Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard

I wasn't sure there would be enough things to do with this dehydrator even though I planned to dehydrate the over abundance of apples and tomatoes from our yard. well, a quick google, and I have a list of more things than I ever expected I could do with this! There are also a ton of good books out there for unique ideas. (salt clay ornaments for the x-mas tree). I found a recipe for corn chips (grind/process frozen corn, add cheese, chili powder, onion, whatever you want and spread on the "fruit leather" tray. No preservatives!) There are also tons of dehydrator granola recipes too. My freezer is going to be full! Instead of an expensive vacuum system, I opted for the $4.00 Ziplock pump system and it's terrific.Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-PumpThis dehydrator couldn't be easier to use. The included booklet is surprisingly detailed. From jerky to fruit leathers and fruits and vegetables, every aspect of how to properly dry everything is covered. Pretreatments with lemon juice or fruit fresh are recommended for some fruits to prevent browning, and blanching or steaming for a couple minutes is recommended for most vegetables. The drying times are extremely variable, as expected, depending on how thin or thick you have cut the fruit or vegetable. A food processor, salad shooter, or some other of this type of cutting devise would ensure standardized, uniform pieces. My wish-for Christmas gift is a Saladmaster!From dehydrating books I have learned that the temperatures are not that critical either. I was concerned about getting this dehydrator as there is no temperature adjustment possible, but frankly for the price and all the good reviews I figured I couldn't go wrong. When you consider that food has been dehydrated for thousands of years without the benefit of electric temperature controlled dehydrators, using the best dehydrator of all, the sun, you know that more expensive fancier machines are not necessary. Low tech is good for me!The best features for me are:Pros: Not tying up my oven all day or night drying things in the oven.I can leave it on all night without worry.It's very easy to wash after using.It's very quiet. Sounds like my forced air heater or air conditioner. Totally un-noticeable after a few minutes.It's very light weight. Easily moved.I can set it anywhere in the house to use, (I have mine on top of the dryer), and it takes up very little room. ( approx. 14.5" diameter x 10" tall)There are other things I can use the dehydrator for like clay crafts, dried flowers, drying pinecones from my yard.All my food is free of preservatives/chemicals.This dehydrator is a money saver. Purchase bulk produce in season and have fresh all year.Best feature for me, it is a time saver. I will store vegetables for soup and fruit for granolas.I will be able to prepare these favorite dishes on a moments notice!The included booklet has very complete instructions.This is a super dehydrator, at a super price!Cons? Absolutely none.

I purchased a Presto popcorn maker a few months back, and was very happy with it, so I chanced buying a much less expensive no-frills Presto dehydrator instead of one from the bigger brands. I've been very happy with it, but, I've never used any other so I can't compare. In reviews of the bigger brand dehydrators, people boast about quicker dryer times, but what I've read in recipes from users of these same dehydrators, mine dries just as fast. I've only done fruit leathers, and bought it primarily to do these. It takes 6-7 hours depending on how thick my mix is. I'm still tinkering with my recipes. The applesauce/gelatin mixes take longer than fruit purees, I've found. I'm not a jerky person, but would like to try it just to see how my machine does. I'm a little wary about keeping meat at such low temps for such long periods of time (I know that meat has to be cooked before or after dehydrating.). Someone said this machine goes to about 140. The more $$$ ones don't go much higher than that. So guess it's not a concern and that a more pricey, higher wattage model wouldn't make much difference. I'm so not a cook which is another reason why I hesitate on the jerky. Our meat doesn't look very good in store to begin with plus having to marinade a full day... Anyway, I like it for fruit leathers. I'll eat 4 trays' worth in a day's time, easily. I'm glad I'm the only one in the house who likes these! Even so, I want to buy more trays, and buy the fruit leather sheets. I've been lining my trays with parchment paper (Found this tip in a blog.). A roll is about $4.00, and will do about 3 sessions' worth (for 4 trays). It works well, but a pain to mess with, and not very cost effective IMO. My grocery is putting it on closeout now (and still costs $3.50!!) so it's time to shell out the Wheaties for the sheets. It looks like they'll work well too because they have high edges which should keep the trays from rubbing and getting fruit goo from one sheet onto the bottom of the adjoining tray (a prob I'm having now).My mom wants dried apples, so going to have to try that. I drink spearmint tea, so should save some $ there by drying leaves from my mom's spearmint plant instead of buying tea. I think this will turn out to be a good investment, though the fruit leathers alone make it worth it to me! I mix 1/2 a crate of strawberries, a 1/2 crate of blackberries (about 8 of each), a 1/2 cup of applesauce, and a 1/4 cup of any fruit juice (Minute Maid Berry Punch is good.). Blend it, then pour on oiled parchment paper (I use shortening to oil mine.). Mine turned out a little thick and only covered 3 trays so will use more juice next time. SO GOOD!