn't want to expose them to the heat level inside a dishwasher.

Answer: They are too large in diameter to fit in a home dishwasher. We use the mesh tray liners to minimize residue on the trays and hand wash all of them in our farm sink. If you took out the top rack in your dishwasher they would probably wash up just fine. hard plastic

Answer: I wash mine in the dishwasher. I've had them for years and haven't had a problem yet.

Answer: I’m not sure, but they are too big for my dishwasher and I have a lot of them.

Answer: We do recommend hand washing.

Answer: Yes! The one I have is.

Answer: Yes

Q:

How tall is it?

Answer: About 10 1/2 inches tall. Haven't used it recently but we've dried all kinds of fruit and made fruit rollups. Love it so far.

Answer: 10 inches

Q:

Can you go higher than 4 trays? If so how many?

Answer: According to Nesco's website, you can expand up to 20 trays. I believe you can buy the trays individually or in packs or 3-4. Hope that helps!

Answer: Instructions say you can stack the trays 20 high.

Q:

can the power plug be adapted to be used in Hong Kong?

Answer: Only if you are pushing 110v and 60 hertz, if you are pushing 50 hertz it will work, but the fan will burn out sooner than normal!

Q:

Where is it manufactured?

Rona Shepard : This is a great product!

This is a real nice machine! It's heat distribution is wonderful, the trays are large and easy to clean and you can leave it cooking and it turns off when the timer stops. It's perfect for a busy life!

Debbie : Great. Replaced my previous garden master which was 13 ...

Great. Replaced my previous garden master which was 13 years old and used 4 times a week usually running for 24 hours each use.

Vickie : Good product

Works real good! Very pleased with it!

LowBat : Sorry, no matching products were found.

I was interested in FD-1020, because of the timer feature. But, after looking at Nesco's web site there is no FD-1020. Only a FD-1010, and it does not have a timer. :(

W. Graves : Love The Machine!

My main use is to dry mushrooms, and this machine performed flawlessly. The thermostat settings are critical when drying mushrooms, because you don't want to cook them. The lowest setting is 90 degrees F., which is perfect for mushrooms. The next best feature is being able to set a timer and go off and leave it. If later it needs more drying,just add more time. Everything is right in front of you on the top of the machine including the on/off switch. Cleanup is easy and extra trays can be purchased for bigger jobs. Would buy it again in a heartbeat.

Stan : Good Product

Works well for making my own treats for my Westie!! I would buy this product again. Does exactly what a dehydrator is built to do.

sapsguy : Nesco American Hrvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster Digital Dehydrator

Easy to use, easy to clean, and good directions included. Food cooks very evenly, but I might try rotating the trays for the ultimate perfection. Love the timer, woudn't want one without a built in timer. Overall an excellent product!

Kindle Customer : Great Dehydrator!

I have already dried fruit, jerky, fruit leather, and spices. This thing is awesome! Dries the food out quickly and efficently. I love that the mechanics of this thing are on the top, it makes cleanup a lot easier. Buy extra trays if you plan on using it a lot, I bought 6 extra trays and it seems like thats all I will need until later on.

Harry Clark : Awesome

Great product! Lost it in a divorce it worked so good. Wish I could buy a wife that worked so well!

Brenda Beauchesne : Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food

I am a little disappointed because it does not dry the fruits or vegtables as quickly as I thought it would seeing it has 1000=watts of power, but over all it works great.

Caitlin : Best Dehydrator

This product was easy to use, woks wonderful, and made it in less than a week when we waited on it for more than a month with Walmart!!

SavvyB : Great

Works great! So happy with this purchase. It is efficient, but it isn't silent. I just turn the tv up. We have an open floor plan.

Mister S. : Great item.

This is a great dehydrator. works great. Additional trays are an arm and a leg considering they are just wheels of plastic.
I had not used mine for a year or so and it developed an electronic buzzing when temperature controlled heater turned on . The buzzing
seems to be going away as it falls into use again . Some dried herbs might get sucked up up into the fan and makes noise like that but that is no big deal. Just pull the herb out of the grate/flter

For the buzzing I give it 4 stars. As far as the job it does dehydrating, I give it 5 stars.

