Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with Adjustable Thermostat Accurate Temperature Control Faster Drying, Black review and price compare 2025
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
Product overview
Brand
Excalibur
Material
Plastic
Color
Black
Wattage
600 watts
Item Dimensions LxWxH
19 x 17 x 12.5 inches
product features
This fits your .
by entering your model number.
DRYING SPACE - 9-trays totaling 15 square feet of drying space offers plenty of room for your favorite snacks
PATENTED - Hyper wave technology and horizontal parallex drying removes water from food with a continuous circulation of thermostatically-controlled Warm air
LOW AND SLOW FOR IMMUNITY BOOST - Cooking foods at a temperature no higher than 115-118 degrees in a dehydrator preserves nutrients and enzymes
DIAL IN - Adjustable thermostat 105 degrees Fahrenheit to 165 degrees Fahrenheit featuring accurate temperature control and built in on/off switch
EASY TO CLEAN - Poly-Screen trays do not need to be moved or rotated during operation and prevent foods from sticking
HEALTHY SNACKS - Dehydrate delicious fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat for jerky, fruit puree for fruit roll-ups, raise bread or make homemade yogurt. Great for preppers, large families, gardeners, and sportsman
Includes 7" Fan for excellent air circulation
From the manufacturer
9 BPA-free trays totaling 15 square feet of drying space allows for enough room to dry a wide variety of foods.
Hyperwave patented technology keeps the interior temperature high enough to remove moisture while ensuring food temperature is low enough to maintain enzymes and nutrients.
Parallexx horizontal airflow distributes air evenly over each tray allowing food to dry faster and taste better.
The adjustable thermostat (105°F - 165°F) allows for greater flexibility to dry herbs, fruit, vegetables, jerky and so much more!
Dehydrating foods at low temperatures preserve nutrients and enzymes for up to 9 months when stored correctly.
Get started immediately with the included “Guide to Dehydrating” book for great tips and recipes.
Size
16.25 x 13 x 6.5 inches
19 x 17 x 12.5 inches
19 x 17 x 12.5 inches
18 x 17 x 10 inches
17 x 20.5 x 17 inches
# Trays
4
9
9
9
10
Drying Space
4 square feet
15 square feet
15 square feet
15 square feet
16 square feet
Thermostat
Adjustable
Adjustable
Adjustable
Adjustable
Digital dual adjustable temp. settings
Timer Hrs.
N/A
N/A
26-hour
26-hour
Digital dual adjustable time settings up to 99 hrs.
Door Style
Solid
Solid
Solid
Clear
Clear
Body
Plastic
Plastic
Plastic
Plastic
Stainless Steel
Tray material
BPA Free Plastic
BPA Free Plastic
BPA Free Plastic
BPA Free Plastic
Stainless Steel
Coverage
5 Year
10 Year
10 Year
10 Year
10 Year
product description
The 3900B Deluxe Dehydrator by Excalibur comes with 9 trays and a total of 15 square feet of drying space. The adjustable thermostat temperature control ranges from 105 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, making it safe to dehydrate meat for jerky. The fan, heating element and thermostat are in the back of the unit, so cool air is drawn in, heated and then distributed evenly over each tray. This patented parallex horizontal airflow is exclusive to Excalibur and helps the food dehydrate faster, retain more nutrients, and look and taste better – all without manual tray rotation. Since 1973, Excalibur has been made in the USA with USA and globally sourced materials. Over the years, Excalibur has taken the lead in advancements related to the mechanics of Dehydration including air flow, heating dynamics, and materials. Your Excalibur dehydrator offers you the opportunity to cook at lower drying temperatures which increase the immunity boosting vitamin value in foods and keep it boosted for up to 9 months when stored in an airtight container. So, the next time you are looking for ways to improve your wellness, take on a tortoise mentality and know that low and slow will win the immunity race. Your body will thank you!
product details
important information
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Questions about Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with Adjustable Thermostat Accurate Temperature Control Faster Drying, Black
Q:
Does this unit have a timer? Is there a unit comparable to this that does?
Answer: This unit does not have a timer. I think there is a unit that is very much like this that does have one Excalibur 3926T 9 Tray Large Food Hehydrator with 26 hour Timer
Answer: No it does not. Excalibur does make one with a timer though, it is Excalibur 3926TB. It has a 26 hour timer.
Answer: I have the model WITH the timer but actually find little use for it. Most of the time you simply turn the unit off when the dehydrating is complete. As others have mentioned, due to variation in humidity, jerky that takes 6 hours one day might only take 4 hours a month later. Set the dehydrator on 6 and you'll have overdried it.
Answer: No timer but the use of a wall timer works just as well for way less money.
Answer: No timer on this model but you can plug it into a timer that plugs into your outlet and save yourself $100.
Answer: No timer. Costs a good bit more for that model. I put mine on a plug-in timer.
Answer: No, it does not have a timer. Since the humidity in your home and the moisture content of the food can vary considerably, you must check the dryness manually.
Answer: No it does not. I use my own timer, work great.
Answer: I use a lamp timer on mine,
Answer: It does not have a timer.
Q:
Do you find that your electricity bill goes up significantly while using this dehydrator?
Answer:
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Answer: I use mine 2-3 times a week, or about 20-30 hours and I have not noticed a spike in my electric bill.
Answer: $ 90.00 on other site....same unit
Answer: No! But I have put my entire kitchen under solar power, so it is not a problem. I did check the meter to see if there was any significant movement and there was not, so I run it quite often. I recommend it to you without reservation!
Answer: Great question. Never even crossed my mind. I have not seen my bill spike so I guess not.
Q:
how many pounds of jerky meat will it hold at one time?
Answer: Depending on how thick you slice the meat, you could reasonably put 4-5 lbs. A friend gave me two elk roasts that weighed in about 5 lbs. I sliced it on the thin side and used 8 trays. I had the butcher slice a 3.5 lb. beef roast and only used 5 trays. I spaced the heat about 1/4 in. between pieces. I hope this answers your query. Happy Dehydrating.
Q:
If price were no object, which Excalibur would be the most desirable? Anyone willing to rank all the choices? I have NO experience with dehydrators.
Answer: I agree with the other responses. We started dehydrating various foods years ago and have experience with a couple of the much cheaper units. The Excalibur 3900B was a huge move up. It really does dry dozens of pieces at a time. We tried apples, pears, and even experimented with summer squash and tomatoes. It is fast and works great. Organic apple chips with no additives at all - hard to beat! I didn't rank ALL of the choices either, but did quite a bit of research, too. It was well worth the purchase price for us.
Answer: I did some online research before buying this model, but I can't say I've ranked ALL the choices. I can tell you this dehydrator works well, is built to last, and performs as advertised. With 9 trays, it can dry several dozen apples or similar fruit at once. Well worth the money if you do much drying.
Answer: Price was not a factor in my choice and after doing my research, this is the one I chose. I chose well. It's quiet, efficient and clean up is a breeze.
Answer: I wanted a dehydrator that had a big open area inside. I use mine with the trays for food. And without the trays to dry sugar work . I love mine !!
Answer: I chose 3900B, cuz when adding a timer removes the human element. This is in respect to humidity and area temperature! Also, all electrical components are old school and easy to repair/replace and not subject to power surges!!! WA4MUC Lake Butler, Fl
Q:
Are you happy with this dehydrator even though there is no timer? I am trying to decide between this one and the one with the timer. Thanks!
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: I am happy with it and have done OK without the timer. If I could change anything it would be to make it smaller because I don't think I really need one with this many shelves, but that all depends on how much you will be dehydrating.
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Answer: I am happy without a timer...I like to go and check out what's going on inside and if I have yo leave for work I just turn it down real low...never had over drying
Answer: you do not need timer- you need to open dehidrat. to inspect fruits/vegetabl. anyway- you can use any timer if you wish.
Answer: I haven't needed to use a timer yet but know you can plug your Excalibur into a separate timer of required. (The same type I already have in the cupboard for use with electric blankets or lamps etc.) My best mate bought the model with timer and still hasn't used it yet either.
Answer: Timing varies on personal tastes of your liking. I sometimes will use a electrical timer to shut the unit off. A built in timer would be nice, question is it worth the extra price? IMO
Answer: Yes, it is easy to just go check the texture of the product, which I may prefer to have as crunchy. I do a lot of my own purees and made up recipes anyway, so I just go and check things after putting it in before work and checking it after 8 hours. I've never had anything in there for 24 hours as I've seen recommended on some recipes. I rarely follow the exact time frame that is recommended on recipes anyway.
