Hanging Raw Food Dehydrator - Solar Powered review and price compare 2025- fishinghub

Q:

Have the Collapsing Trays been Fixed? I don't want to have to RETURN it.

Answer: The problem is not that they come collapsed, it is that they can come undone easily when packing it up. It is the hugest pain in the butt to thread the web loops onto the slots in the trays.

Answer: I am the Inventor, around 80,000 have been sold. Maybe a dozen or two had not been properly assembled. Everything has been perfected, I have video from the maker as how each is inspected prior to shipping. Thank you. Respectfully, Duane Erickson

Q:

how long does it take to dehydrate fruits and veggies

Answer: It depends how thick they are sliced, your room temp, and humidity. Longer than an electric, but usually a couple days does it.

Answer: In a dry environment I have had thin material go to leather stage in two days and crisp in four or five

Answer: I don't know. I brought it as a gift for someone.

Q:

Can I hang this on a garden stake?

Answer: I wouldn't. I would use a something more sturdy like a fence post with a hook bracket attached. . You don't want critters with teeth and claws getting to it. I hang mine on a clothes line when I take it outside. It is flimsy and I had to sew the brackets to the net because I live in a windy climate.

Answer: You might be able to if it were a tall, very sturdy stake with a curved hooked at the top--like a shepard's staff. Be warned though, when I bought this the trays were always falling down. I really wanted it to work but it didn't. Hopefully they have improved the design since then (that was about 5-7 yrs ago.)

Answer: A tall stake would work!

Q:

Is it designed for the top and bottom white pieces to snap together to be able to store it in a 5" space?

Answer: the top and bottom (at least on mine) does not snap together. But it does fold down small enough to be less than 5" high.

Q:

can it dry all kinds of meats if so how long does it take?

Answer: No. Unless the dehydrator hangs in a very dry and very warm (hot) place for an extended time (days) , it doesn't work very well, or at all. I tried to dry tomatoes near a wood stove, and they molded long before they dried. Also, the shelves collapse easily and are difficult to reinstall. Claims that the collapsing issue had been resolved predated my purchase but proved to be untrue. A good idea, but not fully developed.

Answer: Meats need a higher temp and better air flow. I think they would spoil before they dried with this setup

Q:

is this suitable for drying leaves?

Answer: I would think that it is.. It is very sturdy and good air circulation.. I use it dry meats and works great..

Answer: leaves? I guess so. I can't see why not. Our only problem with it was that the trays fell down really easily so we ended up returning it. Maybe they have improved it because it's a great concept.

Answer: It depends. If you are talking about tree leaves for nature study/decorating, the leaves would krinkle upon drying without any weight added to keep them flat. I would be hesitant to place weight, like books on top of the leaves in the dryer since the racks do not appear to be designed to hold a load. You can dry leaves for nature study/decorating easily enough between the pages of a big book (free option). If you are talking about drying herbs, it does the trick well.

Q:

What are the shelves made of?

Answer: some kind of plastic. There is nothing on the product that indicates what kind

Q:

Are the trays bpa free?

Answer: I've had this for many years. The box says that it's US made, food safe and UV protected plastic, whatever that means. I got it before bpa was a hot topic, so it's not mentioned on the label.

Answer: yes

Q:

Can this make beef jerky with this item?

Answer: I wouldn't recommend it because it takes a long time for meat to dehydrate at such a low temperature, allowing bacteria to grow. I use an electric one at 145 degrees or an oven on low.also, one can dry strips hung over a rod over a campfire

Answer: I wouldn't count on it. Weather would have to be very hot and dry. We used it in Africa in very hot and dry conditions and had trouble drying fruits and vegetables

Answer: yes

Q:

I don't see solar panels. This is just a passive dehydrator, right? No "power"

Answer: yes, just passive and unfortunately my experience is that the shelves fall down a lot. But perhaps they have improved the design since when i bought it several years ago. You can ask them.

Answer: Correct, no power. Just air drying in a warm location.