D. Skau : Great dryer. Has timer/temp settings.

Great dryer. Has temp settings, timer, all the bells and whistles.

CrimsonCrow : not so hot

I was SO looking forward to using this. But alas, right out of the box, the heater doesn't work.

I'll review again after return and reshipment.

S. Ward : Too much trouble.

Returned it without using because a friend said it takes lots of work to cut up fruit and veggies that it wasn't worth it to me to try.

Mister S. : Great item.

This is a great dehydrator. works great. Additional trays are an arm and a leg considering they are just wheels of plastic.
I had not used mine for a year or so and it developed an electronic buzzing when temperature controlled heater turned on . The buzzing
seems to be going away as it falls into use again . Some dried herbs might get sucked up up into the fan and makes noise like that but that is no big deal. Just pull the herb out of the grate/flter

For the buzzing I give it 4 stars. As far as the job it does dehydrating, I give it 5 stars.

Brian : The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer

I purchased my Nesco American Harvest Gardenmaster with Amazon Prime and it promptly arrived two days later. I read the instruction book and prepped my vegetables. I bought two extra trays for a total of six trays. With plenty of garden veggies still growing I loaded the dehydrator with carrots, squash, onions, and tomatoes sliced 3/8 inch thick. I set the digital timer for 6 hours, the temperature to 135 and pushed the start button. The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer, it did not bother me or my wife and we did not need to crank up the T.V. sound. Within an hour the kitchen had a wonderful aroma of tomatoes and onions. It was like Christmas morning, I did not open it to look inside until the six hours were up. The tomatoes were at the half way point as were the carrots. The squash and onions just looked slightly wrinkled and just starting to dry, I was hoping for the drying to be further along. I increased the temp to 140 and added another six hours on the timer. At the end of the 12th hour the tomatoes were perfect, they were dried, chewy, and sweet. The carrots were dried, I should add here that I placed the carrots on the jerky mat because they started to fall through the tray. The squash was about 90% and the onions were just limp. Two winners, one OK, and one failure for my first attempt. On my second try I sliced everything thinner. The tomatoes about a 1/4 inch and the onions thin, maybe an 1/8 inch. I also added sliced bell pepper, sliced jalapeños and serranos. I sliced the serranos length wise and then into quarters. Everything went in for six hours at 140, then again I added another six hours. At about the 10 hour mark I separated the onion rings into individual rings then I closed it back up. At the end of 12 hours everything was perfect. Two times drying vegetables and I learned to slice things thinner than recommended, I will experiment with higher temperatures next time but overall I am very happy.

E. J. M. : drying your meat :-)

this machine is excellent, it does the job in 5 hours verses other ways that have taken 7 plus hours with nowhere near the same results....this is the machine you're looking for.

Cheryl Jones : Nesco Dehydrator

I am learning to use my new dehydrator, but so far I love it. It is quiet and the timer is a lifesaver. I have found that I needed more than the fruit roll sheets and clean-a-screen tray. I like to do apples and put a cinnamon sugar on some of them. All in all I would say I am so pleased with this dehydrator.

Harry Clark : Awesome

Great product! Lost it in a divorce it worked so good. Wish I could buy a wife that worked so well!

Tony T. : worth the money

a good unit. extend your dry times if you run your house cool or live in the south where there is more humidity. the lid is a little sketchy to put on. I always think it's not sitting right. Other than that. Good unit

Angie J. Nicholas : Five Stars

great purchase

Perk322 : Love It!!

I decided about a month ago that I wanted to put up food for longer term storage. I received my Gardenmaster and have had it working non stop ever since. I can't dry enough apples to even try reconstituting them for a coffee cake. The family dives on them for snacks and they're gone. I need to order extra trays already. :-)
It works great, is quiet, easy to clean up. The controls are easy to use, the booklet tells you exactly how to dehydrate specific fruits, vegetables and herbs. There is a list with the type of food, how to prep it and how long to dry it. I've made jerky that was wonderful. I have lots of potatoes, red peppers, yellow and orange peppers celery, dehydrated to make soups in the fall and winter with fresher more nutritious ingredients.

