I have been researching and saving for a long time and I can finally purchase an Excalibur Dehydrator. Actually, I just bought it and it arrived 2 days ago but I haven't decided if I want to keep it or exchange it for the stainless steel model. Does anyone here have the stainless model? Anyone care to list pros and cons.
Here are my thoughts and I'd love to know yours!
I dehydrate nuts at least once a week using my gas oven. I think I'd dehydrate more foods and more often if I had an exclusive dehdyrator. However, part of me wonders if the convection ovens like this Breville would work as well, too. During the summer in Texas, dehydrating in a hot kitchen is terrible.
So I bought the 9-tray with timer very excited about being able to dehydrate overnight safely without my oven on. Now that it has just arrived, I wish I had bought the stainless steel. However it is $100 more for the 5-tray model and $200 more for the 9-tray model. I'm trying to decide if the 5-tray would be enough. I'd like to try making yogurt in it and I don't know if the 5-tray is tall enough for yogurt. So does anyone have thoughts about the height for making yogurt?
(eta: Too wordy!) Basically, is the stainless tray/ model worth it?
Please share your thoughts about the Excalibur Dehydrator. Is it even worth it? If I could get away with a small convection oven and make beef jerkey and dehydrate nuts and veggies, I'd do that in a heartbeat. It could sit on the countertop, cost much less money, and probably be used at least once a day if not more in the summer.
In Summary:
Foods I already dehdyrate: Nuts once a week.
Foods I really want to dehydrate once a week as well - yogurt, beef jerkey, kale chips, homemade cold cereal, bell peppers, bananas, etc.
It's just so much money to spend; I can't make up my mind! Last year's big post-holiday purchase was the Vitamix. It cost more than the Dehydrator but we use it almost every single day and it has been worth every penny. For as much money as the dehydrator cost, I'd like it to be worth it, too.
If anyone hates their Excalibur, I'd love to know that, too! Tia!
Edited by loftmama - 1/23/13 at 7:30pm
Here are my thoughts and I'd love to know yours!
I dehydrate nuts at least once a week using my gas oven. I think I'd dehydrate more foods and more often if I had an exclusive dehdyrator. However, part of me wonders if the convection ovens like this Breville would work as well, too. During the summer in Texas, dehydrating in a hot kitchen is terrible.
So I bought the 9-tray with timer very excited about being able to dehydrate overnight safely without my oven on. Now that it has just arrived, I wish I had bought the stainless steel. However it is $100 more for the 5-tray model and $200 more for the 9-tray model. I'm trying to decide if the 5-tray would be enough. I'd like to try making yogurt in it and I don't know if the 5-tray is tall enough for yogurt. So does anyone have thoughts about the height for making yogurt?
(eta: Too wordy!) Basically, is the stainless tray/ model worth it?
Please share your thoughts about the Excalibur Dehydrator. Is it even worth it? If I could get away with a small convection oven and make beef jerkey and dehydrate nuts and veggies, I'd do that in a heartbeat. It could sit on the countertop, cost much less money, and probably be used at least once a day if not more in the summer.
In Summary:
Foods I already dehdyrate: Nuts once a week.
Foods I really want to dehydrate once a week as well - yogurt, beef jerkey, kale chips, homemade cold cereal, bell peppers, bananas, etc.
It's just so much money to spend; I can't make up my mind! Last year's big post-holiday purchase was the Vitamix. It cost more than the Dehydrator but we use it almost every single day and it has been worth every penny. For as much money as the dehydrator cost, I'd like it to be worth it, too.
If anyone hates their Excalibur, I'd love to know that, too! Tia!
Edited by loftmama - 1/23/13 at 7:30pm
Follow Mothering