Answer: I am very happy with mine but I guess the timer could come in handy at times
Answer: I love it, but I wish I would have thout about it not having a timer definitely get the timer
Q:
When making jerky, do you have to rotate the trays to dry them evenly?
Answer: i agree with blenderbender you don't have to but it does help dry evenly. also top two trays and bottom two i rotate to center...
Answer: No you do not have to rotate the shelves for jerky, it will dehydrate fine.
Answer: You don't have to but it does help if you do I've found.
Q:
How much space is there between the trays? Or what's the thickest thing you can put in with all trays loaded? Thanks.
Answer: The spacing between the shelf frames is 1.125 in. I would suggest that you limit the thickness of anything you wish to dry to .5 in. This would allow for any curling of the material and allow you to easily withdraw the shelves. I hope this helps you. Happy dehydrating.
Answer: There's pretty good space between the trays. I purchased the smaller model first, but you really have to keep slices thin with that one. The larger model is definately the way to go. Using a mandoline, you can use the largest setting, which seems to be 1/4 inch thick. You can halve cherry tomatoes and there is enough space for those (not so in the smaller model - the cherry's need to be cut into thirds). There's always the option to take every other tray out to create more room as well. Hope this helps.
Answer: Just remove trays if you need more space between them. You can take as many trays out as you need. Some people put bowls of bread dough in this.
Answer: About 1/4 inch. I need to lay the kale flat. Truth be told...I dont use it that much anymore...list tge novelty value
Q:
Is the front door supposed to fit tight or jost hang on the front with gaps on the sides?
Answer: It just hangs. It is NOT a tight fight. You want air flow, its not like an oven that is enclosed. The plus side is, while it is running, you don't need much additional heat in the room; it does it for you. If the extra heat is a problem, open a window near the back of the machine so the hot air from the back goes outside instead of in.
Answer: It just hangs on the front. Keeps the air flow circulating but it isn't a seal.. The moisture has to escape from somewhere :)
Answer: It just hangs there . It needs to breathe.
Answer: That is how ours fits
Answer: It's designed to just hang, and not be tight.
Q:
What is the lowest temperature setting it can go?
Answer: The temperature range is 95 to 155 degrees f. We have found that with the heating element and fan located on the back wall (cage protected) that our drying time is less than the older round stacked tray American harvester dehydrator that we have. I highly recommend this one. Good luck with your dehydrating.
Answer: This updated model does 115 to 165.
Answer: It adjusts from 95 to 155 Fahrenheit.
Answer: I think 125.
Q:
Who manufactured this appliance?
Answer: Excalibur is the manufacturer of this product and it is a fantastic piece of equipment. I love it. I have gallons of dried fruits and vegetables in just a few months.
where do you find the solid trays to do more liguid stuff?? I dont just want the flat ones. Need ones with a lip.
Answer: I don't know if solid trays are even made. I have purchased the sheets that can be used for a thick liquid like yogurt for yogurt bits
Answer: I don't have solid trays. What I use when drying runnier things is: Saran wrap for the first layer, then I layer parchment paper cut to fit the size of the tray over the saran wrap, or non-stick foil over the saran wrap. Usually I use parchment paper though. I haven't had any problems using this system. Hope this helps!
Answer: I haven't seen solid trays; however, you can use Paraflexx sheets to put over your screen trays, and pour pureed fruits & vegetables onto them to dehydrate into leathers or crackers. I've read that parchment paper works as well, but haven't tried it.
Answer: The trays included with this dehydrator are not built for anything that might drip. You might have to contact the manufacturer, Excalibur, directly to see if they make a dehydrator for your purposes. They have a website.
Answer: I use :
Q:
Is it 110v / 220v ?
Answer: It is a 110V. Very easy to use and just plugs into a normal outlet.
Answer: It is 115/120/130V single phase. In the US just - plug it in.
Answer: mine is 110/120 only
Answer: It's 120v only.
Q:
If purchased through Amazon, does it come with the 10 year warranty?
Answer: I can't swear to that, although I did read on one of the reviews that when one reader pushed the issue with Excalibur, they did honor the longer warranty. If something did go wrong, it should be relatively easy to troubleshoot and fairly inexpensive for parts. I do place alot of weight on warranties, though, so I understand your concern.
Q:
does it have a timer
Answer: The 3900 does not have timer..... model 3926 has timer. I find it unnecessary as there are so many other variables such as ambient temps and humidity. And there is lots of room for error so you don't need to be that precise anyway. In my case I have various batches all started at different times and a timer would be relatively useless. Unless you fill all 9 trays with the very same item it's kind of a non issue.
Answer: the model I purchased does not have a timer. While I was researching I found a few folks that advised not paying additional for a timer because they were not as important. The reason is that dehydrating different things depend on the moisture content of what your dehydrating as well as the humidity of the room your drying in. I have found one batch of bananas one day may take longer than another batch the next. The more you dehydrate you will find a timer is not as good of an option, at least that is what I have found
Answer: Don't have a timer on mine. I really didn't need one since I check it periodically depending on type of food I am drying.
Answer: No, it does not have a timer. When we use a timer, we use an external timer. Most of the time we simply look to see if the fruit, etc. is dry. Times given in the instructions are estimates anyway, and a timer could result in too dry or not dry enough. Looking has proven to provide better results for us.
Q:
Is this dehydrator NSF?
Answer: I do not know if it is NSF certified, you may contact Excalibur to ask them . I do know for the price point you will not find a better dehydrator.................
Answer: I realize that this is a very old question, but...... I don't believe they rate any household appliances NSF. NSF ratings are for materials, equipment, etc., used commercially in the manufacturing of food.
Answer: ditto.... what the heck is NSF?
Answer: I don't know what NSF means!
Q:
Does this come with a preserve it naturally book?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: No, this does not come with the Preserve it naturally book. That book is out of date and no longer even in print.
Answer: My Excalibur came with two books and that's all I ever needed to do the basics with. If you are doing unusual stuff you might need some outside help. The books that came with mine cover fruits, vegetables, meat and fruit rollups. I believe anyone who tries this dehydrator is looking for a way to do things the "natural" way, with no preservatives. I do know if you live where the moisture is high you may need some extra steps.
Answer: Yes, mine came with the PRESERVE IT NATURALLY book as well as the booklet, DEHYDRATION GUIDE both from Excalibur. Both books are a wonderful reference!
Answer: It comes with a book, which includes what you really need: a chart listing drying times and temperatures. Recipes are easy to find on the World Wide Web.
Answer: No, just a small guide. I use several books on canning and preserving which contain dehydration guides. Also I follow a Facebook group on dehydration. You will love this machine.
Answer: It did come with a book but I'm nor sure if it's the one you mentioned. I do warn you that I got the worst customer service from excalibur after my unit caught fire on the second use and never heard anything back from them concerning warranty. I called, emailed and commented on every site I could find the excalibur product. One year has passed and I still have a burned/melted unit.
Answer: Yes, it came with a manual and a preserve it naturally book.
Answer: Yes, it came with a manual and a book. Mine does not have a timer. My older one had a timer, so i assumed my new one has a built in timer,too.My older one was by the same company.
Answer: Yes it did! It came with a manual and a book.
Q:
Is it noisy?
Answer: I wouldn't say noisy. Sounds like an air filter appliance because it has a fan in the posterior side of the unit
Answer: It's more like white noise. I don't find it intrusive. When my husband is home and he sees me turn it on then he says its noisy, but if it's already on when he comes home he doesn't notice it.
Answer: The Excalibur is quieter than my older Le'Equip which it replaced. That being said, it's still a fan and is background white noise. If it's in the same room as a TV or radio you will need to ratchet up the volume.
Answer: I would definitely say it is not a whisper quiet fan but would equate it to a window fan on low to medium. I let it run overnight in the kitchen and can not hear it from the nearby bedroom.
Answer: Somewhat. If you have a small kitchen and are sitting in a room close by, you will hear it humming. However, I find that I block it out after only a few moments
Answer: It hums -- quieter than a normal dishwasher and louder than a normal refrigerator. It's basically the hum of a fan. I hardly notice it unless the house is really quiet.
Answer: I would describe it's noise level as medium. It's loud enough to where you can't have a conversation while standing next to it without raising you voice.