The best part is that I can cook healthy meals when I have all of the ingredients ready at hand. It makes it much easier to throw a meal together.

So, to say the least, I'm a fan.

k s 4 2 4 4 : great for beginners

This machine doesn't make much noise and is so easy to use.
It is a pain to clean and takes a long time to finish but I set it up and leave for work, by the time I get home it's done!

perla : Great Quality. Love the Features.

Love the timer and the temperature settings. Very good. I love my dehydrator.

Trixie : BEST gift ever!

I had purchased this for my husband for a gift. This is the best gift ever, especially if your man loves jerky! It is very very easy to use and very very easy to clean. The jerky comes out perfect. We have not tried fruit or herbs yet, but looking forward to it. The machine is very quick also. Anyone would be able to figure this thing out. I also suggest getting more trays added to it, when I added them I got them as an add on feature.... It is much cheaper. We also got a pump to pump out the meat for the jerky. Very well made! LOVE IT!

Aalea1 : Works like a charm, better than Excalibur models

I feel confident in saying this Nesco Gardenmaster is a better quality product than the Excalibur 9 tray, both of which I have used. I first tried the Excalibur and quickly realized it took too long and was too cumbersome to be effective and needed a new thermostat after just three weeks. I found myself babysitting the unit, switching trays and drying only during the day when I could turn it off manually. The 9 tray I had did not have an automatic timer and was just a pain in the neck. I sold it on Ebay after two months. I ventured out into the world of dehydrating again after two long years of resentment. I tried the Nesco and was so happy I did. The digital controls offer exact results every time, the automatic shut-off allow you to dry at night without waking to adjust trays or check results.
The capacity is huge with the add on trays offered and the powerful fan dries the bottom tray equally as fast as the top. The top mounted motor keeps drips from causing a clean-up nightmare and the quality of food is excellent. I've dried fruits, vegetables, made pounds and pounds of jerkey and have experimented with some raw food "baking" which all turned out perfect.
I love the Nesco Gardenmaster and suggest you seriously consider it whether a novice or pro. If you are considering an Excalibur, I highly recommend the Nesco as I found it performed substantially better than the Ex,has design features to make your drying easy and fun, and costs about $50.00 less.

Rowan Greene : Great for making jerky or dehydrating vegetables

Versatile: I wanted a versatile dehydrator for making jerky and also for dehydrating vegetables, primarily sweet potato chips. The Nesco American Harvest works perfectly and makes jerky in a matter of hours. The user manual is easy to follow and I haven't had any problems to date.

Expandable: I love that you can expand it by adding more trays. Not many dehydrators have this option.

Ease of operation/maintenance: It's also very easy to clean and is relatively quiet. It doesn't take up all that much counter space but could easily be stored in a cabinet.

Price: I chose this dehydrator over another more expensive one that was touted as the best for making jerky. This one is expandable and makes perfect jerky every time. (I wanted to make my own jerky for my dogs and also for myself--jerky with no nitrates/nitrites from grass-fed beef/buffalo and pasture raised turkey, etc. By making your own jerky, YOU control what goes in it.)

Features: The Nesco AH FD-1020 adjustable thermostat goes up to 165 degrees making it ideal for jerky. Many dehydrators only go up to 155 degrees. The problem with that is most meat / jerky preparation guides recommend you finish the jerky in the oven at 165 degrees for 20 minutes. You don't have to do that with the Nesco AH FD-1020.

My only wish? That it came in black. :-)

K. Parris : This is the cat's meow!

Just before investing in a dehydrator I did some online research. The general concenus was never get something under 500watts. Then people talking about rotating trays and only running the machine while they were around to prevent over cooking.

The Gardenmaster has a digital temperature and timer. Set it and forget it!!
Did almost 7 pound of venison jerky over night the first time.

Don't waste you money on other machines. This is the "Mack Daddy" and worth every penny. It out performs other machines that cost twice as much.

