Re: [CH] Whats the best brand of food hehydrator?

Chad A Gard (gard@indy.net)
Mon, 24 Jun 2002 13:36:11 -0500

At 1:49 PM -0400 6/24/02, Mark Barringer wrote:
>This is another "MAD DOG INST-POLL."
>
>I am shopping for a small-scale dehydrator in anticipation of harvesting a
>nice crop of Thai and hab peppers at the end of the summer.  I don't want to
>spend a lot of money on a unit with a lot of bells and whistles; I just want
>one that is durable.


I have two dehydrators (got one from Mom and one from Dad for 
Christmas.  Sometimes it's good to have parents that don't 
communicate anymore).  I'll have to check to see what brands they 
are, though I _think_ the one that I like best is a nesco (doesn't 
quite look like the one from the link you sent, but simmilar).

The one I like best has the heating element and a fan on top.  This 
dries a LOT faster, and a LOT more evenly.  I would strongly suggest 
getting a dehydrator with a fan.  It also has a thermostatic control 
(well...  I don't think it really is so much a thermostat as just a 
rheostat in series with the heating element...), which is nice, 
though I think not really necessary.

The other one has the heating element on the bottom and no fan.  It 
does a good job, but does so slower and less evenly.  You have to 
check each tray to see if things are done, as some trays will dry 
much much faster than others, depending on where they're located and 
what's on them and the trays arround them.  Also, with the heating 
element on the bottom, if I dry anything fairly juicy (like fruit or 
the fleshier chiles) or with grease/oil (like making jerky), the 
drippage will drip down where the heating element is.  That makes 
cleanup a little more difficulty, since you really shouldn't dunk the 
whole thing and because the element gets physically in the way. 
Additionally, though it has not happened to me yet, some grease/oil 
or some food that shrunk too much during the process could probalby 
fall on the heating element and make smoke.

I use the one with the fan for most of my drying needs.  But, when I 
have a lot to dry (like I plan to when harvest time from my dad's 
garden comes arround, and hopefully I can make open fields again this 
year (and maybe before most folks have left this time) I'll go ahead 
and dry the thinner chiles on the non-fanned one, and use the one 
with a fan for the more fleshier chiles.

-- 
Chad Gard, KB9WXQ
INCHASE: http://www.inchase.org  Co-founder
SCOA: http://www.stormchasersofamerica.org  Member #3
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