Nesco FD-1040 1000-watt Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator (6 Tray Value Package) review and price compare 2025

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Product overview

Brand	Amesser
Material	Plastic
Wattage	1000 watts
Number of Trays	6
Temperature Range	160 Degrees Fahrenheit

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SPECIAL PACKAGE INCLUDES: 6 Trays (50% more capacity than base model), Jerky Gun with 6 Original spice and cure packs, 3 Fruit Roll Sheets, 3 Clean-A-Screens ($87 Retail Value)
Programmable Digital Timer
1000 watts of drying power, Adjustable Temperature Control
Patented Converga-Flow Air Flow
Expandable to 20 trays (6 Trays included)

product description

SPECIAL PACKAGE INCLUDES: 6 Trays (50% more capacity than base model), Jerky Gun with 6 Original spice and cure packs, 3 Fruit Roll Sheets, 3 Clean-A-Screens ($87 Retail Value). Dry fruit and vegetables, herbs and flowers, granola or strips of jerky in hours instead of days with this 1000-watt food dehydrator. Top mounted fan eliminates liquids dripping into the heater chamber. New Digital Time is programmable for up to 48 hours. Expands up to 20 trays allowing you to dry large quantities all at once. Drying pressure adjusts automatically to the number of trays. Patented Converge-Flow forces heated air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even and nutritious drying. Flavors don't mix, and there's no need to rotate the trays. 2,400 RPM fan motor is four times faster than dryers with no fan or motors. The unit's adjustable thermostat ranges from 90 degrees to 160 degrees F, providing the flexibility needed to ensure excellent results. Vita-Save Exterior features an opaque exterior which blocks light to retain more of the foods nutrients and vitamins during the drying process.

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Questions about Nesco FD-1040 1000-watt Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator (6 Tray Value Package)

I just turned mine on. it's so loud i can hear it in another room with the doors closed. is that normal?

Answer: Yes please return it, I had the same problem, and returned it and bought the Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator and I am very happy.

Answer: No. Ours sounds like a quiet fan.

Answer: Its like a quiet fan and we dont feel its overpowering at all.

Answer: Absolutely! Good luck!

Can clean a screen and fruit roll sheets be used for jerky?

Answer: The clean a screen could be used for ground meat jerky; the fruit roll up sheets-definitely not!

can i use it in hong kong 220volt

Answer: No the electric motor is for US. 110volt system it would burn-out.....See if one is available in UK.Amazon which should be 220volt ...!!

Answer: This system is for the 110v. If used on 220 it will burn out and void the warranty.

I bought this and really like it but how in the world do you clean the trays? They are too big for my dishwasher and don't completely fit in my sink

Answer: I have been able to put a few in the top rack of my dishwasher, but when I use all of them I just hand wash them with soapy water and rinse. They are really easy to hand clean. I just was one side and turn over. That simple. If you have a utility sink you could use that. I have also done this with them.

Answer: I use a soft bristle brush and clean them in the kitchen sink. I have put them in the dishwasher also

what comes with the 6 tray package, the pictures shows jerky gun 6 original spices, 3 clean a screens, and 3 fruit roll sheets.

Answer: The 6 tray kit comes with everything in the picture.

Answer: I did not buy the 6 tray package but I intend to.. The fruit roll sheets will come in handy.

Product reviews of Nesco FD-1040 1000-watt Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator (6 Tray Value Package)

EyeLoveGlasses : Two weeks of non-stop use ...

UPDATE: 4/26/16
Just had to update my review as I just found a "recipe" for this dehydrator that saved me hundreds of dollars ! My cellphone went through the washing machine a few days ago and the proverbial bag of rice drying technique was only having minimal results. With nothing to lose - I put my cellphone and battery, minus the SD card, separately into pantyhose - put them on a middle tray and turned the dehydrator on at 90 degrees overnight. SUCCESS !! I thankfully was spared the expense of buying a new cellphone. I can once again say that I HIGHLY recommend the Nesco Gardenmaster Dehydrator !

