Dehydrators

[Jimbob]

Hey, I know a lot of you guys make jerky. My wife is a big dehydrator user, and we had a plastic one given to us that she has used so much the heat has cracked all the trays on it. So she emails me this:

"Puulleeeeeeeeeeessssssssssseeeeeeee ask the BBQ boys about dehydrators for durability and safety from nasty chemicals, etc. Also, what do they use for small screens (for drying small stuff)."

Can ya help her out? She's looking to buy a new one.

[Slanted88]

Hmmm....I got a plastic one also. I use the plastic grates that you can get for a Big Chief smoker. Ya know Ken posted a link on how to make one. I got it on my to do list.

Found it....http://courtneymeier.artifex.org/dehydrator/index.html

[Broke @ss Cooker]

This is what we have and its works very well good product! http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/ You may want to check it out I would shop around. Hope it helps!:thumb:

[Jimbob]

She is concerned about chemicals leaching from plastics in dehydrators.

The plans look interesting! Hmmm...

[JustSmoke2]

I got one from Wal-Mart a long time ago and it is in good shape still. I have 8 racks I can use and the heating element is electric with a blower fan on top. It goes no higher then 165. I only use it for jerky and have been really pleased with the results it gives. I think I paid like $45 for it. I know I have had it close to 15 years.

[MichChef]

I too have an Exxcalibur dehydrator and have had it over 10 years. Never had a bit of problem drying anything I wanted to in it. Onions, garlic, carrots, peas, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and of course lots and LOTS of sweet and hot peppers. I used to make fruit leather for my grandkids in it too.

Excaliburs are great!

I used to have one of the round Ronco dehydrators and gave it away when I got the Excalibur.

[Jimbob]

Thanks. I am gonna send her the link to this thread.

[curious aardvark]

I too have an excalibur.
Brilliant bit of kit, I do a lot of snacksticks in it.

They are not cheap, but they are worth the money.

To save money buy the cheap model and then plug it into one of the adjustable timer switches. For a couple of bucks you then have full control over the timing :-)

One of these - just so you know what I'm talking about:
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3681&stc=1&d=1277646019

This one is currently set to run a batch of mad hunky snackstix for 6 1/2 hours.
:-)

[PitRow]

Saw an interesting thing on Good Eats the other night. Alton was talking about not using heat in the dehydrators because that's essentially cooking it, more or less instead of actually dehydrating it.

What he did was get a regular old box fan, and 4 or 5 of the filter elements for your homes heater (the paper kind, not the fiberglass) and a few pieces of the plastic (or maybe they were metal) grates from a commercial dehydrator. Then he made a sandwich outta the parts....

Filter
grate
food
grate
filter
grate
food
grate
filter
(etc)
fan

Said not to go over 5 (i think) layers or the airflow would be too restricted. Then he bungy corded the whole stack to the fan and turned it on. He put it in the shower in his unused bathroom and let it go for 42-48 hours.

Seems like a pretty cheap and economical way to go to me.

[ALX]

I use 2... 9 tray excaliburs....Never had a problem....Probably 2000 hours plus on both of them....

[curious aardvark]

think fishawn or walking dude uses/used the fan method. certainly remember someone mentioning it a while ago.

Anyway the excaliburs have temperature control so I can do any temp drying/cooking I like :-)

Mind you they've started flogging those cheapo flying saucer dehydrators over here for not much money.
Don't think you can turn the heat down on those.

[Richtee]

She is concerned about chemicals leaching from plastics in dehydrators.


Hmm- I'm pretty sure all the plastics in contact with the food are food grade stuff. Perhaps a "dry run" or two at temps would ensure the neutrality of the "guts" but I'd have to think this would be of little concern. Then again... I have seen stupider stuff I suppose. :whistle:

[curious aardvark]

pretty sure the tray liners excalibur use are silicon based. so definitely chemical leach free.

Given that most of the whole vegan food nuts (people who only eat live fruit, shoots and nuts - weirdos don't even smoke it lol) all seem to use excaliburs, I'd say chemical contamination isn't going to be an issue :-)

[harlanr3]

excalibur