Spend the money and get 2 sets of "Add-a-tray" (4 trays) and set of flex screens and you are ready to go to work.

Stan : Good Product

Works well for making my own treats for my Westie!! I would buy this product again. Does exactly what a dehydrator is built to do.

D. Westman : We love our food dehydrator

We love our dehydrator. We give our dogs dried sweet potato chews and boy are they expensive. I figured I could make my own and I was right. With this dehydrator our dogs have treats any time. They are fresh and we know what's in 'em.

We've made dried apples by the bushel!

Aalea1 : Works like a charm, better than Excalibur models

I feel confident in saying this Nesco Gardenmaster is a better quality product than the Excalibur 9 tray, both of which I have used. I first tried the Excalibur and quickly realized it took too long and was too cumbersome to be effective and needed a new thermostat after just three weeks. I found myself babysitting the unit, switching trays and drying only during the day when I could turn it off manually. The 9 tray I had did not have an automatic timer and was just a pain in the neck. I sold it on Ebay after two months. I ventured out into the world of dehydrating again after two long years of resentment. I tried the Nesco and was so happy I did. The digital controls offer exact results every time, the automatic shut-off allow you to dry at night without waking to adjust trays or check results.
The capacity is huge with the add on trays offered and the powerful fan dries the bottom tray equally as fast as the top. The top mounted motor keeps drips from causing a clean-up nightmare and the quality of food is excellent. I've dried fruits, vegetables, made pounds and pounds of jerkey and have experimented with some raw food "baking" which all turned out perfect.
I love the Nesco Gardenmaster and suggest you seriously consider it whether a novice or pro. If you are considering an Excalibur, I highly recommend the Nesco as I found it performed substantially better than the Ex,has design features to make your drying easy and fun, and costs about $50.00 less.

Richard J. Giambruno : Top product

Np major complaints except it is a bit noisy. I ahve never tried another so i do not know if that is normal or not. Every thing a tried came out well. Having the heater on top is a big plus over the bottom, so stuff does not drip on the heater/motor. A good buy and dependable product.

Lillian : Food Dehydrator

This was a gift for our son-in-law's birthday. He requested a food dehydrator but no specific model. After researching types and prices we chose this one. Our son-in-law has been very pleased with it & continues to experiment with different types of food.

Rona Shepard : This is a great product!

This is a real nice machine! It's heat distribution is wonderful, the trays are large and easy to clean and you can leave it cooking and it turns off when the timer stops. It's perfect for a busy life!

P. Bennett : Not Bad

I've tried only 2 different types of dehydrator so far and this one has been the best so far. My first one did not have a fan, did not have anything digital and didn't come with such a comprehensive recipe book. After attempting to make a lot of different things in it I can see why people go with the excalabur in the end. Ever try making crackers? it"s more difficult to make squares in a circular device. I want to be able to make crackers that are cracker shaped. IE. square all around. Nit picky am I? Maybe, but it's the small things and this is not a cheap kitchen appliance. I want a fruit rollup that I can cut into neat strips and actually roll up. It says that you don't have to rotate the trays, but in actuality if you don't the top one does dry faster. It does dry fast enough to make dried Canteloupe which is awesome! If you haven't tried that you should, you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm going to end up switching to an excalabur, but this is a really good product.

D. Skau : Great dryer. Has timer/temp settings.

Great dryer. Has temp settings, timer, all the bells and whistles.

JOSE M. GONZALEZ : Good Value

Overall, a good product. Takes longer than I would have expected to dehydrate food, but does a good job nonetheless.

N. Tschirhart : Great Product

I had used a different model that was owned by my brother and thought "This is a great machine". I decided to get my own and I could not be happier. It works as advertised.

Ava Renee : Was great (again) while it lasted...

Okay, so this is the second dehydrator (same brand) we've purchased in 6 months! Both ( yes, both) died on us! We used it two to three time per week, for anywhere from 18 to 24 hours. This one lasted only 2 months!
Sorry, Nesco, I'll not buy your products any longer as they are unreliable.
Please work on your machines so people don't have to throw away their hard earned money on food AND an unreliable machine.
So sad, I really liked it.
Good luck to all...

