Nesco Food Dehydrators

The Nesco Food Dehydrators feature a patented technology that forces air across each of the food trays allowing for faster and more even drying. Food dries in hours rather than days and these units are quieter than many others on the market. Furthermore, the opaque exterior blocks external light so that vitamins and flavor are locked into the food during the process. The machines feature an adjustable thermostat and digital timer so that you can set it and get on with other things. And, if you're new to the dehydrating process, you'll be pleased to know that these units each come with their own "how to" recipe manual.

Nesco Food Dehydrators are popular among consumers. Feedback has included rave reviews about the taste and quality and how evenly these units dry the foods even when using multiple trays. Many who've purchased other manufacturer's models say that the Nesco models are the best. The trays clean up easily and are dishwasher safe. And, because there is no need to rotate the trays and these machines have digital timers, you can set them and forget them while you go about other things. In addition, you can purchase additional trays so that you can dry more foods at once. One common complaint however is that the accompanying recipe book doesn't list exact drying times so a little bit of experimentation or trial and error may be required.

Check out the feedback from happy owners below:

I feel confident in saying this Nesco Gardenmaster is a better quality product than the Excalibur 9 tray, both of which I have used. I first tried the Excalibur and quickly realized it took too long and was too cumbersome to be effective and needed a new thermostat after just three weeks. I found myself babysitting the unit, switching trays and drying only during the day when I could turn it off manually. The 9 tray I had did not have an automatic timer and was just a pain in the neck. I sold it on Ebay after two months. I ventured out into the world of dehydrating again after two long years of resentment. I tried the Nesco and was so happy I did. The digital controls offer exact results every time, the automatic shut-off allow you to dry at night without waking to adjust trays or check results.
The capacity is huge with the add on trays offered and the powerful fan dries the bottom tray equally as fast as the top. The top mounted motor keeps drips from causing a clean-up nightmare and the quality of food is excellent. I've dried fruits, vegetables, made pounds and pounds of jerkey and have experimented with some raw food "baking" which all turned out perfect.
I love the Nesco Gardenmaster and suggest you seriously consider it whether a novice or pro. If you are considering an Excalibur, I highly recommend the Nesco as I found it performed substantially better than the Ex,has design features to make your drying easy and fun, and costs about $50.00 less.

If you are tired of paying too much for dried fruit at the store I strongly recommend a dehydrator. I chose this one based on the good reivews and I haven't been disappointed. Special Note: the more trays the better! To limit drying time I slice fruit very thin so that takes up more trys. Also, there is work involved in the prep and clean up so why not get most fruit out of a single drying session? This is not a quiet item so plan on using it in a different room.

Pros: Great product, easy to use, easy to clean
Cons: Noisy, Out of date booklet.

Special Note: Dried honeydew mellon is wonderful!

The children and I purchased this item for Dad for Christmas. One thing we did not plan for was Dad being home when the UPS truck arrived. Since it was delivered in its original box (and we knew this could happen) he of course could not wait until Christmas. Since I have not read the manual or used the unit, I can only tell you of my observances and the enjoyable outcome.
They (my husband and son) are using this daily. They have made dried apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, and fruit roll. They all were great! My son had to put a note on the unit so we would stop "stealing before completion". My husband bought a roast, sliced it thin, and marinated it in teriaki overnight. The beef jerky was the best. I am not a beef eater ~ but I had to taste it. My son even tried canned fruit. Please note: If you do this, expect the fruit to be teeny tiny and a bit sweet. My husband orders homemade smoked bratwurst, which is supposed to hang dry for two to three weeks. He placed it in the dehydrator and it was ready to eat in 3 hours.