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.

Having this unit for over 4 years and having used it many, many times I can attest to it's hardiness. My model did not come with an on/off switch or a timer - I didn't care, you might. I do like that this system is almost infinitely expandable, has options for better, tighter-grid mats and cleans up easily. It is a bit on the loud side but that's just how it is. It doesn't bother me, you might hate it. I thought initial capacity was decent but this system is expandable which was important to me. It's still going strong.

I bought this to dehydrate fruit, to make kale chips (yum, sooo good!) and to make healthy chicken jerky for my furry friends. It's basic and does the job.Pros:*It works great for jerky and dried fruit which I've tried to date.*It comes with clear instructions and is simple for even a newbie to figure out.*It comes with enough trays to get you started (but you'll probably want more!).*It was a good value for the money.*It works relatively quickly. Everything I've tried to date has been finished at the lowest estimated time on the chart.*Easy enough to clean. I haven't had any problems with fruit sticking.*Cord stores in base and the trays nest within each other nice and neatly. The cord storage is the best for me because I have a cat who loves nothing more than nibbling through any and all cords that are left dangling.Cons:*It has no temperature control. So if a recipe says "place dehydrator on so and so degrees for so and so hours" you really have to guess if you're trying something new and watch it closely the first time around, and then you'll need to take notes for the next time!*It is a bit loud. It sounds like an oven fan turned on high. FOR HOURS. If you can drown out the noise or walk away from the room you'll be okay.*It has no automatic shut-off. I always fear I'll fall asleep when I start something late in the day.*You have to purchase extra trays, fruit roll trays and mesh screens separately. I would've paid a little more if those things were included in the package. I don't like having to locate and purchase them all separately but I'm lazy like that..*If you dehydrate both fruit and raw meat you will probably want to purchase more trays because the included trays hold about 5 chicken breasts and I don't like using the same trays for raw meat & fruit despite the fact that I sanitize them between uses.*Says the trays are "dishwasher safe". However, they are too large to fit in the dishwasher safely. Unless I want to run the dishwasher to wash only one tray on the top shelf and one on the bottom. Seems like a waste of resources to me.