Hasn't stopped running in the two weeks I have had it. I purchased this unit to dry grapefruit. Not disappointed with the outcome. In between batches of grapefruit, I have dried lots of cauliflower, lemons & limes, and greens for my smoothies. Very useful for taking advantage of fresh produce that is on sale.

I did not expect to get this much use out of it. I purchased a larger mandoline slicer, and a food vacuum sealer to seal the end product in mason jars using oxygen absorbers.

I am waiting for my first electric bill to see how much of an impact this unit has on my monthly expense. Will update.

Casey Hulse : Five Stars

Very nice, huge capacity.

Heavy : Works great

It works great. I have used it 3 times now and it does a great job.

Nickolas Human : Easy to use

Does exactly as advertised! Easy to use, cleans up easily, temperature controlled with a timer, set it and forget it.... well try to at least! The aromas of whatever you are drying will fill whatever space the dehydrator is in, the scent of drying food prompts everyone who passes by to check on the progress. The dehydrator was purchased to prepare backpacking meals for myself and friends, and now my friends are thinking of buying their own!

Heavy : Works great

It works great. I have used it 3 times now and it does a great job.

Rebecca Nevin : My Favorite Toy

I'm addicted. I can fit so much stuff on the 6 trays and everything seems to be drying really fast. I live in Portland, Oregon where the humidity is low and we have tons of U-Pick fruit farms where you can pick berries and other fruits for really cheap prices. So far I've dehydrated raspberries, a raspberry fruit roll, blueberries, Rainier cherries, Bing cherries, 2 different styles of sliced beef jerky, and turkey jerky sticks made from 93% lean ground turkey using the jerky gun. Did I mention I've only owned it for a week?

Pros: all the heat and timing options. drying speed (this depends on humidity and I'm lucky where I live). noise (can definitely hear it but it doesn't bother me at all when running overnight). jerky gun (the circular tip was easier to use than the square tips, but I need more practice.). jerky cure (it's pretty delicious and a good recipe for first-time experiments. going forward i'll make my own).

Cons: some of my blueberries were still too small for the holes in the clean-a-screens. it was really difficult to get my raspberry puree to lay evenly on the fruit-roll tray so it ended up as different thicknesses and ripped as i was removing it. sometimes the fan gets a strange clicking sound which I can generally resolve by removing the top and shaking it a bit. Not sure what's causing that, but I hope it doesn't become a bigger problem.

Tamara : The fan makes noise...

The fan on it is hitting something! ????
It works super good and our fruit drys fast!! but the noise!!! How can that be taken care of?

Daryl : Highly recommend

Three pounds of eye of round(1/4", sliced cross-grain), original spice and nine hours later: Damn good jerky! I'm anxious to try customizing my own marinade. Oh, by the way, you can figure on one pound of meat per tray.

JIM : Defective right out of the box.

Just bought it, and fresh out of the box the unit is defective. The top motor started to over heat and the fan sounds like a truck with a tick tick tick sound. I am returning this item less than 3 hours from arriving on my doorstep. There are quality control problems here.

Update on 4/1/16 . Just bought the Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator and could not be more happy.

Steve La Londe Jr : Best buy out there not a better unit any quicker to be had an excellent buy!!

Very easy to use way quicker than she's use to easy clean up drys fast fast fast ..lol Yes a learning curve but oh what a great product choice !! She loves it so a win win yes I would buy it again.

BRMD1234 : The absolute best kitchen appliance that I have ever bought!

The absolute best kitchen appliance that I have ever bought! I received it on 7/22 and I have already made my own jerky, dehydrated onions, celery, tomatoes and green peppers. I was able to make my own powders and my onion and vegetable soup mix.

Fuller : Best new addition to my kitchen!