Answer: Yes I run mine during times I am not in the kitchen because it is so loud. I don't care because it works so well and I am really happy with it.
Answer: It's not quiet but we don't find it obnoxious either. It's about the same as running a fan.
Q:
Does all the FREE stuff comes with it: "Preserve it Naturally" book, 10 Year Warranty, 9 Mesh sheets for the trays
Answer: Mine came with "Preserve it Naturally" book, 9 mesh tray inserts, no non-stick liners (had to order separately), and 5 year warranty.
Answer: Yes. But you will want to order the tray liners if you want to make fruit leathers or anything that would fall through the mesh. It's a great dehydrator.
Answer: Excalibur will not recognize the 10 year warranty if purchased on Amazon.
Answer: Only if you pay the additional $30.33 noted at the bottom.
Q:
What is the difference between the 3900 and the 3900B models?
Answer: i can tell you that they are both the same size and watts. but the 3900B model gets up to 155 degrees, while the 3900 model gets up to 145 degrees.
Answer: 3900B is the black - 3900W is the white - difference is color only
Answer: One has an auto shut off and one doesn't. It's best to save your money and go for the one without the auto timer. You could always buy an electric auto shutoff for way cheaper!!
Answer: If you buy these anywhere other than an Excalibur licensed dealer, the 10 year warranty is void.
Q:
How many watts and where is the fan?
Answer: It's 440 watts. The fan is in the back.
Answer: 3900b is 600 watts...
Answer: Don't recall the wattage. Fan is at the back of the unit.
Answer: how tall is it?
Q:
can teflon liners be used
Answer: Yes. I have the teflon liners and they work very well for fruit leathers and such :)
Answer: Yes
Q:
does this unit has a 220v version ? can i order one ?
Answer: Johnny, Excalibur does make 220v versions, but they are not available to us to sell. They are sold through other international distributors. You might check with Excalibur for a list of distributors who are authorized to sell them. I hope this helps. Best Wishes.
Q:
what makes this 'deluxe'?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: The variable temps make this worth its weight in gold. I just did some salmon jerky last night in 5 hours on its highest setting, then smoked it in my smoker. Turned our great.
Answer: you can fit so much food on each tray, the flavors don't mix so you can max out the usage with a full unit each time. Super easy to clean also! I have had mine for about 6 months and am still very happy with this unit.
Answer: it may be the cabinet finish or some other feature that another model doesnt have. All I know is that it is a a very productive easy to use effective appliance for dehydrating produce
Answer: It has a timer. Thats it.
Q:
did you have another model 220v ?
Q:
Will I need to rotate racks regularly to avoid over-drying of foods --- if I get a 5 rack will I not have to?
Answer: Hello, I used 5 racks it to dry fruits (apple and banana) and didn´t have to rotate them. Once the time was done they all were perfect.
Answer: I personally rotate the racks just to get more even drying on the 9 rack. Not sure on the 5 rack.
Answer: I have had success just placeing the racks and setting the temp and letting it go. the heating element and fan are in the back of the unit. The warm air distributes evenly across all trays. you should not need to rotate racks.
Answer: The air circulation seems fairly even. I have not had to rotate the racks at all. Our fruits come out evenly dried from top to bottom rack. Just make sure all your pieces are the same thickness.
Answer: Rotating foods will quicken drying times of certain foods. Ive found that ive never needed to do so with this one
Q:
Are the screens that the food sit on BPA free?
Answer: Yes
Q:
What is the best voltage converting can be used on this machine?
Answer: Don't understand the question. The specifications state "Plug the power cord into standard 120 volt outlet or 220/240 volt outlet depending upon your voltage."
Answer: The machine is made to run 110/120v
Answer: 120
Answer: Not really sure about that question.
Answer: I don't know, you should ask either seller or manufacturer
Q:
Does this come with the 10 year warranty when ordered from Amazon?
Answer: Yes it has a 10 year manufactured warranty and yes it is valid if you buy it on Amazon.
Answer: Only if you buy it from Excalibur themselves.
Answer: Yes
Answer: yes
Q:
Are there stainless steel trays that fit this model?
Answer: The only stainless steel trays that I have found are 15 x 15. I have measured my trays and they are 14 x 14. Check to see if your dehydrator has a room enough for the larger shelves. They are on Amazon and quite pricey but have great reviews.
Answer: Hello, yes there are. In fact, they can be found on Amazons : stainless steel tray replacement for 35$
Answer: If there are I don’t know about them. The trays that come with it are very durable and I have used mine a lot with no problems. I guess you could contact the company who made it to find out.
Q:
I just want to know how much does Excalibur 3900B 9 cost to ship it to Africa Uganda Kampala
Answer: Hi, Stewart. The shipping price will vary depending on which seller you purchase the dehydrator from. We all have different rates in terms of weights and countries. The going rate at the post office to ship this item to Uganda is approximately $150. I recommend shopping around and doing sample check outs from each of the sellers to see which one of us offers the lowest rate. Please feel free to follow up with any additional questions. Thank you and have a great day!
Q:
Where is the fan located on this dehydrator?
Answer: In the back of the dehydrator
Answer: It is located in the back. This dehydrator is awesome!
Answer: Fan is on the back!
Answer: In the interior backside of the unit.
Answer: It's centered in a cage on the back wall.
Answer: Caged on the back wall
Q:
Does the machine blow air out of the machine while running? Hence would it need to be in an open ventilated space? Thanks!
Answer: I put mine on the kitchen counter with the back (fan area) next to the wall and outlet. The fan blows a bit of air thru the machine to the front, but I can only feel a tiny bit of air blowing out the front if I have the cover off. Otherwise, I can't feel any air movement. I would not put the machine in a tightly enclosed area...such as in a cupboard...such as I feel it needs some ventilation. I've had no trouble using it in my kitchen which is fairly small. Incidentally, I love the machine! Hope this helps.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: Very little. I keep mine on my kitchen counter. Just mAke sure you don't run it outside it will break it
Answer: A normal room is quite sufficient for the dehydrator.
Q:
Are the trays dishwasher safe?
Answer: According to the manufacturer, the trays are dishwasher safe. The plastic inserts however are not, and should be washed by hand.
Answer: I own a standard sized dishwasher and would have to remove the top rack in order to fit the trays in there. You'd have to have a really big dishwasher in order to put them in there. So with that said, I'm not sure, since they won't fit in mine. Residue from dried vegetables doesn't "become one" with the tray and washes off by hand very easily.
Answer: Yes and no. Hope that helps. Just kidding. The manual says the trays themselves are ok to put in dishwasher, but I don't heat dry them. They say to not put the mesh inserts in dishwasher, but I do. Again with no heat dry. Will this lessen the life of the mesh? I don't know, but it is much easier to clean them this way.
Answer: They are dishwasher safe on the top rack.
Answer: top rack safe, but they don't get "crusted dirty" they really rinse off in the sink very easily.
Answer: I dont own a dishwasher.
Q:
Is it dishwasher safe?
Q:
How long is the electric cord on this model please?
Answer: Great question! It is a little over 3 1/2 ft. long.
Answer: just a little more than 46 inches
Q:
how much is shipping to Brazil ?
Answer: Raphael,
Answer: We're so sorry, Raphael. We do not ship these units to S. America. Please check in with Excalibur at their website for vendors who do.
Q:
Will this one work on 220v ?
Answer: The Xcal 3900B is rated 110/120 Volt AC 60 Hz. To operate 220/240 VAC, as supplied, must use a step-down transformer in US. There is an application for this when a 220 Volt water pump runs off of solar/battery/ inverter, there is a split phase inverter system that will work! The cost of this system requires very deep pockets. If you are on Mains in Europe Contact manufacture for Export unit 220/240 volts @ 50Hz. Hope this helps
Answer: You would have to get something like this -
Answer: NO - 110- 120V
Answer: No, 110-120
Answer: No..it's for 110v
Q:
Viene algúno para 220v?
Q:
Does the 10 year warranty apply if purchased through Amazon
Q:
Which one do I need to get in order to get a timer? I want an Excalibur, want 600 watts, want adjustable temp up to 165 degrees and need a timer. Hel
Answer: Excalibur doesn't have a timer, but does have temp control
Answer: Read the 'Product Description' because I think this one has everything you're looking for and you can find out by reading the info they provide underneath the product. I love my dehydrator and I believe it has everything you're looking for.
Q:
Any voltage issue used in Singapore?