D. Westman : We love our food dehydrator

We love our dehydrator. We give our dogs dried sweet potato chews and boy are they expensive. I figured I could make my own and I was right. With this dehydrator our dogs have treats any time. They are fresh and we know what's in 'em.

We've made dried apples by the bushel!

Rowan Greene : Great for making jerky or dehydrating vegetables

Versatile: I wanted a versatile dehydrator for making jerky and also for dehydrating vegetables, primarily sweet potato chips. The Nesco American Harvest works perfectly and makes jerky in a matter of hours. The user manual is easy to follow and I haven't had any problems to date.

Expandable: I love that you can expand it by adding more trays. Not many dehydrators have this option.

Ease of operation/maintenance: It's also very easy to clean and is relatively quiet. It doesn't take up all that much counter space but could easily be stored in a cabinet.

Price: I chose this dehydrator over another more expensive one that was touted as the best for making jerky. This one is expandable and makes perfect jerky every time. (I wanted to make my own jerky for my dogs and also for myself--jerky with no nitrates/nitrites from grass-fed beef/buffalo and pasture raised turkey, etc. By making your own jerky, YOU control what goes in it.)

Features: The Nesco AH FD-1020 adjustable thermostat goes up to 165 degrees making it ideal for jerky. Many dehydrators only go up to 155 degrees. The problem with that is most meat / jerky preparation guides recommend you finish the jerky in the oven at 165 degrees for 20 minutes. You don't have to do that with the Nesco AH FD-1020.

My only wish? That it came in black. :-)

Richard J. Giambruno : Top product

Np major complaints except it is a bit noisy. I ahve never tried another so i do not know if that is normal or not. Every thing a tried came out well. Having the heater on top is a big plus over the bottom, so stuff does not drip on the heater/motor. A good buy and dependable product.

Aalea1 : Works like a charm, better than Excalibur models

I feel confident in saying this Nesco Gardenmaster is a better quality product than the Excalibur 9 tray, both of which I have used. I first tried the Excalibur and quickly realized it took too long and was too cumbersome to be effective and needed a new thermostat after just three weeks. I found myself babysitting the unit, switching trays and drying only during the day when I could turn it off manually. The 9 tray I had did not have an automatic timer and was just a pain in the neck. I sold it on Ebay after two months. I ventured out into the world of dehydrating again after two long years of resentment. I tried the Nesco and was so happy I did. The digital controls offer exact results every time, the automatic shut-off allow you to dry at night without waking to adjust trays or check results.
The capacity is huge with the add on trays offered and the powerful fan dries the bottom tray equally as fast as the top. The top mounted motor keeps drips from causing a clean-up nightmare and the quality of food is excellent. I've dried fruits, vegetables, made pounds and pounds of jerkey and have experimented with some raw food "baking" which all turned out perfect.
I love the Nesco Gardenmaster and suggest you seriously consider it whether a novice or pro. If you are considering an Excalibur, I highly recommend the Nesco as I found it performed substantially better than the Ex,has design features to make your drying easy and fun, and costs about $50.00 less.

Charles E. Klekot : Excellent dehydrator.

Works great. Easy clean up with fan on the top. Use trays to easily expand or reduce your capacity. Easily cleans up in the dishwasher. Definitely a great value for what you get.

