NESCO Food Dehydrator, 4 Trays, Speckled White

While it is true this machine doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of the expensive machines, It does great. I ordered two extra trays for it which means 6 fairly large trays to work with. That is a lot of food. It does have some noise with it about maybe like a hairdryer on low. It is set to 160 to work so it gets pretty warm in the room it is in. I use mine in the laundry room and shut the door. I could also use the porch. The fan works great and it has dehydrated my items evenly and very quickly, all six trays without having to move trays around. The beef jerky flavoring that comes with it taste great! We used hamburger for a softer jerky since neither of us have teeth anymore. We thought our beef jerky eating days were long over and we both have loved it during our 42 year marriage. A good time table is to check on the progress every 2 hours for doneness, you can go 4 hours for the first check. If this is were a more expensive model with a timer that would be convenient. But for the price and performance, it is no trouble at all to give it a peek from time to time. It was amazingly easier to clean than I thought it would be. That was no problem at all and only took a couple of swipes with a wet rag and it was done! Beside the jerky I dehydrate oranges and tried blueberries also. The orange slices didn't survive my checking on them and so I didn't have any left by the time the beef jerky was ready. They were to understate it delicious and well dehydrated. The blueberries were in too long and came out everlasting gobstoppers. They were well dehydrated and had a lot of taste, but too hard for us toothless people. This is a great inexpensive machine for dehydrating anything you may care to. It is pretty quick about it also. Just try not to taste oranges too much before the rest of the items are ready!

I've used this dehydrator quite a bit since I've bought it, but it works great. We now have delicious home made banana chips. There are a lot of tips and tricks out there on the internet for getting your foods the way you want them if the manual they include isn't enough for you. (ie: getting your chips crispier). A lot of people have complained about the noise. Having ptsd I am very sensitive to repetitive noise and this was a lot quieter then I was expecting from other users reviews. It was much quieter then "box fans" as some have claimed. I submitted my warranty information online without a problem, so should the motor go, as some others have claimed, I am sure that will be covered. I have never used a food dehydrator before so I cannot compare it to others in any way, but the clips that hold all the trays together do seem they should be sturdier and latch on a bit easier. Other then that, so far I am very happy with this and the price I paid for it.Update 1/19/14 I've been using the fruit marinade that By SANDRA J BALKE posted in her review on June 28, 2011, with one tweak. Bananas and certain apples just don't tend to come out sweet enough with just the honey and water marinade So what I have done is taken 1 packet of my favorite sweetener, melted it in a tbsp of warm water, and then add the rest of the water and honey she recommends (and a bit of cinnamon when doing apples, yummy!). I've also made sure (especially with the strawberries) to either spray my trays with a non stick spray or rub them down with a light coat of vegetable oil for easier removal of the fruit. The trays are very easy to hand wash this way, even with the sticky strawberries.

Overall, I’m impressed with the value for the price! It’s simple to use with its fixed temperature control at 160°F, which is perfect for dehydrating fruits like bananas and strawberries. The 400-watt power ensures even heat distribution, and I’ve had no issues with uneven drying. The clear top is a nice touch, making it easy to monitor the process without having to open the trays.The unit is expandable up to 7 trays, which is great for larger batches, though I only use the 4 included trays for now.One thing to note—this dehydrator is fairly loud, so I tend to use it in the garage or somewhere it won’t be disruptive.For anyone looking for an affordable, no-frills dehydrator for fruits, jerky, and snacks, this is a solid choice. Just keep in mind it’s basic and doesn’t offer variable temperature control. Overall, great value!

I'll start with the word of caution: do not put the trays in the bottom rack of your dishwasher. They'll warp due to the extra heat. So wash the trays one or two at a time in the top rack instead. It's not the end of the world if they warp a little -- using them once will get them mostly back in shape -- but just save yourself the frustration. Wash them flat in the dishwasher, on the top rack.As for the dehydrator: what can I say of such things? This was my first, and I've been wanting one for about twenty years. It's great as a way to make jerky (my favorite use), but you can dehydrate basically any organic matter in it. Of course, you probably don't want to dry chicken or pork in it! But I've really enjoyed mine.I can't speak to long-term durability or anything like that, but for my purposes as an amateur food dryer guy, this dehydrator works great. It's a great starter unit, I think. Even if I end up getting a new one that's bigger and fancier, I think I'll hang onto this one for small and experimental projects.Do make sure you read up about using your dehydrator, though -- there are a lot of things to know about drying foods. For example, trim as much fat off your beef as you can before you dry it. Sometimes, apples dry better with a little dusting of sugar and cinnamon on them. That kind of thing. Good luck, and have fun!