Answer: this unit is 120 volts and with no switchable circuit. Your voltage is 230. Unless you have a way of obtaining 120, I doubt it will work well.
Q:
How long Does it to dehydrate ginger or garlic?
Q:
Are you a certified Excaliber retailer to validate the 10yr warranty?
Answer: NO
Q:
Does this have t he isert to make fruit rollups?Or will i be able to use a liner for that?
Answer: No idea about insert. Seems you could use a liner by removing some of the shelves, if more vertical space needed. We've only used it to dry chopped veggies for dry canning in jars, some still fresh and dry about 4 years later don't recall how long ago we purchased the unit.
Answer: They (solid plastic sheets) did not come with this unit but they are available to buy. Or make your own with parchment.
Answer: Mine did not have them included. I did purchase them separately but you could also use parchment paper.
Q:
What are the detentions of the trays?
Answer: Usable space for each tray is 14x14. Please note that Harvest Essentials includes the Preserve if Naturally Book ($29.95 value) at no additional cost when purchasing from us.
Answer: 9 trays reffers to the amount of layers or levels in which you can dehydrate the most amount of food possible in one session (in 9 different levels one on top of the other to optimaze energy, time, yield, etc)
Answer: They are 15" x 15", but there is a 1/2" lip that you don't put food on, so the usable dehydration surface is 14" x 14".
Q:
Does this product have any ptfe anywhere in or on it? i have tried asking the company, who refuse to answer.
Answer: I don't believe it does, it is mainly plastic and BPA free. There is no non-stick coating as far as I can tell.
Q:
Any voltage issue used in Singapore?
Answer: this unit is 120 volts and with no switchable circuit. Your voltage is 230. Unless you have a way of obtaining 120, I doubt it will work well.
Q:
The door on my excalibur 3900b rattles really badly. to the point where i can't even use it in the house. i have to keep it in the garage. solution?
Answer: Put the small felt furniture pads around door frame where it's making noise. But never heard of a Excalibur making such troubles may need to have motor looked at
Answer: Make sure it's on all the way. Shouldn't be a gap at the sides and bottom.
Q:
Do I have to buy the non stick paper
Answer: You will only need non-stick sheets if you want to make crackers, fruit leather (or anything that starts as a liquid or puree) as the mesh sheets are perforated and will not contain liquids. You can buy the non-stick sheets here: http://www.amazon.com/Paraflexx-Premium-Non-stick-Dehydrator-14/dp/B000H6PBFQ
Answer: No, we have not had any trouble with food sticking to the trays.
Answer: I have purchased excaliber sheets for the best results, there are also non-brand sheets, all of them are pricey, but totally worth it, I would not use any other products (non-stick paper), but I am sure it is possible.
Answer: No. The non stick paper is for things like fruit roll ups.
Answer: I would say yes, buy the liners because the trays have pretty big gaps. I use them all the time and find no degradation in drying.
Answer: I just use regular parchment paper, works great. Huge roll from Costco lasts all fruit season.
Answer: No. I place the meat directly on the sheets and they come right off when its done.
Q:
What's the difference between this model and the 2900-ECB?
Answer: It's not just the color.. The 3900 has a 600 watt motor the 2900 has a 440 watt motor.
Answer: The 3900 is an updated (improved) version of the 2900, also the 3900 motor is stronger than the 2900. The Excalibur 3900 has a 10 yrs warranty while the 2900 has only a 5 year warranty.
Answer: I couldn't find any difference other than color.
Answer: Color
Product reviews of Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with Adjustable Thermostat Accurate Temperature Control Faster Drying, Black
Amazon Customer : Not even 1 year old - Broken
I bought this product less than a year ago and I loved it for making beef jerky and dried pineapple. I am changing to a 1 star as the bottom and feet broke off within the first 3 months of use. At the price I paid, I would expect Excalibur to make it more durable and last longer. SUPER disappointed. Would not recommend.
Andrews electric : Broken front cover
Right out of the box, broken front cover... I gave 3 stars because of the brand but I mean really, they couldn't box it up a lil better ? Now do I bother sending it back or just deal with it ...
NBB : Holds a Lot of Food
Has good temperature control and dries things well and evenly. The biggest plus is this thing holds a ton of food. You can knock out larger amounts than other makes. Love this thing. Light enough to move around. A very durable piece of equipment. Well built.
FRANCES : You deserve the BEST. Once you get an excalibur
Just do it! Buy one. You deserve the BEST. Once you get an excalibur, you'll wonder HOW you ever used those stacker round dehydrators. What an AWESOME kitchen appliance. A LIFETIME product, not a walmart gadget. GREAT GREAT GREAT DEHYDRATOR. And did I say - yogurt maker, bread raiser, etc., etc., GET THE FLAT SHEETS THAT LINE THE TRAYS - you will use them all the time.
Glen E Thomas : Great product
Update: after using the 3900b since 2015 I decided it was time to buy another 3900b to increase my capacity. I have had no issues with the 2015 purchase and expect many more years of use.
Things I have found that I didn’t like;
Hate cleaning the mesh liners, I bought the premium silicone liners that clean up faster and allow food to be easily removed.
Replaced the trays with the stainless steel trays, no issues with the plastic trays but like the stainless steel.
Things I do like;
Overall noise is better than other brands, I can talk on phone in same room as dehydrators.
Large capacity and ability to remove trays for larger items. I have used the dehydrator to dry delicate items quickly.
Simple operation of controls and the ability to dial in the correct heat. I own a lesser brand that’s either all in at 1000 watts or off. Simple tray loading allows for checking the progress with out moving a bunch of trays around and finding a place to set trays while checking the lower levels.
I have been using this dehydrator for a few months and have dehydrated meats, fruit and veggies. Also tried eggs with very a messy result due to the tray design. Not having a timer has not been an issue for me. This is a great product and I am going to buy another.
pet lover : It would be pretty simple to include a removable drip tray
This dehydrator works very well. Dehydrates foods very evenly front to back and top to bottom as described. No rotation or turning of trays necessary. However, there are a few fatal design flaws!! First, the trays are flat and smooth on the top, BUT instead of also being flat on the bottom, they are ridged making them an absolute NIGHTMARE to hand wash. Also, there is no removable drip tray in the bottom. I didn't really think about this until I made a batch of jerky. Then ooohhhh my! Fat had dripped off the jerky and run across the bottom of the unit. The fat ran into grooves under where the last tray goes and was a giant pain to clean out. Of course it also ran behind the metal mesh screen in the back of unit. The screws for said screen are inserted from the back, so I had to remove the back of the unit with the motor in order to clean it out! It would be pretty simple to include a removable drip tray!! Quite an oversight. Took almost as long to clean as it did to dehydrate the foods. Not sure I would buy it again, but now that I have it I just put tin foil into the bottom before each use. Conclusion: Easy to use and works exactly as advertised. If you have a dishwasher, go for it; just remember to put something in the bottom to catch any drips. If you handwash; may want to look elsewhere.
LSS : Easy to use and a great investment that will very ...
Can't say enough about this dehydrator. I'm on a quest to stop wasting food and this dehydrator has been very helpful. Especially now with gardens in full growth. Vegetables that I once would throw away because of spoilage no longer see the trash can. I never thought about how the dried herbs, spices, vegetable flavorings etc. were made. Now I know! I not only avoid throwing food away but I'm saving money by making my own powdered flavorings. Some vegetables I've dehydrated as chunks to reconstitute in soups, casseroles and even give to the dogs.
I had quite a bit of meat that I didn't want to refreeze and was going to expire so I decided to take a chance. First I used a pressure cooker to kill any bacteria and then dehydrated some chicken, ground hamburger and pork. I rehydrated some of the meat and was pleasantly surprised! I could not tell that the meat had previously been cooked which I thought was a real thumbs up.
When I researched dehydrators I discovered that Excalibur brand is the only product to buy for an individual who is serious about dehydrating food. Easy to use and a great investment that will very soon pay for itself.
Timothy McDougal : Arrived in bad shape
The item arrived in really bad shape. The outer box was fine, but when the inner box was opened it was very obvious that it had been dropped before being packaged up for shipping. Not sure how they did it but the manuals were so beaten up that they are unusable. The unit looks like it survived the process. But, I will have to plug it in to be sure.
maria : No contact info for manufacturer! Non working numbers
There is NO customer support at all! Telephone number is non working. All their brochures and books all have the same contact info. Non working. Even Amazon could not get ahold of this seller. My dehydrator doesn’t work properly. Do not buy
Timothy McDougal : Arrived in bad shape
The item arrived in really bad shape. The outer box was fine, but when the inner box was opened it was very obvious that it had been dropped before being packaged up for shipping. Not sure how they did it but the manuals were so beaten up that they are unusable. The unit looks like it survived the process. But, I will have to plug it in to be sure.
