If you have ever had the opportunity to own a food dehydrator, you know how much they come in handy for preparing a diverse cornucopia of food. One great thing about them is the variety of options and prices. They can range from prices as low as $30 up to $500 or more. Choosing the best food dehydrator for you really depends on how often you’re going to use and what level of quality you are looking for. The food dehydrators mentioned below can be used for both personal and family use.
The NESCO Professional FD-75PR Food & Jerky Dehydrator has had great reviews. Overall, this was rated with 5 stars in product value, features, durability, appearance and expectations. One found dehydrating fruits for snacks to be a healthy alternative for her family and even used pieces of vegetables and fruits together to make a mix. One disappointed customer said they returned theirs to Wal-Mart because the plug was dead. The plastic workmanship was of poor quality, according to them, however, this customer did mention that this product comes with a 10 year warranty and free shipping. There were many happy customers for the Nesco FD-75PR.
The Ronco 5-Tray Electric Food Dehydrator did not come with great reviews. This product is on the cheaper end of the spectrum. On a good note, one happy customer said she dried jerky in hers and that her mom had owned one almost 2 decades before. She noticed how it had not changed at all. However, there was more than one person who said that the tray overheated and at least one customer cautioned against purchasing this because her trays melted. This particular model does not come with a fan, so the user must be able to turn the trays so as not to overheat the food.
The Weston – 75 0201 W – VegiKiln 10 Tray Food and Jerky Dehydrator did not come with many reviews but the ones who commented on this product were total fans. This dehydrator has a great design and dries food evenly. The trays are a bit larger than the round products, measuring 14 ¼†x 10 ¾†which makes it even more attractive. All the comments expressed complete satisfaction and enjoyment in its easy use. This product comes in at a little over $100.
The L’equip Dehydrator 528 comes with 6 trays but can expand to 20, which is great when the fruit has to be picked all at once. Comments ranged from “top notch“ to “excellent“ and “better than my stackable.“ A few felt it was designed poorly and was not worth the money. The online information showed hand drawn pictures discussing its many features and how it works. The price is comparable to the Weston.
Lastly, the Excalibur Economy 2900 Dehydrator- 9 Tray Black, out of all of these reviews, comes in as being the best. It is the most costly but is still under $200. Everyone was happy with it and found it to work great, commenting on how the fan blows from the rear, an exclusive feature for their 2000 Series. As a note, it is also part of their more professional and commercial model which costs $5,000. Looking at it from that point of view, the price tag of under $200 makes this a great deal. Only one person mentioned they thought it was too much work and would leave it to the experts.
