Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with 26-hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and Temperature Settings for Faster and Efficient Drying, Black review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Excalibur |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | Black |
| Wattage | 440 watts |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 19 x 17 x 12.5 inches |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- CAPACITY - The 9-Tray electric food dehydrator has 15 square feet of drying space and offers plenty of space for your favorite snacks
- TIME AND TEMPERATURE - Features a 26-hour timer and adjustable thermostat. The thermostat ranges from 105 degrees F to 165 degrees F. The temperature range is low enough for fruits and vegetables and is also high enough for dehydrating meat for jerky
- LOW AND SLOW FOR IMMUNITY BOOST - Cooking foods at a temperature no higher than 115-118 degrees in a dehydrator preserves nutrients and enzymes
- PATENTED - Parallex Horizontal Airflow is exclusive to Excalibur and helps the food dehydrate faster, retain more nutrients and look and taste better, without tray rotation
- EASY TO USE - Great for large families, gardeners, and sportsmen. Dehydrate fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat for jerky, fruit puree for fruit roll-ups, raise bread, make all natural pet treats, or make homemade yogurt
- ACCESSORIES - Includes a flexible poly-screen tray inserts to prevent foods from sticking and trays do not need to be moved or rotated during operation
- Includes Guide to Dehydration. Made in the USA with USA and globally sourced materials
- 110/120 Volt model designed exclusively for use in North America. 600 Watts
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
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| 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. |
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| The adjustable thermostat (105°F - 165°F) allows for greater flexibility to dry herbs, fruit, vegetables, jerky and so much more! | Dehydrate a wide range of foods with a convenient “set it and forget it” timer. | Dehydrating foods at low temperatures preserve nutrients and enzymes for up to 9 months when stored correctly. |
| 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 |
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| # 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
Dehydration is the healthiest, easiest, and most economical way to preserve foods. Load the trays and set the temperature, the Excalibur dries the contents of all trays evenly so everything's done at once. Dehydration concentrates the natural flavor, sweetness, and aromas of your food. Leaving you with a flavor that's far healthier than high-fat snacks and high-sugar candies that are filled with chemical preservatives. The Excalibur 9-Tray Large Dehydrator provides 15 square feet of drying space making this the biggest and best there is! Ideal for large families, large gardens, craftspeople, and sportsmen. This unit includes flexible polyscreen tray inserts to prevent foods from sticking to trays, 7" fan, built in on/off switch, adjustable thermostat, and a convenient 26 hour timer. Troubleshoot-fan makes a rubbing noise may be due to shipping, the trays may have been forced into the fan’s protective screen. Take out the trays, and blow on the fan blade to locate where it is rubbing against the screen. You may need to turn the fan on and press gently against the screen and listen where the noise increases. With a pair of needle nose pliers pull the screen away from the fan blade at point of contact. 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! Plastic Trays measure 15 x 15 Inches
product details
important information
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Questions about Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with 26-hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and Temperature Settings for Faster and Efficient Drying, Black
Q:
Are the trays BPA free for this model?
Answer: Trays are BPA free but the rest of the plastic used on this is all full of BPA. Just called customer service 2-27-2018 and they confirmed the use BPA plastic on this unit (except for the trays themselves). Take note that there are other vendors out there that refuse to use any BPA around food. Doesn't have to touch it to be dangerous. Just the heating of the BPA plastic that is in this unit can technically contaminate your food with BPA even though the trays themselves are BPA free.
Answer: I saw on the Excalibur website that they sell a model for $299 which is the same as this particular one sold here on Amazon. The description on the Excalibur site says that the mesh screens are BPA-free. The 3900 sold on Amazon is BPA-free in the casing but not the mesh screens, per an Excalibur rep that I spoke to on the phone; I am assuming the casing on the 3926TB is BPA-free.
Answer: To add to my previous answer: We use them and they are BPA free. The unit is an excellent choice.
Answer: They are listed as BPA free.
Answer: I believe they are listed as BPA free on their website but you might want to double check
Answer: Made in China?
Q:
The listing on Amazon for the 3926T says 440 watts. On Excalibur's site and on other sites it says 600 watts. Which is it?
Answer: If the listing used to say 440W, it has been corrected. The 5-tray models and the slightly-cheaper 9-tray 2900 use a smaller heating element than the 3900. (looks like for $20 the 2900 supposedly makes everything cheaper, from the controls to the plastic. The 3900 can be bought with an extended warranty, too.) http://www.dehydratorreview.net/reviews/excalibur-2900-economy-series-9-tray-food-dehydrator
Answer: I have the 3926T 9 Tray and it says 600 watts on the back...it does note also that model 3526T 5 tray is 440 watts so maybe it depends how many trays you are looking at. I really like the 3926T by the way!!
Answer: Factory website stating this model is 600 watts. http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/dehydrators/9-tray/9-tray-large-excalibur-with-26-hour-timer-3926tb-282
Answer: The nine tray Excalibur 3926T is 600 watts.
Answer: The 5-tray is 440 watts. The 9-tray (what I have) is 600 watts.
Answer: 5 Tray is 440, 9 Tray is 600
Answer: I noticed the discrepancies also. I was happy when I received it that it is in fact 600 watts. This is a great item.
Answer: what is the difference between the 3926TB vs 3900-B. which is newer?
Answer: 220v can use?
Q:
How much open space is needed around this dehydrator for proper air flow? Has anyone used it on the floor with carpet and does it work well that way?
Answer: Mine has lasted 8 years. But I keep it on a hard surface (countertop) with plenty of air circulation. Restricting that circulation and the fiber/dust from the carpet will greatly impact the performance of the fan over time. This is a kitchen appliance - why would you put it on the floor?
Answer: I have used it just about anywhere you can imagine--on carpeting, under a table, in the garage, on the patio, on a porch, in a spot made for a microwave etc. They suck air from the back, so as long as you are not plugging that up, it should be fine.
Answer: I have never tired using it on carpet. I bought some ceramic tile pieces because I was afraid to run my machine on the carpet floor.
Q:
Does anyone know if it's BPA free
Answer: Yes it is!! It says so on the paper work and gives you their web page for questions. I love this model !!!
Q:
Did anyone else see the title 3926TB and think that's a lot of storage?
Answer: Haha yes!
Answer: lol Yes. :)
Answer: hahahaha
Q:
what are the outside dimensions?
Answer: assuming you are using American measurements and not metric: 16 1/2 inches wide, 12 1/2 inches tall 19 1/4 inches deep. Definately bigger than a bread box.
Answer: 12-1/2"H x 17"W x 19"D = 15 sq. ft. of drying space.
Answer: 16-1/2" wide X 19-1/4" deep X 12-1/4" high
Q:
Can the trays be put in the dish washer?
Answer: For me, washing the trays is the most tedious part of the preserving process. I've washed mine in the dishwasher, but it doesn't get all the sticky stuff off (and too only use the top wrack of the DW). Even though I use the word "tedious" to describe the cleaning process, the materials really do clean up easily IMO. I just finished cleaning mine after making "tomato chips." I sprinkle 3 to 5 seasonings on mine, so there is caked on stuff after the dehydrating process, but it really does come off pretty easily, but does have to be wiped of vs sprayed of in my experience.
Answer: The trays are dishwasher safe the white sheets should be hand wash only and if you purchased the nonstick sheets they should be wiped with soap and water wiped dry soaking will cause damage to them. I hand wash everything personally it ensures they are completely sanitized, I even rewash after storage as a precaution.
Answer: Honestly, I never have. The trays are two pieces though. One rigid plastic frame and an insert of sorts that is perforated to let the air through. Think plastic lattice covered with a plastic screen. If you put them in the dishwasher, be wary of them folding over because of excessive heat.
Answer: I hand wash them, its easier than trying to use the top shelf for them.
Answer: They sure can. I do it all the time.
Q:
I assumed this would come with some sort of instructions but there were NONE in the box. Is that normal?
Answer: I gave one of these units (new) to my son for Christmas 2013 and it came complete with an instruction book. It works great and he uses it all the time with great results. Would recommend contacting the seller for the book or going online to Excaliber for a copy. You really need it for proper food safety and operation.
Answer: Hello- Mine came with a small dehydrating guide that I found useful being a newbie to dehydrators. It sounds like a mistake that yours did not included this manual. The manual is available online at excaliburs website under support and product manuals. Here is the link: http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/product-manuals/
Q:
If the timer breaks will this still go on and work?
Answer: Timer/fan are the same switch: if either side of that switch fails nothing works. But, if only the thermostat fails, the timer and fan still work and will circulate ambient air temperature. This is so that the thermostat won't operate independently to start a fire in absence of the circulation fan. Also FYI, BEFORE you order a new thermostat or fan/timer switch check the contacts FIRST. My thermostat wasn't working so I ordered a new one ($35). When I went to replace it I found that the old one had a loose contact screw. I now have two good thermostats.
Answer: that is a very good question. Not sure, but I do know that the timer knob has to be turned to a set time for it to run.
Answer: It should you just have to use a different time or a regular clock
Q:
The warranty only covers purchases from the factory or "authorized dealers," which specifically excludes "discount retailers." Which applies?
Answer: In case anyone still wonders about this issue:
Answer: I purchased it through Amazon. The fan was broken in transit to us. As soon as the return shipping label was processed, Amazon had a new one on the way to us, arriving in two days. I can't speak for other kinds of issue, but Amazon responded promptly.
Q:
Can someone tell me about the health aspect of dehyration? What about the nutritional value of the food after, does the heat kill the enzymes? Thanks.
Answer: Food dehydration has been done for thousands of years to preserve meats fish and herbs, it increases their shelf life by weeks or months. There needs to be a high salt content in the foods which can be a problem for people with high blood pressure/ hypertension. The temperature should be above 150 degrees in meats to kill the bacteria you should baked at least 200 degrees for 30 minutes to kill off all bacteria, also use of lean beef is best because the fat does not dehydrate it purifies and can cause illness. Use good techniques and read up more and you will be able to enjoy the process more.
Answer: As long as you don't heat fruits veggies nuts (plant based foods) over 118 degrees Fahrenheit it's still considered raw and the enzymes are preserved.
Answer: You are right to be concerned. The best way for your body to benefit from nutrients within fruit, vegetables and meats is to eat tree ripened/freshly killed, organic, sustainable, produce. Drying and storing food is for efficiency only (i.e. reduces time it takes to hunt and gather) but should be considered as such and therefore inferior to fresh produce.