Val : Love it!!
We love dehydrating our tomatoes and herbs. We've been using 2 round dehydrators with a fan for many wonderful years. One finally wore down so we "shopped around" and decided to get The Excalibur. The 9-tray model has been on our "wish list" for a long time and now was the time to get it. The manual/recipe books that come with it are easy to read and informative. Granted it's been a long time since we read a dehydrating manual but I think the dried puree/fruit roll-up type recipes listed in these guides may work for us. So much herbs and tomatoes got us to buy a second round dehydrator. No regrets but glad we were able to get The Excalibur this time. It's a bit pricey but we knew from everything we read that this was going to be THE dehydrator to have and we are not disappointed. I actually had dry tomatoes in a few short hours! Ours were sliced a little thinner than recommended since it was the first time. We also used only 3 trays spaced apart. The trays held more tomatoes than we thought. I used parchment paper carefully wrapped around the bottom mesh shelf to catch any dribbles. --Parchment IS recommended in the user guide. Very happy the company gives recommendations so you can fully use the dehydrator without buying more accessories. The special shelves would probably be easier and cost/time efficient over using parchment if you intended to use them often for roll-ups or craft work. I dried twice as much sage in one machine without any hassle other than checking for dryness. Most was dry at the same time. From 9 full sheets down to one to finish drying. When we dried the dill I noticed that the dill had been blown away a little from the fan on the center trays. Made sense since it's so light. It didn't seem to really affect the drying in any way. It was very quick. Clean up is always a chore dehydrating anything wet; it would be expected. With our round dehydrators I would spray a little oil on the racks. They were bulky and had to be scrubbed with a brush thoroughly anyway so why make it even harder? The racks from Excalibur are soooo much easier to clean. The black, hard plastic supports are light and durable. Easy to clean off. The mesh had quite a mess from the tomatoes that I would've been really down about had they been the thicker round shelves. I just put the mesh in the dishpan to soak while I washed other dishes and viola! Clean with no scrubbing :D Yeah, I'm reallllllly happy with this purchase
Ross Bagne : First Inpressions.
I am brand new to the dehydrating food preserving method and I have only been using this product for a couple of days so these are just initial impressions, but I can see right now that you have to buy a high quality product like this if you want good results. These things run for HOURS. I didn't realize that ahead of time. This means that you have to have a durable high quality machine to do this. I wouldn't go with a cheaper product. This is just right for me at the right price.
Dakota : Best dehydrator EVER!
This has been in my cart for over a year, I finally saw it on a daily deal for $70 off and I had to buy it! It’s awesome, best quality dehydrator! The size is awesome for larger projects and the mats are cheap to make roll ups!
Noone : Gardeners and cooks delight! Has been running all summer. (Updated rating down a notch because of cleaning)
See my glowing review below. But I have one major complaint. The dryer is not easy to clean. Please, Excalibur, make a unit where the fan and electronics can be removed, so that the dehydrator itself can be thoroughly cleaned. I absolutely hate to do any kind of cleaning, and sure wish I could just take the whole non-electric part of the unit to the tub and wash it. Gets really sticky!! Plus, herbs and other light items get into the fan area, and are hard to get out. Otherwise, my review that follows is still true. I had to go buy more jars, the garden produced so much. And now the winter squash is in..... I could cry.
---------Original Review-----
I've never been happier!! I have so much produce that I had been canning myself into a stupor. Canning is hot work, and when you go at it like I do, takes up lots of space on shelves, etc. Last year, I bought this dryer at the end of the year. I dried loads of veggies, and powdered most of them in the blender. I then put them in wide mouth quart jars. I got a vacuum attachment for the jars, which works awesomely. As a result, I had much more food in much less space, and it lasted almost all winter. I still canned and froze, but not to such a degree. This year, I'm able to dehydrate foods all summer. I already have jars of summer squash, raspberries and strawberries ready to go. I use the powders in everything. Baking, cooking, smoothies, anything you can think of. I also mix everything (except tomatoes and broccoli) together, add almond meal and chia seeds and a little oatmeal, and eat it hot for breakfast ( with milk). It tastes unbelievably sweet, like you dumped a ton of sugar into it. Eggplant is my favorite, since it makes a really dense powder, tastes sweet, but has no eggplant flavor. Even kale goes in my cereal, and if you don't add too much, it also tastes great. Summer squash chips are good on their own, but if you mix with a little oil garlic salt and parmesan before dehydrating, they are simply awesome. Everyone who tries them just can't believe it.
The dryer is going constantly. Not everything reconstitutes well, but when powdered, it doesn't matter. The dryer is out on the porch, with a window fan sucking the heat out a window. All the jars and lids are reusable. I started with vacuum bags, but nearly went bankrupt!
I also bake all my own bread, and always substitute one of my powders for some of the flour. Tomato works really well for this, but all the powders have their uses, depending of the kind of bread you are making. When there are no fresh tomatoes, and you can't bear the store-bought ones, tomato powder on salad really zips it up.
Oh, and one more thing. I dry all the eggshells from my chickies, and powder them too. I add the powder to the transplant holes as I'm planting tomatoes and other big veggies. Just put them in the freezer till you have a bunch, then dry and powder. I could go on about this dehydrator all day.
Senior Citizen : Best purchase I've made in a long while
Bought this to replace the small inexpensive dehydrator we'd been using.
Best purchase I've made in a long while. It's efficient and fast. Love having temperature settings and the food dehydration book that came with it. It does put out quite a bit of heat and takes up considerable space. We have it on a small table in our garage and run it at night mostly.
The only thing I would change is the "door" or cover. The trays slide in like an oven rack, then the cover hangs over the front to close it. It can be bumped and knocked off. (Hasn't happened, but there is the potential)
Samdread : Cheaply made, too many faults. Not worth the money and very disappointed
I bought this machine to dry surplus fruits and vegetables. Today I decided to use the dehydrator and to my horror the noise coming from it is so loud. The smell is disturbing. I'm afraid to use this machine incase it starts an electrical fire and burn my house down. I am very disappointed with this purchase. I have to dispose of this machine. Waste of money
Amazon Customer : The shell breaks easily and it quickly becomes useless.
The temperature control knob works well and I haven't have any problems with the circuitry. I've used it for about a year now and the shell has become brittle and has started to crack and fall apart. The feet are plastic and attached to the frame and it just falls apart after a while, an entire section of the broke off that was connected to the foot. Cleaning is incredibly difficult if anything gets behind the metal screen which separates the blower from the tray area, I wouldn't recommend fatty meats. It worked for a bit over a year for me so I can't really complain because I probably got 15 uses out of it. Jerky is an expensive habit.
Lynn Broderick : Cleaning nightmare!
I have changed my review of this product. It is fabulous for dehydrating the treats I've been making for my dogs, which has been my only project so far. And then I tried to clean it--- The bottom of the unit does not have any kind of lip or tray to prevent drippings from oozing under the mesh screen at the back of the drying space, which prevents things from getting into the fan. In my case, it was beef fat. There is no way to remove the screen easily, and you can't even get the back off the unit. Without pulling the whole thing apart and risking damaging it, there is no way to clean up spills & residue from the back of the unit behind the screen. If I had been warned that I should line the bottom, or if there was a removable tray, I would not be complaining. Do the creators of these products think this kind of thing through before they manufacture? Very disappointed.
Amazon Customer : Non-existant customer service
I have not been "dehydrating" for very long, but when 2 trays of curly parsley takes 3 days to dry and still has not even started to crisp, I kinda feel that something is wrong. I wrote to Excalibur with my concerns on May 18th; I received a standard "we are sorry for your inconvenience" e-mail. So I would like to know where my answers are. They haven't issued any further help, nor do I anticipate any answers to be heading my way.
The issue is that (following manufacturer's instructions) my food items are not drying at the recommended temps nor in the approximate time . I do understand that it can take longer than recommended times depending on the humidity, but more than 3 days to dehydrate parsley, come on!!! I also realize that sometimes you just have to up the temp at little bit. Tried that.