Answer: This is just a passive dehydrator, but it needs to be near a good, strong, protected, and steady source of heat, or the vegetables being dried will just mold. The shelves tend to collapse and are very difficult to return to their original positions. Their claim to have fixed the collapsing was made before I bought mine, but they still collapsed. It might work in a greenhouse, but don't think your wood stove is going to do it.

Answer: Need warm or hot summer days. No power.

Q:

I am a raw foodist and would like to make raw breads and crackers-- will this dehydrator work for that? It normally takes many hours in an excalibur.

Answer: I like keeping things raw too. I would not, however, recommend this particular product for making things like raw crackers or bread, because there is not enough air flow to dry the goods. For this, and making marvelous Kale chips and all my dehydrated backpacking foods, I use an Excalibur with 9 trays. The Excalibur allows me to dehydrate at temps that keep the enzymes live. Hope this helps!

Answer: Unfortunately, it's doesn't work because the trays fall down constantly at the slightest touch. Too bad because I really like the idea. I returned mine and they even said it wasn't that good of a design. Maybe they've improved it. I bought it about 2 yrs ago.

Answer: We found this to be poorly designed. The trays balance in the structure and the supports were not rigidly attached allowing all the trays to tilt spilling the entire contents in the bottom (domino effect). We now use the trays without the structure. I would not recommend buying it for any purpose.

Answer: I wqs interested in purchasing this but my question was never answered so did not buy.

Q:

why is it called solar powered if the sun doesn't increase the temperature to dry the foods? what does the "solar power" do?

Answer: The drying occurs as a result of air flow and warmth from the sun. It is a passive system.

Answer: you use the sun to dry it.

Answer: It's an air dryer; it has nothing to do with solar power unless you hang it outside where everything will rot. It does not work in Maine, and the shelves continually detach and drop to the bottom. Basically it's a bug net; if your food will dry properly on the counter, this will keep the bugs away. It adds nothing more to the process, IMHO.

Answer: Solar power is more of a marketing word, though when it is sunny and warm, it works better, even inside in the shaded corner. It is great for low moisture things at all times. I would never do meat and tomatoes rotted on me. There are YouTube videos on it so you can better see how it works.

Q:

how does this product get up to temps to kill bacteria? need at least 140 degrees.

Answer: This product has no way to heat the food, as it is a passive system, using only air that comes in through the screens. Foods can be rinsed in a 1 part to 10 vinegar/water solution to reduce spoilage (rinse with clear water afterwards if you wish). If you want to use heat to dehydrate, you'll have to get an electric dehydrator to do that.

Answer: Bacteria needs moisture. Otherwise not sure. Never had any problems though.

Answer: I spray veg and fruits with a light mist of CHICO WASH - an organic food wash that kills bacteria and viruses and since one of the ingrediaents is ascorbic acid -- they hold their color. This works GREAT for me. I have 3 of them -- tomatoes, grapes, apples, peaches -- all have turned out Great. Dennis

Answer: I haven't had an issue with the temperature. Being Native American, our ancestors even dried meat outdoors and it didn't kill us :)

Q:

Is this a safe method compared to dry food compated to an electric dehyrator? Having a hard time putting my head around the concept and food spoilage

Answer: Since I live in the high desert, the land of low humidity, it works for some foods better than others. Winter is a good time to use this too, as the cold keeps spoilage at bay. But it would not work for "wet" foods like fruits. I use it for making meat jerky - beef and chicken - at have never had a problem. But only use it at times of low humidity, like dry cold winter days or the very dry summer days we get here in the desert.

Kindle Customer : Best customer service

After reading reviews we went ahead and ordered one. We were very happy with the product and performance until the issues addressed by the designer/inventor noted in these reviews occurred. I called Mr. Erickson and he sent me a new product with his original specs at his own cost. Again, we are very happy with the product and even happier with the service this kind gentleman offers. We use ours for drying mushrooms as we travel and would recommend it to anyone for any use.

harry : Waiting for new product

I would like to purchase 3 of these, but am also waiting for the improved product. These postings are a year old, but I can't find any mention of the problem being fixed.

Sly Tbr : don't buy it!

hate it! the shelfs keep falling down and all is just a mess. don't waste your money on this.

