Food Dehydrator

**shoiji** · 07-05-2008, 02:12 PM

Is it worth getting a food dehydrator. I keep on thinking of the dried fruits and dried mushrooms I buy and thought I wonder if it is cheaper to buy a food dehydrator. I can buy one new for pretty cheap or chance it with the ones at the thrift store. Anyway is it worth buying. Will I still save with the amount of electricity being used also? Oh yeah, beef jerky would be another plus. Do I need a separate one for produce and meat?

Can't wait to hear what people have to say.

**katholc** · 07-05-2008, 08:05 PM

I have an American Harvester that I got at Walmart several years ago. It works great. If you check out sites like Frontier foods for their dried fruits and veggies IMO it works out to be cheaper plus you know the food was processed correctly before putting it in the dryer.

**AmyBoz** · 07-05-2008, 08:10 PM

I think that anything is worth the cost of buying if you are positive you are going to use it. If you are really into dehydrated foods, then by all means, buy the thing. I'm sure that the electricity used will balance out the cost of purchasing these items at the store.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

**sunshine** · 07-05-2008, 08:26 PM

I use ours HARD -- and we have 2.
I use it for the odds and ends of veggies when I can -- then mix them for my own "Soup Starter"

I use it to make jerky -- lots of jerky. We love it, and I can flavor it the way we like it.

I use it for dehydrated/minced onions. I put it in the summer kitchen to dry, to eliminate some of the odors in the house.

I make fruit and pudding roll up in it.

Banana chips

Zucchini chips -- eat instead of potato chips. . Ymmm.

**Jenibelle** · 07-08-2008, 10:29 AM

I'm a fan of the dehydrator...if nothing else it adds some variety to the foods you store/save. For instance...this weekend my dad picked 3 ice cream buckets full of cherries from our neighbors tree (don't worry we had permission!) So in addition to my mom making cherry cobbler & crisp and freezing some of the berries he is dehydrating me almost a whole bucket! Now I have four ways to eat them!

**itlw8** · 07-08-2008, 10:37 AM

We used the heck out of ours when the boys were in scouts we made alot of turkey jerky and dried many things for back packing

One thing I learned if you want to do onions stick it outdoors.... phew

You can find them at garage sales cheap but I have gotten my money sworth and if you buy the dried stuff anyway it will pay

**shoiji** · 07-09-2008, 03:31 PM

Thanks to everyone who responded. I am still tossing around to buy one or not. Probably will.

**freebs** · 07-09-2008, 03:36 PM

I just recently bought one i got it at amazon.com for 65.00 it is a professional model i really like it, i have used it alot for onions right now since they are in season!

**Kitchen Mama** · 07-09-2008, 04:22 PM

It works great for drying bread to make bread crumbs---lot easier than using the oven since I don't like mine toasted

**heartofmine** · 07-09-2008, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by AmyBoz

I think that anything is worth the cost of buying if you are positive you are going to use it. If you are really into dehydrated foods, then by all means, buy the thing. I'm sure that the electricity used will balance out the cost of purchasing these items at the store.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

I agree. If you know you'll use it then go for it.