So, if you are looking for good customer service, DON'T buy from Excalibur. The actual unit may work just fine, but no one will answer my questions and explain what to do in these situations.
colleen : So easy to use
I bought this about 6 weeks ago and loving it so far. I have dried herbs and the color stays nice and not a brown color. Have made several fruit leathers which is nice since I have 9 trays so it makes a lot but I cannot keep up with the demand! lol. If anything changes I will update the review.
D. Wold : Wow what a huge amount of drying space!!
This is definitely a large dryer both in capacity and counter space. It will not be something I leave on my counter which does not bother me at all.
I received this on Monday and so far have dehydrated strawberries apples and 4 pounds of jerky. The strawberries did not turn out well but this was totally user error. I'm used to using my square smaller dehydrator and did not check them soon enough. They dehydrated 1-2 hours earlier than I am used to. The apples over dehydrated also but they still taste fine.
This unit handled four pounds of ground beef and chicken jerky just fine with actual room to spare. I'm sure I could have put another's pound in there and been fine but wasn't sure what the capacity would be so I didn't. My jerky came out delicious and again didn't take as long as I was used to but this time I new to watch it closer.
It came with a large book on dehydrating how to along with recipes and other ideas on how to use the dehydrator. I've actually learned a few things by reading the book!!!
I put my trays in and turned it on for the first time to hear a horrible rattling noise but on closer inspection found that i had pushed the trays to far back and they were hitting the fan cage.
Of course it makes noise but no more than my other dehydrator and in fact it actually might be a tad bit quieter. You can't expect something like this to be able to do its job and be whisper quiet.
I upgraded to this dehydrator after I realized my other one ( which I will also still use) just didn't have the capacity that I needed and its very nice to have a square tray without a hole in the center like all the others. I also didn't want to buy this one until I could justify the price. This will be a lot easier to clean than the big bulky trays of my other unit and the plastic sheets that go in the trays have small holes so my small food (like diced carrots) won't fall through.
I also like all the different temperature options as my other one had veggies and fruits drying at the same temp.
I did not buy one with a timer as if I feel I need one i will just buy the plug in outlet timer that I will plug this unit into.
The only con I have found so far is that I feel for the price it should have come with at least one para flex sheet.
I know I've not had this long but so far it is exceeding my expectations. I will post an update in about a month.
M. Klausmeier : Haven't even gotten started...
Received my dehydrator two days ago. Opened the box yesterday and unpackaged the machine. As I did, a small screw and washer fell out. I noticed a sizable crack in the machine near the temperature control. Returning an item this large is a major inconvenience as I am not near an Amazon drop off.
I used Gorilla glue to repair the crack and finally, after searching, found where the screw and washer came from. Unfortunately, they are from inside the machine where they held the metal mesh that is in front of the unit's fan.
Hopefully there won't be any issued using the machine, but if there are, I'll be driving...
Senior Citizen : Best purchase I've made in a long while
Bought this to replace the small inexpensive dehydrator we'd been using.
Best purchase I've made in a long while. It's efficient and fast. Love having temperature settings and the food dehydration book that came with it. It does put out quite a bit of heat and takes up considerable space. We have it on a small table in our garage and run it at night mostly.
The only thing I would change is the "door" or cover. The trays slide in like an oven rack, then the cover hangs over the front to close it. It can be bumped and knocked off. (Hasn't happened, but there is the potential)
Amazon_Customer : So far does the job
Like many we've experienced food supply issues due to COVID-19 and we also lived through a 7.0 earthquake within the last 12 months. It doesn't help we live in a rural area with limited places to shop either so I decided to buy the Excalibur food dehydrator to help stock up for a rainy day.
Before I received the food dehydrator I sent an email to Excalibur requesting some help about how to store the dried food. I have not received a response and I've waited five (5) days to hear from the Excalibur company. This is the biggest reason I have given the Excalibur oven a 4 star rating as it seems customer service is not a high priority.
I do like how easy the food dehydrator is to operate. The enclosed book (not booklet) clearly details how to prepare the food and how long to dehydrate it. The book is outstanding and I am very happy that was included as part of the standard order. I also liked the booklet they included with my order too. Both provide plenty of information on how to prepare and dehydrate food.
The food dehydrator has a rear fan and uses 600 watts to dehydrate foodstuffs. It does not come with a timer. The lack of a timer was not an issue for me as I have a timer than can track the hours for me.
I have dehydrated sliced apples and sliced potatoes both took a bit longer to dehydrate than the books recommended. Both are being conditioned, which I don't recall being mentioned in the book or booklet, but is recommended by the USDA. For more information you can search for USDA food preserving guidance online. I'd list the link but that's not allowed due to Amazon's terms of service.
Cleaning is a snap. The trays can be washed in the dishwasher while the screens need to be washed by hand. The interior of the dehydrator can be wiped down with a dishcloth using a bit of soap followed by a clean rinse with water. I use a well rinsed dishcloth to finish the clean-up.
My only wishes for the Excalibur would be placing the controls on the front of the machine and making a window inside the door. The dehydrator control is located near the rear of the machine. The door is solid black and hooks on the dehydrator.
The Excalibur 3900B 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator is a very nice machine and seems to be a good investment.
Recommend.
Goff : I LOVE IT!
So far I haven't found anything I don't like. I've used this straight almost every day for the month I've had it. If it was going to have a problem I figure I've got enough hours on it to tell. In this photo what looks like raisins is a 2 LB frozen bag of blueberries. I put a sheet in the very bottom to catch any frozen juice. Now that they are dry I will vac seal them to store for later use. Right now I have another 2 LB bag of blueberries dehydrating...gifted out of a friends freezer who is moving. In the little vac bag I dehydrated 20 pounds of restaurant quality foot long hot dogs. Also gifted to us. After dry I cut them in half to vac seal. The blue on top of the hot dogs is a zip loc bag I folded and put in my vac. When I open the hot dogs I will already have handy a zip loc bag to put them in. These are all beef kosher...they are treats and food for my two fur babies while we are on the road...or for us when we are out in the desert wandering around. I LOVE this dehydrator! I knew I would be putting a lot of hours in on it so I did buy the warranty which I never bother with. It does appear to need to cool off before it will reset and turn on after a couple days continuous use. I also dehydrated chicken breast which turns into hard pieces I crumble for my dogs...or us if needed. I am experimenting also dehydrating spoonfuls of jelly when I emptied out my apricot and cherry jelly jar. It appears that I am making hard candy lozengers. Right now they are still sticky little patties but concentrated flavor. I may drop them inside my butter batter I use for cup cakes.
starlitone : Great product -just make sure you check that it works before filling it with food the first time so you dont waste $$
LOVE this dehydrator! my only wish was that it had the timer on it since i work weird hours and cant always be home to turn it off. easy to use and clean and makes great food! this is actually my second one since the first one i got was broken and the fan never turned on. of course i didnt discover this until a few hours after filling the trays with over 40$ worth of fruits! my whole house stunk like burning electrical wires, enough that i had to leave because i was about the vomit from the smell, as well as throw out all the fruit i just bought. the heating mechanism worked fine, however the fan wouldnt turn on at all. guess that goes to show you should always check your item before trying it out the first time. :( i still give it 5 stars though because amazons return policy is freaking AMAZING! they shipped a new one out as soon as i put in a damage claim and picked up the old one at no charge! seriously cant love amazon enough! :D
Karen Ash : Absolutely amazing
It’s a little loud, but it preformed beautiful!!! We loved making venison jerky in it, we tried a smoker, but the meat came out too dry, this dehydrated the meat perfectly!!!
Dave Karl : Excellent piece of equipment
I had a cheaper round one from Bed Bath and Beyond actually the same manufacturer but didn't dehydrate fast or even plus was the stackable kind. While I admit the 3900-B is far superior it did cost twice as much but worth every penny. You don't want a stackable type and don't want circler. This 9 tray rectangle one is great plus the shelves/racks are lined with a fine easy to clean mesh. The holes are small so even tiny things will dry and not fall through to the bottom. Pay up and buy this one is gets the job done the most efficiently and everything comes out like it should.
Maureen Fialkov : Useful machine but too bulky 0
This works well but has an enormous footprint . It is difficult to view the keypad for setting the dehydrator 0
Susan C. : Excalibur used to be the best dehydrator on the market, but that is no longer the case.