Mercy : Handy, with a little know-how

Mine hangs on the back porch in the summertime, and in the winter I hang it in the kitchen. Note that I'm only using this for dehydrating, and I'm in a fairly hot & dry climate, but I'm fond of mine.

I noticed the problem with the loops slipping off the tabs, but early on I found that loading it from the bottom (putting the lowest tray in first) drew the straps tight enough that it generally wasn't a problem. I've got no use for the "sprouting tray"- but if you put it in the bottom inside the mesh bag the extra weight keeps it from being blown around on all but the windiest days & my trays seldom fall down.

A note for the vertically-challenged: don't plan on hanging it directly from the ceiling unless you like dragging a stepstool around. I hang it on a bit of chain so I can reach/monitor the top trays without straining myself.

Ronedog : Works like a charm,

I dried tomatoes in this hanging dryer on my back deck. They dried in about 5 days near Sacramento in the late summer. Worked like a charm! No bugs got in. Helps to have two people load and unload but I managed to do it by myself. I set the trays in the water in the sink afterwards and they cleaned up easily. Looking forward to next year!

JIMFRISKY : Five Stars

WORKS JUST FINE KEEPS FLYS OFF FOOD PERFECT

MHCraven : Food Pantry Hanging Dehydrator / Dryer

Great concept but the shelves are supported by a thin strip of webbing sewn into the netting which allows the shelves to move independently, spilling their contents in the bottom. This product needs a rigid support from the top to secure the trays. I give it a 10 out of 10 for bad design.

Tamara Johnson : I use it all the time

During the summer months I have this unit in constant use! Herbs, apples, etc. - it works great. I love the idea of passive drying. And having the herbs hanging and drying in my kitchen smells really nice. I did mess up on my first batch of bananas. They stuck to the tray big time. The next time I used the mesh sheets that some with the dryer, putting one on the tray and then the bananas on top of that, and that batch was a great success.

B. Hall : Great idea, mediocre execution

I like the idea of electricity-free food dehydration, but I wish that they had built it sturdier. The trays and tray holders are flimsy plastic and if you have any wind at all outside beware. The tray supports at least need to be metal to provide rigidity and strength to hold the trays up and resist distortion.

I like how it all can fold down into a nice compact package for storage.

Mark Garner : Issues Still Not Fixed

As other reviewers have stated, this dehydrator readily disassembles itself if given the slightest provocation. Luckily I've not had anything drying when it has happened. To me, it appears to be a huge design flaw that the straps can so easily slide off the tray holders. It is also a huge pain in the you know what to put it back together again. If you are very careful and make sure that you raise and lower it vertically, without bumping it from the sides, generally you can avoid the problem altogether.

When we received ours there was a hole ripped in the netting. I did not want to bother with sending it back so I fixed it myself with the included netting patch.

Despite those two setbacks I still find this dryer useful. The only thing I haven't attempted to try in this dehydrator is jerky. It works great for apple slices and herbs. The manual states that you can dry jerky in the dehydrator, but I would never attempt it because I am not sure if it would be truly safe.

Hollywood : Not for everything

I bought this in an effort to prepare foods in the event of power loss. I dehydrated apples easily. Next I tried bananas, which did didn't turn out so well. A "how to" video would be nice, very little info on youtube about this.

H. Rodriguez : Updated June 2011 Review

I purchased this Food Pantry after contacting the company to see if the past issue reviewers were experiencing was resolved and I got a quick reply back that it was. I ordered this product and have now used it twice and I love it. I have an Excalabur dehydrator but actually like this dehydrator better as it is non-electric, lighter and makes no noise. The trays stay in their spot no problem, so the previous issue was fixed. I used it to dry herbs which took two days and the pasta was ready overnight in my house. I'm sure it depends on the humidity where you live though. I have not tried it outside as it has been windy the last couple of days, but am excited to try that as well. I have uploaded product pictures so you can see the dryer in action. I would definitely recommend this product to a friend and am sooo glad I got it, well worth the money.

Amazon Customer : Completely Satisfied with my new 'Solar Deheydrator' { Second batch of ...

