Excalibur Dehydrator

Pros: Sliding tray feature and seven inch fan makes this the best out there.
Cons: Price is a bit steep...

It’s that time of the year once again, drag out the venison (deer) meat out of the freezer, slice it, stack it on waxed paper, and crank up the dehydrator. To some this might sound like a learning experience but to me, it's just hard ...

Pros: very efficient and easy to clean
Cons: noise? depending upon circumstances

We own an Excalibur 2900, one step below top-of-the-line (only difference is an on/off timer). It came with 9 trays, 9 liners, 4 fruit roll liners and a recipe booklet. I found it online at several places for 199.99 and some of them had free shipping and...

Pros: Easy clean-up. Even drying. Large capacity
Cons: None

We purchase our Excaliber online and got free shipping. We paid $200, but got the largest capacity size. The main reason we chose that model was the drying fan in the rear rather than the bottom. We got our old dehydrator up from the basement one day...

Pros: even drying, big capacity, consistently wonderful results
Cons: noise, hard to store

When I decided I wanted to get a dehydrator, I did all the research I could and it kept leading back to the Excalibur. I'm so glad I spent the extra money to get the best! I've been extremely happy with this product.


pros
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Pros: Fan Thermostat Marked temperatures by category in case you forget Reliable
Cons: Suggest rotating tray orientation to ensure even drying None other that I can think of

I did some research and a little experimentation before settling on this gem. I first tried a well-known consumer-level circular model from a mega-national-store, and was sorely disappointed in the quality, function and noise; it was returned after my sad experience.

I've dehydrated in the oven; it does work, but is more tedious; you need to make sure via an accurate thermometer or experience that the temp is correct, and, well, it just seems more messy. But it is cheaper initially than going out and buying a dehydrator - it's your choice.

When I got a bit serious about dehydrating, for hiking food, I got an Excalibur. I like to research things and get the best I can for what I can afford, and this is it.

I've been using the 5-tray model for a couple of years now, and it just works, like a simple tool. Mine came with a booklet about a dehydrating, which was a decent start, but I also got a book by Mary Bell, the "Complete Dehydrator Cookbook", which is a good place to start.

Pros: Wider range of lower temperatures than most.
Cons: Shelves are a little flimsy.

I just bought a new one of these. I had an old model for more than ten years, gave it to a friend and bought a new one. These things are totally functional, durable, easy to use and offer more flexibility than many other dehydrators.

Pros: EXTREMELY FAST DRYING ! BIG FAN !
Cons: Pricey, BUT you get what you pay for !! Little bit noisy.

There is just no comparison! It beats all others I have tried hands down. Pricey, but you get what you pay for. Just this week I dried 10.5 lbs of jerky meat in just under six hours. One thing I recommend it that you do rotate trays 180 degrees about half way though, it helps tremendously. Also, just a bit noisy, but again it's that big fan doing it's magic. I spent many hours on the internet trying to decide which one to buy and have to say have not regretted for a minute my choice on this sucker !!

EZ

Pros: There are none.
Cons: Absolute junk!!!

What a cheap piece of plastic crap! I wouldn't buy it for $1 at a flea market. No kidding. I don't believe the positive reviews are real. It is literally a cheap plastic 8 track player. The "door" is a lean-to. The sides buckle out. It's really cheap PLASTIC! Do your health a favor and put your expensive organic veggies in something other than glued together plastic. I mean the materials couldn't have cost more than a dollar. What junk. Made in America, the new Taiwan. It's huge and ugly, falling apart right out of the box, loud, and did I tell ya it's PLASTIC. I mean there's plastic and then there's PLASTIC! Yuck. Glue spills even on the interior. They got a lot of nerve pawning this crap off for this price. But there's no accounting for taste. Don't be one of the stupid herd, spend your money on something of value. This ain't it.