The first unit I received was defective. I lost 7 pounds of organic green beans in it when the fan stopped working and all the beans spoiled. I returned it to Amazon and was sent a replacement (Amazon's service was prompt.). The replacement had a door that was made incorrectly. It hangs improperly because it does not have the same construction as the door on the original unit. I contacted Excalibur and they sent out a replacement door...it was also defective. I called them again and was sent another defective door. The technical service department at Excalibur is nonexistent. All you get is a phone sales person who has no knowledge of the products. They will not/cannot help me. Now it is too late to send the unit back to Amazon. I will be contacting Excalibur until they address my issue, but I don't expect much as so far they have been less than helpful...polite, but not knowledgeable. Excalibur used to be the best dehydrator on the market, but that is no longer the case.
Susan C. : Excalibur used to be the best dehydrator on the market, but that is no longer the case.
The first unit I received was defective. I lost 7 pounds of organic green beans in it when the fan stopped working and all the beans spoiled. I returned it to Amazon and was sent a replacement (Amazon's service was prompt.). The replacement had a door that was made incorrectly. It hangs improperly because it does not have the same construction as the door on the original unit. I contacted Excalibur and they sent out a replacement door...it was also defective. I called them again and was sent another defective door. The technical service department at Excalibur is nonexistent. All you get is a phone sales person who has no knowledge of the products. They will not/cannot help me. Now it is too late to send the unit back to Amazon. I will be contacting Excalibur until they address my issue, but I don't expect much as so far they have been less than helpful...polite, but not knowledgeable. Excalibur used to be the best dehydrator on the market, but that is no longer the case.
David Smith : Good, but noisy
As dehydrators go, it does a good job, and doesn't have too large of a footprint. I prefer the square trays over the round ones of other dehydrators, they are easier to load up. It IS noisy. Better care could be taken to dampen the vibrations. I had to turn it off to watch TV, my kitchen opens into my living room, but was fine when I put it in the utility room. Other than the noise, and a door that just hangs on, it is fine. A timer would have been nice, but I wasn't willing to pony up an extra $100 just for a timer, I'll grab one for ten bucks at Lowes and have it around for other uses too.
Jeanne : Horrible customer service!
First of all- we love this dehydrator. It’s large, not too loud, and gets the job done. However, after about 2 years of use, and pretty infrequent use at that, the fan motor appears to have died. No biggie- right? Should be covered under warranty. I have been trying to contact the manufacturer for over 2 months and have had zero luck. I emailed the tech department and got a “can not deliver” email. I emailed customer service multiple times with no response. I used the “contact us” form on the website. I’ve called customer service many times and each time it hangs up on me. For a well rated product, customer service is horrendous! Will not be buying from this manufacturer again...
Cheryl D : Works well
This is my first dehydrator so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I've made tons of stuff in it already. Fruits, fruit leather, herbs, and jerky.
If you're looking for a machine that's going to give you dried food like you buy in the store, this isn't going to do it. I guess because everything in the store has chemicals to keep them fresh. Fruits have turned out the best so far. My husband loves the jerky but, I'm not a big fan. However, buying an $11 cut of meat and making two pounds of jerky is a HUGE money saver. We were spending $6 per bag for 3.25 ounces in the store. And, mine has no chemicals.
The most difficult part for me is knowing when something is done. The recipe books give you very wide timelines (ie: 2-4 hours). I wish they had included pictures of what everything should look like when it's perfectly done because it's really hard to know.
The machine is pretty loud so, keep that in mind. But, all in all, it works well. And is very roomy. I can fit 3-4 pounds of jerky meat in it. Probably 4-5 pineapples (cut into pieces, of course). Tons of strawberries or blueberries. It really does fit a LOT.
My Garden Haven : Why Didn't We Get This Before Now?
This dehydrator is just as great as all of the other reviews of it!
Don't go with anything less than 9 trays or you will be sorry...
The only thing I do not like is the fan noise. It is not overly obtrusive, but it is "there" all the time. We are considering putting it in a less-used room of the house.
The model we bought is Excalibur 3900 Deluxe Non-Timer Series 9 Tray Food Dehydrator - Black.
We have made: jerky, dried mushrooms, apples, bananas, apricots, peaches, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes.
What we learned first time out with:
Jerky: We sliced it to thin to begin with, so it came out too dry.
Grapes: When the book says to blanch something to hasten drying time, do it. The first time it took 3 days to make raisins. The second time, I blanched them, and it took about 22 hours. If that sounds like a long time, really it's not. You put them in, walk away and forget it. There is nothing to do in the meantime unless you want to check on them.
Apples: Nothing to them! I thought that they might come out crispier, but leathery is the word of the day on most fruit. We put cinnamon on some of them and that is a great addition.
Bananas: Same as apples - I thought I would be making "banana chips" like you'd get at the bulk food store, but heads up that is not what you get...They are good.
Tomatoes: What a great way to preserve them! Add them to soups, etc. whenever you need an extra kick. No more wasted tomatoes!
Mushrooms: We are still working on this one. The first batch seemed great to start with, however, after a week in the cupboard in a glass jar, they began to ferment. Apparently not dry enough!
Apricots: Turned out sooooo yummy! They were the same consistency as you would get at the store, but NO sulphur! And super tasty!
I almost forgot about the cherries! Oh my - super yummy! And can't forget my husband's bread making. You can use this machine for rising dough. It worked great.
Cleaning: The dehydrator sheets are dishwasher safe, so that has been a breeze, and the trays are fairly easy to rinse off in the sink. Who likes to cleanup? No one. So it still might seem like a hassle at times.
You can read my full review with pictures at [...]
Amazon Customer : dehydrator
This holds much more than a round dehydrator. It is easier to place in my rather small kitchen because it is square. The dehydration process is faster and better that my old dehydrator. This will pay for itself in a very short time
C. Little : DOA on delivery, but fixable - does a good job dehydrating
I'm yet one more person that gives a review saying the unit was DOA with a fan that didn't work. There was no visible shipping damage and no visible damage to the dehydrator. At first since I could spin the fan manually I thought it was probably a dead fan. However, after filling out the form on Amazon to return this, I decided to grab the screen in front of the fan with pliers and pull it away from the fan to test just in case. The fan then moved, so I tried to bend the screen from the front of the unit. That led to a fan worked but was very loud. Next, I pulled the back off and tried to bend the screen away from the fan from the back. That solved my issue (or more correctly stated, the problem with a new product that should have worked when it arrived). Ironically there is a note in the dehydrator package that says it was tested 3 times before shipping. Not sure what caliber of testers are doing it, but it sure seems like bad luck that a product with no damage in a manufacturer provided box with no visible damage would all of a sudden have a screen plate that is bowed slightly inward just enough to interfere with the fan that made it stop working after being tested and verified (even once, let alone three times).
Edit 8/14 - I have had a chance now to use the dehydrator a fair amount. In terms of control and how it works to dry things it seems awesome. Some of the advantages I see with this are the large capacity, ability to control the temp used for dehydrating, and good documentation that came with the unit (a manual and a book) that go over dehydration of all the things I would want to dehydrate. It has also worked without issues in the times I've used it since first receiving and fixing it. Some of the disadvantages with this unit are the noise level when it is running (it is equivalent to having our over the oven microwave running in terms of noise level) and while the amount you can dehydrate is nice it comes at the disadvantage of footprint size (approximately 19 1/4" long x 16 1/2" wide x 12 1/2" high). The one other awkward thing with this (at least for me) is in cleaning it. The trays can be washed in the dishwasher (though at least in my dishwasher the only way to do it is to stack them horizontally on top of each other). The tray liners have to be hand washed (and they are larger than the biggest sink in our kitchen) which makes them more difficult to get clean. Some of the disadvantages could easily be overcome however such as moving it to a room not being used to curb the noise level and using liners on top of the provided tray liners to help with cleaning.
Overall I'm satisfied with the performance and would have given this four or five stars had it not been for the fact that I had to fix it when it first arrived combined with the amount of noise it makes while running.
James : I'll begin by saying that I absolutely do recommend the dehydrator
I'll begin by saying that I absolutely do recommend the dehydrator. It is sturdy and works well.
The Good: Durable; dries a lot of food at a time; makes *SAFE* jerky (most dehydrators do not heat the meat sufficiently on their own to ensure safety); the trays clean a bit more easily than most dehydrators; ten year manufacturer warranty.
The bad: it takes up a lot of counter space and is heavy enough that you wont' want to move it often; it also vibrates rather loudly where the cover attaches; it is pretty expensive.
Goff : I LOVE IT!
