Need recommendations on sealer and dehydrator

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I am planning on adding a dehydrator and a vacuum sealer to my kitchen equipment this year and was looking for recommendations from those of you that have experience with them. We are a medium size family (2 adults, 3 kids), but I usually can and freeze enough for relatives and friends also. So....what are you using, and what do you like or dislike about it most? Thanks in advance for the info.

-- Julie (rjbk@together.net), June 04, 2001

Answers

Julie For a vacuum sealer I use a food saver they are selling a model at Sams Club right now. I have an older profession model I like but when I called the company for replacement pieces they told me they don't make them and wanted me to trade mine in on a new model and it would cost me a couple hundred more plus. So I am not happy about that. I did manage to fix it myself and will do so as long as I can. So you might want to go with the cheaper? Model at Sams still at about $125 to $140 I can't remember. I am finding this problem with other companies for parts as well. For dehydrators I have an old Harvest Maid and was able to get it repaired by the company even thought they wanted to trade in also. I like the cabinet styles because you can get alot in at one time and they seem to dry more even it is a space hog though so I use it in the basement which keeps it cooler upstairs if I am working in the summertime dehydrating which is usually the case. Good Luck If you need the address for the vacuum sealer to order direct or get info let me know.

-- Alta Blomquist (altab@trib.com), June 04, 2001.

I have one of the circular Harvest Maid dryers with the stackable trays and I love it. I can do as much or as little as I want of drying and just keep adding trays as I go. The initial investment was a little high, I got all the screens etc. and twenty trays, but I have never had any trouble with it and have used it a lot in the past 12 years.

-- diane (gardiacaprine@yahoo.com), June 04, 2001.

I have an Equi-flow dehydrator...I do not think the company is in existance now. Had the unit since the early 70's and it is still going strong, (use to sell them and give demonstrations on food dehydrating). This unit has a fan that blows horizontally so that you can dry different things and not get a cross over of smells. I have done onions and apples, etc. My unit has 10 trays and will hold about 1/2 bushel of either fruits or veg.

From what I have read about the Excalibur, that would be a good unit on todays market. They talk about their coated sheets...they use to be called Teflon...I have had mine as long as I have had my dehydrator and they are a big plus. They wash easily and things do not stick to them. Some fruits can get sticky, like bananas or melons. Also great if you are doing jerkys.

Whatever unit you to purchase, it should have a fan that blows horizontal, not vertical and should not get above 140-150*. Most foods should dry within 24 hours. Herbs and such in just a few hours.

I stored most of my dried stuff in gal. jars. The fruit leathers I wrapped in plastic wrap then put them into jars. I did tomato paste the same way and a 3x3" piece equals a 6oz can. Very handy. I also use to dry thick soups then powder them and send them to my daughter in college. Since she has now gone back for her doctorate after all these years, I will probably be doing that again.

Good luck and happy drying. It is fun!!!

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), June 04, 2001.


There are many more expensive models available, but Lynn and I have had wonderful results with the Magic Chef 3 tray dehydrators from Wal Mart for $19 apiece ( we bought 3 eventually). some reasons I prefer using multiple units is a)you can buy one as you can afford it. b) if one unit fails, you have others to fall back on. c) quite often, 2 smaller units cost less than a higher volume unit . d) when drying various type of produce, its easier to keep track of dehydration time requirements when using seperate units. Wal Mart also has a nice sealer, but look at yard sales first. We bought both of our vacuum sealers at yard sales for $5 and $10, a lot less than the $80 at Wal Mart.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 04, 2001.

Like Jay, we have smaller wal-mart dehydrators. (Snack Master, Jr) Our three have lasted for over 5 years each now. Our bag sealor is the 8" Oster brand, purchased with 25 unopened boxes of bags for $3 at a garage sale. When I need the air out, I fill the one side of the kitchen sink with water, then set the plugged in sealer to one side (Make sure to keep it dry). Set the sealed end of the bag and your choosed qty of veggies into it, set it into the water and push everything but the open end under water, then slide the bag under the sealor, and then seal. Gets most, but not all, of the air out.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 04, 2001.


We have a Tilia Food Saver. Be sure to get one with the jar sealer as the jars are safer from rodents than the bags. I use it almost daily resealing jars of dried food. One thing about the sealers: I had given up drying tomatoes because they turned black and tasted burned until I started sealing them in jars. They stay red and when rehydrated, look more like canned tomatoes than dried.

Our dehydrator is an Excalibur that we bought in the early 80's. It's still running like a champ. I especially like it over the stackable tray units because I can remove the trays and incubate yogurt or raise bread when the house is too cool. The Excalibur has the horizontal air flow which I would also recommend.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), June 05, 2001.


I have two big Ronco dehydrators, with two settings, heat, and heat/fan. They have been doing a beautiful job. I loaded them up with the maximum number of trays, and keep them humming all through harvest. When I do greens, I load the trays, and add them to the base as I fill them. By the time I finish loading the last tray, the first is dry. Just slide out the bottom one, pack the dried greens, and refill the tray, adding it to the top of the stack. If you have enough trays, you can do this nonstop all day, breaking occasionally for a trip out to the garden for more stuff.

Whichever dehydrator you go with, be sure it has a blower fan. Circulating the air drives the moisture out a lot faster that relying on the 'heat rises' thing.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), June 06, 2001.


Hi Julie, I have just purchased a Harvest Maid dehydrator from a fund raising sale. It is Model FD-200 and I am looking for a manual or any information on using it. Is there anyone out there who knows or who can guide me?

Thanks

-- Linda Nacamulli (lesamis@juno.com), July 10, 2001.


Linda and I are in the same boat. My grandparents gave me a Harvest Maid Dehydrator without the directions. I don't have any temperatures, times, or anything. Any help would be great. Thanks.

-- Devon Finnman (devon_finnman@hotmail.com), January 01, 2002.

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