Completely Satisfied with my new
'Solar Deheydrator'
{ Second batch of Jerky is finished????}

Dennis L Doncaster : It works

Living in a dry climate, this works well. It is easy to set up and dries a full load within a few days for no cost.

Ronedog : Works like a charm,

I dried tomatoes in this hanging dryer on my back deck. They dried in about 5 days near Sacramento in the late summer. Worked like a charm! No bugs got in. Helps to have two people load and unload but I managed to do it by myself. I set the trays in the water in the sink afterwards and they cleaned up easily. Looking forward to next year!

Dela Ends : Not so hot!

Cheaply made. Very poor instructions.just didn't do what we were hoping We took this to Africa and thought it would be hot enough there to dry food but some even molded

Dennis L Doncaster : It works

Living in a dry climate, this works well. It is easy to set up and dries a full load within a few days for no cost.

drdave : Food ryer works great

We use this a lot. We use it to sprout wheat and to dry fruit (fruit leather or just dried apricots, apples, etc) and vegetables. Last year we dried some peppers and we are still enjoying them.

We have had our dryer for about 8-10 years.

Mercy : Handy, with a little know-how

Mine hangs on the back porch in the summertime, and in the winter I hang it in the kitchen. Note that I'm only using this for dehydrating, and I'm in a fairly hot & dry climate, but I'm fond of mine.

I noticed the problem with the loops slipping off the tabs, but early on I found that loading it from the bottom (putting the lowest tray in first) drew the straps tight enough that it generally wasn't a problem. I've got no use for the "sprouting tray"- but if you put it in the bottom inside the mesh bag the extra weight keeps it from being blown around on all but the windiest days & my trays seldom fall down.

A note for the vertically-challenged: don't plan on hanging it directly from the ceiling unless you like dragging a stepstool around. I hang it on a bit of chain so I can reach/monitor the top trays without straining myself.

MHCraven : Food Pantry Hanging Dehydrator / Dryer

Great concept but the shelves are supported by a thin strip of webbing sewn into the netting which allows the shelves to move independently, spilling their contents in the bottom. This product needs a rigid support from the top to secure the trays. I give it a 10 out of 10 for bad design.

H. Rodriguez : Updated June 2011 Review

I purchased this Food Pantry after contacting the company to see if the past issue reviewers were experiencing was resolved and I got a quick reply back that it was. I ordered this product and have now used it twice and I love it. I have an Excalabur dehydrator but actually like this dehydrator better as it is non-electric, lighter and makes no noise. The trays stay in their spot no problem, so the previous issue was fixed. I used it to dry herbs which took two days and the pasta was ready overnight in my house. I'm sure it depends on the humidity where you live though. I have not tried it outside as it has been windy the last couple of days, but am excited to try that as well. I have uploaded product pictures so you can see the dryer in action. I would definitely recommend this product to a friend and am sooo glad I got it, well worth the money.

harry : Waiting for new product

I would like to purchase 3 of these, but am also waiting for the improved product. These postings are a year old, but I can't find any mention of the problem being fixed.

Hanging Raw Food Dehydrator - Solar Powered review and price compare 2025

Product overview

product features

product description

product details

important information

Questions about Hanging Raw Food Dehydrator - Solar Powered

Have the Collapsing Trays been Fixed? I don't want to have to RETURN it.

how long does it take to dehydrate fruits and veggies

Can I hang this on a garden stake?

Is it designed for the top and bottom white pieces to snap together to be able to store it in a 5" space?

can it dry all kinds of meats if so how long does it take?

is this suitable for drying leaves?

What are the shelves made of?

Are the trays bpa free?

Can this make beef jerky with this item?

I don't see solar panels. This is just a passive dehydrator, right? No "power"

I am a raw foodist and would like to make raw breads and crackers-- will this dehydrator work for that? It normally takes many hours in an excalibur.

why is it called solar powered if the sun doesn't increase the temperature to dry the foods? what does the "solar power" do?

how does this product get up to temps to kill bacteria? need at least 140 degrees.

Is this a safe method compared to dry food compated to an electric dehyrator? Having a hard time putting my head around the concept and food spoilage

Product reviews of Hanging Raw Food Dehydrator - Solar Powered