So far I haven't found anything I don't like. I've used this straight almost every day for the month I've had it. If it was going to have a problem I figure I've got enough hours on it to tell. In this photo what looks like raisins is a 2 LB frozen bag of blueberries. I put a sheet in the very bottom to catch any frozen juice. Now that they are dry I will vac seal them to store for later use. Right now I have another 2 LB bag of blueberries dehydrating...gifted out of a friends freezer who is moving. In the little vac bag I dehydrated 20 pounds of restaurant quality foot long hot dogs. Also gifted to us. After dry I cut them in half to vac seal. The blue on top of the hot dogs is a zip loc bag I folded and put in my vac. When I open the hot dogs I will already have handy a zip loc bag to put them in. These are all beef kosher...they are treats and food for my two fur babies while we are on the road...or for us when we are out in the desert wandering around. I LOVE this dehydrator! I knew I would be putting a lot of hours in on it so I did buy the warranty which I never bother with. It does appear to need to cool off before it will reset and turn on after a couple days continuous use. I also dehydrated chicken breast which turns into hard pieces I crumble for my dogs...or us if needed. I am experimenting also dehydrating spoonfuls of jelly when I emptied out my apricot and cherry jelly jar. It appears that I am making hard candy lozengers. Right now they are still sticky little patties but concentrated flavor. I may drop them inside my butter batter I use for cup cakes.
toddzilla : TOP NOTCH DEHYDRATORS
I have done a lot of research on dehydrators! Again and again I kept coming back to the Excalibur! Torn between the 2900 economy and the 3900. The 3900 does have better overall components. I happened upon different purchase options on amazon and looked into the "used" found mine for 160 bucks. It came to me with a slight cracked section upper left. 10 minutes and half a tube of epoxy fixed that right away! I can honestly tell you that these dehydrators are badass! I'm smelling my jerky right now! Can't wait to dry my veggies etc etc. I easily placed 10 pounds of marinated London broil on the 9 trays.i also ordered non stick liners for fruit leather. I am difficult to impress! Even my "used" (broken) Excalibur is keeping me up late! Do yourself a favor, get one. Did I mention made in usa?
Amazon Customer : Excaliber 3900B
I looked through a lot of reviews and almost didn't buy this dehydrator because of how many people said it was so loud. But I bought it anyway. I'm glad I did. Is there noise? yes, but it is only the fan which is not as loud as I was expecting. There is no vibration noise or loose parts that I have seen yet. I use the dehydrator in the basement, so what little noise there doesn't bother me anyway. I have used it twice so far to make jerky. The first time I let it go too long and it over-dried the jerky. I waited 5 hours before I checked it and all the thinner pieces we past done. The second time, I started checking it at about 3 hours, then for every half hour after. I would pull off any of the jerky that looked ready each time. The 1st time I used it, my thermometer got up to 174 degs. The 2nd time, it showed 180 near the end. All in all I'm very pleased with this unit. It has a lot of drying space, it feels solid and seems like it will last for a while. It was also very easy to clean. The drying racks are plastic and will need to be handled carefully. I would recommend this unit and would also purchase again as a gift.
NBB : Holds a Lot of Food
Has good temperature control and dries things well and evenly. The biggest plus is this thing holds a ton of food. You can knock out larger amounts than other makes. Love this thing. Light enough to move around. A very durable piece of equipment. Well built.
XKue : No timer and poorly designed front cover/door
For the price point the door/front cover is very poorly designed and the unit lacks a timer which is crucial in properly dying products. I would not recommend buying this item based on the door and lack of timer.
Ross Bagne : First Inpressions.
I am brand new to the dehydrating food preserving method and I have only been using this product for a couple of days so these are just initial impressions, but I can see right now that you have to buy a high quality product like this if you want good results. These things run for HOURS. I didn't realize that ahead of time. This means that you have to have a durable high quality machine to do this. I wouldn't go with a cheaper product. This is just right for me at the right price.
James S. Bedingfield : Good unit
Trays are easy to use and reasonably well-supported; good mesh covering for the trays; good temperature control and even distribution of heat with the fan. I especially like that the machine cycles on and off to allow the food to dry evenly throughout.Easy access to the trays. Just purchased a second unit. I am using mine to dry coffee which tests the unit on two points: 1) I use it on the lowest temp setting, which has been a little tricky to keep it running and cycle; and 2) the trays do sag a little when loaded with wet parchment coffee, but they seem to come back to flat as the coffee dries.
maria : No contact info for manufacturer! Non working numbers
There is NO customer support at all! Telephone number is non working. All their brochures and books all have the same contact info. Non working. Even Amazon could not get ahold of this seller. My dehydrator doesn’t work properly. Do not buy
Brittany Morris : BUY SOMETHING ELSE
I never even got to use my dehydrator, BECAUSE IT ARRIVED IN PIECES. Don't dump your money into this. More often than not this product arrives broken, and for some stupid reason, I thought maybe I'd be an exception. NOPE. It was completely crushed. It was crushed so badly, that even the book was shredded. Find another product guys, it's not worth it.
LSS : Easy to use and a great investment that will very ...
Can't say enough about this dehydrator. I'm on a quest to stop wasting food and this dehydrator has been very helpful. Especially now with gardens in full growth. Vegetables that I once would throw away because of spoilage no longer see the trash can. I never thought about how the dried herbs, spices, vegetable flavorings etc. were made. Now I know! I not only avoid throwing food away but I'm saving money by making my own powdered flavorings. Some vegetables I've dehydrated as chunks to reconstitute in soups, casseroles and even give to the dogs.
I had quite a bit of meat that I didn't want to refreeze and was going to expire so I decided to take a chance. First I used a pressure cooker to kill any bacteria and then dehydrated some chicken, ground hamburger and pork. I rehydrated some of the meat and was pleasantly surprised! I could not tell that the meat had previously been cooked which I thought was a real thumbs up.
When I researched dehydrators I discovered that Excalibur brand is the only product to buy for an individual who is serious about dehydrating food. Easy to use and a great investment that will very soon pay for itself.
Mamabear91599 : Used to be great,.
This thing is sooo frustrating. I purchased this unit because my mom has had one for 10 years that she had been making yogurt in and it worked beautifully. First problem, it’s always about 20°F too hot for what the dial says, which wouldn’t be an issue… All but for the fact that yogurt is never supposed to get above 115° F… The lowest temperature setting on this unit is 105°. Which means that my yogurt has been ruined several times now because the temperature is so much higher than it is supposed to be. I would turn it down, but there is no further down for it to go. Overall, not very impressed… Kind of wondering if I may have gotten a reject, one of the feet was broke off of it when I received it, but I knew that I had small children so I was not concerned as I figured they would probably have broken it anyway eventually. The racks were all bent and bowed and in the unit completely sideways some of them stuffed into the same slide space, making them extremely difficult to remove and they are all slightly burnt because of this. Really really disappointed…
C Will : Really glad I got this
Love this dehydrator! I've been using it every weekend since I got it to dehydrate all kinds of foods. The first thing I did was dry spring onions, garlic, celery and green peppers i had because I can't seem to use them up before they go soft. Then I simply rehydrate or just toss in recipe dry! Left some dried chopped garlic as is and made garlic powder with rest and did same with celery. Store had rump roasts at "buy 1, get 1 free" this week, so I had store slice them up for me and I made jerky for my husband. Love how much this holds and that I can dry bigger pieces of broccoli or other items by taking out every other tray. I dried frozen potatoes that were getting icy and rehydrate to use in stews and casseroles. Did same with frozen fruits that were getting old and icy -- makes a great natural snack. I just knocked all the ice off and put in frozen and they dried beautifully. Next weekend, I am going to cook various dry beans and dehydrate them into quick cook beans that cook in 20 min. instead of hours for faster meals. I don't have to buy canned with all that high sodium; however, i should note that many of the beans split as they dry, so they are best for soups and stews and refried beans. I could even rinse and dry canned beans, but cooking dry beans and then dehydrating is much more economical and I control the salt. I put all of my dried foods in mason jars and seal them with my FoodSaver, so they will last for years. It's so convenient to use what I need and simply reseal. You won't believe how much dried food fits into a quart mason jar. For longer storage, I put an oxygen absorber in jar with dried food and keep in dark, cool part of basement. Can't wait to grow, dry and store my own herbs next summer! I can even rise bread in this machine! Definitely very pleased with this machine because it will pay for itself in no time the way I use it.
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