Took me months to choose which Nesco model to purchase but I am happy with my choice. Have borrowed and used other dehydrators and 2 of my favorite features of this model are heating from the top and temperature/timer controls. I can fit 5+ lbs of beef on the six trays and dried in as little as 4 hours. If I could change any thing it would be the tray grid, a slighty tighter weave pattern might give it a sturdier feel (like the discontinued Vita Mix Harvest Savor). I have dred apple chips, herbs and almond meal and am completely new to this (easier than I thought). Can't wait to do fruit roll ups for grandchildren and am looking forward to next year's garden experience!

Gregory T Joliet JR : Five Stars

Heavy : Works great

It works great. I have used it 3 times now and it does a great job.

JIM : Defective right out of the box.

SueSee : A great dehydrator with digital timer and temperature control

I researched several different dehydrators before deciding on the Nesco FD-1040 Gardenmaster. I chose the Nesco because it has a programmable digital timer and temperature control, making it easier to set the temperature length of drying time. The 6 Tray Value Package comes with 2 extra trays (priced separately about $18 - $22) 3 clean screens for drying fruit, (I purchased two more at the time I bought the dehydrator) and a Jerky kit, which if sold separately would cost +$20 plus shipping, and also included enough seasoning and jerky cure for 5 pounds of hamburger jerky.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of dehydrating. So far in one week I've made sweet potato chips (a failure) banana chips (a sweet success) and 2 pounds of hamburger jerky (very very good). Clean up is easy; simply wash the trays with warm soapy water immediately after use. The trays are labeled as top rack dishwasher safe, however, they are very large and would be very hard to load in the top rack of a dishwasher. I sprayed the trays with a very light coat of Pam spray before loading with food.

The Nesco runs quiet; 6 loaded trays of banana chips took about 24 - 26 hours to dry to crispy, which was my preference. I simply put the machine on my counter and let it run, checking every so often. 2 pounds of hamburger jerky took only 4.5 hours, on 4 trays. I expect that as we go along we'll get better at placement of the food on the trays and will be able to conserve space better.

The included booklet wasn't a lot of help, but simply go online and you can find hundreds of recipes for anything you could possibly want to dry. Pinterest was especially helpful in finding ideas.

All in all, this is a great beginner dehydrator. It will expand to 20 trays - but be aware that drying 20 trays of food will greatly increase the drying time. I personally won't be going much more than 8 - 10 trays. If I find myself really getting into dehydrating and needing more than 10 trays, a larger, more efficient dehydrator would be the way to go.

OneOleMan : Working it hard and lovin' it.

I've had the Nesco FD-1040 for less than 2 weeks and it's run practically 24/7 since then. This is my first attempt at dehydrating and so far I've stuck with various apples, oranges and bananas. Not only am I enjoying the fruits of my labor but my dog also. Especially the banana and apple chips as treats. I'm enjoy having a Ziploc bag of the bananas, apples and oranges for snacking while driving. Yes, some of my attempts have been hit and miss by drying too long but I'm assuming that's part of the learning curve.

I bought the 6 Tray Value Package which comes with 3 Fruit Roll Sheets and 3 Clean-A-Screens. Last night I ordered 4 more trays, which will give me a total of 10 trays, and 6 additional Clean-a-Screens figuring I'll be drying a lot of bananas for the dog and oranges for me. One Navel orange takes up almost one tray so those extra trays will come in quite handy.

You probably got the idea by now that I really like this dehydrator; yes, I do like and so far haven't found any cons about the machine. Well maybe one; the extra trays and Clean-a-Screens are expensive. Some have said it's a little loud. Maybe if it's in the living room and you're sitting right next to it watching TV but I have mine in the kitchen so when I'm in the living room I don't really hear it and, as I said in the beginning, it's been running almost 24 hours a day since it arrived. Okay, 24 hours a day is a slight exaggeration, it's actually closer to 10 to 18 hours a day.

Gregory T Joliet JR : Five Stars

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