Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

moments_of_sanity

Frugalsod wrote: »

I think one of the fundamental problems with them is that the trays are plastic and do not seem to hold up well. I have read loads of reviews on amazon and they seem quite good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Dehydrator-Adjustable-Temperature/dp/B00FF97SJ2/

Like you I would love an Excalibur but do not feel the need to spend so much. I am taking my time before deciding to buy.

I too have spent a long time looking around at them and the only other one's in my price range seem to be round one's which require you to move the trays around. Who would have thought it was so difficult! :rotfl:

Ken68

A trick I have learned is to dry different fruit or veg so as to maximise the use. For example apples will take , say, 8 hours and as they shrink put in some mushrooms at 3 to 4 hours to take up the empty space.
Also I find that even with Excal. square trays they are best rotated.
Dried elderberries smell very tannin but not dead yet lol. Having it with porridge. Might try doing an infusion tea.

Kevie192

I've not got the Andrew James dehydrator myself as I have the Lakeland round model but I would say that Andrew James products are normally pretty good quality so I think it's a safe purchase.

Just my opinion!

Kevin

Frugalsod

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

I too have spent a long time looking around at them and the only other one's in my price range seem to be round one's which require you to move the trays around. Who would have thought it was so difficult! :rotfl:

I do not think that is the problem I think some people are just clumsy and they break. I am looking at the idea of a Stockli version which comes with metal trays. It is just as expensive as an Excalibur but I can get mine with 10 metal trays and silicon mats for wet matter for £308, whereas with an Excalibur I would still have to replace all the trays and get some sheeting to be able to do the same. Though the Excalibur looks more repairable and more customisable, with the ability to get parts.

moments_of_sanity

Kevie192 wrote: »

I've not got the Andrew James dehydrator myself as I have the Lakeland round model but I would say that Andrew James products are normally pretty good quality so I think it's a safe purchase.

Just my opinion!

Kevin

I have looked at the lakeland one and it was either that one or the Andrew James one, I have decided to go for the Andrew James one and cost me £45. Can't wait to get it through and start

Living_proof

Ken68 wrote: »

A trick I have learned is to dry different fruit or veg so as to maximise the use. For example apples will take , say, 8 hours and as they shrink put in some mushrooms at 3 to 4 hours to take up the empty space.
Also I find that even with Excal. square trays they are best rotated.
Dried elderberries smell very tannin but not dead yet lol. Having it with porridge. Might try doing an infusion tea.

I have a nine tray Excalibur which I bought unused for a really good price. Due to two house moves in the last eighteen months I haven't had a chance to do a lot of drying but now I am settled and just about to have solar panels fitted so the whole operation should be very MSE whilst the sun shines. I am interested to see you are drying elderberries and I had thought they were dangerous unless cooked. What other foraged foods to you dry? Also, how about rhubarb?

Ken68

Hi LF....wasn't aware about elderberries, will look into it...though do prefer them frozen, lot easier to handle.
These berries do come over as very concentrated when dried as a paste.
Have done rhubarb but not enough sweetness, again one for the freezer.
Other foraged fruit are small wild plums and early apples that wouldn't keep otherwise. Bramleys and the like will store thru the winter.
This coming summer will be doing mint and nettles and whatever other herbs I can find. Mushrooms and onions I dry when Lidl do an offer.For example Lidl are currently doing 5kg onions for £1.39 and mushrooms were 42p for 350g a few weeks ago.
Congrats on your Excal price.


http://www.ehow.com/how_5598321_dry-elderberry.html


OK cooked or DRIED.

Living_proof

Thanks Ken. Experimentation will be very interesting and I find myself looking at hedgerows in a new light. I am busy saving jars in readiness for a busy summer and autumn! One of the major bonuses for me is that the food preparation - i.e. chopping, peeling etc. is already done when time allows, and it should be good to throw something together for the slow cooker quite quickly.

Ken68

Yes LV....I do dried runner beans in the slow cooker (after a quick boil in a saucepan). They dry off naturally anyway and free protein.
Another thing am going to look out for this year is wild garlic. Also hawthorne berries to make vit.C, though need a bit of research first.

moments_of_sanity

I had a sudden change of mind when about to purchase the Andrew James one as I found this one by Bella Casa and it looks exactly the same....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Bella-Casa-Black-6-Tray-Digital-Food-Dehydrator-Fruit-Preserver-Jerky-Dryer-/331103713921?

I ordered it yesterday at about 11am and it arrived this morning so I am going to put a few things in today to try them. Youngest DD would like apple rings doing so going to be trying some of them along with parsnip, sweet potato and beet root crisps, fingers crossed it might work! :j

The Bella Casa has a 2 year warranty compared to the Andrew James 12 month warranty.