Q:
does this include fruit leather sheets?
Answer: If you are asking can you do spreads or purees, no it does not have that type of sheet, that would have to be purchases separately...but you can do pieces of fruits easily
Answer: No, you must buy the para flex sheets separately. Sometimes, if you buy from the manufacturers website, they have bundles that include the para flex sheets.
Answer: It's got the poly screen trays. The white one that are in the photo. I haven't made fruit yet. But it def keeps meat from leaking with all the marinade I put on them. Hope this helps
Answer: no, you have to buy them separately. But they do sell them on Amazon
Answer: No. They are sold separately.
Q:
Can I use this to dehydrate sausages?
Answer: If you mean for Dry CURING air dried or fermented sausages , no , temperature for that should be 50-60 degrees at 70-85 % humidity. If you mean just slicing and drying meat , it should be fine for that.
Answer: Yes, if they were sliced or if you use every other tray. The tray separation in the dehydrating compartment is about 3/4". This machine is amazing in many, many ways. Best one we have had out of three tries with other machines. Quality of the resulting product is awesome, from bananas, apples, turkey, chicken... you name it - it does it. It is very easy to clean and maintain. It has a variable heat selector and a timer for more than enough time to complete your project overnight, etc. We have been very pleased pleased with this dehydrator and use it often. Hope this helps.
Answer: I have never tried this but I am a chemist and can tell you that fat or oils do not dehydrate. Good luck.
Answer: Yes. As with any meat product, careful attention to temperature and time. I would recommend investing in a good book about dehydrating foods. This will be a great resource and quick reference for you and will answer many questions that arise with dehydration.
Q:
What kind of trays are these: plastic, stainless steel, or something else?
Answer: The trays are plastic. This is a great product. Drying is easier form of food processing than canning or freezing. There is a white plastic overlay on the black plastic trays. They are easy to clean, but do not fit in a dishwasher
Answer: Trays are sturdy plastic
Answer: The trays are plastic but you always are using mesh screens with them, which are also plastic. I find them very durable but light.
Answer: plastic with screens you use on top of the trays
Answer: plastic frame with plastic screen-like material
Q:
Should I buy dehydrator sheets to use with this? And does it come with some basic dehydrating instructions?
Answer: we use parchment paper verses dehydrator sheets. It depends on what you're dehydrating.I would suggest that you purchased them and experiment for yourself which method you prefer. The Excalibur comes with great dehydrating instructions. Once you use the machine several times you will find yourself experimenting anyway. It is a great product that will not disappoint you.
Answer: Unless you were wanting to make fruit leather, you won't need to buy any sheets, as the grated sheets are already included. It does comes with the Excalibur dehydrating guide, which includes all the detailed basics for each type of food, as well as many delicious recipes. I love this dehydrator and so do my kiddos! You won't regret this purchase.
Answer: I'm new to dehydrating myself, but I'd say it depends on what you're planning on drying. If you're planning on making crackers, fruit leathers, breads/crusts, then yes, you will need sheets. I didn't buy any extra directions at first, just what came with the machine. They were ok, very basic. I found I wanted more and ended up buying "Preserve It Naturally: The Complete Guide to Food Dehydration," by Excalibur. I LOVE it! It is filled with a lot more actual recipes and was exactly what I was looking for. I don't remember if I got it here or at www.drying123.com but it was definitely worth it.
Answer: We did buy some sheets to go with ours for making crackers and other items that might adhere to the mesh. There is a guide that not only offers instructions but also recipes. It's a great machine!
Answer: Buy a couple if you plan to dehydrate luiquidy stuff like making fruit leather. It comes with the trays and mesh for drying non liquid stuff. Instructions are included.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: I'm very pleased with the Excalibur, I have the 9 tray with the timer and glad I purchased this one. If I'm dehydrating something and have an extra tray I just cut up some apples, tomatoes or mushrooms and the have these on hand for future recipes or snacks. I have three of the dehydrator sheets and need more.
Answer: Sheets depends on what you're dehydrating, and it comes with a nice little book on dehydrating different things. My dad has been making jerky for years and when I showed him the guide book he was surprised at what he didn't know. Excellent product.
Answer: It comes with mesh sheets for all of the trays. As some of the other respondents have noted, you will need something else if you want to do leather. It does come with good instructions, which seem adequately detailed for our needs.
Answer: I see that when I ordered my unit, I ordered the unit only--without ordering dehydrator sheets in addition to the unit. And I've successfully dehydrated onions with it, at least. It comes with *basic* dehydration instrctions, yes. Hope this helps. :)
Q:
Do the sheets come with it?
Answer: Not sure what you mean by sheets. It comes with trays and plastic screens, which would be ok for drying most of the things. But for something liquidy, like fruit lather or some small sized foods,.you need to buy lining. That's not included.
Answer: It comes with 9 trays, but you need to buy the sheets separately. Both products are absolutely amazing and i use the dehydrator and sheets all the time!
Answer: Yes. They are easily removed from frame for;easy cleaning;g.
Answer: No
Answer: Yes they do - it works perfectly too.
Answer: Yes they do
Answer: Yes.
Q:
Is the fan made of plastic?
Answer: yes the blade and some of the housing. Looks like a polycarb or custom blend for strength and temp.
Q:
?How much jerky can you dry in one go
Answer: As much as will fit on the trays with a little space between pieces
Q:
what is the actual Weight for this one and i mean the on scale Weight not diminsion or shipping Weight ?
Answer: don't have a clue, it's really not too heavy, maybe 8 lbs.
Q:
Can you put the trays in the dishwasher?
Answer: Hello Lauren,
Answer: Not in my dishwasher, the trays are 15”x15” they’re about 2” to tall to fit. Just wash them by hand, they’re easy enough to clean.
Answer: No you cannot.
Q:
I checked on excalibur's website they don't have a model 3926tb as listed here on amazon but they do have a 3926tcdb are they the same unit?
Q:
Fda requires 165 f for beef safety. does unit actually reach 165 degrees fahrenheit?
Answer: Never done beef. Fruits and vegetables only. I have talked to others and they say it worked great. I believe the thinness of the cut was key.
Answer: I have done beef, chicken and many different fruits and veggies. It works great. Just don't make the meat slices too thick.
Q:
How long can it run non stop?
Answer: No idea. Why would you want to? Jerky takes about 6-8 hours. I’ve run a bunch of consecutive batches of jerky, but even still that amounts to only 24 hours or so.
Q:
How many watts is it?
Answer: I concur with Joyce D Conner on 9 tray and 4 tray. The 5 tray model is 440 Watts w/timer.
Answer: 600 watts This 9 tray model (3926TB) is listed at 600 watts in the Excalibur guide.
Answer: This 9 tray model (3926TB) is listed at 600 watts in the Excalibur guide.
Answer: 600 watts, and i love this dehydrator. it is twice as fast as my old circular one!
Answer: 600 watts, I believe.
Answer: 600 Watts
Q:
What is the difference between the 3926tb and the 3926t (no b)?
Answer: the color.
Q:
i want to contact the supplier ?
Answer: Sacramento, CA (916-381-4254) listed on back of the housing
Q:
I thought dehydrators were supposed to be quiet. I bought this one and it is loud enough to be irritating. Did I get a faulty one?
Answer: Not at all, Excalibur dehydrators run loud and dehydrators in general do. If you'd like a more quiet dehydrator with the same capacity as the 9 tray I'd suggest the Sedona dehydrator. It even has a nighttime quiet run option.
Answer: Answer here...mine has a consistent hum but it isn't very loud.
Answer: The Excalibur does make noise, it has the fan going all the time. However, I have this place in a back room so the noise does not bother anyone.
Answer: Mine sounds about like a microwave running. It's because of the big fan.
Q:
What are the volt and watt requirements for this unit? And how much does it weigh?
Answer: Hello- 110 volts, 600 watts.
Answer: READ the description..All that info is there.
Q:
Why is this so expensive compared to other websites selling the same exact product?
Answer: Make sure your looking at the identical product, different models range in price drastically and we found our best price on Amazon. Also, if you can afford to wait, Amazon does drop the price quite a bit from time to time.
Q:
Can I put this on a counter under an adjustable shelf? There would be some air space on each side too.
Answer: Yes, as long as air can circulate around the dehydrator it should be fine.
Answer: Yes, I have mine on my counter top under my top kitchen cabinets. BUT remember the switch is on the top right IN the Back. So you'll have to pull it out to turn on and off.
Answer: As long as it fits because the fan is in back that is the only place you need to have ventilation I have mine a couple inch away from wall
Answer: I don't see why not
Q:
What is the differance between the white and the black 9 tray dehydrator considering the white dehydrator is $10 dollars more?
Answer: I don't think if there's any functional difference. I got one in black and I love it.
Answer: I believe it is just the color difference.
Q:
Hi, the 3926TB model is it 110 or dual 110/220 voltage? Thank you.
Answer: I run it on standard house of 110 here in Oregon. The manual says "standard 120 or 220/240 depending on your voltage". I suggest you contact Excalibur directly and they can clarify it depending on your location. Mine is working perfectly and I really am happy with the purchase.
Answer: 110 volt.
Answer: 110 only.
Q:
What is your return policy? I seen reviews stating that there is a no return policy.
Answer: Excalibur customer service is always finding a way to better the service
Q:
What is the packaging dimensions of this item?
Answer: If ordered from Harvest Essentials, the package is 22x20x16 in size.
Q:
Does it come in 220V for countries other than USA?
Answer: I don't believe so. I have never seen any thing about a converter in any of the paperwork and I've read it all.
Answer: I honestly do not know.
Q:
Eggs powder is making
Q:
Is the timer worth the extra money?
Answer: The timer is absolutely worth the extra cost. For those of us who dehydrate in mass, this unit is worth the price it is an excellent unit.
Answer: It depends on your situation, due to the temp gauge, you can easily cook your food instead of Dehydrating, the timer helps avoid this happening. If you are able to check regularly then fine. I use it primarily for dehydrating plantains to make flour, so the timer is essential as it takes about 12 hours to dehydrate. Take Care
Answer: yes it is to me. I love having the timer. if you know how long it takes for what you're drying, you can set it and not be stuck watching over it. I actually feel asleep when I woke up I though... oh crap my jerky is dust and then I remembered that when the timer is up it shuts off the unit. I wouldn't be afraid to drying 10ock at night and go to bed knowing that when I get up everything has dried to perfection. Love my dehydrator. hope this helps!
Answer: For me & my lifestyle the timer is exactly what I need. If I go out and the item in the dehydrator needs just 4 hrs & I'm out for 6 wala nothing is crispy crittered so to speak. When I'm busy & not concentrating on the jerky I just set up for my grndsn I'm glad the dehydrator goes off. For me it's great!
Answer: Yes it is. Now you dont gotta be tied to it waiting. Set it and walk away. Mechine will automatically cool down. I have had a non timer one and forget that.
Answer: I think so all I have to do is set, leave it, and whatever I am drying is done. I don't have to babysit it. If it is something with a lot of moisture I check it and usually it is done if not I just add a little more time. I love my Excalibur. It is so worry free.
Answer: It's a personal choice, I think. For me, it helps me keep track of how long I've been drying the food and how long it likely will take to complete.
Answer: Yes so easy to
Answer: Most definitely. Unless your going to set your alarm at 4 AM when something is done.
Answer: Yep, alls you have to do is set and forget...
Q:
This items have 220v ????
Answer: No. It runs on standard US house current.
Answer: Mine is 110 only
Answer: no, it is 120
Answer: No
Q:
Our Excalibur Dehydrator Fan is Loud and Makes an Uneven Repeating Kind of Roaring Noise. I like to know if this is Normal or Not. Please Help.
Answer: Mine is not what I would consider loud at all (I can easily have a normal conversation right next to it without raising my voice) and I have never heard any type of roaring noise while using it.
Answer: No , it is not normal - ours operates fairly quietly and at an even , unchanging pace .
Q:
My product came with no manual. Can someone tell me how to use this? Thanks!
Answer: The manual for us was in the bottom of the dehydrator. We almost missed it because you don't see it at first under the trays.
Answer: Most companies provide product manuals online these days. Excalibur provides them at http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/product-manuals/ There is also other useful information on their web site such as recipes and FAQs. Great product and support.
Answer: If you got one with two dial knobs on top, they should be as follows: There should be a temperature dial showing degrees as well as what type of food. IE fruits, meats, etc. The other dial is the on / off as well as the timer dial. The plastic shelves are dishwasher safe. The plastic mesh liners on the shelves is NOT dishwasher safe. Try contacting the manuf. for a manual. Its really only tells you some more info about what temps to use during what food drying.
Answer: Put product to be drying on racks. Use menu by timer dial as a guide to dry product. Check occasionally, when you are satisfied with dehydration you are done. Repeat process for subsequent dehydration of same product next time.
Q:
My temperature knob only goes to the beginning 165 degrees, not all the way through it where it would be back to the beginning. Is this normal?
Q:
What is the shelf life of the food once dehydrated?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: If you put the dried food in mylar bags with oxygen obsorbers, I am told, five to six years.
Q:
Can ants or cockroaches get inside? Is it entirely sealed? I can put buggy on if need be for mouse on front panel but what about tiny ant size insects
Answer: I have't been dehydrating food very long, but I CAN answer part of your question.
Answer: The unit is unsealed and has plenty of ventilation holes for air circulation. If you want this to be completely bug- and mouse-proof, I'd suggest storing it in a lidded plastic tub.
Answer: Yes. Small pests can get inside this unit. It is not completely sealed. This unit relies on free air flow over the food, from the back fan out the front gaps in the door. If you have an infestation of pests, I would not recommend using this product. I would recommend an exterminator.
Answer: It is not 100% sealed. Bugs can get in anything. Keep it clean.
Q:
Has anyone dried goji berries? I’ve had mine in for 36 hours at 145 degrees and they are still damp. This is the first time I’ve used my dehydrator
Answer: No I have not. Did you try cutting them in half?
Q:
Is this a 600 watt or 440 watt? Excalibur website says that it is a 600 watt.
Answer: It is a 600 watt. The nine tray is 600 watt the 5 tray is 440 watts.
Answer: The 9 tray is 600 watt and the 5 tray is 440 watt. This was on a label on the back of my 9 tray dehydrator.
Answer: 600 watts. We use this to dehydrate everything from jerky to our own fruit roll-ups. No matter what you buy make sure to get one with a timer.
Answer: do not buy it
Q:
Does the door rattle while in use?
Answer: I have never heard any rattling while in use. .
Answer: Not a single bit. Very solid.
Answer: Don’t know gave it as a gift sorry
Answer: No, it does not.
Answer: No it stays in place.
Answer: No, mine don't.
Q:
Would dehydration work for beef liver dog snacks.
Answer: I don't see why not....slice it thin and you should be okay. We make chicken jerky.
Answer: I don't see why not. I'd try it.
Answer: Yes
Q:
What is the minimum tempurature setting? It states 105 but shows 95 on the dial. I am looking for one that goes to almost no heat.
Answer: The low temperature setting is 105, and the high is 165.
Q:
Does is come with the book Preserve it Naturally?
Answer: Book was not included. Purchased Dec 2019
Answer: Mine did not,just a small booklet called Dehydration Guide,with guidelines on how to use the Excalibur with various foods and information on the process.It gives the temperature and drying times of various foods,herbs,etc.,and has a question,answer,and troubleshooting guide. Not really a recipe book.
Answer: that would come from zahi hawass
Answer: No there was no book.
Answer: No, but the users guide has a lot of great beginning recipe instructions. I went to YouTube and pinterest for most of the directions for my food. We love it
Q:
I just need some new perforated sheets.14 x 14.Mine have become brittle over time and are starting to break
Answer: I have not had that issue with my perforated sheets. I'd go to the Excalibur website and order a new set of them.
Answer: Go right to the Excalibur website, you can buy them there.
Product reviews of Excalibur Food Dehydrator 9-Tray Electric with 26-hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and Temperature Settings for Faster and Efficient Drying, Black
LegoDad : Finally something that gets over 165 degrees
I do mostly ground beef jerky due to a lack of anyone who hunts, so no good venison and such readily available. Which historically meant doing all the work, getting things on the trays, dehydrating them, then having to pull out cookie pans, separate flavors into different pans, and cook in the oven for an hour to kill anything that might be in the beef, since of all four previous dehydrators I had, including the last one that said it would go to 165 degrees, it never did.
Imagine my joy when, finally, for the first time, my probe shows 168 degrees... I was amazed... Now I can finally dehydrate my jerky and once it's at the right consistency and dryness level, simply BE DONE. No more extra cooking since that always just made it more of a fine line for when to pull out of the dehydrator, knowing it still had to be cooked.
This thing is huge. But hardly takes up more space than the round one I used to use. That one I had to use six trays to fit three pounds of beef - two trays per pound. This one, a single tray holds an entire pound. So I also just tripled my capacity.
First batches are little ones though, just to get used to it, and learn the quirks.
It's silent - WAY more quiet than any other one I had. My air purifier in the great room makes more noise, and I can't even hear the dehydrator once I'm out of the kitchen.
The downside for me is also one of the upsides - I hate how the mesh grill for the trays is separate. Every time I store these (I store on their side since otherwise I can't fit them down in the bottom of one of my kitchen cabinets) I have to fix them again. But I also love that the mesh is separate - SO much easier to clean.
I can see now why people have bragged about these and wished they had picked one up sooner - since I'm not one of those people. This makes every other dehydrator I've ever tried look like a child's toy in comparison...
Imagine my joy when, finally, for the first time, my probe shows 168 degrees... I was amazed... Now I can finally dehydrate my jerky and once it's at the right consistency and dryness level, simply BE DONE. No more extra cooking since that always just made it more of a fine line for when to pull out of the dehydrator, knowing it still had to be cooked.
This thing is huge. But hardly takes up more space than the round one I used to use. That one I had to use six trays to fit three pounds of beef - two trays per pound. This one, a single tray holds an entire pound. So I also just tripled my capacity.
First batches are little ones though, just to get used to it, and learn the quirks.
It's silent - WAY more quiet than any other one I had. My air purifier in the great room makes more noise, and I can't even hear the dehydrator once I'm out of the kitchen.
The downside for me is also one of the upsides - I hate how the mesh grill for the trays is separate. Every time I store these (I store on their side since otherwise I can't fit them down in the bottom of one of my kitchen cabinets) I have to fix them again. But I also love that the mesh is separate - SO much easier to clean.
I can see now why people have bragged about these and wished they had picked one up sooner - since I'm not one of those people. This makes every other dehydrator I've ever tried look like a child's toy in comparison...
Thomas A Dembinski : terrible packaging for shipping arrived broken
Didn't even get a chance to try it out. The product arrived and the box did not look damaged at all. It was posted on the box "Do Not Drop" for the shipping carrier. I opened the box all that it had to keep it secure while shipping are some corner styrofoam pieces. You can literally hear the product rattle when you lift the box. I opened the box and the trays were completely jumbled and jammed out of their rows. Two small gear like pieces fell out. The bottom of the unit was cracked. The knobs were falling off. This may be a good dehydrator but for the cost of it you think they would at least package it better so it arrives unbroken.
MeowsMix : This is a definte must have for the cooking lover!
I am a new dehydrator user, and after reading the reviews on this site I decided to order, and THANKFULLY I DID! I love this wonderful piece of equipment. I have had this for a while now, maybe a little less than a year. I have used this to make dried fruit like bananas and apples, and also to make granola, all of which has turned out GREAT! It has so many trays and is not too big! If we had a bigger sink I am sure it would be easier to clean the trays but other than the cleanup (which who likes doing that anyways) I have had no trouble at all!
T. Guymon : A Dehydrator! Egyptian Pharaohs have the Solution for Preserving Veggies, and the Excalibur is the Great Pyramid
My problem is that, for as much as I like "fresh vegetables," only the second word describes them by the time I finish with the bunch I bought. I have to throw out too much because I can eat it as as fast as their old age sets in. I decided to get a dehydrator so at least I can make them edible before they deteriorate.
I went through the "You Get What You Pay For" spiral. The cheapie "vertical" types, in which the fan is at the bottom, don't work well. The stuff at the bottom is toast while the stuff at the top is only mildly discomforted. I learned the "horizontal" type is best (with the fan at the back, blowing uniformly across all the trays). My experience with all of those was that they don't hold enough. If you buy a big bag of Whatever on sale, you end up spending too much time dehydrating small bunches.
This Excalibur 3926TB is the Cadillac of dehydrators. I could have saved some money by skipping the Pinto through Edsel stages and bought this at the beginning, but hey, we learn line up on line, precept upon precept (unfortunately that's the same way my bank account depletes). Anyway, this one does it all. It has NINE large trays, and the rest is automatic. I just place all my sliced-up X, Y, or Z on the trays, set the timer to whatever it is, and go back to sleep in the hammock. It shuts itself off when done, so I don't even have to worry about being there when it's finished. At my convenience, I wander by, open the lid, pull out the trays, and transfer my now-immortal dried veggies to a mason jar or other container, depending on whether their destination is the refrigerator or the freezer. Some things I eat like snacks (dried bananas, for example), so I don't need to worry about long-term care for them at all.
I went through the "You Get What You Pay For" spiral. The cheapie "vertical" types, in which the fan is at the bottom, don't work well. The stuff at the bottom is toast while the stuff at the top is only mildly discomforted. I learned the "horizontal" type is best (with the fan at the back, blowing uniformly across all the trays). My experience with all of those was that they don't hold enough. If you buy a big bag of Whatever on sale, you end up spending too much time dehydrating small bunches.
This Excalibur 3926TB is the Cadillac of dehydrators. I could have saved some money by skipping the Pinto through Edsel stages and bought this at the beginning, but hey, we learn line up on line, precept upon precept (unfortunately that's the same way my bank account depletes). Anyway, this one does it all. It has NINE large trays, and the rest is automatic. I just place all my sliced-up X, Y, or Z on the trays, set the timer to whatever it is, and go back to sleep in the hammock. It shuts itself off when done, so I don't even have to worry about being there when it's finished. At my convenience, I wander by, open the lid, pull out the trays, and transfer my now-immortal dried veggies to a mason jar or other container, depending on whether their destination is the refrigerator or the freezer. Some things I eat like snacks (dried bananas, for example), so I don't need to worry about long-term care for them at all.
Holistic lifestyle : You and cooking in a toxic stew!! Bpa inside lining!!
Beware you are cooking in a toxic stew trying to be healthy! Sure, the shelves are bpa free, but the rest of the inside structure I found out isn't. There's studies of rats living in a bpa cage and they found bpa in them. It off gases. So if you are into health stuff like me, yes it works good, but super toxic. People recommend this one because they established themselves BEFORE the bpa awareness come out. Plastic inside?? Why??? This company obviously doesn't care about the health of their customer and they know better....
Reviewer : EXCELLENT! DEHYDRATES EVERYTHING!
I really like this step up from my last dehydrator. This unit has nine trays and adjustable temperature and timed hour control so it can dehydrate while you are away. You can also skip using all the trays and stack every other tray if desired. It is a very good unit and worth the price in my opinion.
I bought mine in 2014 and it is now 2020 as of the update of this review. Still working fine!
I have done everything from apples, pears, peaches, bananas, pineapple, squashes, carrots, etc. even crispy kale and okra - and it does a great job! I like to make things extra crunchy not leathery and this does a great job.
The clean up is much easier, especially with the screens because the screens can roll up in the sink and are easily submersible for easy cleaning. The plastic black racks are easy to clean as well and slide easily. The whole thing is a simple box with a heated fan in the back. (So simple, yet why can't others make them like this?) I really like the dual controls of the temperature control as well as the timed timer.
Some of the reviewers have complained it makes a lot of noise. I think that also depends on what surface you have it running on. I have my dehydrator on my laundry dryer which is a metal surface. It would be quieter on my sink counter. but I find the noise is acceptable like the sound of a soft background fan. Since it's off to the side in our kitchen it doesn't interfere with anything in other rooms of the house. at night it is nothing more than sounding like white noise in the background. I think putting a towel underneath it to keep the vibrations down might help people who are very ultra sensitive to the sound but to me it is very tolerable. It has never interfere with our activity or our sleep.
Very worth it in my opinion.
I bought mine in 2014 and it is now 2020 as of the update of this review. Still working fine!
I have done everything from apples, pears, peaches, bananas, pineapple, squashes, carrots, etc. even crispy kale and okra - and it does a great job! I like to make things extra crunchy not leathery and this does a great job.
The clean up is much easier, especially with the screens because the screens can roll up in the sink and are easily submersible for easy cleaning. The plastic black racks are easy to clean as well and slide easily. The whole thing is a simple box with a heated fan in the back. (So simple, yet why can't others make them like this?) I really like the dual controls of the temperature control as well as the timed timer.
Some of the reviewers have complained it makes a lot of noise. I think that also depends on what surface you have it running on. I have my dehydrator on my laundry dryer which is a metal surface. It would be quieter on my sink counter. but I find the noise is acceptable like the sound of a soft background fan. Since it's off to the side in our kitchen it doesn't interfere with anything in other rooms of the house. at night it is nothing more than sounding like white noise in the background. I think putting a towel underneath it to keep the vibrations down might help people who are very ultra sensitive to the sound but to me it is very tolerable. It has never interfere with our activity or our sleep.
Very worth it in my opinion.
drmquilt : Not worth the money
tried drying mushrooms and herbs by the book that came with the unit. Ended up turning up the temp to 165 and after 18 hours they still were not dried out. Not happy with unit for the price. Book at this point is useless. Would not buy again.
Rock Martell : Excalibur 3926TB Dehydrator
One major problem with this machine is that it doesn't have digital electronic controls, only analog manual twist Temp & Time settings. This makes it impossible to set the temperature accurately or the timer within plus or minus 10 minutes. Because of this you need to babysit the machine when you think food is close to being done but you don't want to over dry something. This was extremely disappointing to me given the $300.00 price tag. Other then that it really does a nice job of dehydrating without having to constantly rotate the trays. It heats evenly and cleanup is a breeze.
Desert Farming : For the serious dehydrating aficionado
I just got the machine and I know I like it better than my 20 plus year old American Harvester by Nesco. My old one was a 4 tray plug it in and let it dry. I love having a timer built in (no cumbersome wall timer), and the adjustable thermostat is going to be nice with keeping my food alive. Also, the 9 trays allows me to more than double my drying space. I'm doing 4 pounds of organic strawberries and 5 pounds of organic green beans as I write. They are are doing well and should be done soon. The flexible mesh screens will help with sticking. I haven't tried the paraflex sheets yet, so I don't know how they'll work. BTW, read the book on how to use. It is simple, but if you've never owned an Excalibur, it does a few things slightly different. For instance it recommends turning the trains 180 degrees halfway through.
Cons: It is a little noisy, but tolerable. If you've owned a dehydrator you'll find it on par or a hair louder. The door will rattle some but a simple repositioning seems to take care of that. Not really a con for me, but be aware, the machine is going to be large. Make sure you note the dimensions before purchasing. I do wish the opening were on the side in my case verses the skinny front. It would fit nicer on the counter that way but it is a minor. Cleaning of the tray mesh is a little time consuming if you don't have a sprayer. You can't put those in the dishwasher like the tray itself, but I'd recommend not doing that either. Plastic and high heat isn't a good thing. Don't forget the Paraflex sheets can't be soaked, only wiped off, but I haven't used them yet, so I don't know how much of a chore that will be yet.
Would I buy it again? Yes - It is a good machine and on Amazon, the price isn't horrible and if you use your dehydrator like I do, you'll get your money back soon with just the savings on snacks you make yourself verses buying and you'll know what is in your snacks and control things like bad fats and too much sugar and salt. I'm making crunchy green bean snacks right now. I paid 6.39 for 5 pounds of Organic green beans, I used a little coconut oil and a little sea salt and I now have about 5 bags worth. If I bought the same amount I'd not have organic, they'd be made with unhealthy oils and cost 6.99 for a small 8 ounce bag, plus shipping. I figure I saved $25 dollars already. I've done the same for Organic strawberries too and we all know dried fruit is ridiculously expensive, especially for the organic ones.
Cons: It is a little noisy, but tolerable. If you've owned a dehydrator you'll find it on par or a hair louder. The door will rattle some but a simple repositioning seems to take care of that. Not really a con for me, but be aware, the machine is going to be large. Make sure you note the dimensions before purchasing. I do wish the opening were on the side in my case verses the skinny front. It would fit nicer on the counter that way but it is a minor. Cleaning of the tray mesh is a little time consuming if you don't have a sprayer. You can't put those in the dishwasher like the tray itself, but I'd recommend not doing that either. Plastic and high heat isn't a good thing. Don't forget the Paraflex sheets can't be soaked, only wiped off, but I haven't used them yet, so I don't know how much of a chore that will be yet.
Would I buy it again? Yes - It is a good machine and on Amazon, the price isn't horrible and if you use your dehydrator like I do, you'll get your money back soon with just the savings on snacks you make yourself verses buying and you'll know what is in your snacks and control things like bad fats and too much sugar and salt. I'm making crunchy green bean snacks right now. I paid 6.39 for 5 pounds of Organic green beans, I used a little coconut oil and a little sea salt and I now have about 5 bags worth. If I bought the same amount I'd not have organic, they'd be made with unhealthy oils and cost 6.99 for a small 8 ounce bag, plus shipping. I figure I saved $25 dollars already. I've done the same for Organic strawberries too and we all know dried fruit is ridiculously expensive, especially for the organic ones.
Ned Belfry : Made in USA and Works Very Well
The product works well and I am very pleased it is made in the USA. I feel it is priced fairly. So far, I have used it to dry sweet potato treats for my dogs as well as small, whole hot peppers. There is a certain amount of experimentation to get it just right with respect to temperature and time, but the included booklet gives you ideas and points you in the right direction. I noticed this same product in several more attractive finishes that I would have preferred, but frankly you are paying more for just a color. The black is fine and has the same capability as the other snazzier ones in the same model line. I recommend it.
Gar : Fun and easy to use-takes up a lot of space
Fell in love with this dehydrator. I was originally going to return it without trying it because it was so large ( 9 tray model) however after reading instructions and recipes (included) I realized how simple it is to use. Since I live in South Florida I was concerned about heat coming from the machine, however, the drying temps are so low it does not heat up the house like I thought. Overall, I give it 5 stars, when I opened the box the temp knob had fallen off, and I thought damaged. But it popped back on with little effort. I do feel that for the price nothing should be falling off in S&H
Jeffrey N. : I use it every day, extremely easy to use, but it is a bit expensive
I had to drop a star because it's pretty expensive, and it doesn't seem like, based on what you get (a tin box with a heater, fan and some trays) it should cost more than about $100.00, but it does work, and I use it almost daily. I do a lot of cooking, and frequently run out of specific produce for recipes, and especially right now with covid-19, I only go to the grocery store once a week. That being said, I usually have a half dozen peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes that I don't use before they start to go to waste, so before that happens I chop them up, throw them in the dehydrator and finished. One thing to know is this dehydrator is extremely easy to use. There is no learning curve other than figuring out how long it needs to be on and at what temperature works best, which they have guidelines, but they are not absolute. They fluctuate based on room temperature, humidity, and personal taste, but you don't just turn it on and let the timer buzz and done. You can open it up every few hours and taste your product. Even on the hottest mode (jerky) the pieces are not too hot to touch, but maybe cool for a minute before biting into, so the first time you use this I would run it during the day so you can figure out what works best for your taste. It's not an airtight oven. It's meant to aerate. Some of my favorite and most tasty things I've made is marinated pork jerky (bacon).
Kindle Customer : The good, Very high quality
The good, Very high quality, really like the 9 shelf's big enough to dry large batches. The bad, doesn't come with any non stick sheets, They are extra. Also don't think the one with the Timer is worth an extra 50.00. Also if you buy it anywhere besides the manufacturer you don't get the 10 year warranty. Anyway I believe it's the best dehydrator for the money.
BillW : Effective but Questionable Design
So, this is doing the job I asked of it. So thats the positive.
My sense is that its probably designed sometime in the 70s and could use some updates.
Specifically, the front door sits on a ledge in front of the pull out trays.
This probably makes sense in terms of the air flow, and I'm sure my results would change if I left it off; however, it rattles when the fan is going. I doubt that any dehydrator is silent, but the door is really annoying.
To fix this, I've placed a strip of velcro on the dehydrator. Not to the door itself, but one sided in the top ridge and one below the bottom tray. This gives the door some shock absorbtion and stops the chatter. I know, velcro, right! So this is one sided so the door isn't adhering to the frame, just sitting on top of it, but with some cushon.
Hopefully, I will be able to keep this clean since I'm using it with food.
Overall, happy with the results, but the product could use an update.
The design just seems a little lazy. If I find that I use it a lot, I would probably look for a more prosumer grade appliance.
My sense is that its probably designed sometime in the 70s and could use some updates.
Specifically, the front door sits on a ledge in front of the pull out trays.
This probably makes sense in terms of the air flow, and I'm sure my results would change if I left it off; however, it rattles when the fan is going. I doubt that any dehydrator is silent, but the door is really annoying.
To fix this, I've placed a strip of velcro on the dehydrator. Not to the door itself, but one sided in the top ridge and one below the bottom tray. This gives the door some shock absorbtion and stops the chatter. I know, velcro, right! So this is one sided so the door isn't adhering to the frame, just sitting on top of it, but with some cushon.
Hopefully, I will be able to keep this clean since I'm using it with food.
Overall, happy with the results, but the product could use an update.
The design just seems a little lazy. If I find that I use it a lot, I would probably look for a more prosumer grade appliance.
drmquilt : Not worth the money
tried drying mushrooms and herbs by the book that came with the unit. Ended up turning up the temp to 165 and after 18 hours they still were not dried out. Not happy with unit for the price. Book at this point is useless. Would not buy again.
P. Willson : Great for herbs and produce
Got the 9-tray with timer. I'm very pleased. Not really quiet, but I try to run it at night and it's at the other end of the house, so not a big problem. I find it is more efficient if only half-full and if I remove the unused trays for better circulation, and have rarely used it packed full of anything.
I agree it would be nice to have the door set-up so it's a little more secure - it could too easily get knocked off by a careless person. The machine is quite lightweight, but it doesn't feel flimsy to me, just has a few odd design quirks. (Also true that a non-textured cabinet surface would be easier to wipe clean of dust.)
Took me a little while to figure out the best way to do various things, for example, drying chiles or herbs a couple times a month in season is the main reason I got it -- I slit the chiles open and then flip them or rotate them around on the tray after about half the alotted time to get even drying. Herbs -- WOW! they dry beautifully at very low temp and in a short time. The resulting chiles or herbs are much, much better quality and color, and zero problems with mold, dust, birds or other varmints, compared to drying them in the sun or on a screened porch. So overall it does a very good job drying produce, and has become one of my favorite gadgets.
I agree it would be nice to have the door set-up so it's a little more secure - it could too easily get knocked off by a careless person. The machine is quite lightweight, but it doesn't feel flimsy to me, just has a few odd design quirks. (Also true that a non-textured cabinet surface would be easier to wipe clean of dust.)
Took me a little while to figure out the best way to do various things, for example, drying chiles or herbs a couple times a month in season is the main reason I got it -- I slit the chiles open and then flip them or rotate them around on the tray after about half the alotted time to get even drying. Herbs -- WOW! they dry beautifully at very low temp and in a short time. The resulting chiles or herbs are much, much better quality and color, and zero problems with mold, dust, birds or other varmints, compared to drying them in the sun or on a screened porch. So overall it does a very good job drying produce, and has become one of my favorite gadgets.
Kindle Customer"Queenie" : Top notch Dehydrator
I have used my Excaibur 9 once or twice a week since I got it. I like that it is easy to use, easy to clean, and it doesn't heat up my room. It has done an excellent job of dehydrating my herbs, my dog treats, my turkey jerky for my dog, even my egg whites. This is saving me so much room in my freezer.
shortcakemt : Just buy it
This is my second Excalibur- not because the first one broke down, but because I do a lot of dehydrating and wanted another unit. I have only positive things to say about this dehydrator- it works, it lasts, and it's helped me preserve hundreds of pounds of food already. I've even taken the shelves out and incubated a gallon jug of buttermilk in it. Do yourself a favor and get an Excalibur-- your grandchildren will thank you when they inherit it some day.
Amazon Customer : Will update with more at a later time
So I want to start off by saying I got this yesterday so this will be a first unboxing review and will update as time goes on.
To begin with it is EXTREMELY QUIET! Which I love. They trays are large and spaced well apart. The controls are easy to navigate and understand.
That being said, the door does not close all the way (as shown in pictures) it is latched correctly per the instruction manual. I checked. And double checked. It does let out some heat from the openings of the door. The whole door comes off when you open it (as per design apparently).
I currently have strawberries and apples in it so we shall see how they turn out in a few hours.
To begin with it is EXTREMELY QUIET! Which I love. They trays are large and spaced well apart. The controls are easy to navigate and understand.
That being said, the door does not close all the way (as shown in pictures) it is latched correctly per the instruction manual. I checked. And double checked. It does let out some heat from the openings of the door. The whole door comes off when you open it (as per design apparently).
I currently have strawberries and apples in it so we shall see how they turn out in a few hours.
Jeffrey N. : I use it every day, extremely easy to use, but it is a bit expensive
I had to drop a star because it's pretty expensive, and it doesn't seem like, based on what you get (a tin box with a heater, fan and some trays) it should cost more than about $100.00, but it does work, and I use it almost daily. I do a lot of cooking, and frequently run out of specific produce for recipes, and especially right now with covid-19, I only go to the grocery store once a week. That being said, I usually have a half dozen peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes that I don't use before they start to go to waste, so before that happens I chop them up, throw them in the dehydrator and finished. One thing to know is this dehydrator is extremely easy to use. There is no learning curve other than figuring out how long it needs to be on and at what temperature works best, which they have guidelines, but they are not absolute. They fluctuate based on room temperature, humidity, and personal taste, but you don't just turn it on and let the timer buzz and done. You can open it up every few hours and taste your product. Even on the hottest mode (jerky) the pieces are not too hot to touch, but maybe cool for a minute before biting into, so the first time you use this I would run it during the day so you can figure out what works best for your taste. It's not an airtight oven. It's meant to aerate. Some of my favorite and most tasty things I've made is marinated pork jerky (bacon).
Franz : Cheap brittle plastic
For lack of an apparent better option I kept this. It was broken when it arrived and the shipping box was okay. The cracked plastic isn't too bad and the product still works. I ordered a replacement and it arrived in worse condition than the first. The product protection is inadequate and the plastic this is made with is very brittle. The trays are plastic. The top tray only has 1/2 of clearance. The plastic trays are very thick and spaced 1" apart. This doesn't leave much space for food. Great for banana chips or jerky, not so great for berries.
I kept it for the 10 yr warranty. Hopefully the product lasts.
I kept it for the 10 yr warranty. Hopefully the product lasts.
Jasper OnLine : Cadillac of dehydrators!
I love this dehydrator! We've had it running almost non-stop, 24x7 since we got it about a month ago. Does a great job with whatever we throw at it. The only advice I'd offer if you're shopping for the "perfect dehydrator" is to consider the model without the timer. I spent the extra $50 to get the timer thinking it'd be an important feature. I regret spending the extra $$ and being hindered by the timer. When dehydrating, the timer really is more of a hindrance than a help. If your food's not ready to come out at bedtime, let it run over night. But with the time, you have to remember to reset it so it doesn't turn off in the middle of the night. The secret is that you can't over dry your food, so there's no such thing are leaving it in for too long. Once the machine shuts off, food will start to reabsorb moisture, especially if you have humid conditions in your home. This defeats your purpose. I'd much prefer to the have the model that you just turn on and then turn off when you're done. Other than that, I'm very pleased with the Excalibur. I'm convinced it's the best out there. Nine trays gives you lots of room to process a lot of food at one time.
JennMe013 : Lives up to the hype.
I have used a Nesco American Harvest dehydrator for years. It helped me learn the basics of dehydrating. I researched, saved, and found this great sale on the Excalibur 3926TB dehydrator with a timer. While my complaints about the Nesco were minor (the fan on top created an insufficient airflow, requiring me to rotate the trays every 1-2 hours), I am absolutely blown away by the Excalibur. It's like driving a perfectly fine base-model car, then upgrading to a luxury model. They quality of my tried-and-true recipes has increased significantly simply by using a better machine.
As far as the other reviewers' complaints about the noise, I have to disagree. The machine was no louder than the Nesco. I didn't have to turn the TV up to hear over it, I could easily have a conversation with anyone else in the room, and when I went to bed it sounded like the hum of the dryer running in the laundry room.
And it regards to the size...yes, it's large. It has to be to handle the amount of food that it promises. And boy, does this machine deliver! I sliced 4.5 lbs of roast for jerky and only filled half the machine. I am thrilled that my fresh garden veggies can go straight from the garden to the dehydrator this year. My previous, smaller machine made such small batches that I had to can some, freeze some, and dehydrate some. For me, space is an issue. So I'd rather give up a microwave-sized space for this machine than to give valuable freezer space or shelves upon shelves of canned goods.
If I had it to do over again, I would have ordered the Excalibur from the start.
As far as the other reviewers' complaints about the noise, I have to disagree. The machine was no louder than the Nesco. I didn't have to turn the TV up to hear over it, I could easily have a conversation with anyone else in the room, and when I went to bed it sounded like the hum of the dryer running in the laundry room.
And it regards to the size...yes, it's large. It has to be to handle the amount of food that it promises. And boy, does this machine deliver! I sliced 4.5 lbs of roast for jerky and only filled half the machine. I am thrilled that my fresh garden veggies can go straight from the garden to the dehydrator this year. My previous, smaller machine made such small batches that I had to can some, freeze some, and dehydrate some. For me, space is an issue. So I'd rather give up a microwave-sized space for this machine than to give valuable freezer space or shelves upon shelves of canned goods.
If I had it to do over again, I would have ordered the Excalibur from the start.
Amazon Customer : worth the money
this dehydrator works 100% better than the old round ones you can buy in the store. worth the investment. I've made a ton of apple chips in it already and works so nice for making beef jerky as well. also started putting any leftover veggies we have in the fridge - peppers, celery, carrots, even herbs.. in it and have them set aside for soup starter later this fall. My husband loves how mushrooms dry in this - they re-hydrate great or he can put them in a coffee grinder and add them into things as a powder... saving us lots of money not letting veggies, etc, go to waste.
P. Willson : Great for herbs and produce
Got the 9-tray with timer. I'm very pleased. Not really quiet, but I try to run it at night and it's at the other end of the house, so not a big problem. I find it is more efficient if only half-full and if I remove the unused trays for better circulation, and have rarely used it packed full of anything.
I agree it would be nice to have the door set-up so it's a little more secure - it could too easily get knocked off by a careless person. The machine is quite lightweight, but it doesn't feel flimsy to me, just has a few odd design quirks. (Also true that a non-textured cabinet surface would be easier to wipe clean of dust.)
Took me a little while to figure out the best way to do various things, for example, drying chiles or herbs a couple times a month in season is the main reason I got it -- I slit the chiles open and then flip them or rotate them around on the tray after about half the alotted time to get even drying. Herbs -- WOW! they dry beautifully at very low temp and in a short time. The resulting chiles or herbs are much, much better quality and color, and zero problems with mold, dust, birds or other varmints, compared to drying them in the sun or on a screened porch. So overall it does a very good job drying produce, and has become one of my favorite gadgets.
I agree it would be nice to have the door set-up so it's a little more secure - it could too easily get knocked off by a careless person. The machine is quite lightweight, but it doesn't feel flimsy to me, just has a few odd design quirks. (Also true that a non-textured cabinet surface would be easier to wipe clean of dust.)
Took me a little while to figure out the best way to do various things, for example, drying chiles or herbs a couple times a month in season is the main reason I got it -- I slit the chiles open and then flip them or rotate them around on the tray after about half the alotted time to get even drying. Herbs -- WOW! they dry beautifully at very low temp and in a short time. The resulting chiles or herbs are much, much better quality and color, and zero problems with mold, dust, birds or other varmints, compared to drying them in the sun or on a screened porch. So overall it does a very good job drying produce, and has become one of my favorite gadgets.
Kindle Customer"Queenie" : Top notch Dehydrator
I have used my Excaibur 9 once or twice a week since I got it. I like that it is easy to use, easy to clean, and it doesn't heat up my room. It has done an excellent job of dehydrating my herbs, my dog treats, my turkey jerky for my dog, even my egg whites. This is saving me so much room in my freezer.
K. Plaster : Best Dehydrator!
I love my Excalibur Dehydrator. It performs as described. This dehydrator evenly dries foods. One thing I have learned is dry time will vary with environmental conditions. Sometimes quite a bit. While you can hear the unit when operating, it is quiet compared to other dehydrators I've had. So far I've used this unit to dry mint and chocolate basil from my garden, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, and more! Love this machine!!!
Amazon Customer : worth the money
this dehydrator works 100% better than the old round ones you can buy in the store. worth the investment. I've made a ton of apple chips in it already and works so nice for making beef jerky as well. also started putting any leftover veggies we have in the fridge - peppers, celery, carrots, even herbs.. in it and have them set aside for soup starter later this fall. My husband loves how mushrooms dry in this - they re-hydrate great or he can put them in a coffee grinder and add them into things as a powder... saving us lots of money not letting veggies, etc, go to waste.
Stephy : Item cannot be returned/refunded
Buyer beware that this item is non-returnable. ... which is kind of ridiculous since it was not noted anywhere as such.
Puck : Skip the cheap junk and save yourself a headache
Bought this to replace a cheap Chinese one I sent back. Should have started with this. Works amazing well. 14" trays hold alot of food. The only 2 issues I have found at all are the trays are close enough together that thicker items require leaving a tray out and at this price point I would have expected either some metal construction or something that felt a little bit heavier duty. Not saying it won't work well for years but just seems a little bit light. I also feel the optional see through door should be standard at this price.
Ned Belfry : Made in USA and Works Very Well
The product works well and I am very pleased it is made in the USA. I feel it is priced fairly. So far, I have used it to dry sweet potato treats for my dogs as well as small, whole hot peppers. There is a certain amount of experimentation to get it just right with respect to temperature and time, but the included booklet gives you ideas and points you in the right direction. I noticed this same product in several more attractive finishes that I would have preferred, but frankly you are paying more for just a color. The black is fine and has the same capability as the other snazzier ones in the same model line. I recommend it.
Sara Ellis : Large capacity & excellent results
I absolutely love this food dehydrator! I has a much smaller one that couldn't hold much and it was frustrating to go to the effort to prep food to dry only to be able to do so little of it at a time, so I took the plunge and bought this Excalibur model and am so happy I made the change.
This dehydrator fits on my kitchen counter under the cabinets just fine and it has enough capacity to do a five pound bag of sliced potatoes plus several trays of other produce at the same time. My other dehydrator could manage about 3 pounds of sliced potatoes at best, so I love having more capacity.
I'm still fairly new to food dehydration so I refer to a book I bought for the proper way to prepare food items and for drying time and temperature, then I follow those directions and I'm having nothing but success so far. My other dehydrator had open plastic mesh trays that food items could fall through as they dried, but that isn't a concern thanks to the poly-screen tray inserts in this Excalibur.
Now I can shred potatoes and dry them in order to have hash browns on hand whenever we want them without having them slip through the screens as they dry. By the way, we rehydrated some to see what they were like and it's like having freshly shredded potatoes. So much more useful for what we want to do than canning! (Now I have a large All American Pressure Canner I no longer want)
I bought some non-stick liners to use when making fruit leather but haven't tried it yet. This dehydrator seems to get much better air flow through the trays than my other one did because vegetables are drying more quickly even though they're set at the same temperature they were in the other machine. It does produce some fan noise, but nothing that I find obnoxious. It's easy to operate, signals when the time is up, and the trays are super easy to clean up so I'm very happy with the purchase. I think small dehydrators are useful as a way to learn about dehydrating foods, but this is a model I'd recommend getting if you're serious about doing it.
This dehydrator fits on my kitchen counter under the cabinets just fine and it has enough capacity to do a five pound bag of sliced potatoes plus several trays of other produce at the same time. My other dehydrator could manage about 3 pounds of sliced potatoes at best, so I love having more capacity.
I'm still fairly new to food dehydration so I refer to a book I bought for the proper way to prepare food items and for drying time and temperature, then I follow those directions and I'm having nothing but success so far. My other dehydrator had open plastic mesh trays that food items could fall through as they dried, but that isn't a concern thanks to the poly-screen tray inserts in this Excalibur.
Now I can shred potatoes and dry them in order to have hash browns on hand whenever we want them without having them slip through the screens as they dry. By the way, we rehydrated some to see what they were like and it's like having freshly shredded potatoes. So much more useful for what we want to do than canning! (Now I have a large All American Pressure Canner I no longer want)
I bought some non-stick liners to use when making fruit leather but haven't tried it yet. This dehydrator seems to get much better air flow through the trays than my other one did because vegetables are drying more quickly even though they're set at the same temperature they were in the other machine. It does produce some fan noise, but nothing that I find obnoxious. It's easy to operate, signals when the time is up, and the trays are super easy to clean up so I'm very happy with the purchase. I think small dehydrators are useful as a way to learn about dehydrating foods, but this is a model I'd recommend getting if you're serious about doing it.
LegoDad : Finally something that gets over 165 degrees
I do mostly ground beef jerky due to a lack of anyone who hunts, so no good venison and such readily available. Which historically meant doing all the work, getting things on the trays, dehydrating them, then having to pull out cookie pans, separate flavors into different pans, and cook in the oven for an hour to kill anything that might be in the beef, since of all four previous dehydrators I had, including the last one that said it would go to 165 degrees, it never did.
Imagine my joy when, finally, for the first time, my probe shows 168 degrees... I was amazed... Now I can finally dehydrate my jerky and once it's at the right consistency and dryness level, simply BE DONE. No more extra cooking since that always just made it more of a fine line for when to pull out of the dehydrator, knowing it still had to be cooked.
This thing is huge. But hardly takes up more space than the round one I used to use. That one I had to use six trays to fit three pounds of beef - two trays per pound. This one, a single tray holds an entire pound. So I also just tripled my capacity.
First batches are little ones though, just to get used to it, and learn the quirks.
It's silent - WAY more quiet than any other one I had. My air purifier in the great room makes more noise, and I can't even hear the dehydrator once I'm out of the kitchen.
The downside for me is also one of the upsides - I hate how the mesh grill for the trays is separate. Every time I store these (I store on their side since otherwise I can't fit them down in the bottom of one of my kitchen cabinets) I have to fix them again. But I also love that the mesh is separate - SO much easier to clean.
I can see now why people have bragged about these and wished they had picked one up sooner - since I'm not one of those people. This makes every other dehydrator I've ever tried look like a child's toy in comparison...
Imagine my joy when, finally, for the first time, my probe shows 168 degrees... I was amazed... Now I can finally dehydrate my jerky and once it's at the right consistency and dryness level, simply BE DONE. No more extra cooking since that always just made it more of a fine line for when to pull out of the dehydrator, knowing it still had to be cooked.
This thing is huge. But hardly takes up more space than the round one I used to use. That one I had to use six trays to fit three pounds of beef - two trays per pound. This one, a single tray holds an entire pound. So I also just tripled my capacity.
First batches are little ones though, just to get used to it, and learn the quirks.
It's silent - WAY more quiet than any other one I had. My air purifier in the great room makes more noise, and I can't even hear the dehydrator once I'm out of the kitchen.
The downside for me is also one of the upsides - I hate how the mesh grill for the trays is separate. Every time I store these (I store on their side since otherwise I can't fit them down in the bottom of one of my kitchen cabinets) I have to fix them again. But I also love that the mesh is separate - SO much easier to clean.
I can see now why people have bragged about these and wished they had picked one up sooner - since I'm not one of those people. This makes every other dehydrator I've ever tried look like a child's toy in comparison...
T. Guymon : A Dehydrator! Egyptian Pharaohs have the Solution for Preserving Veggies, and the Excalibur is the Great Pyramid
My problem is that, for as much as I like "fresh vegetables," only the second word describes them by the time I finish with the bunch I bought. I have to throw out too much because I can eat it as as fast as their old age sets in. I decided to get a dehydrator so at least I can make them edible before they deteriorate.
I went through the "You Get What You Pay For" spiral. The cheapie "vertical" types, in which the fan is at the bottom, don't work well. The stuff at the bottom is toast while the stuff at the top is only mildly discomforted. I learned the "horizontal" type is best (with the fan at the back, blowing uniformly across all the trays). My experience with all of those was that they don't hold enough. If you buy a big bag of Whatever on sale, you end up spending too much time dehydrating small bunches.
This Excalibur 3926TB is the Cadillac of dehydrators. I could have saved some money by skipping the Pinto through Edsel stages and bought this at the beginning, but hey, we learn line up on line, precept upon precept (unfortunately that's the same way my bank account depletes). Anyway, this one does it all. It has NINE large trays, and the rest is automatic. I just place all my sliced-up X, Y, or Z on the trays, set the timer to whatever it is, and go back to sleep in the hammock. It shuts itself off when done, so I don't even have to worry about being there when it's finished. At my convenience, I wander by, open the lid, pull out the trays, and transfer my now-immortal dried veggies to a mason jar or other container, depending on whether their destination is the refrigerator or the freezer. Some things I eat like snacks (dried bananas, for example), so I don't need to worry about long-term care for them at all.
I went through the "You Get What You Pay For" spiral. The cheapie "vertical" types, in which the fan is at the bottom, don't work well. The stuff at the bottom is toast while the stuff at the top is only mildly discomforted. I learned the "horizontal" type is best (with the fan at the back, blowing uniformly across all the trays). My experience with all of those was that they don't hold enough. If you buy a big bag of Whatever on sale, you end up spending too much time dehydrating small bunches.
This Excalibur 3926TB is the Cadillac of dehydrators. I could have saved some money by skipping the Pinto through Edsel stages and bought this at the beginning, but hey, we learn line up on line, precept upon precept (unfortunately that's the same way my bank account depletes). Anyway, this one does it all. It has NINE large trays, and the rest is automatic. I just place all my sliced-up X, Y, or Z on the trays, set the timer to whatever it is, and go back to sleep in the hammock. It shuts itself off when done, so I don't even have to worry about being there when it's finished. At my convenience, I wander by, open the lid, pull out the trays, and transfer my now-immortal dried veggies to a mason jar or other container, depending on whether their destination is the refrigerator or the freezer. Some things I eat like snacks (dried bananas, for example), so I don't need to worry about long-term care for them at all.
Amazon Customer : worth the money
this dehydrator works 100% better than the old round ones you can buy in the store. worth the investment. I've made a ton of apple chips in it already and works so nice for making beef jerky as well. also started putting any leftover veggies we have in the fridge - peppers, celery, carrots, even herbs.. in it and have them set aside for soup starter later this fall. My husband loves how mushrooms dry in this - they re-hydrate great or he can put them in a coffee grinder and add them into things as a powder... saving us lots of money not letting veggies, etc, go to waste.
Sara Ellis : Large capacity & excellent results
I absolutely love this food dehydrator! I has a much smaller one that couldn't hold much and it was frustrating to go to the effort to prep food to dry only to be able to do so little of it at a time, so I took the plunge and bought this Excalibur model and am so happy I made the change.
This dehydrator fits on my kitchen counter under the cabinets just fine and it has enough capacity to do a five pound bag of sliced potatoes plus several trays of other produce at the same time. My other dehydrator could manage about 3 pounds of sliced potatoes at best, so I love having more capacity.
I'm still fairly new to food dehydration so I refer to a book I bought for the proper way to prepare food items and for drying time and temperature, then I follow those directions and I'm having nothing but success so far. My other dehydrator had open plastic mesh trays that food items could fall through as they dried, but that isn't a concern thanks to the poly-screen tray inserts in this Excalibur.
Now I can shred potatoes and dry them in order to have hash browns on hand whenever we want them without having them slip through the screens as they dry. By the way, we rehydrated some to see what they were like and it's like having freshly shredded potatoes. So much more useful for what we want to do than canning! (Now I have a large All American Pressure Canner I no longer want)
I bought some non-stick liners to use when making fruit leather but haven't tried it yet. This dehydrator seems to get much better air flow through the trays than my other one did because vegetables are drying more quickly even though they're set at the same temperature they were in the other machine. It does produce some fan noise, but nothing that I find obnoxious. It's easy to operate, signals when the time is up, and the trays are super easy to clean up so I'm very happy with the purchase. I think small dehydrators are useful as a way to learn about dehydrating foods, but this is a model I'd recommend getting if you're serious about doing it.
This dehydrator fits on my kitchen counter under the cabinets just fine and it has enough capacity to do a five pound bag of sliced potatoes plus several trays of other produce at the same time. My other dehydrator could manage about 3 pounds of sliced potatoes at best, so I love having more capacity.
I'm still fairly new to food dehydration so I refer to a book I bought for the proper way to prepare food items and for drying time and temperature, then I follow those directions and I'm having nothing but success so far. My other dehydrator had open plastic mesh trays that food items could fall through as they dried, but that isn't a concern thanks to the poly-screen tray inserts in this Excalibur.
Now I can shred potatoes and dry them in order to have hash browns on hand whenever we want them without having them slip through the screens as they dry. By the way, we rehydrated some to see what they were like and it's like having freshly shredded potatoes. So much more useful for what we want to do than canning! (Now I have a large All American Pressure Canner I no longer want)
I bought some non-stick liners to use when making fruit leather but haven't tried it yet. This dehydrator seems to get much better air flow through the trays than my other one did because vegetables are drying more quickly even though they're set at the same temperature they were in the other machine. It does produce some fan noise, but nothing that I find obnoxious. It's easy to operate, signals when the time is up, and the trays are super easy to clean up so I'm very happy with the purchase. I think small dehydrators are useful as a way to learn about dehydrating foods, but this is a model I'd recommend getting if you're serious about doing it.
Holly Ocampo : Great tool! I use it everyday!
Hands down best dryer. Food dries evenly. Piece of cake to clean and use. I use it all day everyday. If you're considering which size to buy, go bigger than you think. You'll use every shelf. They're easy to fill up. If you get the smaller one, you'll kick yourself later. I swear. I've been so thankful to have purchased the larger Excalibur. I love it! My kids love the healthy snacks that come out of it! Fruit roll ups, and dried fruit. I also dry tomatoes, herbs and jerky!
A word about fruit roll ups: here's how I make them: cook the fruit down as you would for jam or jelly and add just a little sugar, just enough to bring out the sweetness. (This can be a couple tablespoons to a 1/4 cup for a large batch that fills all the shelves). Cook it down for about 30 minutes. Use a stick blender to purée it all and then spread it down on your special fruit leather sheets (doesn't have to be uniform). That's all! When it's done I wrap it in cellophane and roll it up. Then I cut the roll into smaller pieces to stick in lunches. The kids love love love my fruit roll ups!
A word about fruit roll ups: here's how I make them: cook the fruit down as you would for jam or jelly and add just a little sugar, just enough to bring out the sweetness. (This can be a couple tablespoons to a 1/4 cup for a large batch that fills all the shelves). Cook it down for about 30 minutes. Use a stick blender to purée it all and then spread it down on your special fruit leather sheets (doesn't have to be uniform). That's all! When it's done I wrap it in cellophane and roll it up. Then I cut the roll into smaller pieces to stick in lunches. The kids love love love my fruit roll ups!
Amazon Customer : Not happy with poor customer service.
The product description says the guide is included with this product but it wasn’t. Inappropriate for an unfamiliar electric appliance. There are safety issues involved and important information I need to reference while operating this appliance. The chat offered me a $20.00 discount and told me to print it myself. He claimed it must have gotten misplaced. False advertising and poor customer service. This item was not inexpensive and I need to begin using it. I am not happy.
Franz : Cheap brittle plastic
For lack of an apparent better option I kept this. It was broken when it arrived and the shipping box was okay. The cracked plastic isn't too bad and the product still works. I ordered a replacement and it arrived in worse condition than the first. The product protection is inadequate and the plastic this is made with is very brittle. The trays are plastic. The top tray only has 1/2 of clearance. The plastic trays are very thick and spaced 1" apart. This doesn't leave much space for food. Great for banana chips or jerky, not so great for berries.
I kept it for the 10 yr warranty. Hopefully the product lasts.
I kept it for the 10 yr warranty. Hopefully the product lasts.
M. Goode : Performs exactly as advertised.....just really loudly.
This is my 2nd Excalibur. I have a 5 tray that has been stellar for 2 years now and shows no signs of slowing. Not as impressed after using my new 9 tray. MUCH louder than my 5 tray and vibrates horribly. Thought it might be my countertop so I moved it to the floor (tile) and it only got worse. It dehydrated my jerky splendidly, albeit loudly. Almost sounded like an industrial fan that isn't quite level. It vibrated in waves. it would stop then start. The package was delivered on April 12 and was supposed to be delivered on the 7th. I wonder if the interior components were loosened by the back and forth trips it made on it's way to me. According to the tracking it went from: Sparks, NV-San Pablo, CA-Mesquite, TX-Phoenix, AZ-Ft. Worth, TX-Austin, TX-My home. Packaging was skimpy in my opinion. It came in a thinner cardboard box that was taped just enough to close it but not seal it. There was a thin amount of styrofoam in the top and bottom, but nothing like you would find in a box that was purchased at a brick and mortar store. Not sure if I'm going to send it back or not. There was no receipt or shipping paperwork inside the box so i suppose I would have to call the manufacturer? I was hoping for better considering the $265 spent. One last thing of note. As many others have described, the trays were jammed in place inside of the machine instead of neatly slid into their respective slots. It was an ordeal getting them unwedged and free. I came very close to breaking one of the trays in the progress. Again, for the amount of money people are spending for what is supposed to be one of the better (if not best) home dehydrators, I would expect more.
CN : Versatile and easy to use but I don't like the door
Love the dehydrator but hate the door. I wish it had a clamp or something to keep it attached to the dehydrator when storing or moving.
Choices of temp and time were awesome and very helpful
Choices of temp and time were awesome and very helpful
Jacob A. : Holy COW!
If you love a product, you give it 5 stars. This little gem earns every star. I was using two American Harvesters until I finally "broke down" and bought the Excaliber. I dry inordinate amounts of fruit. Mostly apples and Fuyu persimmons. I mean, I pick hundreds of pounds of these fruits, so I need to get a lot done at a time. And talk about jerky! WOW!!! I go to Cash 'n Carry and buy those 13 to 15 lb bags of "special trimmings" for $3.09/lb and run the pieces through my commercial slicer. I set the timer for 8 hours and can leave the house without worrying about over drying. The fruit slices take 10 to 11 hours. Same with the fruit leather. Got questions? Just ask and I will reply. I will even share my jerky recipe. GET THE ONE WITH THE TIMER! Don't be a cheapskate. It is worth the extra bucks, I'm telling' ya.
Stephanie Allison : Easy to rotate trays
Overall a great workhorse of a dehydrator. Fan is a little noisy, but then it IS a fan after all. I found the food in the middle and closer to the back dried a bit faster than the rest, but it was also super easy to rotate and turn the trays in the unit. LOVE the timer function on the unit so food doesn't get over done if you are drying overnight or unsupervised. Highly recommend!
Joshua Maurer : Packaging for this kind of device is sup par so expect a return or two for a good unit. Dehydrator works well
First one arrived broken. I received an email while waiting for replacement stating the replacement was broken I transit and they would be sending a third unit. The third one arrived and was serviceable.
Packaging for this kind of device is sup par so expect a return or two for a good unit.
Dehydrator works well, first one I've owned that had a real timer. I do wish metal was incorporated in the sides of the unit because I can see it flexing/bulging with repeated use... Time will tell.
Packaging for this kind of device is sup par so expect a return or two for a good unit.
Dehydrator works well, first one I've owned that had a real timer. I do wish metal was incorporated in the sides of the unit because I can see it flexing/bulging with repeated use... Time will tell.
Thomas A Dembinski : terrible packaging for shipping arrived broken
Didn't even get a chance to try it out. The product arrived and the box did not look damaged at all. It was posted on the box "Do Not Drop" for the shipping carrier. I opened the box all that it had to keep it secure while shipping are some corner styrofoam pieces. You can literally hear the product rattle when you lift the box. I opened the box and the trays were completely jumbled and jammed out of their rows. Two small gear like pieces fell out. The bottom of the unit was cracked. The knobs were falling off. This may be a good dehydrator but for the cost of it you think they would at least package it better so it arrives unbroken.
Jeffrey N. : I use it every day, extremely easy to use, but it is a bit expensive
I had to drop a star because it's pretty expensive, and it doesn't seem like, based on what you get (a tin box with a heater, fan and some trays) it should cost more than about $100.00, but it does work, and I use it almost daily. I do a lot of cooking, and frequently run out of specific produce for recipes, and especially right now with covid-19, I only go to the grocery store once a week. That being said, I usually have a half dozen peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes that I don't use before they start to go to waste, so before that happens I chop them up, throw them in the dehydrator and finished. One thing to know is this dehydrator is extremely easy to use. There is no learning curve other than figuring out how long it needs to be on and at what temperature works best, which they have guidelines, but they are not absolute. They fluctuate based on room temperature, humidity, and personal taste, but you don't just turn it on and let the timer buzz and done. You can open it up every few hours and taste your product. Even on the hottest mode (jerky) the pieces are not too hot to touch, but maybe cool for a minute before biting into, so the first time you use this I would run it during the day so you can figure out what works best for your taste. It's not an airtight oven. It's meant to aerate. Some of my favorite and most tasty things I've made is marinated pork jerky (bacon).
Desert Farming : For the serious dehydrating aficionado
I just got the machine and I know I like it better than my 20 plus year old American Harvester by Nesco. My old one was a 4 tray plug it in and let it dry. I love having a timer built in (no cumbersome wall timer), and the adjustable thermostat is going to be nice with keeping my food alive. Also, the 9 trays allows me to more than double my drying space. I'm doing 4 pounds of organic strawberries and 5 pounds of organic green beans as I write. They are are doing well and should be done soon. The flexible mesh screens will help with sticking. I haven't tried the paraflex sheets yet, so I don't know how they'll work. BTW, read the book on how to use. It is simple, but if you've never owned an Excalibur, it does a few things slightly different. For instance it recommends turning the trains 180 degrees halfway through.
Cons: It is a little noisy, but tolerable. If you've owned a dehydrator you'll find it on par or a hair louder. The door will rattle some but a simple repositioning seems to take care of that. Not really a con for me, but be aware, the machine is going to be large. Make sure you note the dimensions before purchasing. I do wish the opening were on the side in my case verses the skinny front. It would fit nicer on the counter that way but it is a minor. Cleaning of the tray mesh is a little time consuming if you don't have a sprayer. You can't put those in the dishwasher like the tray itself, but I'd recommend not doing that either. Plastic and high heat isn't a good thing. Don't forget the Paraflex sheets can't be soaked, only wiped off, but I haven't used them yet, so I don't know how much of a chore that will be yet.
Would I buy it again? Yes - It is a good machine and on Amazon, the price isn't horrible and if you use your dehydrator like I do, you'll get your money back soon with just the savings on snacks you make yourself verses buying and you'll know what is in your snacks and control things like bad fats and too much sugar and salt. I'm making crunchy green bean snacks right now. I paid 6.39 for 5 pounds of Organic green beans, I used a little coconut oil and a little sea salt and I now have about 5 bags worth. If I bought the same amount I'd not have organic, they'd be made with unhealthy oils and cost 6.99 for a small 8 ounce bag, plus shipping. I figure I saved $25 dollars already. I've done the same for Organic strawberries too and we all know dried fruit is ridiculously expensive, especially for the organic ones.
Cons: It is a little noisy, but tolerable. If you've owned a dehydrator you'll find it on par or a hair louder. The door will rattle some but a simple repositioning seems to take care of that. Not really a con for me, but be aware, the machine is going to be large. Make sure you note the dimensions before purchasing. I do wish the opening were on the side in my case verses the skinny front. It would fit nicer on the counter that way but it is a minor. Cleaning of the tray mesh is a little time consuming if you don't have a sprayer. You can't put those in the dishwasher like the tray itself, but I'd recommend not doing that either. Plastic and high heat isn't a good thing. Don't forget the Paraflex sheets can't be soaked, only wiped off, but I haven't used them yet, so I don't know how much of a chore that will be yet.
Would I buy it again? Yes - It is a good machine and on Amazon, the price isn't horrible and if you use your dehydrator like I do, you'll get your money back soon with just the savings on snacks you make yourself verses buying and you'll know what is in your snacks and control things like bad fats and too much sugar and salt. I'm making crunchy green bean snacks right now. I paid 6.39 for 5 pounds of Organic green beans, I used a little coconut oil and a little sea salt and I now have about 5 bags worth. If I bought the same amount I'd not have organic, they'd be made with unhealthy oils and cost 6.99 for a small 8 ounce bag, plus shipping. I figure I saved $25 dollars already. I've done the same for Organic strawberries too and we all know dried fruit is ridiculously expensive, especially for the organic ones.
Laura : poor customer service- both Amazon and Excalibur
To start, the product arrived several days late (which I do understand is pretty common these days). However, it was shipped with the door installed incorrectly, so the door was broken when it arrived. I reached out to Amazon (the seller) to request a replacement door, and they provided me with the manufacturer info to contact directly, since apparently the phone line was busy and Amazon service couldn't reach them (and was unwilling to provide further support). I tried calling, and couldn't get thru. So I submitted a claim on their website. Several days later, still no reply. In the meantime, my fresh produce is over-ripe and will have to be discarded, since the dehydrator is not functional (I'm assuming that using duct-tape would void the warranty and return eligibility).
The dehydrator itself seems like it will be great... good size, nice design. Too bad I can't use it.
The dehydrator itself seems like it will be great... good size, nice design. Too bad I can't use it.
J. Jolly : Really glad we got this
Really glad we got this, and so glad we got the 9 tray model. We've discovered that we love dried fruit. We buy 4 bunches of organic bananas at a time, which perfectly fills all 9 trays. Ten large apples also fill 9 trays. We did get a mandoline to help create consistent slices of apple. We've also dried kale chips, sweet potatoes, Italian plums, and made various fruit leathers. It was a great purchase and has proved to be more useful than we imagined.
Rocky Summit : Costzon dehydrators are less expensive and last longer.
Last September we purchased one of these "Excalibur 3926TB 9-Tray Electric Food Dehydrators" from Amazon. It lasted about six months and then the fan stopped turning. I admit that we use dehydrators all day long, almost every day; however, last September we also bought a "Costzon 630W Electric Food Dehydrator 10 Drying Trays Food Preserver Fruit Dehydro Commercial" from Amazon. The Costzon dehydrator is still working very well. The price of the Costzon dehydrator is less than half the cost of the Excalibur dehydrator, and it lasts much longer.
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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