Brian : The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer

I purchased my Nesco American Harvest Gardenmaster with Amazon Prime and it promptly arrived two days later. I read the instruction book and prepped my vegetables. I bought two extra trays for a total of six trays. With plenty of garden veggies still growing I loaded the dehydrator with carrots, squash, onions, and tomatoes sliced 3/8 inch thick. I set the digital timer for 6 hours, the temperature to 135 and pushed the start button. The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer, it did not bother me or my wife and we did not need to crank up the T.V. sound. Within an hour the kitchen had a wonderful aroma of tomatoes and onions. It was like Christmas morning, I did not open it to look inside until the six hours were up. The tomatoes were at the half way point as were the carrots. The squash and onions just looked slightly wrinkled and just starting to dry, I was hoping for the drying to be further along. I increased the temp to 140 and added another six hours on the timer. At the end of the 12th hour the tomatoes were perfect, they were dried, chewy, and sweet. The carrots were dried, I should add here that I placed the carrots on the jerky mat because they started to fall through the tray. The squash was about 90% and the onions were just limp. Two winners, one OK, and one failure for my first attempt. On my second try I sliced everything thinner. The tomatoes about a 1/4 inch and the onions thin, maybe an 1/8 inch. I also added sliced bell pepper, sliced jalapeños and serranos. I sliced the serranos length wise and then into quarters. Everything went in for six hours at 140, then again I added another six hours. At about the 10 hour mark I separated the onion rings into individual rings then I closed it back up. At the end of 12 hours everything was perfect. Two times drying vegetables and I learned to slice things thinner than recommended, I will experiment with higher temperatures next time but overall I am very happy.

Barbara : Nesco American Harvest

My Husband loves his new toy. He uses it all the time. Makes dried fruit, beef jerky and it's actually very good.

Brian : The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer

I purchased my Nesco American Harvest Gardenmaster with Amazon Prime and it promptly arrived two days later. I read the instruction book and prepped my vegetables. I bought two extra trays for a total of six trays. With plenty of garden veggies still growing I loaded the dehydrator with carrots, squash, onions, and tomatoes sliced 3/8 inch thick. I set the digital timer for 6 hours, the temperature to 135 and pushed the start button. The machine makes a sound like a quiet hair dryer, it did not bother me or my wife and we did not need to crank up the T.V. sound. Within an hour the kitchen had a wonderful aroma of tomatoes and onions. It was like Christmas morning, I did not open it to look inside until the six hours were up. The tomatoes were at the half way point as were the carrots. The squash and onions just looked slightly wrinkled and just starting to dry, I was hoping for the drying to be further along. I increased the temp to 140 and added another six hours on the timer. At the end of the 12th hour the tomatoes were perfect, they were dried, chewy, and sweet. The carrots were dried, I should add here that I placed the carrots on the jerky mat because they started to fall through the tray. The squash was about 90% and the onions were just limp. Two winners, one OK, and one failure for my first attempt. On my second try I sliced everything thinner. The tomatoes about a 1/4 inch and the onions thin, maybe an 1/8 inch. I also added sliced bell pepper, sliced jalapeños and serranos. I sliced the serranos length wise and then into quarters. Everything went in for six hours at 140, then again I added another six hours. At about the 10 hour mark I separated the onion rings into individual rings then I closed it back up. At the end of 12 hours everything was perfect. Two times drying vegetables and I learned to slice things thinner than recommended, I will experiment with higher temperatures next time but overall I am very happy.

Kenneth J. Nies : Excellent Product!

The Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 is the first dehydrator I have ever bought. After doing a lot of research, this product with the digital timer is well worth the investment. Thus far, I have dried apples,pineapples,Hamburger Meat (The less fat the better) and London Broil. It's fun & easy, even a Caveman can do it.

Nesco American Harvest FD-1040 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator review and price compare 2025

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Questions about Nesco American Harvest FD-1040 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator

What is the product made out of? Plastic, Aluminum, stainless steel, or something else?

What increments is the thermostat increased by what is the lowest setting and what is the highest?

Is this product BPA free?

I have the excalibur one with 440 watt. which is quiet the motor. Since this one is 1000 Watt, would it very noisy during the operation ?

Can somone please compare the 1018 and the 1020 models?

What is the difference between the fd1020 and the fd-1040?

What comes with the dehydrator? Does it come with fruit roll up trays and mesh trays?

What is the difference between this and the FD-1010?

Is this made in USA?

Are the trays in Nesco food dehydrators dishwasher safe?

How tall is it?

Can you go higher than 4 trays? If so how many?

can the power plug be adapted to be used in Hong Kong?

Where is it manufactured?

Product reviews of Nesco American Harvest FD-1040 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator