Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Hamilton Beach |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | Gray |
| Wattage | 500 watts |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 10.5 x 13 x 11 inches |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- 48 hour timer with auto shutoff and clear lid so you can easily check food
- Adjustable digital thermostat lets you adjust drying temperature (100-160° F)
- Continuous airflow provides even drying
- Five stackable drying trays and powerful 500 watts
- Includes one fine-mesh sheet for drying small food like herbs and one solid sheet for making fruit rolls
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator, Gray
Looking for snack options that are high in nutrients but low in calories? Want to offer your family delicious food options to dress up morning oatmeal or replace that bag of potato chips at lunch? The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator helps accomplish these goals by taking food preparation to the next level. It opens the door to endless possibilities deemed too difficult to do in the past.
With five stackable drying trays and 500 watts of power, it’s easy to dry a variety of fruits and vegetables, and even make beef jerky. The continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. This dehydrator includes an adjustable thermometer for better performance and a timer with automatic shutoff.
The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator comes with two specialty sheets for added versatility. Use the mesh sheet to dry garden herbs for year-round enjoyment, or puree summer fruits and spread on the solid sheet for homemade fruit rolls. Wholesome, home-made snacks for the entire family. ..now that’s Good Thinking.
- 48 hour timer with auto shutoff and clear lid so you can easily check food.
- Adjustable digital thermostat lets you adjust drying temperature (100-160° F).
- Continuous airflow provides even drying.
- Five stackable drying trays and powerful 500 watts.
- Includes one fine-mesh sheet for drying small food like herbs and one solid sheet for making fruit rolls.
Sensational Snacks
A food dehydrator lets you make healthy foods at home like crunchy green beans or dried sweet potato sticks. Have a sweet tooth? Banana chips or dried apples with cinnamon are the perfect fix. And since the fruits are not bogged down with additives or preservatives, their natural sweetness shines.
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Dehydrating Fruits and VegetablesPreparing your favorite fruits and vegetables is simple. For best results, use produce that is in season to capture vibrant flavors and enjoy them for months to come. When your selections are made, just wash and slice. Cut your foods to the same thickness, size and shape to obtain consistent results. | Simple DesignThe Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator’s continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. Once you’ve lined the trays and adjusted the temperature and timer, there is nothing to do until the timer goes off. However, if you like to watch, the clear lid allows for easy viewing. | A Little Time Reaps Big RewardsFoods may take a few hours to dehydrate, but they can be enjoyed for months. When stored correctly, dried fruits can keep up to a year and vegetables can last six months. Even beef jerky can last up to two months at room temperature in an airtight container. What are you waiting for? It’s time to fill your pantry with nutritious snacks for the whole family. |
Make Fruit Rolls at Home
Turn your favorite fruit into a delicious, on-the-go treat by creating your own fruit rolls. Fresh, canned and frozen fruit can be pureed for this simple concoction. Higher pectin fruits such as apples, apricots, blueberries, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples and plums work best for rolls with a nice leather-like texture. Other favorites such as grapefruits, oranges, strawberries, and raspberries can be used when combined with higher pectin fruits.
Drying Garden Herbs
Enjoying garden herbs doesn’t have to be limited to a few months a year. Capture the fragrance and flavor of fresh basil or rosemary by drying them for year round use. To prevent smaller leaves from dropping through the trays, a special mesh screen is included for optimum results.
product description
Looking for snack options that are high in nutrients but low in calories? Want to offer your family delicious food options to dress up morning oatmeal or replace that bag of potato chips at lunch? The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator helps accomplish these goals by taking food preparation to the next level. It opens the door to endless possibilities deemed too difficult to do in the past. With five stackable drying trays and 500 watts of power, it's easy to dry a variety of fruits and vegetables and even make beef jerky. The continuous airflow feature provides even drying, eliminating the need to rotate trays. This dehydrator includes an adjustable thermometer for better performance and a timer with automatic shutoff. A food dehydrator lets you to make healthy foods at home like crunchy green beans or dried sweet potato sticks. Have a sweet tooth? Banana chips or dried apples with cinnamon are the perfect fix. And since the fruits are not bogged down with additives or preservatives, their natural sweetness shines. The Hamilton Beach Food Dehydrator comes with two specialty sheets for added versatility. Use the mesh sheet to dry garden herbs for year-round enjoyment, or puree summer fruits and spread on the solid sheet for homemade fruit rolls. Wholesome, home-made snacks for the entire family. Now that's good thinking. Tip: Post treatment of meat after dehydrating may result in a more desirable jerky texture. Try each treatment to determine which jerky you like best.
product details
important information
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Questions about Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray
Q:
What is the tray height? I am looking to dry a non-food item that is 1 inch tall
Answer: I don't know the actual height but it comes with 4 trays. However each tray is approximately 1 inch tall. We have used our Hamilton Beach dehydrator with great success. Also good instruction booklet with receipts
Answer: The lower trays give you an inch, the top almost 2 inch. But the unit works great.
Q:
Are the trays plastic? are they bpa free?
Answer: The video stated that the trays are BPA free
Answer: The trays are indeed plastic. I emailed Hamilton Beach and a few days later they responded that "all plastics used in our products are BPA free in all food zones." They also claim their products are tested by independent laboratories.
Answer: The trays are plastic and dishwasher safe but I am not sure if they are BPA free.
Answer: Yes plastic. User guide does not state BPA free.
Answer: BPA free plastic
Answer: in the video it says bpa free
Answer: I don't know about bpa free. But yes they are plastic
Q:
Can I just use 1 or 2 trays if I'm only dehydrating a small amount or do I have to put in all the trays?
Answer: You do not have to have food on all trays but you need all trays stacked on the machine while drying foods. Right now I have 4 filled trays and 1 empty tray running. If I had planned better I would have had all 5 trays filled to make better use of the energy.
Answer: You can any number of trays you want. All or only one. I have found do many times.
Answer: The manufacturer says use all the trays, and to use the fruit-leather tray (this set includes one) on the top tray to improve the circulation among the lower trays.
Answer: Yes, but must include the top tray that has the center cap.
Answer: You can place all your food o the bottom trays and leave uppers ones empty, it allows for better air flow while running.
Answer: yes, you can use any number of trays you wish.
Answer: Instructions say to use all the trays
Answer: Manufacturer says to use all trays, all the time. Doesn't matter if they are empty. I am sure there is a reason, I don't know what it is, but it is no extra work to follow the instructions.
Q:
What is the temperature range?
Answer: Temperature can be set from 100 F to 160 F.
Answer: 100F - 160F or 37.8C - 71.1C
Answer: I have the book in my hand, I see 100F to 160F. I hope that helps you!
Q:
Is there a drip tray?
Answer: The top of the motor/fan base is the drip catcher, below the last removable tray, it catches drips. As long as you keep the center hole clear of stuff nothing falls into the fan it all goes to the bottom and can be wiped out with a damp cloth or if you are very careful not to get water into the fan opening or the base it could be washed out with a sprayer from the sink faucet.
Answer: No but the bottom of the machine wipes up real nice
Q:
does anyone know where I can get an extra fruit roll sheet for this
Answer: You Can order off Hamilton Beach website under parts for $6.99 each. I use the trays to dehydrate mashed potatoes for instant mash potatoes later. I needed extra trays to do it effiently.
Answer: You can make one from plastic mesh you get from a craft store.
Q:
i see a lot of complaints that the unit will break/melt aftet 2-4 uses, what protection/guarantee will i get that mine qon't just junk out?
Answer: Mine hasn't broken out of 2-4 uses... It still works. It's definitely a long process, and you have to follow directions. But it works just fine! Good Luck!
Answer: I have used mine at least 2 times a week for the last 6 months..thinking about buying one more.. it works fantastic
Answer: mine died after two uses. they said to send another replacement if i pay 10$ postage. now after four weeks i am still waiting because they said it was sent to wrong address!
Answer: Not sure about a warranty. I've had mine for over a year. Dried about 100 lbs of meat. No problems at all. Never had to use a warranty. Great dehydrator
Answer: Product has “Limited 1 Year Warranty” in US. “Warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship “. However, you are responsive for all costs associations with returning product and all costs for them to return product or component back to you. Excluding cover glass, filters, normal use, non conformity with printed directions, accident, alteration or misuse. According to booklet. But mine works fine so far and I like it. Probably would be an expensive hassle to return.
Answer: I've got hundreds of batches of jerky and no problems.
Q:
Do you have to rotate the trays?
Answer: I don't either; I tried rotating trays once, but I don't notice any difference. I do think the top trays get a little more airflow and heat than the bottom ones, and if I'm drying a variety of foods I try to arrange them so that I've got the foods that need relatively more dehydrating go on top and so forth.
Answer: No, I have never rotated the trays. If doing multiple items, I put the longer cooking on bottom and shorter on top. So if I need to pause I can then remove items from top trays and then turn the hydrator back on to continue it's process.
Answer: No, I have never rotated the trays. If doing multiple items, I put the longer cooking on bottom and shorter on top. So if I need to pause I can then remove items from top trays and then turn the hydrator back on to continue it's process.
Answer: Nope. Unless you are OCD or you just want to. It does take a little getting it right. Right temp and time. Just use the pause to check once in a while. You may need less time.
Answer: I don't and everything comes out great.
Answer: No. I suppose you could but I don't know what purpose it would serve. I never have and it works great.
Q:
How do we store food after it has been dehydrated?
Answer: I put the food I dry in ziplock bags and date it. Then either refrigerate or freeze until I want to eat it. But some items can be put in jars and left on the counter. (Chickpeas, kale, etc).
Answer: Place it in a closed glass container, and enjoy every time you open the container!!
Q:
What is the average wattage pull on this? It goes up to 500 Watt but 500 Watt over 24 hours is a lot of electric!
Answer: Better to ask an electrician, but, until then, ponder; it only takes heat equivalent to that produced by a light bulb and a small fan to move that heat away from the source continually. Expense of that is a small price to pay for all that goodness, considering the hours spent in sweaty effort and the cost to preserve same in canning, or freezing, without the lovely benefit of fellowship offered by the bouquet of aroma arising from the unit as it works, allowing you to anticipate the reconstitution of your bounty without so much effort. You won't regret the kwatts at all! Sorry I couldn't be more specific.
Answer: Hi this was a xmas gift for a family member who I will be seeing this sunday I can ask him I am sorry I took so long to reply I gotten this for his camping trip with the family
Q:
Has anyone used this for baby snacks? The kind that melt in their mouths.
Answer: No I am sorry I have not, but Tammy Gangloff has great recipients in her new book, and you can watch her on YouTube.
Q:
can you dehydrate chicken and fish? how long does it take to do something like this?
Answer:
Answer:
Q:
Would this be good for preparing food for hiking?
Answer: I would say yes, it would be good to dehydrate most food for going hiking. My daughter-in-law buys about a pound or two of.beef and has it sliced very thin by the butcher to make some delicious beef jerky. I think fruits would be another good thing.
Answer: Sure dried food will last a long time and light to carry.
Answer: Yes, it would be excellent. I use mine to make dried fruit during harvest which I then mix with nuts and use as topping for my yogurt. Sometimes I eat it just as it is. There's a dehydrator book available on Kindle. It would help you enormously.
Answer: Don’t see why not since product is essentially trail mix.
Answer: yes
Q:
Can you put the trays into the oven on a high temperature?
Answer: The trays are made of a plastic material that would most likely melt in an oven. Temperatures on the dehydrator range from 100 to 160 degrees.
Answer: I doubt it. The trays are plastic
Answer: I really do not know but I would not be confident in doing so. My guess is that the plastic would be OK at 200F or so but anything higher might melt or warp the trays.
Answer: No, they are plastic.
Answer: No I wouldn't
Answer: No
Q:
Does this small thing really use 500 watts? If it does that seems extremely inefficient? Even 100 watts should be sufficient to dry food in this
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: Checking the label on the unit confirms 500W. I suspect that it does not draw the full wattage continuously and may be dependent on the heat level selected. Temperature ranges from 100-160 F. I dried apples cut into 1/4 inch rings at 135 F in about 12-13 hours and have not noticed my electric bill spiking. Hope this helps.
Answer: Yes its says 500 watts on the bottom of the machine. I am really happy with it, though it is a bit noisy...like a blow dryer. works well
Q:
Can I use this with nuts?
Answer: I don't see why you couldn't. There's nothing about the device that would preclude using it for nuts, unless the kind of nuts you use are so small that they fall through the screening. Pine nuts might be too small. Might be trial and error to determine a time and temp. I've now made a bunch of salmon jerky and dried some herbs and chilies and it does a great job for me every time. I continue to be impressed with it, especially in light of its reasonable price.
Answer: yes
Answer: I think so
Q:
What trays does it come with?
Answer: 6 trays an 2 tray liners. I am making jerky right now. Love it.
Answer: It is exactly as pictured. Several plastic trays that stack up. There is a separate one for fruit too
Answer: Just the trays shown. I gave as a gift it is very good quality
Q:
can i order additional solid sheets for making fruit rolls?
Q:
I've had this almost a year and the fruit trays have been out of stock at Hamilton Beach's website. Does anyone know where I can get more?
Answer: Might be at Ebay or Craigslist, you never know!
Q:
what is the voltage range of this product? ( 120v or 120-220v)?
Answer: 120v
Answer: 120 V only
Q:
How do you wash the trays?
Answer: I use warm soapy water in the sink and a light brushing! Probaly dishwasher safe also
Q:
as there is no product description on the voltage, frequency mentioned i wonder if your above product can be used in Malaysia. please advice.
Q:
does it have a fan?
Answer: Yes it has a fan.
Q:
Please confirm if this will work with indian power sockets, which is 230 volts, 50 hz ac as the power source, 3 pin (type-d) or 2 pin (type c).
Answer: This is a 120 Volt AC appliance.
Answer: No, this unit works on 110 volts ac.
Answer: I do not know--Why not contact Hamilton Beach directly
Answer: Probably not.
Q:
how variable are the temperature settings for this product? What temperatures does it allow you to specify? Do the temperatures seem to be reliable?
Q:
are fine mesh sheets available for this? i dont see where to buy more.
Q:
can it make fruit like apple or strawberry crunchy like cereal or does it only make the chewy kind? I like it both ways. Just curious.
Answer: It says it can , but like I said earlier it was a gift to my girls. and they seem to like it and have been posting things they do with it in their FB pages... Smile.
Q:
Does anyone use this for drying edible mushrooms ?
Answer: I have only dried them once. They were very good dried. I stored them in the freezer after drying and pull out just what I need.
Answer: Yes, absolutely! It dries them very evenly.
Answer: Don’t know of anyone but I think it will work.
Q:
can you purchase more trays for this machine?
Answer: You should be able to. I went to their website & they seemed to have a verity of things to buy.
Q:
how would be the best way to add height to between trays? I want to do tracheas for dog treats
Answer: You cannot add height to the trays. They stack on top of eachother. The top tray is best for larger or thicker items because the top is higher.
Q:
Can you use the silicone sheets to dry the fruit leather
Answer: It come with 2 sheets one for herbs and the solid one for fruit rolls.
Q:
Does anyone know what to do when the Er message comes on the screen?
Answer: Well I would assume er means error. I don't know what you are supposed to do. But if you can't reset it by pushing buttons. I would unplug it to clear it and try again. It is relatively simple in that you push the top of a button arrow pointing up to have the settings go up for temp and for time..or the bottom of the button down arrow to have it go down. if that doesn't work you probably have a power or cord issue, maybe a short. Refer to the manufacturer.
Answer: No, never had a issue, check the manual.
Q:
can you order more trays?
Q:
Has anyone figured out the best temp, time and thickness to make sweet potato dog treats?
Answer: Cut the sweet potatoes thin with a knife about 1/4 of an inch. Temp 130 for eight hours.
Q:
do they have it in 220 v?
Q:
does it come with a book
Answer: It does come with an instruction manual and a few recipes. It also tell you how to dehydrate properly and the amount of time certain fruits may take to be dehydrated.
Answer: Yes. It comes with a manual and includes recipes.
Q:
Does it make crunchy or chewy veggie/fruit ?
Answer: It depends on how thick you slice, the temperature you set, the length of time set and the moisture content you start. I dry mushroom to total crispy. I make giant raisins that remains soft at 16 hours but add 2 more hours they become crunchy. The point is if you want long term storage dry to crispy. Rehydration is easy for all fruit and vegetables. Jerky doesn’t rehydrate very well. Keep jerky soft.
Answer: You have to get the hang of it. My kiwi fruit was hard, however, my bananas were not as hard.
Answer: Yes. It is a very good product..!
Q:
is it noisey?
Answer: It has a hum when turned on. If I were to stay in the room with it for hours, I might find it bothersome, but I use it in the basement and only check on it periodically. In the same room, one can easily talk with someone, so the hum is not loud. More like white noise.
Answer: Very very very !!! It is also much less effective than any of the other 3 dryers I have had over the years. My advice to you is to spend a little more and get a better machine. This is junk. Good luck.
Answer: Its far less noisy than a hairdryer. It reminds me of a white noise machine. You’d have to turn up the t.v., if its next to you, but it’s definitely tolerable.
Answer: Unsure! Bought as a gift for my dad. He loves it! Uses it all the time. Can't imagine it's too annoying or he wouldn't still be using it.
Answer: Not noisy. Very quiet, though you can hear it. But, does give off a bit of heat.
Answer: There is a slight humming noise from the dehydrating fan. Definitely tolerable.
Q:
Hello, Can you tell me the drying surface (area) that this food dehydrator has ??? Thank you !
Answer: mine has five rectagular racks that measure about 13" x 9"
Q:
Does anyone know if the plastic is BPA free
Q:
Has anyone tried making yogurt?
Q:
Extra fruit roll sheets? They are out of stock on HB, and cant find them on amazon...
Answer: Hey Paul, I had the same problem and ended up waiting a month and a half for a new shipment from HB. In that time frame I never saw any other provider that sold the fruit roll sheets.
Answer: On amazon they sell sheets for dehydrator, I just ordered them
Answer: Soory havent been able to find any either
Q:
Can I dehydrate shredded coconut?
Answer: Must be shredded, if not takes too much time
Q:
Are the trays dishwasher safe?
Answer: Yes, but stay away from sani-temp which means in other words I guess they may not like hot wash. Info with mine says use warm soapy water.
Q:
Does this come in 2 boxes?
Answer: No it comes in 1 box
Q:
What are the dimensions of the trays?
Answer: The dimensions of the tray--9"xl2" It's perfect for my needs--bear in mind that a circular tray will hold more--
Q:
Are the trays dishwasher safe with heated dry?
Answer: Thank you for your question. Yes, the trays used with this appliance are dishwasher safe. However, we recommend that the noted parts are not cleaned using the "SANI" cycle as referenced in the use and care manual.
Answer: I've placed the trays in my dishwasher multiple times without any issues.
Answer: Do not know about heated dry sorry
Answer: No - I would not put them in the dishwasher- pretty sure it will warp
Q:
how many watts is it?
Q:
Where can i get additional trays other than at hamilton itself? any hints/links? thanks!
Answer: Hamilton Beach has them on their web site for sale, but they have been on backorder for at lease six months. They are priced at $15 per tray. I just purchased a second unit to obtain more trays.
Answer: Sorry, but I have not found a source. I think it only supports 5 trays.
Q:
why lid does not fit properly?
Answer: It does not have enough lip. It does fit very loosely and comes off easily.
Answer: I do not have that problem with my dehydrator. It should fit on top fine.
Answer: It just sits on top, it does not latch or fasten in any way.
Product reviews of Hamilton Beach 32100A Digital Food Dehydrator, 5 Tray, Gray
Kent T. : Very good dehydrator
Good dehydrator. My first dehydrator so maybe I'm being generous with the stars, but it does everything I want it to do & more than likely stuff I have no idea how to do (fruit leather...whaaaat?). Banana chips, kiwi & strawberries turned out fantastic. The little instruction/recipe book included has a list of drying time for various products and a great recipe for Teriyaki Jerky. I followed it to the letter, the flavor was amaaaaazing! But the dry time was apparently a little short, even though it looked like wood chips, there was still a lot of moisture in the jerky (inside the vacuum bag) and it went bad after just a few days. Plus I may have cut the meat a little too thick. I don't blame the dehydrator, just my inexperience.
It holds a LOT of product, 5 trays held 4 bananas, 5 kiwi and a handful of strawberries all sliced thin.
The digital read out is super easy to use & set the temp and drying times.
It holds a LOT of product, 5 trays held 4 bananas, 5 kiwi and a handful of strawberries all sliced thin.
The digital read out is super easy to use & set the temp and drying times.
Brandi H. : Junk
Stopped working. Or maybe it never worked well to begin with.
The first batch of jerky I made took 6 hours. The dehydrator temp doesn't go up high enough for the recipe I found. So that was already longer than it was supposed to be.
Next I made apple chips and it took all day, maybe 12 hours, and they never got that crunch, so I don't think they were fully dried.
Then I tried jerky again, and after 18 hours I said it's good enough and went to bed. That jerky went bad, growing mold. So it absolutely wasn't good enough.
I've used Nescos in the past and this product was a junky toy in comparison, so I returned this and will save up for the Nesco.
The first batch of jerky I made took 6 hours. The dehydrator temp doesn't go up high enough for the recipe I found. So that was already longer than it was supposed to be.
Next I made apple chips and it took all day, maybe 12 hours, and they never got that crunch, so I don't think they were fully dried.
Then I tried jerky again, and after 18 hours I said it's good enough and went to bed. That jerky went bad, growing mold. So it absolutely wasn't good enough.
I've used Nescos in the past and this product was a junky toy in comparison, so I returned this and will save up for the Nesco.
Amy Browne : Simple to use for a newbie!
I got this after stumbling on a few youtube videos from the purposeful pantry about dehydrating. At first it was just a 'cool thing' with a vegetable for the pantry-- by the second week it was being used on a daily basis for my pantry. I have made jerky (steak and ground beef) and loads of vegetables. I have had it almost a month and almost as soon as its done another type of food is in there. This is so simple to use and very addictive too! I am doing other types of meat, vegetables, fruits and combining them to be meals.-- omg I love this and I will be getting another one soon.
TechChief : Reasonably Priced, Functions Fairly Well, Has Deficiencies
I bought this dehydrator primarily to dry raw almonds after soaking. I also used it to dry some pineapple, apples and mangoes, and plan to use it at harvest time in the garden for tomatoes, hot peppers and herbs.
This dehydrator uses five stacked trays. There is one special tray that must always be on top, and the manufacturer recommends that you always use the dehydrator with all the trays, even if they're not loaded. They also recommend that you use the included mesh screen and the fruit roll sheet only in the top two trays. I went on the Hamilton-Beach website to purchase a second mesh screen for my almonds, but there seem to be none available. I added my email to the notification list but have not heard back. I made my own mesh screens from some fiberglass/teflon BBQ-grill screens - but I'm sure the manufacturer won't support doing that.
Problem #1: the food tray openings are a little too big, and almonds can fall through. Only one mesh screen is not enough, and the manufacturer recommends using no more that two mesh screens at a time. The food trays are just fine for fruits & veggies, and should be fine for jerky. The dehydrator capacity is about 3# (dry weight) of almonds.
Problem #2: temperature control - uneven heating. When set at the lowest setting of 100° F., the actual temperature in the dehydrator was 120°-122° F. in the top tray and 108° F. at the bottom tray. (Ambient temperature was 69° F) This is a problem when drying temperature critical foods like almonds, as raw, sprouted almonds die above 118° F. You might want to rotate trays during long drying sessions - but you can't do that with the top tray. It always has to be on top. (The top tray has a cap on the air column, so it must always be on top.)
Problem #3 is the noise level. It's just too noisy. I measured 61 db at the unit, and 50db 6' away. This is just plain annoying in the kitchen, so I move it to another room, which is not an ideal situation.
The power cord is short. Because the unit is noisy, I won't use it on the kitchen counter where there's an outlet nearby - so I have to use an extension cord.
Positives: Reasonably priced, fairly easy to clean, works fine for foods that aren't temp. critical - so it should be great for things like jerky that need a higher temp.
I've also used it for small non-food items that need drying out, like wooden musical instrument parts that are locked together from swelling due to moisture. It might also be useful for re-activating silica gel.
Conclusions: not great for drying almonds or smaller items. Additional mesh screens weren't available when I tried to purchase. Noisy. Lower temperature settings inaccurate. It should be fine for fruit slices, veggies, fruit rolls and jerky. Note on fruit rolls - the unit comes with one fruit roll tray, and the maximum recommended is two fruit roll trays, and they must be used in the top two trays. It sure would be nice, if you're making fruit rolls, to be able to use all five trays. Who wants to go to the trouble of making fruit rolls if you can make only one or two at a time?
This dehydrator uses five stacked trays. There is one special tray that must always be on top, and the manufacturer recommends that you always use the dehydrator with all the trays, even if they're not loaded. They also recommend that you use the included mesh screen and the fruit roll sheet only in the top two trays. I went on the Hamilton-Beach website to purchase a second mesh screen for my almonds, but there seem to be none available. I added my email to the notification list but have not heard back. I made my own mesh screens from some fiberglass/teflon BBQ-grill screens - but I'm sure the manufacturer won't support doing that.
Problem #1: the food tray openings are a little too big, and almonds can fall through. Only one mesh screen is not enough, and the manufacturer recommends using no more that two mesh screens at a time. The food trays are just fine for fruits & veggies, and should be fine for jerky. The dehydrator capacity is about 3# (dry weight) of almonds.
Problem #2: temperature control - uneven heating. When set at the lowest setting of 100° F., the actual temperature in the dehydrator was 120°-122° F. in the top tray and 108° F. at the bottom tray. (Ambient temperature was 69° F) This is a problem when drying temperature critical foods like almonds, as raw, sprouted almonds die above 118° F. You might want to rotate trays during long drying sessions - but you can't do that with the top tray. It always has to be on top. (The top tray has a cap on the air column, so it must always be on top.)
Problem #3 is the noise level. It's just too noisy. I measured 61 db at the unit, and 50db 6' away. This is just plain annoying in the kitchen, so I move it to another room, which is not an ideal situation.
The power cord is short. Because the unit is noisy, I won't use it on the kitchen counter where there's an outlet nearby - so I have to use an extension cord.
Positives: Reasonably priced, fairly easy to clean, works fine for foods that aren't temp. critical - so it should be great for things like jerky that need a higher temp.
I've also used it for small non-food items that need drying out, like wooden musical instrument parts that are locked together from swelling due to moisture. It might also be useful for re-activating silica gel.
Conclusions: not great for drying almonds or smaller items. Additional mesh screens weren't available when I tried to purchase. Noisy. Lower temperature settings inaccurate. It should be fine for fruit slices, veggies, fruit rolls and jerky. Note on fruit rolls - the unit comes with one fruit roll tray, and the maximum recommended is two fruit roll trays, and they must be used in the top two trays. It sure would be nice, if you're making fruit rolls, to be able to use all five trays. Who wants to go to the trouble of making fruit rolls if you can make only one or two at a time?
Sergey Tsukanov : very noisy
Well, for this price I think the dehydrator could be less noisy and better quality. I don't like the hole in the middle of each tray, since its very uncomfortable to use for flaxseed crackers or fruit/berry purée. It will work fine if you'll only do the veggie/fruit chips. Rather than that, don't waste your money and buy the one with flat trays (with no holes in it). I don't recommended it!
christina hesser : I loved this dehydrator and used it 3 times with great ...
I loved this dehydrator and used it 3 times with great results. When washing it the lid fell, cracked and broke. I contacted Hamilton Beach and they said they would replace it for shipping cost only. I thought that is great, however, it has been impossible to get through to their customer service. I have called 4 times and been on hold for an excess of 30 minutes. Very disappointing.
Update: Hamilton Beach replaced the dehydrator so I am thrilled. I make dried sweet potatoes every week for my dogs and dried fruits for the family. Very happy.
Update: Hamilton Beach replaced the dehydrator so I am thrilled. I make dried sweet potatoes every week for my dogs and dried fruits for the family. Very happy.
Kat : Ehh ?
I was under the impression that I can make CHIPS with this. As in CRUNCHY. I’ve attempted beats once, and strawberries twice. Followed instructions to a T and have gotten dried soft maybe a little crunch on the edges results every time.
I even tried letting them sit longer. I did this with the beats and instead got burnt tasting beats that were just void of life.
I really want this thing to work. If I can’t even make my favorite chips ( beat chips ) I see no point .
On top of all this it’s noisy, and I got a lot of complaints from the other people in the house. You have to have a spare room for this thing to give it privacy to make all its noise by itself lol.
It’s also pretty small. I was very unsatisfied with the fact that I have to wait so long to make something I can eat in one quick sitting.
It had me considering to just buy a really expensive commercial one. At that point it’s like .... yeah no.
Returning this.
I even tried letting them sit longer. I did this with the beats and instead got burnt tasting beats that were just void of life.
I really want this thing to work. If I can’t even make my favorite chips ( beat chips ) I see no point .
On top of all this it’s noisy, and I got a lot of complaints from the other people in the house. You have to have a spare room for this thing to give it privacy to make all its noise by itself lol.
It’s also pretty small. I was very unsatisfied with the fact that I have to wait so long to make something I can eat in one quick sitting.
It had me considering to just buy a really expensive commercial one. At that point it’s like .... yeah no.
Returning this.
Jozef : Great product!!
Great item, works perfect. Nothing negative to report. Been used over 13 times and no issues. The fan is not too loud, that being said you can hear it but it's not loud at all. Worth every penny
Jennifer M : Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was ...
Returned this item as the unit smelled like melting plastic and it was so loud there was no way to run it in the house without it becoming a bother.
Sierra : Zero Complaints!
I love this thing! I have used it a few times with bananas and cucumbers, and it works great!
I love the amount of trays, and they settle into each other perfectly.
**Keep in mind the lid does NOT seal shut. It does not need to..it just sets on the top, and everything works just fine.**
Easy to clean, easy to use, and the manual even tells you which settings to use for different fruits and veggies.
I love the amount of trays, and they settle into each other perfectly.
**Keep in mind the lid does NOT seal shut. It does not need to..it just sets on the top, and everything works just fine.**
Easy to clean, easy to use, and the manual even tells you which settings to use for different fruits and veggies.
Nonna : Just Not What I Expected
I was expecting some great things from this dehydrator, but haven’t found those great things yet. I bought this to dry chili peppers but have not tried that yet. I decided to dry some fruits first and none came out as expected. I dried bananas, looking for some banana chips like I can buy at the organic store (for way too high a price), but the bananas never got dried. I ran them for the length of time specified in the booklet and they were still sticky, like banana slices left out overnight. So I put them back in for longer - about twice as long as the book stated. Still sticky. Same thing with fresh pineapples. Fresh apples just turned rubbery and strawberries turned chewy. So it is sitting in the closet waiting to get an opportunity to redeem itself with chili peppers that I will grow next year. Until then this review will be a 3 Star.
Kat : Ehh ?
I was under the impression that I can make CHIPS with this. As in CRUNCHY. I’ve attempted beats once, and strawberries twice. Followed instructions to a T and have gotten dried soft maybe a little crunch on the edges results every time.
I even tried letting them sit longer. I did this with the beats and instead got burnt tasting beats that were just void of life.
I really want this thing to work. If I can’t even make my favorite chips ( beat chips ) I see no point .
On top of all this it’s noisy, and I got a lot of complaints from the other people in the house. You have to have a spare room for this thing to give it privacy to make all its noise by itself lol.
It’s also pretty small. I was very unsatisfied with the fact that I have to wait so long to make something I can eat in one quick sitting.
It had me considering to just buy a really expensive commercial one. At that point it’s like .... yeah no.
Returning this.
I even tried letting them sit longer. I did this with the beats and instead got burnt tasting beats that were just void of life.
I really want this thing to work. If I can’t even make my favorite chips ( beat chips ) I see no point .
On top of all this it’s noisy, and I got a lot of complaints from the other people in the house. You have to have a spare room for this thing to give it privacy to make all its noise by itself lol.
It’s also pretty small. I was very unsatisfied with the fact that I have to wait so long to make something I can eat in one quick sitting.
It had me considering to just buy a really expensive commercial one. At that point it’s like .... yeah no.
Returning this.
Amazon Customer : Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has ...
Very impressed! I have done batches of strawberries and apples with no problems. Although the lid was cracked during shipping I contacted Hamilton Beach and they replaced within 15 days( lids were on back order). Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has outdone my old one by how much I can dehydrate at a time.
Jade : Used it to dry some peppers
Ran it soon as I got it. Looks nice. It's about as loud as a small fan. Uses almost no electricity, my meter says 2 cents an hour. Which is a steal compared to the oven which was costing 50 cents an hour to dry herbs and peppers... You can do the math, this thing will pay for itself within 80 hours of drying things. Takes about 6 hours to dry a batch of peppers. So in 14 batches of drying stuff, it's completely paid for itself with the electricity I've saved from switching over from my oven!
10/10 would recommend
will update if it breaks down or anything.
UPDATE JAN 8: We've run this thing for a good 70 hours now, no issues. Did notice however that the front corners don't dry quite as quickly as the rest. If you're going to fill the thing totally full on all racks, lift up every tray and flip it around halfway through drying. Everything will dry much more evenly and nicely, especially fruit leather. Or just avoid putting things directly in the front corners.
Still 100% satisfied, I don't think I've ever spent a better $40 in my life.
10/10 would recommend
will update if it breaks down or anything.
UPDATE JAN 8: We've run this thing for a good 70 hours now, no issues. Did notice however that the front corners don't dry quite as quickly as the rest. If you're going to fill the thing totally full on all racks, lift up every tray and flip it around halfway through drying. Everything will dry much more evenly and nicely, especially fruit leather. Or just avoid putting things directly in the front corners.
Still 100% satisfied, I don't think I've ever spent a better $40 in my life.
Jennifer : Overall it's been great
This is my first dehydrator. It has been a fun learning experience with using it. It did come with pretty good instructions and cooking times etc. The noise level is enough that you are conscience of it but not bothersome for me. Cleaning is as simple as wiping with a wet rag. Although the food does stick a little it was easy to get off with minimal effort. Overall it has been great.
Maggie Norcross : It works well for drying things...
The adjustable temperature and time settings are great. It absolutely does the job. I have no complaints about the functionality of this as a dehydrator for food.
But it only comes with one solid liner (for e.g. fruit leather) and one crosshatched liner (for drying anything that would fall through the otherwise large holes on the trays themselves). And I can't find any place to buy any additional liners. The Hamilton Beach website is sold out, and has been for at least the month that I've had this.
So, I guess I'm saying, if you want to make fruit leather then either try to source liners for this first, or buy another dehydrator.
But it only comes with one solid liner (for e.g. fruit leather) and one crosshatched liner (for drying anything that would fall through the otherwise large holes on the trays themselves). And I can't find any place to buy any additional liners. The Hamilton Beach website is sold out, and has been for at least the month that I've had this.
So, I guess I'm saying, if you want to make fruit leather then either try to source liners for this first, or buy another dehydrator.
MzSoCali2U : Small great for home use Does not take up much more room than a small toaster oven
Works great arrived on time and in perfect condition. I have already made beef jerky for my husband and chicken jerky for my dogs!
bigcountrybaloo : Good dehydrator for drying hops at only 100º
Works well for drying hops. I was able to load it with almost a pound of wet hops, and it reduced them to the 8-10% moisture level in around 7-8 hours, resulting in just under 4oz of dried hops. I chose this dehydrator for my hops project because of the timer, as well as the important for hops feature that it will operate as low as 100º. I won't go into all of the details for drying hops here, but if you do a quick google search, you can find several excellent university written short papers on methods to dry homegrown hops. The trays aren't super sturdy, but the fine mesh insert was a nice "bonus", I used that to dry a small batch of catnip for our cat.
Mira Hodges : my first dehydrator
Super loud and bulky but it is my first dehydrator and it works. I like being able to control the temperature. There are not enough tray inserts for making fruit roll-ups and drying herbs. And it is hard to get in all the crevices to clean. It takes a lot longer to dehydrate than described in the instruction manual. But it functions pretty well.
bigcountrybaloo : Good dehydrator for drying hops at only 100º
Works well for drying hops. I was able to load it with almost a pound of wet hops, and it reduced them to the 8-10% moisture level in around 7-8 hours, resulting in just under 4oz of dried hops. I chose this dehydrator for my hops project because of the timer, as well as the important for hops feature that it will operate as low as 100º. I won't go into all of the details for drying hops here, but if you do a quick google search, you can find several excellent university written short papers on methods to dry homegrown hops. The trays aren't super sturdy, but the fine mesh insert was a nice "bonus", I used that to dry a small batch of catnip for our cat.
Justass of the Piece : Dries very efficiently and it's easy to clean up.
If you do a lot of hiking, being able to pack in dehydrated foods in a must. I have owned several dehydrators over the years and this year i seriously considered upgrading to an Excalibur because of the rave reviews that they get. In the end though I couldn't justify the pricetag, regardless of the reviews. I decided to go with this Hamilton Beach instead, and it has been running almost nonstop since the day it arrived. So far I've done various fruits and fruit leathers, sweet potato and regular potato bark, vegetables and several types of jerky in preparation for this summer's hiking trips. So far it has worked wonderfully, always drying thoroughly despite the fact that I live in ultra humid south Florida. It is a little louder than somes of the previous models that I've had, but it also dries more quickly so I don't mind. One word of advice though, if you're drying fruit leathers use parchment paper rather than the sheet that is provided...it's much easier to peel when you're finished.
iichan : Great little machine!
I contemplated for a while before buying this because I already had a working dehydrator but was really interested in one with temp control. It’s a little noisy compared to my one temp heat only one because this one has a motor and a air blower to evenly dry the items. No more rotating my trays!!! I used it the first time to dry my pickled apricot which worked like a charm at low temp. I then went ahead and tried ground beef jerky’s at highest setting 160F which I think I over dried but still tasty. It was a good decision and I wish I purchased this dehydrator months ago!!!
Leondraconum : The noisiest dehydrator ever!
Dana Massie : Not what I expected
This product was not built to last. It is a poorly constructed product and is difficult to clean. It also take 3 times as long as I thought it would to dehydrate the thinnest sliced items. I would purchase some other make or model!
Keri : Overall great dehydrator
Found ourselves needing a new dehydrator for making jerky. After much research chose this dehydrator. We've used it for the first time and impressed with it's compact size but capacity to hold a large amount of meat. It is very quiet, so quiet we actually kept it on the kitchen counter which we were happy about since we are subject to wildlife if we had to put it outside. Very easy to use, and be able to control time and temp. The individual shelves were very easy to clean by just tossing them in the dishwasher since the size was small and square. They fit easily into our dishwasher. The only thing to work through current is the bottom unit. Marinated dripped down and it took some careful scrubbing to get it clean without getting water into the unit. Have seen others use silicon mats to catch drippings, so will try that next. Overall very happy with this unit and recommend it for the average home dehydrator enthusiast.
Mia Kalish, Ph.D. : My 2nd one of these :-)
I had ordered a dehydrator last year when the peaches came in. There were so many that I had to "do something." So I ordered this dehydrator. And I was very, very happy with it. I got a little Kindle instruction book, and I and my peaches were happy campers indeed.
Then this year, the apricot tree that produced only one fruit for me and two for the birds last year graced us with a double bumper crop this year. So, desperate, I ordered a 2nd dehydrator. It still took over a week to dry all the apricots but I got it done and I have fruit for my trail mix for over a year.
That said, the dehydrator has a nice temperature control, you can set the hours, it's easy to use and it's predictable. I like knowing that my fruit will be ready to pack just when the time says it's done. Sometimes a little adjustment of time or temperature is necessary but that is dependent more on the fruit I'm drying that on the unit.
Great buy! Give it a try :-).
Then this year, the apricot tree that produced only one fruit for me and two for the birds last year graced us with a double bumper crop this year. So, desperate, I ordered a 2nd dehydrator. It still took over a week to dry all the apricots but I got it done and I have fruit for my trail mix for over a year.
That said, the dehydrator has a nice temperature control, you can set the hours, it's easy to use and it's predictable. I like knowing that my fruit will be ready to pack just when the time says it's done. Sometimes a little adjustment of time or temperature is necessary but that is dependent more on the fruit I'm drying that on the unit.
Great buy! Give it a try :-).
wendy shinsky : Good price but loud.
I bought this as a second dehydrator with upgraded features to my 16yr old NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray***Positives: 1. Looks really nice and I love the shape. 2. Love the digital dial, very easy to use and like the exact temp. setting. 3. The Manual is really good, easy to read and love the time/size/item breakdown plus some yummy sounding jerky recipes. 4. After just a few hours it seems to be working great (cantaloupe is dehydrating properly). 5 LOVE the clear top to see the fruit without stopping it and I like the motor being on bottom.
Negative: 1. Its SO loud. Like a VERY LARGE fan in the room. As soon as I turned it on my mom even commented on how loud it was and turned her TV up.
I would recommend it for the price, features and design aesthetics but if I was doing it again I would by another of my original 16yr old still working like new unit (NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray). Its also about 8 dollars cheaper on Amazon.
Negative: 1. Its SO loud. Like a VERY LARGE fan in the room. As soon as I turned it on my mom even commented on how loud it was and turned her TV up.
I would recommend it for the price, features and design aesthetics but if I was doing it again I would by another of my original 16yr old still working like new unit (NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray). Its also about 8 dollars cheaper on Amazon.
Jennifer : Overall it's been great
This is my first dehydrator. It has been a fun learning experience with using it. It did come with pretty good instructions and cooking times etc. The noise level is enough that you are conscience of it but not bothersome for me. Cleaning is as simple as wiping with a wet rag. Although the food does stick a little it was easy to get off with minimal effort. Overall it has been great.
ChrisandDog : Still Great after a year and half!
I bought this in Jan 2020 and I am still using it. I make chicken Jerky for me and the dog. I make pineapple fruit roll ups and homemade corn chips. I use sheets to cover the trays for easy clean up. I use on of inserts as a templet. It is a bit noisy but it does not bother me. I normally run it over night. I love it!
sunfish : This Hamilton is easy to use and worth the price
This unit is easy to use and worth the price. It is a bit noisy and that's why I gave it 4 stars. The plastic trays it comes with are easy to clean up.
I mainly purchased it to dry figs and herbs. It works well for the small whole figs but I needed to slice the larger ones into quarters. Wish there was more height between shelves.
I am satisfied with this unit and I recommend this dehydrator for anyone looking for something that has a wide range of temperature, time and is priced well.
I mainly purchased it to dry figs and herbs. It works well for the small whole figs but I needed to slice the larger ones into quarters. Wish there was more height between shelves.
I am satisfied with this unit and I recommend this dehydrator for anyone looking for something that has a wide range of temperature, time and is priced well.
Sindy E. : One attempt and Returned
Used only once.....well tried to use! Would run only temporarily after putting it in the pause mode and then it would flash an error and shut off. Couldn’t restart until it was unplugged and then plugged back in. Liked the name brand, size and design but not something I would even consider leaving the room while it was in use. Very disappointing and it was promptly returned.
Don : The trays are its downfall
UPDATE: After using the dehydrator for two weeks -- running nearly continuously for a week dehydrating 12 quarts of backpacking food and 2 quarts of jerky -- I've found that it works well. So I gave it an additional star. My only gripe is the trays, detailed below.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
Mira Hodges : my first dehydrator
Super loud and bulky but it is my first dehydrator and it works. I like being able to control the temperature. There are not enough tray inserts for making fruit roll-ups and drying herbs. And it is hard to get in all the crevices to clean. It takes a lot longer to dehydrate than described in the instruction manual. But it functions pretty well.
Tom : Buy this if you want your food to smell and taste like burnt plastic.
Even after thoroughly hand washing the trays the smell of burnt plastic/rubber persisted. I realized it was coming from the heating element. I ran the dehydrator on the highest temp setting for 2 hours because I thought the smell was a byproduct of the manufacturing process that would eventually go away but I was wrong. The heating element still pushes out hot air that smells strongly of this burning plastic which could leach smells and bad tastes into food. I plan on returning this, it was a huge waste of time. Don’t buy it.
Kristin Reite : Buyer beware! Broke after 32 days
This product was great for the 4 times I used it. Then it just stopped working after having it for only 32 days. The return window was 30 days and I contacted Amazon to figure out a replacement option and they told me I need to contact the Seller, which is Hamilton Beach. I reached out and we placed that I was 2 days outside of the return window and my devices stopped working. I received an auto email back that I should hear back in a few days and 5 days later...still no response. Buyer beware! Don’t be fooled by the reviews.
christina hesser : I loved this dehydrator and used it 3 times with great ...
I loved this dehydrator and used it 3 times with great results. When washing it the lid fell, cracked and broke. I contacted Hamilton Beach and they said they would replace it for shipping cost only. I thought that is great, however, it has been impossible to get through to their customer service. I have called 4 times and been on hold for an excess of 30 minutes. Very disappointing.
Update: Hamilton Beach replaced the dehydrator so I am thrilled. I make dried sweet potatoes every week for my dogs and dried fruits for the family. Very happy.
Update: Hamilton Beach replaced the dehydrator so I am thrilled. I make dried sweet potatoes every week for my dogs and dried fruits for the family. Very happy.
Don : The trays are its downfall
UPDATE: After using the dehydrator for two weeks -- running nearly continuously for a week dehydrating 12 quarts of backpacking food and 2 quarts of jerky -- I've found that it works well. So I gave it an additional star. My only gripe is the trays, detailed below.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
Jessie Murphy : Used 7 times over 33 days and it died.
Had unit for 33 days before getting an ER message after the unit failed to heat. Being it's over the 30 day mark it can not be returned to Amazon. I called Hamilton Beach and they were happy to send a new unit as a replacement but I have to pay $11.95 shipping and wait 7-10 days. I guess it's better than nothing but I ran all of 7 batches of jerky through it in that time and it died on round 7. I was kept in my climate controlled garage on a work bench with nothing around it. Nothing funky done on my part, it just died.
James H. : This thing dehydrates super well, making crispy apple slices which in my ...
Aren't apples such a pain to eat? No? Well nevermind your opinion.
This thing dehydrates super well, making crispy apple slices which in my opinion, all stores ever lack. I love it and hope it lasts me years upon years!
This thing dehydrates super well, making crispy apple slices which in my opinion, all stores ever lack. I love it and hope it lasts me years upon years!
Maggie Norcross : It works well for drying things...
The adjustable temperature and time settings are great. It absolutely does the job. I have no complaints about the functionality of this as a dehydrator for food.
But it only comes with one solid liner (for e.g. fruit leather) and one crosshatched liner (for drying anything that would fall through the otherwise large holes on the trays themselves). And I can't find any place to buy any additional liners. The Hamilton Beach website is sold out, and has been for at least the month that I've had this.
So, I guess I'm saying, if you want to make fruit leather then either try to source liners for this first, or buy another dehydrator.
But it only comes with one solid liner (for e.g. fruit leather) and one crosshatched liner (for drying anything that would fall through the otherwise large holes on the trays themselves). And I can't find any place to buy any additional liners. The Hamilton Beach website is sold out, and has been for at least the month that I've had this.
So, I guess I'm saying, if you want to make fruit leather then either try to source liners for this first, or buy another dehydrator.
PlantsandPerfume : It's nice! Very versatile with what you can make and the included instructions are great!
It's a nice design, and fits more food than most of this size. I love the digital temperature control and the timer is amazing (self-shut off, it's excellent!). I've made tangerine segments , tangerine peels, and ginger root, all for use in tea. I purchased this for drying herbs as well , but our growing season has just started, so I haven't tried herbs yet. I can tell you the tangerine peels took 5 hours, the ginger root took 7 hours, and the tangerine segments took almost an entire day (23 hours). I like the dehydrator quite a lot, but I took a star of because I do wish it was less noisy. The sound it makes is equivalent to an air conditioner or a fan. After one day of this noise, it can be a bit much. I will definitely be slicing the tangerines thinner next time, so the drying time is less. The food on all 5 trays seemed to evenly dry, with the food in the middle of all the trays drying slightly faster. I did pause the machine to rotate and flip the tangerine segments. Our family will definitely be getting a lot of use from this dehydrator, I can't wait to make fruit leather with the provided tray insert. It also has a mesh insert for use with smaller foods (like rosemary or thyme). Overall very pleased with the dehydrator, the price, quality, and would purchase again. UPDATE: I wanted to update my review now that I've had more time using this dehydrator :This dehydrator is amazing and so worth the price! Chicken and meat can take anywhere from 4 hours and up, depending on the thickness. 1/4 inch thick slices took almost 6 hours for me (I made chicken jerky for my dog). I found the easiest way to slice it that thin, was to freeze it, then use a mandolin slicer. I allowed it to thaw in fridge before putting it in the dehydrator. The directions state that all meats for jerky can be no more than 1/4 inch thick, and should be checked at 4 hours and every 30 minutes after. I mostly do fruit in mine. Strawberries are super quick, a mere 4-6 hours depending on thickness, where as citrus slices have taken anywhere from 24-28 hours. It's an excellent dehydrator for the price. I literally ran it for 4 days straight when I first received it, and every week after that, and it's still running perfect. I love it! My family loves having fruit to flavor their tea and water. The dried fruit is perfect in trail mixes and nut mixes (especially pineapple, kiwi and cranberries). My husband loves the beef jerky, and my dog the chicken jerky. Everyone loves something made in this dehydrator! We've gotten a ton of use out of it already!
Jennifer Alvord : Very simple to use, and does a great job!
I LOVE this dehydrator!
I have never made dehydrated food before, and now I can't stop. I have made apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, and lemon so far, and all of them turned out great, I even made some really good zest seasoning.
I am very happy how simple it is to use, it is a little loud, but that is understandable with the fan keeping the air circulating.
I have never made dehydrated food before, and now I can't stop. I have made apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, and lemon so far, and all of them turned out great, I even made some really good zest seasoning.
I am very happy how simple it is to use, it is a little loud, but that is understandable with the fan keeping the air circulating.
J. Tant : Superior to my Nesco
I'm actually between 4.5 and 5 stars, but it's probably closer to 5.
I hike and camp a lot, and part of that hobby is making sure I have enough food out on the trail. When I was younger and didn't care so much about weight I went in for the full moisture MRE things (and I still do if I'm going some place where water availability might be a concern), but as I get older I've gone more for the dehydrated stuff. Thing is, commercial freeze dried food is kind of pricey per meal. So I started making my own dehydrated meals, figuring that the utility for freeze drying only kicks in if you are storing the food for a long time.
I'm comparing this to my that I've had for a few years. I found this Hamilton Beach model to compare very favorably to the Nesco.
First, big points for being square shaped...that means less wasted space and it's easier to load, at least for me. Total capacity is about the same between the two, and the scheme is the same...stackable trays, etc. I will say that for the dehydrating I do (more on that in a minute), I wish there were more mesh screens available. I actually made my own out of some plastic mesh sheeting I found at Michael's, and it seems to work well.
The overall design is different...the Nesco has the heating element on top, blowing the air downward. This has the element on the bottom, blowing the air up. Intuitively the Hamilton Beach seems to have the better design, since heat rises and the fan doesn't have to work so hard to get circulation through all of the trays. In practice I think the effect was minor but noticeable. The downside to this design is one extra part (a clear plastic lid), but on the other hand that's appreciated. With the Nesco I had to take the heavy top unit off to see if the food was ready, with this one I can look through the lid. So in terms of overall design and convenience, I think the Hamilton Beach product is superior.
As for the use and interface, the Nesco had a simple dial on the top. This one has a digital readout with temperature as well as a timer function. This itself makes the Hamilton Beach more utilitarian than the Nesco (which has no timer at all). I rednecked engineered one by using a lamp timer in conjunction with the Nesco, but having the timer built in is a serious nod to convenience. I also like seeing the exact temperature instead of a simple analog dial.
Results: well, (and people laugh at me for saying this), I found that cooked-then-dehydrated pasta cooks faster on the trail than does pasta right out of the box. This is a concern out on the trail since you have to carry fuel for your stove, and I don't want to carry more than I have to. Anyway, this dehydrator is large enough to dehydrate a pound and a half of cooked elbow pasta, spread thin among the trays on my homemade mesh screens (incidentally, I used mesh screens in all the trays to no ill effect....). I then pack it with some cheese powder/powdered milk into a Food Saver vacuum-sealed bag, and I have a trail lunch/dinner ready to go. The square design makes it easy to make other things, especially dried sausage or jerky...much easier to load straight food items in a square box shape, after all. I'm in the habit of rotating the trays halfway through the drying time, and I did here...though I'm not too sure that it's strictly necessary with this design. End result - it did a very good job on a variety of foods, and as the capacity is slightly larger than my Nesco I'm pretty happy with it.
This isn't really that silent when it comes to operation, but it's not overly loud either. Think of it as a pleasant white noise, perhaps a bit lower in volume than a window box fan. The sound never bothered me.
So I really do like this dehydrator. I found it to work very well. My main nit is with the control panel, as it has that plastic membrane over the buttons. I really like real buttons and stuff, not membrane keyboards. But that's the only real issue I have with this unit. It does a good job, offers the timer function (which is fantastic), and has little convenient touches like being able to look at how a tray is drying without disassembling the whole thing. It's a good product!
I hike and camp a lot, and part of that hobby is making sure I have enough food out on the trail. When I was younger and didn't care so much about weight I went in for the full moisture MRE things (and I still do if I'm going some place where water availability might be a concern), but as I get older I've gone more for the dehydrated stuff. Thing is, commercial freeze dried food is kind of pricey per meal. So I started making my own dehydrated meals, figuring that the utility for freeze drying only kicks in if you are storing the food for a long time.
I'm comparing this to my that I've had for a few years. I found this Hamilton Beach model to compare very favorably to the Nesco.
First, big points for being square shaped...that means less wasted space and it's easier to load, at least for me. Total capacity is about the same between the two, and the scheme is the same...stackable trays, etc. I will say that for the dehydrating I do (more on that in a minute), I wish there were more mesh screens available. I actually made my own out of some plastic mesh sheeting I found at Michael's, and it seems to work well.
The overall design is different...the Nesco has the heating element on top, blowing the air downward. This has the element on the bottom, blowing the air up. Intuitively the Hamilton Beach seems to have the better design, since heat rises and the fan doesn't have to work so hard to get circulation through all of the trays. In practice I think the effect was minor but noticeable. The downside to this design is one extra part (a clear plastic lid), but on the other hand that's appreciated. With the Nesco I had to take the heavy top unit off to see if the food was ready, with this one I can look through the lid. So in terms of overall design and convenience, I think the Hamilton Beach product is superior.
As for the use and interface, the Nesco had a simple dial on the top. This one has a digital readout with temperature as well as a timer function. This itself makes the Hamilton Beach more utilitarian than the Nesco (which has no timer at all). I rednecked engineered one by using a lamp timer in conjunction with the Nesco, but having the timer built in is a serious nod to convenience. I also like seeing the exact temperature instead of a simple analog dial.
Results: well, (and people laugh at me for saying this), I found that cooked-then-dehydrated pasta cooks faster on the trail than does pasta right out of the box. This is a concern out on the trail since you have to carry fuel for your stove, and I don't want to carry more than I have to. Anyway, this dehydrator is large enough to dehydrate a pound and a half of cooked elbow pasta, spread thin among the trays on my homemade mesh screens (incidentally, I used mesh screens in all the trays to no ill effect....). I then pack it with some cheese powder/powdered milk into a Food Saver vacuum-sealed bag, and I have a trail lunch/dinner ready to go. The square design makes it easy to make other things, especially dried sausage or jerky...much easier to load straight food items in a square box shape, after all. I'm in the habit of rotating the trays halfway through the drying time, and I did here...though I'm not too sure that it's strictly necessary with this design. End result - it did a very good job on a variety of foods, and as the capacity is slightly larger than my Nesco I'm pretty happy with it.
This isn't really that silent when it comes to operation, but it's not overly loud either. Think of it as a pleasant white noise, perhaps a bit lower in volume than a window box fan. The sound never bothered me.
So I really do like this dehydrator. I found it to work very well. My main nit is with the control panel, as it has that plastic membrane over the buttons. I really like real buttons and stuff, not membrane keyboards. But that's the only real issue I have with this unit. It does a good job, offers the timer function (which is fantastic), and has little convenient touches like being able to look at how a tray is drying without disassembling the whole thing. It's a good product!
Justass of the Piece : Dries very efficiently and it's easy to clean up.
If you do a lot of hiking, being able to pack in dehydrated foods in a must. I have owned several dehydrators over the years and this year i seriously considered upgrading to an Excalibur because of the rave reviews that they get. In the end though I couldn't justify the pricetag, regardless of the reviews. I decided to go with this Hamilton Beach instead, and it has been running almost nonstop since the day it arrived. So far I've done various fruits and fruit leathers, sweet potato and regular potato bark, vegetables and several types of jerky in preparation for this summer's hiking trips. So far it has worked wonderfully, always drying thoroughly despite the fact that I live in ultra humid south Florida. It is a little louder than somes of the previous models that I've had, but it also dries more quickly so I don't mind. One word of advice though, if you're drying fruit leathers use parchment paper rather than the sheet that is provided...it's much easier to peel when you're finished.
Don : The trays are its downfall
UPDATE: After using the dehydrator for two weeks -- running nearly continuously for a week dehydrating 12 quarts of backpacking food and 2 quarts of jerky -- I've found that it works well. So I gave it an additional star. My only gripe is the trays, detailed below.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
PROS
1. The digital temperature and time control is a real plus at this price point.
2. Low-cost entry into dehydrating.
3. The squarish design makes cutting roll ups less of a geometry problem than round dehydrator.
CONS: The trays.
1. The openings in the grid work are way too large. The gridwork is so large that anything but the largest vegetable and fruit slices falls through. It's probably fine if you're making jerky from sliced meat or doing sliced fruit and veggies. But forget about doing diced veggies unless you want to do one tray at a time, or spend time cutting out parchment paper.
2. Good luck finding additional trays. Only one "leather"/ fruit roll-up tray and one fine mesh screen are included. That's understandable at this price point, BUT I've found it impossible to buy additional trays. Amazon, Sears, Walmart, Wayfair, and other sell the unit, but nada on the trays.
3. Don't plan on doing a lot of fruit leather or veggie bark at a time. The manual says can only use two "leather"/ fruit roll-up trays at a time, but since buying additional trays seems impossible, you're looking at one tray per drying cycle.
If you're planning on doing a lot of roll ups or diced veggies, consider the NESCO or another brand with better trays and liner options.
Deserts miss the Rain : Perfect for easy jerky dog treats.
I have been using this for over a month, now. I use it for fruit for myself and for making liver, steak and chicken jerky treats for my dog. Works great and very easy to clean.
AJ : Great Dehydrater!
Great product for the price! Definitely does the job. We make all natural chicken jerky treats for our dog with this. They turn out great every time. You do still need to finish the jerky in the oven (we do 20 min at 275) to make sure the temp gets high enough to kill the pathogens in the chicken. We would buy this again!
Darren : Awesome value
It's about as loud as an air fryer. But the heat distribution is perfect. Use all 5 trays as directed, even if some are empty. And use a meat slicer for uniform thickness of jerky if you want all of the pieces to finish at the same time. You shouldn't have to rotate anything.
Amazon Customer : Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has ...
Very impressed! I have done batches of strawberries and apples with no problems. Although the lid was cracked during shipping I contacted Hamilton Beach and they replaced within 15 days( lids were on back order). Would recommend this one vs the circular simply bc it has outdone my old one by how much I can dehydrate at a time.
Oscar : Things to think about
1. save the box it comes in until you’re sure you want to keep it. Otherwise if you try to return it and it doesn’t fit in any boxes that you have the UPS store is going to charge you extra to box it for you
2. Think about it. Do you really want to eat dehydrated food?
3. The unit is noisy.
4. It does the trick if this is what you’re looking for.
2. Think about it. Do you really want to eat dehydrated food?
3. The unit is noisy.
4. It does the trick if this is what you’re looking for.
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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